I just want to post a few short thought's today about why Microsoft windows has frustrated me in the last couple of days. Basically yesterday I had a working, although barely windows Vista Operating system on my desktop. There are a few things that I just need windows for, although not as many as you would think.
Some of the proprietary closed-source coded programs done by Apple & Microsft, and netflix do not run on any version of Desktop Linux that I know of. Although I would really enjoy being wrong. Not only do I not get Netflix(which I stopped paying for recently), but the ability to run i-tunes, or manage the two MS Zune's that are in the house. Other than those things, and some gaming I can do everything else w/ Linux.
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| the CPU inside my desktop. |
Luckily I have access to an old vista Toshiba laptop that we can manage the Zunes with, and also use itunes, although anything else would suck, because that laptop can't do more than one thing at a time. It's a single core pentium M, with only 2GB RAM.
What happened is that when I rescued this desktop from the curb it had a bad power supply in it. Which was recently upgraded to a quality power supply. I believe that the bad power supply, had Toasted some of the RAM chips in it. It made random beeping codes when I rescued it from the curb, just before it started raining. after I removed a pair of 1/2 GB of memory it worked to restore the Machine to factory settings. Although I did not test the power supply right away as I should have. I did not have a tester yet though.
That eventually led me to the problem of a bad mother-board because of a bad power supply. So when I was getting daily BSOD(Microsoft's famous Blue Screen of Death hardware error screen), I stopped using the computer until I replaced the power supply with a good gaming power supply, and a direct replacement mother-board.
I would never pirate an Operating system, but I understand the need for a PC gamer who can't afford a windows upgrade. I wish they didn't have to have such a closed minded business approach.
I thought I would add pictures of the computer that, can no longer run the version of Windows it has a key for. What I want is the windows 7, but that would be $80-100 for the software, and $20-40 for the extra memory that would be needed.
Seems to me like a bit too much to spend on a junk PC. A new Power Supply fine, but a new motherboard too? When you say "direct replacement" that makes me think they somehow managed to get a hold of the exact same motherboard. How difficult/expensive was that? Is it a home built PC or something from an OEM like Dell?
ReplyDeleteWell you might be right. But it's just a little bit frustrating that the computer works so well w/ Linux, and windows now refuses.
ReplyDeleteIt had to be a direct replacement, because in order to boot it up after I replaced the MOBO myself($80 e--bay). the power supply unit was $40 & gfx card was $40. I am a tech, so I did all of the work myself. I used an anti-static strap, like the out of work computer tech.
I am. This computer also came with a t.v. tuner card that I can't get working in windows, but mythTV w/ mythbuntu works well. I am planning still to have my desktop do my video editing, because it is the most powerful PC still for video. I was going to use KDEnLive in AVlinux, not windows anyways. general browsing/socialNT/News/articles/podcast I do on Linux_mint, or Ubuntu on my little netbook. I am mainly frustrated, because I can't play my favorite games. Windows would have you think without money for an upgrade that my computer is useless, that is just not the case.
BTW the specs are HP 8300f media center PC's.