In the last Trail Log I mentioned I was having problems with my Windows 7 PC so had decided to rebuild it. I got around to doing it this weekend. Just some notes from the rebuild, mainly to jog my memory for the next time I do it. Read the rest »
Windows 7 Service Pack 1
Microsoft unleashed Windows 7 Service Pack 1 today, making it available (but not defaulted to install) through Windows Update. I went ahead and installed it on all my Windows installations, both physical and virtual. The installation through Windows Update went without a hitch. Read the rest »
PC System Build: Does Future Proofing Matter?
After upgrading my hard drive to an SSD drive and seeing the performance boost I was eager to on with my next planned system upgrade and replace the video card. Unfortunately my mini-ATX motherboard wasn’t going to handle a full-size video card due to the the SATA ports being too close to the card slots. So I’d need a new motherboard before proceeding. Since I was planning some major upgrades by year end it didn’t make sense to get a motherboard for the same CPU and go through all that work for a couple of months. So it was time to accelerate the upgrades and basically build a new system. Read the rest »
Windows 7 Family Pack Returns
The Windows 7 Family Pack has returned. It’s a 3 license bundle of Windows 7 Home Premium for $150. The license does specify that all 3 licenses must be used in the same household although there doesn’t seem to be anything built in to enforce what a household is. Read the rest »
New Laptop Joins the Quest: The Choice
I'd been without a capable laptop since my Macbook drank a cup of coffee over a year ago. It was time to get something more capable than my iPad or a netbook so I began searching for a laptop. While I didn't need something for my most demanding needs, I did want something that wouldn't tie me to a desk for 80% of my computer work. This article lays out my requirements and the choice I made, a Dell Inspiron 15R. Read the rest »
My Primary Windows Computer
My primary Windows Computer is a home built one I put together about a year ago. It started out as a Vista PC build but soon got some significant upgrades to bulk up its processing power. Most of those original parts were recycled in a PC I built for my parents. Still, despite being recently purchased most of the parts are no longer available, having been superseded by newer models. Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-E7AUM-DS2H LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 9400 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 2.40 [...] Read the rest »
The OS Quest Trail Log #45: Windows 7 Unleashed Edition
Microsoft seems to have found it’s pot of gold with the release of Windows 7. It seems to be getting universally positive reviews. My experience with it is still that it just works, which is what I want from an operating system. After all, let’s face it – all it is is an OS. Amazon reported record breaking pre-orders in their UK store which other news outlets reported reported record breaking pre-orders at Amazon (possibly misrepresenting the UK store limitation). Microsoft is even promoting 3rd party PCs on their website [...] Read the rest »
The OS Quest Trail Log #44: Long Overdue Edition
Egads! It’s been over 2 months since the last trail log. I also came across an old comment where I’d being doing the trail logs weekly. A week, two months, barely a difference. Unfortunately the real world has been intruding on the quest more than I’d like so while there have been a lot of changes (Windows 7, Snow Leopard, more…) I haven’t really had the chance to dig into the new features they offer. Website Changes The most recent change was to the design of this website. It was [...] Read the rest »
OS Wars
The OS wars are heating up again with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard nearing release and Google announcing Chrome OS. Since this site is called The OS Quest I should probably add my own tw0 cents. Feel free to ignore me as you should every other analyst. Google Chrome OS Despite all the buzz and claims of vendor interest Google Chrome OS is nothing more than a press release. There’s already Google Android which has been pretty slow to get traction in the cell phone market despite some early buzz. [...] Read the rest »
The OS Quest Trail Log #42: Apple Sucks Edition
My Apple woes continue. Every since upgrading to OS X 10.5.7 my iMac has been locking up on a regular and frequent basis. I’m not alone with one thread on the Apple forum reaching 11 pages. So, since my initial problems I’ve re-installed my OS twice (a fresh install beginning with a drive format). The second time I incorporated all the tips in the various articles I’ve read and starting off by zapping the PRAM. All peripherals were disconnected during the install except the Apple keyboard, Logitech trackball (just the [...] Read the rest »