Date: 08/18/06     Keywords: no keywords

I don't quite like the idea of spending three years to teach my PC how I talk for the Dragon Naturally Speaking program, so...

What is the most ergonomic keyboard you've ever used that totally warded off carpal tunnel, tendonitis,and all that other bad stuff?

I tried some special $250 flat ergonomickeyboard+mouse in one. By moving your hand over the keyboard, that would move the cursor on the screen. And certain movements with the hands allowed all the same things a mouse could do. But typing was a big problem. Since the whole keyboard was literally flat, I could not get used to it even after half a year of using it.

So another criteria is that re-learning to type isn't too difficult.
---
And on the same note, what's the most ridiculously ergonomic mouse and mousepad ever? I've heard of styluses, but are they very difficult to use? Do they work well for computer games too?

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/966508.html

Date: 08/16/06     Keywords: no keywords

Things like this make me feel stupid...


laptop specs
2.0GHz Centrino
2GB Ram
Windows XP Pro sp2

Just did a fresh install of windows so I could offer my laptop up for sale, and after everything was finished I updated all the drivers off the cd that came with the notebook. What I notice now is that the volume/media controls on the front aren't working. No matter how many times I hit the volume buttons or play/stop/etc... there's no response.

Am I just going to have to drill down and get the exact name/models of my mobo to find drivers, or is there something else I've done wrong?

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/966063.html

Date: 08/15/06     Keywords: linux

Cross-posted from my LiveJournal:

Does anyone know how to get Ubuntu Linux to start eth0 on a PCMCIA 802.11b wireless card - a Cisco Aironet 340, to be precise? I have a desktop PC (1GHz Athlon) with a PCI PCMCIA adapter.

I've checked the Ubuntu forums and docs for info, but most of what I've found deals with either PCI wireless NICs (for PCs) or notebook computers where the PCMCIA slot is already working.

I can get Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake) to recognize the PCI PCMCIA adapter (the slot where the PCMCIA card is plugged in), but eth0 won't automatically start.

More generally, is there an Ubuntu Linux analog to "Plug and Play" yet?

Many thanks,
Banazir

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/965861.html

Date: 08/15/06     Keywords: no keywords

Are you a high school or college student that needs EXPERIENCE to go along with their education? Are you a computer technician or familiar enough to sell the latest computer hardware? You may be a good fit for our retail store, currently located in Northwest Houston and soon moving to Spring, TX in a really nice retail frontage. Professional appearance and attitude a must. This is a nice, small business environment so it's a fun place to work, as well a great place to hone/utilize your pc troubleshooting and/or tech skills.

Shoot us an e-mail to resumes at cpehouston dot com with your resume and give us a brief description of how and why you fit our company. We may be hiring for multiple positions including, but not limited to:

PC Bench Technician (part or full-time)
Onsite Service Technician (part or full-time)
Retail Salesperson (part time)

While these are entry level positions, qualified candidates are eligible for pay increases/bonuses upon regular reviews.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/965420.html

Date: 08/14/06     Keywords: no keywords

I've got a great retractable USB cable that came with a set of adapters I use all the time for my camera & other stuff - ethernet, 4 pin, 5 pin, etc. Is there a place where I can buy additional adapters, without buying another cable? I'm wondering if there are iPod Photo charger tips, Razr charging tips, etc.

I've tried searching for them, but I don't think I'm using the right keywords. I'd really rather not have to lug around more cables, or buy additional kits when all I want are the tips.

Thanks for the help!

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/965068.html

Date: 08/13/06     Keywords: technology

I bought an Epson Perfection 4180 scanner a long while ago but (life getting in the way) didn't unpack it until last week. I find that when I look at the glass plate, I see a strip of cyan light in the upper left corner. There's no streak on the glass, no dirt. It's just light. And after I scan, there is a pink-hued strip down that side of the item scanned.

This scanner uses CCD technology. Is repairing this problem a simple replacement of a chip? An expensive chip? Something I can do? Or is fixing this going to be more expensive than replacing the whole scanner?

The chance of it being under warranty is pretty much zero, even if I could find the paperwork after moving. If there's no easy fix, I guess I'll stick to scanning small things. Sigh. Thanks for helping on this.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/964810.html

Date: 08/13/06     Keywords: no keywords

My dad gave me his old Dell Latitude cpx, but it needs memeory. What types of memory are compatible with it that I could buy? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/964530.html

Date: 08/13/06     Keywords: software

There exist software that will automatically type out any sound that comes out of your mouth. I think there's one called something like Dragon Naturally Speaking(last time I tried it, I had some kind of installation problem). Has anyone tried them before? Do they work very well? It would allow me to watch movies and "type" essays at the same time!

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/964101.html

Date: 08/11/06     Keywords: no keywords

well i recently bought star wars: kotor used and i found out that my built in video card on my computer (even though it is fairly new) is not going to cut it. so i need to buy a new video card, but money is very much an object. i was wondering what stores everybody uses to buy computer hardware online? in the past i have used newegg.com but i was wondering about other options. thanks a lot for your input!

UPDATED

also if you have any recommendations for what kind of video card i should get for this game, feel free to offer... i don't know a lot about this since i'm relatively new to pc gaming. i don't game a lot and i would like to get away for as cheaply as possible without buying a big stinking piece of crap...

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/963893.html

Date: 08/09/06     Keywords: ebay

just thought ya'll might be interested in the iPod Mobile Power Cord/Car Charger i'm selling on ebay!

Brand New iPod Mobile Power Cord/Car Charger



iPod Mobile Power Cord/Car Charger

please delete if this isn't allowed. thanks for looking!

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/963753.html

Date: 08/07/06     Keywords: rss, browser

So, I've been doing some research with using/implementing RSS feeds. I've looked into a little bit and there seems to be a good bit of stuff you can do with them. Internet Explorer (v6) is currently the only browser that doesn't do anything with them (what a surprise for IE to be lagging so far behind). IE7 does though, but that's not mainstream yet. I have a feeling RSS feeds will take a while before they become widely used. I'm just trying to get a rough idea of how popular they are or aren't.

So, please comment with whatever input you have. Even if you've never heard of them, please say so, Thanks :)

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/963264.html

Date: 08/07/06     Keywords: programming

I'm looking to delve into programming for games. I wanted to go and develop maps and stuff for Quake 4, but for whatever reason I can't get the editor to work correctly so that's on the backburner indefinately. I was wondering if anyone knows if its easier to develop stuff using the Source engine, specifically Counter-Strike, or the Unreal engine (used in UT2k4.) I'm not looking to make the next commercial mod, but I would like to be able to create my own maps with a little bit of ease, and then move on from there.
As far as I go, I haven't built maps since using the Build Engine with Duke Nukem 3d, and I have some programming experience, specifically with .Net stuff. I'm not expecting to create Dust3 or Face4, but I'm in desperate need of a way to stimulate myself, as work is NOT doing it for me anymore. TIA.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/963011.html

Date: 08/07/06     Keywords: linux

I saw this Linux opensource sex guide in another community and thought of you guys hehe. SFW unless your boss is offended by cartoony penguins in promising positions!

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/962752.html

Date: 08/06/06     Keywords: no keywords

Just thought I'd give you guys an update on my PC. About a week ago I posted about it refusing to turn on any more after overheating twice. Well some of you suggested it might be the PSU and guess what? You were right! Some suggested cleaning the fans, and I did that too, they can never be too clean after all. Just thought I'd say thanks for the help guys. I put in the new PSU and my computer is back and working fantastic.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/962491.html

Date: 08/04/06     Keywords: no keywords

I burned a CD for my mother using a CD-RW disc and it works in my player, but not hers. I have burned many CD's for her and they've all worked with no problems. Why wouldn't it work this time?

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/961579.html

Date: 08/04/06     Keywords: web, yahoo

Tonight, this is what I looked up on a search engine.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=I%27m+sick+of+web+2.0&ei=UTF-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&fr=moz2

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/961096.html

Date: 08/04/06     Keywords: technology

(crossposted everywhere. sorry in advance.)

I'm going to overhaul my desktop computer.

Current specs:
Athlon XP 2600+
2x 512MB DDR 333 SDRAM
GeForce4 MX 4000
80GB 7200RPM ATA
250GB 7200RPM ATA
DVD-RW ATA

As you can see, I'm running on old technology. Socket A, DDR, IDE ATA, AGP... all of these have gone out the door. But I'm thinking that I want my hard drives, memory, and optical drive to stick around, if possible.

So since I'd like to keep the hard drives, memory, and optical drive, and since I already own a new GeForce 7800 GT, I think all I'm left to decide is what processor (and, as a result, motherboard) I'd like.

Socket AM2 is not an option, because it uses DDR2 RAM. I'd like to keep my 1GB sticks as they seem to suit me just fine. So if I go with AMD, I'm getting a Socket 939. I hope that's a wise choice - if someone wants to persuade me otherwise, do tell me why you think I should get an AM2 motherboard and processor, and upgrade my RAM.

And the Intel Core 2 Duos look especially delicious, but I'm not really sure how they compare to similarly-priced Athlon 64's, or 64 X2's. I'm aiming to spend about $200 on a processor, maybe a little more if necessary.

All right, that's it! Gimme some advice!

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/960642.html

Date: 08/03/06     Keywords: no keywords

Right, got this major problem on a computer I get to repair for a friend's mom.
Specs: vaguely, Gateway desktop from 2000ish, 550mhz P3, 320mb ram, cdrw and original cdrom drives, i forget the hdd specs.

I originally got the computer to reset a lost password and that problem was easily solved in a couple minutes (vs spending a few hours on the phone). However, in the middle of digging around my room for some blank floppy disks to make a password recovery disk, the computer just turned off. Weird, so I turned it back on, and it booted back into Windows, no problem. Five seconds later, it turned off AGAIN (btw this was plugged into a UPS, and the other computer plugged into the same UPS was running just fine) for some inexplicable reason. Reboots from that point on only causes one of two things to happen:
1. One in every 10 times: Computer boots into WinXP only to reboot AGAIN within 1-10 minutes.
2. The other 9 times: Computer hangs with the words "Operating system not found."

I've tried booting from several different Windows XP install disks, retail, OEM, school, etc., all known-good install disks, one of which I used one week ago to reinstall the OS on the same computer. It usually hangs at the part where it tells you to press any key to boot from CD, doesn't register ANYTHING from the keyboard, which successfully was used to navigate the BIOS seconds earlier. I've successfully booted into both knoppix and ubuntu dapper, and considered installing both, but can't cause of the user. I pretty much can't do much as I don't have a computer with a floppy drive and WIndows, or anything like that, so can't create any sort of floppy to reflash the BIOS or anything.

Before you even suggest it, I've checked the physical connections, I've used like 15 different keyboards going from like, the early 90s to a couple weeks ago in age, and every single PS/2 and USB port on the computer, checked the BIOS settings, ... All this hardware works. I just have no idea why it won't do a few things. If anyone has a suggestion (like some creative way to run recovery console without a floppy or booting from cdrom), it would be much appreciated.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/960075.html

Date: 08/01/06     Keywords: no keywords

Ok, I have had my laptop (it's a dell Inspiron 600m) for about a year now. I noticed that I  need to start backing my stuff up and I seen other people that have the external hard drives. Does anyone know where I can get them cheap? I have 80 gig  on this computer now and I have about 30 left. So you can see how much storage I would need to back up all of my files. Also if there is anything else out there that is better to back up your files can someone tell me?

THanks

Cyrena Barnes

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/959757.html

Date: 07/31/06     Keywords: no keywords

I moved into my new place about a month ago, and tried getting online here for the first time a few days ago. We have Verizon DSL with a Linksys G Wireless router. My roommate gets on fine on her computer, but for some reason, my computer picks up every network in the area except for ours, even when I'm in the same room. (It's thanks to my neighbor's networks that I can even get on, with a smashing 1 bar of reception and 1mbps) It works perfectly if I hook it up via ethernet, but the modem's in my roommate's room and therefore inconvenient for both of us. I've messed with the wireless settings, power cycled both modem and router, tried all the little tricks that normally gets the internet working again. I'm used to cable instead of DSL modems, so I don't quite know what to do now.

I have an HP Pavilion ze4900 laptop, XP, 802.11 b/g wireless card. (I can fill in any stats if needed.)

Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/959468.html