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  1. Mercutio

    Strange laptop repair/parts-finding issue

    One of my students brought me an Inspiron 1750 this morning. He had attempted to replace its keyboard and in fact had downloaded the proper documentation and followed along. Normally, a keyboard repair is dead simple but in this case the guy broke the little keyboard ribbon cable retention...
  2. Mercutio

    Your opinions on "skinning?"

    Depending on your hardware, that may actually be incorrect. Trying to use Aero on a low-spec system (particularly some of the systems that first shipped with Vista) was a good way to eat CPU time on systems that never should have tried to run it. For the most part, I'm completely fine with...
  3. Mercutio

    Use of IE ... today?

    Chrome has its own internal config, but it also interacts with the registry and with GUID entries in its own profile folders (there are at least two that I know of) and bad guys can interact with any of the above in an effort to make their mal-extensions as difficult to remove as possible. I've...
  4. Mercutio

    Clear differences exist in mobile phone connection speeds

    I'm not sure that this is actually surprising, but is it really a case of particular engineering solution, or just that some devices have faster CPUs and are better able to deal with incoming data? Some of the Apple device scores are a bit lower than I'd expect compared to the generation of...
  5. Mercutio

    Use of IE ... today?

    Wait until you run in to something that manages to convince Windows that a particular Chrome Add-on that it was installed "by Enterprise Policy."
  6. Mercutio

    Use of IE ... today?

    Why would you want to push out Firefox?
  7. Mercutio

    Use of IE ... today?

    I'd say that's partially true at best, given Microsoft's reluctance to issue any amount of out of band software patches. Game-breaking bug? "We'll send out a fix second Tuesday of next month." IE10 and 11 with Tracking Protection Lists are definitely not as bad as older versions. I still don't...
  8. Mercutio

    Frontpage Replacement for not-web people

    I just found out that one of the people in my office still maintains a few web sites with Frontpage. By itself, no, that's not a big deal. It makes code that works and hey, at least it's not shitting Javascript all over everything. But thinking of a straightforward replacement, the only thing...
  9. Mercutio

    Merc's Useful Tools of the day

    GetMacApps.com requires a little more work than using Ninite, but it's the same basic idea, only more OSX-y.
  10. Mercutio

    Something Random

    Consistently, the biggest problem I have found with OpenOffice is something less than 100% compatibility for complex Excel stuff. Granted that I can (and do) make things in Word that don't work right either, but it's enough of a headache that I usually don't bring it up unless someone asks me...
  11. Mercutio

    Ivy Bridge-EX specifications, prices, launch date, etc

    I think this is a sign you've been staring at price lists too long. ;)
  12. Mercutio

    HP DL320e or HP ElitePro desktop?

    Rackmount hardware is usually really loud. This may not be a factor, but if you're buying this hardware for a single user and that equipment isn't going in your datacenter, that's something you might want to consider.
  13. Mercutio

    Site<->Site VPN connectivity issue

    Can any VPN link stay up? Can you run an SSH tunnel between those two boxes, for example?
  14. Mercutio

    Best movie you've seen

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B16Bo47KS2g Yes, that is going to tie in to the Avengers movies. With Vin Diesel as a talking tree and the redheaded babe from Doctor Who as the bald, blue-skinned big bad. Over the weekend I watched a movie called "Europa Project", primarily because it was...
  15. Mercutio

    Dying S3

    Part of the appeal of the Samsung phones is that they're so damned light and thin. I don't see any reason to give that up for the dubious "protection" of an otterbox. I've seen too many broken smartphones in undamaged cases.
  16. Mercutio

    Dying S3

    A 7" tablet will fit in the back pocket of most men's pants, but probably shouldn't. It'll also go in the interior pocket on a lot of sport coats or suit jackets, but again it looks pretty weird to put one there. I was thinking about that a few days ago. I'd really like to have a coat with an...
  17. Mercutio

    Dying S3

    As a proof of concept and entirely because of I spilled a cup of tea on my regular handset, I used a Nexus 7 as my office phone all day. I use Vocalocity (basically Vonage for Business) and their mobile app lets me transfer calls and things just like my Cisco handset. It was a little silly, but...
  18. Mercutio

    storageforum App

    I believe the trend of building specialized single-site web viewers originates and is necessitated by older iThings, where some combination of missing Flash support and relatively low buy-in from web developers for mobile-friendly sites meant a fairly broken web experience. Things have mostly...
  19. Mercutio

    PC Headsets for VOIP

    The Microsoft LifeChat is an inexpensive device geared toward VOIP rather than gaming performance. There are a few of them floating around my office. I was using a Logitech H600 for recording stuff to put on Youtube, but I switched to my Jaybird Bluetooth set since I got it and passed the...
  20. Mercutio

    Newegg Premier

    Newegg does at time have a larger stock of certain products, particularly computer cases.
  21. Mercutio

    Something Random

    A sharpie and a roll of masking tape would go a long, long way.
  22. Mercutio

    Paid antivirus

    It's definitely heavier-weight than it used to be, but it's still lighter than Defender or Avira. The tools are getting worse. I don't think that's your imagination.
  23. Mercutio

    Unreal Tournament ('99) issues?

    Take a look at this.
  24. Mercutio

    Caching software for SSD

    As far as I know, no Macs have any such configuration. Windows Vista supported a technology called ReadyBoost for doing high-level disk caching of disk drive access, but that wasn't supported on Windows 7 (the Readyboost hardware was just formatted and configured as if it were a USB flash...
  25. Mercutio

    Unreal Tournament ('99) issues?

    A machine with those specs should be fine for original UT (which I still play sometimes). UT2004 should also run sorta-acceptably on a GF2MX from what I remember of running support at LAN parties. Are you using the original, retail install media or did you get it through a service like GoG.com...
  26. Mercutio

    Windows 8 install tricks

    Quickbooks is permanently and always completely terrible. I'm a big believer in QB Online. At least it doesn't fuck up your Windows install when it has problems. I usually tell people to budget for two days of paid time to do a Quickbooks upgrade or new install, even for a simple two-station...
  27. Mercutio

    Windows Backup: "System Writer is not found in the backup"

    I actually did try that, but the System Writer isn't technically part of the Backup Features and that didn't seem to help. I wound up making a database backup and then restoring Windows from the last good system image I had. I'm not going to run a production system with no working backup.
  28. Mercutio

    Something Random

    Every reasonably sophisticated forum site is going to have per-user preferences and probably shit tons of viewership metrics on each account. Everything is done in Javascript for maximum slowness since that's all Web Monkeys know how to write these days, and the size of ads and scripts being...
  29. Mercutio

    Something Random

    I would definitely in no way know absolutely all about that since easily 2/3s of the comments on every Slashdot thread today were about it. I miss the circa '96 Slashdot. I still think of the Slashboxes as the "new design."
  30. Mercutio

    Something Random

    Oh and also here is this thing that I totally must have, a Dungeons and Dragons novel that Audible.com paid to have a Gangster Rapper narrate.
  31. Mercutio

    Something Random

    I live in Portage, Indiana. I'm physically close enough that I have on a couple occasions walked from my apartment to Miller Beach in Gary (it's not really a fun walk though). It's a great neighborhood. Strip club-adjacent.
  32. Mercutio

    "New" drives...

    An WD800BB could be 12 - 13 years old, though WD had a habit of changing underlying platter properties without changing the model number. Buck is the person who would be able to tell exactly even if the warranty is so far gone that the validator just laughs at you.
  33. Mercutio

    This is the thread for the discussion of interesting apps.

    If you create a Bookmark with this code javascript:(function(){if(location.host%20==%20"www.youtube.com"%20&&%20location.search.indexOf("v=")%20!=%20-1)%20{open("http://www.youtube-mp3.org/#v="%20+location.search.split("v=")[1].split("&")[0]);}})(); and click it while watching a Youtube...
  34. Mercutio

    Something Random

    Amazon and Netflix are both trying to convince ISPs to accept peered content boxes that the biggest share of their data can come from internal networks rather than cross over more expensive links. I can't believe that Verizon doesn't have a bunch of 100TB Netflix boxes at strategic locations...
  35. Mercutio

    This is the thread for the discussion of interesting apps.

    Why not just make the notes using Google Docs in the first place?
  36. Mercutio

    Cats of Storageforum

    The thing that's strange to me about all that is re-naming a pet. My grandma had a Golden Retriever named "Lady" when I was growing up who was definitely not that. She said she figured it out a couple days after she got the dog but she couldn't think of him any other way.
  37. Mercutio

    Expect some trolls

    I know someone who would happily share her Loki/Doctor Who slash fiction. I don't think Coug's PC could take the abuse it would get if he saw it, though.
  38. Mercutio

    PC Gaming = World of Suck

    Youtube was rolled out for the Roku 3 just before Xmas, with promises that it would be added as an available channel to everything but the original-model Roku. I have no idea on dates, but I did see it on my uncle's Roku a couple weeks ago. You might want to give Plex a try as a DLNA...
  39. Mercutio

    Newegg Premier

    If you look, they say Premier users will get free returns and zero restocking fees. At the moment, Newegg only covers shipping on some minority of orders. They almost always tell customers to take it up with manufacturers and I've been told that I'd be charged restocking for clearly clearly...
  40. Mercutio

    Something Random

    More than one of these got an actual out loud laugh from me. Generally safe for work, possibly less safe for good taste in a few cases.
  41. Mercutio

    PC Gaming = World of Suck

    I think the dream we want to live is to get a desktop with a performance profile that's similar to or exceeds current-gen consoles at a comparable price. Without Windows that is ENTIRELY possible ($350 i3 rig + $100 *770 graphics card + goofy wireless gamepad = ~$500) and it's just going to get...
  42. Mercutio

    Windows Backup: "System Writer is not found in the backup"

    That's kind of a big deal. It's crucial for backups. It's crucial for THIRD PARTY backup software. If it's not working and nothing short of dropping back to my last good system image is all I can do, I don't know how that's even remotely cool. I have no idea what caused it and no idea if it will...
  43. Mercutio

    Newegg Premier

    Newegg is now offering a competitor to Amazon Prime. Here's the web page for it. It's $50 for 3-day shipping, which doesn't seem all that helpful, but free returns and supposedly better service might make it worthwhile. I'm undecided. Newegg's customer service is atrocious but I still buy from...
  44. Mercutio

    PC Gaming = World of Suck

    I've done "Living Room PCs" a few times. My own personal bias is to make systems that are capable as media consumption systems rather than gaming machines, but I've made those as well. SteamOS is supposed to be a front end for a Linux system, and I suppose that means it will be modded to hell...
  45. Mercutio

    PC Gaming = World of Suck

    Civilization 5 is supposed to be getting full offline play Any Day Now and coincidentally, the new Humble Bundle is all Sid Meier games. I've never heard of Ace Patrol and the bundle doesn't have either of my actual favorite Sid Meier games (Pirates! Gold or Alpha Centauri), but that is more...
  46. Mercutio

    Helium filled hard drives

    Hitachi's been offering five platter drives for ages (e.g. the 75GXP). I can't remember the last time I saw non-Hitachi drive with five.
  47. Mercutio

    Expect some trolls

    Anyone who visits has to clear the spammer verification. I don't know if Handruin grants approvals by hand or not but there are automated systems to minimize the forum annoyance factor.
  48. Mercutio

    Surface Pro

    They're kind of slow. They have kind of dim screens. They're tiny for an x86 tablet. But on the other hand, $200 is a HELL of a price for a fully functional Windows 8 PC, let alone a tablet model. Awesome deal if you live near a Microcenter.
  49. Mercutio

    Windows Backup: "System Writer is not found in the backup"

    I decided that the Windows Backup was sending me a coded message that I don't get nearly enough practice doing Windows Server restores.
  50. Mercutio

    LogMein free is terminating access

    And for the record, since they changed the procedure again: The Hamachi config now lives at HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\LogMeIn Hamachi\. You can either copy an old config folder to that location or specify a different one. It's a DWORD in your registry. I make use of Hamachi's relatively static...
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