Something Random

CougTek

Serial computer killer
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,724
Location
Québec, Québec
Middle man so both.

More so than the staring and non-verbal communication, I've studied the technical documentation of everything that was involved in the architecture to the point that I was able to argue and win my points against people view as experts in their respective fields. I shove another 10% on the last day of negociation purely in optimizing an already good solution, without making any functional sacrifices.

This is 3 weeks of 16+ hours/day worth of work, including the weekends. I also had to assume my regular work tasks, which aren't small by any means.

Like I wrote, exhausting. I plan to take some slack for the next two or three weeks, before the installation phase begins.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
Middle man so both.

More so than the staring and non-verbal communication, I've studied the technical documentation of everything that was involved in the architecture to the point that I was able to argue and win my points against people view as experts in their respective fields. I shove another 10% on the last day of negociation purely in optimizing an already good solution, without making any functional sacrifices.

This is 3 weeks of 16+ hours/day worth of work, including the weekends. I also had to assume my regular work tasks, which aren't small by any means.

Like I wrote, exhausting. I plan to take some slack for the next two or three weeks, before the installation phase begins.

I'm glad that was good for you but I don't quite understand. Is your company buying a product or service or selling it to someone else?
 

CougTek

Serial computer killer
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,724
Location
Québec, Québec
I know it's confusing. You see, it's a revolutionnary concept. We buy stuff that we resell for a profit. Unheard of, I know. I think we should brand and patent it.

We should also patent the wheel, because, you guessed it, it was us too.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
I know it's confusing. You see, it's a revolutionnary concept. We buy stuff that we resell for a profit. Unheard of, I know. I think we should brand and patent it.

We should also patent the wheel, because, you guessed it, it was us too.

Oh, now I understand. :)
I've never been involved with that process.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
Do you travel far and frequently for the installations? I have to be in five states in the next two weeks, including three new sites.
 

CougTek

Serial computer killer
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,724
Location
Québec, Québec
Nope. I'm not often sent in the field. So far, I've only been in urban areas and since my presence is essential to the inner workings of the companies, I don't think I'll have to travel far in the foreseable future. The farthest I'll have to go will be Toronto, eventually.
 

snowhiker

Storage Freak Apprentice
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
1,668
...and since my presence is essential to the inner workings of the companies...

I wonder how many companies (big or small) have that "one guy" that is essential to their operations. And if that person is usually in IT.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
I started on my taxes today. I've used TaxAct for many years. They've gotten stupidly expensive IMHO. Filing my 2013 taxes was $19.99. The 2014 taxes $21.99. The 2015 taxes $49.99. This year will be $65. I don't think I'm going to pay $65. I should have given them the ax last year.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
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Michigan
Turbo tax is on sale at Amazon according to ArsTechnica.
Wish I had seen that before paying TaxAct's silly price this year.
Hmm... Last time I bought TurboTax I was rather unhappy when I learned I had to pay extra for e-filing after spending a fair bit on the program itself. It seems that $34.89 doesn't include state e-filing, but does include state paper filing which is a bit better than the situation last time I used it many years ago.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
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USA
Why does a website require the viewer to log in with Facebook or the Google? :cursin:
 

CougTek

Serial computer killer
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,724
Location
Québec, Québec
There are very few things in life I enjoy more than being drunk from a good beer and listening to comfortably numb from Pink Floyd.

Of course, I'm PUI.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
Good. You deserve some rest.

I had a business dinner at a nice restaurant with some people from an organization that makes something.
I'd rather be in Philadelphia.
 
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CougTek

Serial computer killer
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,724
Location
Québec, Québec
Last time I've watched a complete NHL game was Game 7 of the series between the Canadiens de Montréal and I don't remember the other team. It was with business customers (and also friends) during the Spring of 2014. Good memories, but I don't follow hockey much.

There are worse things in life than business diners. I don't mind those at all, but I'm not a leech and I don't run after those. They rarely affect my choices and when they do, it's because of what's being discussed, not the ambience or the meal.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Turbo tax is on sale at Amazon according to ArsTechnica.
Wish I had seen that before paying TaxAct's silly price this year.
So I went ahead and did Turbo Tax via the deal you posted. I hadn't paid TaxAct any money yet since I didn't get around to filing so they can stuff their overpriced service.

Thanks for the heads up! :bow:
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
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Location
Eglin AFB Area
Looking at the benches I decided to skip team red this time around. Maybe on their next refresh we'll see them touting those "optimizations" but for now it looks like an i5-7600 (non-k -- I don't overclock, ever) is a good bet. The motherboard I picked out is cheaper than the AMD one I was going to use, and it's more fully featured to boot -- also swapped the 480 for a 1060 3GB, I just bought the RAM and will be picking up the CPU next week. After that comes the motherboard and then GPU. As the CPU I have picked out is just a bare chip, no stock cooler, I'm also grabbing a Hyper 212 Evo as that seems to still be the king of price-performance when it comes to air coolers. All in all I'm looking at spending about twenty bucks or so extra over what I originally planned, but I'm getting a significantly more capable machine out of the deal, and the parts are actually in stock, so I can't say that I mind.

And yes, with a real GPU I will be folding. It won't hold a candle to those of you with titans running full-bore toward the cause, but if every little bit helps then I'll have some dirt to kick in the hole.

Actually, to be quite honest -- the benches I'm seeing are all over the place. Some place the i5 as being significantly better, others place the Ryzen high above, and I'm not sure which to really believe -- but because the Intel stuff is actually going to be in stock and the prices have fallen just a little, I'm going blue again I guess. And I'm also assuming the Intel hardware will have less issues with motherboard features as manufacturers have had a little while to sort them out, and in my mind rock-solid stability is worth more than performance every time.
 
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LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,625
Location
USA
There are worse things in life than business diners. I don't mind those at all, but I'm not a leech and I don't run after those. They rarely affect my choices and when they do, it's because of what's being discussed, not the ambience or the meal.

Apparently I'm not being clear.
There will be food and it doesn't matter who pays because we are on travel.
I prefer not to have dinner with the "vendor" before meeting with them the next day.
I'd rather eat and meet with our team including any consultants or operatives.
Much of the discussion with the "vendor" is nonsense and of course we cannot talk freely.
Sometimes I'd rather just order room service, but that would be considered rude. :lol:
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
Location
Eglin AFB Area
Is it a done move? Because the RX 580 will launch in 4 days. It will be 10-15% faster than an RX 480, which is pretty much equal to the GTX 1060 with recent drivers' versions. However, if you had a deal on the GTX 1060, then it might be a whole different story, value wise.

The build is still hypothetical as I gather resources to build it. The only parts I've bought are the PSU, case and RAM. Everything else is subject to change right up until the time of purchase. I actually have found a 6GB version of the 1060 for $220 and will be purchasing it next so as to secure the deal, and the 580 is probably going to be a solid $250 or more and be out of stock when I go to purchase it to boot, so for right now the game plan is i5-7500 (30 dollars less, only 100MHz clock difference 300MHz turbo difference), MSi B250 PC MATE mainboard, MSi GTX 1060 ARMOR 6G.

My version of Win10 is through Dreamspark or whatever they're calling it these days. Still unsure how I got ahold of the key through it as usually they only offer server versions but it worked so I'm not questioning it.

I will likely be dual-booting on this machine. Kicking around distros to test and see which wins in my eyes this time around. Still leaning toward Arch-OpenRC.
 
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CougTek

Serial computer killer
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
8,724
Location
Québec, Québec
I placed an order on the Fiberstore Thursday and paid ~50U$ in shipping charges. Today I read that since Friday, shipping from the Fiberstore is free for North America.

Huhn!
 

Striker

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
269
I placed an order on the Fiberstore Thursday and paid ~50U$ in shipping charges. Today I read that since Friday, shipping from the Fiberstore is free for North America.

Huhn!

It might be worth calling them and asking if they can give you a courtesy refund.
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
Location
Eglin AFB Area
Another one bites the dust...

All I need to purchase now are the CPU itself and the GPU.

Has anyone seen Merc? I'm starting to become seriously concerned.
 

snowhiker

Storage Freak Apprentice
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
1,668
Has anyone seen Merc? I'm starting to become seriously concerned.

I'm also a bit concerned. If Merc has health problems and can't physically use a computer to send us a note that's understandable. But if there's a "non-medical (physical and/or mental)" reason why he hasn't dropped us a note here...that is just not right.
 
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