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  • Forums

ErichK

Alpha Member Since Sep 2016

76 Posts
856 Comments
Upvotes 91%
Downvotes 9%
  • Subject Posted By Forum Category Last Activity Activity
    Still included, thank goodness
    By erichk, 1 month ago
    10 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Windows
    erichk Microsoft Windows 1 month ago 10 Replies
    Let’s start 2022 with a little humor
    By erichk, 4 months ago
    7 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 4 months ago 7 Replies
    Website version of OneNote brings Raspberry Pi to its knees
    By erichk, 6 months ago
    4 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 6 months ago 4 Replies
    Strange W11 taskbar bug after upgrading Nvidia driver
    By erichk, 6 months ago
    8 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Windows
    erichk Microsoft Windows 6 months ago 8 Replies
    Fixing my Microsoft Account for the umpteenth time
    By erichk, 7 months ago
    5 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Windows
    erichk Microsoft Windows 7 months ago 5 Replies
    First time for everything I guess (iPad crash)
    By erichk, 8 months ago
    5 Replies
    Forum: Apple
    Category: Hardware
    erichk Apple Hardware 8 months ago 5 Replies
    Windows 10 SE
    By erichk, 8 months ago
    8 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Windows
    erichk Microsoft Windows 8 months ago 8 Replies
    My retro computer collection keeps growing
    By erichk, 11 months ago
    18 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Hardware
    erichk General Discussion Hardware 11 months ago 18 Replies
    Guys and gals, don’t get rid of your serial mice just yet
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    3 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 1 year ago 3 Replies
    New record for scammers
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    17 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 1 year ago 17 Replies
    Let’s start 2021 with a little humor
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    7 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 1 year ago 7 Replies
    New scam threat
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    1 Reply
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 1 year ago 1 Reply
    Suitable monitor for Series S gaming?
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    8 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Games
    erichk Microsoft Games 1 year ago 8 Replies
    I’ve never pre-ordered something before
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    11 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Games
    erichk Microsoft Games 1 year ago 11 Replies
    Anybody catch the Nvidia live stream earlier today?
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    6 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Hardware
    erichk General Discussion Hardware 1 year ago 6 Replies
    Odd Amazon Question
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    1 Reply
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Amazon
    erichk General Discussion Amazon 1 year ago 1 Reply
    Microsoft Android launcher bug?
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    1 Reply
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Mobile
    erichk Microsoft Mobile 1 year ago 1 Reply
    Upgrading or downgrading to the next console?
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    7 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Games
    erichk Microsoft Games 1 year ago 7 Replies
    Bored? Try out my first Python game
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    0 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 1 year ago 0 Replies
    Upgrading the graphics card in my Linux machine
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    2 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Linux
    erichk General Discussion Linux 1 year ago 2 Replies
    My first Unity game
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    1 Reply
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Games
    erichk General Discussion Games 1 year ago 1 Reply
    You’ll never guess what computer book I bought
    By erichk, 1 year ago
    6 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Dev
    erichk Microsoft Dev 1 year ago 6 Replies
    Making the best of time: C, C++, and gaming libraries
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    5 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Games
    erichk General Discussion Games 2 years ago 5 Replies
    Anybody here into Raspberry Pi?
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    20 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Hardware
    erichk General Discussion Hardware 2 years ago 20 Replies
    OT: The Big One Came
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    7 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Uncategorized
    erichk General Discussion Uncategorized 2 years ago 7 Replies
    Xbox One X bottlenecked?
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    5 Replies
    Forum: Microsoft
    Category: Games
    erichk Microsoft Games 2 years ago 5 Replies
    Successfully started Halo: Reach campaign on PC
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    3 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Games
    erichk General Discussion Games 2 years ago 3 Replies
    Tempted to buy this just to do a YouTube video on it
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    0 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Hardware
    erichk General Discussion Hardware 2 years ago 0 Replies
    Gaming test on my new laptop
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    2 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Hardware
    erichk General Discussion Hardware 2 years ago 2 Replies
    Stickers on laptops
    By erichk, 2 years ago
    20 Replies
    Forum: General Discussion
    Category: Hardware
    erichk General Discussion Hardware 2 years ago 20 Replies

    Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 »

    comment
    The way the market shifted to IBM and Microsoft and kicked CP/M to the curb throughout the '80s must have been

    Posted 1 week ago on Win31/DOS question for you history fans – 16 Comments

    comment
    In my Windows 3.1 days, I had a 486 at the time. If I recall correctly, I never had Windows boot automaticall

    Posted 1 week ago on Win31/DOS question for you history fans – 16 Comments

    comment
    Dang Brad. Hope you heal soon! Why does the female gender use us as punching bags?

    Posted 2 weeks ago on First Ring Daily 1240: Smashing Success – 4 Comments

    comment
    At least the DOS command line didn't need to be over researched with focus groups. I miss those days!

    Posted 3 weeks ago on Care About Windows? Do Not Watch This Video – 90 Comments

    comment
    Sometimes it seems like they're OVER-thinking it just a tad.

    Posted 3 weeks ago on Care About Windows? Do Not Watch This Video – 90 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for your insights regarding Smart App Control, Brad.As an unpopular opinion, I actually don't think Mic

    Posted 4 weeks ago on The Sams Report: Halo and Windows Settle – 1 Comments

    comment
    Brad, do you think Smart App Control will become the bane of hobbyist developers like myself who distribute mo

    Posted 4 weeks ago on Questions for 4/22? – 8 Comments

    comment
    That's true, thanks for that tip.

    Posted 1 month ago on Netflix Lost 200,000 Subscribers in Q1 2022 – 25 Comments

    comment
    I don't know whether to keep cable, or drop it and subscribe to the 10 different things I need to subscribe to

    Posted 1 month ago on Netflix Lost 200,000 Subscribers in Q1 2022 – 25 Comments

    comment
    XAML reminds me of Xanax.Is that what one takes when they develop in it?

    Posted 1 month ago on First Ring Daily 1232: Call it ZAML – 1 Comments

    comment
    Dang, I thought this was going to be an experiment you did Paul where you used nothing but PWAs for 30 days!

    Posted 1 month ago on 30 days of PWA – 2 Comments

    comment
    Uh huh.

    Posted 1 month ago on Windows Weekly 772: Exploit Wednesday – 9 Comments

    comment
    Of course, one could argue that having a thriving third-party ecosystem is a good thing. Sometimes when Windo

    Posted 1 month ago on Windows Weekly 772: Exploit Wednesday – 9 Comments

    comment
    Oh man ... I'm really trying to picture her in a Microsoft advertisement.

    Posted 1 month ago on Critics Say Windows Licensing is Anticompetitive – 16 Comments

    comment
    Hmm I've never heard of this. They do seem to take security very seriously. Is this Linux based or something

    Posted 1 month ago on Speaking of which… – 3 Comments

    comment
    With regards to jury duty, as George Carlin once pointed out, you don't even have to lie to get out of it. Te

    Posted 1 month ago on First Ring Daily 1228: Judge, Jury, and Survey – 1 Comments

    comment
    That whole HTML integration with the desktop back in Windows 98 really didn't gel with me, I've got to say.

    Posted 1 month ago on First Ring Daily 1227: Can’t Fight the Web – 2 Comments

    comment
    I'm inclined to think you were spot on with those points you made in the last 30 seconds Paul.

    Posted 1 month ago on First Ring Daily 1223: GonEEE – 1 Comments

    comment
    Nothing beats the "quack" sound in classic Mac OS.

    Posted 1 month ago on First Ring Daily 1221: Sounds of Silence – 6 Comments

    comment
    I didn't even think of that aspect.

    Posted 1 month ago on Still included, thank goodness – 10 Comments

    Forum Post

    Still included, thank goodness

    Hey all. I just found out about this. If you're on Windows 11, hit Win+R, type "dialer.exe", and enjoy. You're welcome.

    Posted 1 month ago on Still included, thank goodness – 10 Comments

    comment
    I did get a similar one, yes.

    Posted 1 month ago on Multiple Emails from BWW? – 3 Comments

    comment
    I like Zorin. I have it installed on one of my "get to know Linux" systems, a refurbished HP with a Core i5.

    Posted 1 month ago on Zorin OS 16.1 is now available – 8 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. Regarding Clipchamp and the cost for a subscription, I saw a quote from one of their customers on th

    Posted 2 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, March 18 – 13 Comments

    comment
    Hmm I wonder how many Steam Links they sold. I was one of the few that bought one. :)

    Posted 2 months ago on Steam 2021 in review – 2 Comments

    comment
    Sometimes I feel like there are so many frameworks that prop Windows up, that they might as well just rewrite

    Posted 2 months ago on First Ring Daily 1211: MMMac’s Two – 2 Comments

    comment
    Admit it. You ran Bob in 1994.

    Posted 2 months ago on What I Use(d): March 1, 2007 (Premium) – 22 Comments

    comment
    I built a new system around a Core 2 Duo for the purpose of running Vista when it came out, and I remember thi

    Posted 2 months ago on Programming Windows: End Game (Premium) – 8 Comments

    comment
    I've got one and use it for studying electronics projects, and also Retro Pie. Love this little device.

    Posted 2 months ago on Raspberry Pi Turns 10 – 7 Comments

    comment
    I've been running Windows 11 since November on both my main gaming rig and my laptop. I've been pretty happy,

    Posted 2 months ago on Installed Windows 11 on Main Desktop! – 10 Comments

    comment
    I've always felt that, although writing any operating system is a significant undertaking, Windows in particul

    Posted 2 months ago on Ask Paul: February 25 (Premium) – 8 Comments

    comment
    Paul, in late 1995, somebody wrote this somewhere on the interwebs: "Windows 95 == Mac 87". Fair or unfair?

    Posted 2 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, February 25 – 11 Comments

    comment
    "My name is Peaches, and I'm the best, all the DJs want to [bleep] my [bleep]..."

    Posted 2 months ago on First Ring Daily 1207: Millions of Peaches – 3 Comments

    comment
    I was just issued a new laptop at work, and thankfully it's on a pretty recent version of Windows 10. Before

    Posted 3 months ago on First Ring Daily 1205: The Update That We Want – 4 Comments

    comment
    Well, I just downloaded and installed my favorite table hockey game from the Amazon Store, "Glow Hockey." Not

    Posted 3 months ago on New Windows 11 Experiences Are Now Available – 44 Comments

    comment
    Tonnes? :)

    Posted 3 months ago on The Sams Report: If an App Store Falls in the Woods – 2 Comments

    comment
    I was once a member of Prime, then cancelled. I really haven't done the math, so I don't know if that was wis

    Posted 3 months ago on First Ring Daily 1199: Holo Be Thy Name – 4 Comments

    comment
    Just curious, are you trying to stream HD or 4K video? I have the cheapest Synology they make (which I slappe

    Posted 3 months ago on NUC Knockoff – 6 Comments

    comment
    My employer is closed tomorrow (community college just outside of Detroit), and the Lions are still the Lions,

    Posted 3 months ago on First Ring Daily 1196: Bungie’s Football – 7 Comments

    comment
    I put Vista Ultimate on the first PC I ever built myself, a Core 2 Duo system with 2 GB of RAM and an 8600 GTS

    Posted 3 months ago on Happy Birthday Windows Vista – 4 Comments

    comment
    PCs all the way baby.

    Posted 3 months ago on First Ring Daily 1194: The Lost Windows – 2 Comments

    comment
    Looking back now I realize how great Turbo Pascal was. At the time I was more into QuickBASIC because it came

    Posted 3 months ago on Ask Paul: January 20 (Premium) – 16 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for your insights Paul. Since I enjoy retro computing with my Apple //gs, I have as of late been messi

    Posted 3 months ago on Ask Paul: January 20 (Premium) – 16 Comments

    comment
    Paul, you were a big Pascal guy from what I can tell. I've recently started messing with it again. I'll cut

    Posted 3 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Thursday, January 20 – 9 Comments

    comment
    I'm gonna keep it to myself until next week ... that way, by then, everyone will be salivating................

    Posted 4 months ago on No Ask Paul this week, sorry – 3 Comments

    comment
    Aw man. I had a question about Pascal. Guess I'll save it.

    Posted 4 months ago on No Ask Paul this week, sorry – 3 Comments

    comment
    Oh man. Thank you Brad for the Shift key tip. I didn't know that's how you grouped icons into folders in Sta

    Posted 4 months ago on First Ring Daily 1184: Olive Themes – 3 Comments

    comment
    Too many pieces of old software use <conio.h>. No wonder we can't containerize them.

    Posted 4 months ago on First Ring Daily 1181: Expensive Meetings – 7 Comments

    comment
    Time for some brutal honesty (one of my New Year's resolutions).I'll install a game or two.And then never play

    Posted 4 months ago on What android app would you like to see working on Windows? – 12 Comments

    comment
    I suppose if we put this code inside of a loop and ran it just before the stroke of midnight, you would really

    Posted 4 months ago on Windows Developer Team Tweets a Programming Mistake – 19 Comments

    comment
    He's water cooled...

    Posted 4 months ago on Let’s start 2022 with a little humor – 7 Comments

    Forum Post

    Let's start 2022 with a little humor

    Hey everyone. So I decided to buy a chicken and set it to run at 5 GHz ... so now it's overclucked. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Have a great 2022 everybody. :)

    Posted 4 months ago on Let’s start 2022 with a little humor – 7 Comments

    comment
    So I wasn't hearing things when I heard that child's voice coming out of my speakers. Thought maybe at first

    Posted 4 months ago on First Ring Daily 1177: CE the Bingo – 4 Comments

    comment
    The responses to my question have been pretty spot on I think. I almost can't believe it didn't occur to me a

    Posted 5 months ago on Ask Paul: Friday, December 10 (Premium) – 14 Comments

    comment
    Paul, do you have any insight as to why Steve Jobs was so laser focused on attacking IBM and Windows as the 80

    Posted 5 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, December 10 – 8 Comments

    comment
    Widgets. To me this is one of those features that sounds good on paper, but so far since I started using Wind

    Posted 5 months ago on Microsoft Releases New Windows 11 Pre-Release Build With Several New Features – 7 Comments

    comment
    I used the shareware version of Notepad.exe for a while, and then just said, to hell with it, and bought a lic

    Posted 6 months ago on First Ring Daily 1162: Please Don’t Ruin Edge – 6 Comments

    comment
    Man, I'm still working on 4. And DiRT 5. And about a million other games!

    Posted 6 months ago on Forza Horizon 5 is Now Available – 14 Comments

    comment
    I didn't get the joke about the legs at first, but then I looked at the image for this week's Windows Weekly,

    Posted 6 months ago on First Ring Daily 1154: No Legs, No Problem – 1 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. In 1987, my best friend Brian's father gave him an ultimatum. "I'll buy you an IBM compatib

    Posted 6 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, November 5 – 11 Comments

    comment
    I spilled some Pepsi into an Epson dot matrix printer I had ... in fact, I think it was NLQ, or near-letter-qu

    Posted 6 months ago on Worst Tech Catastrophes – 5 Comments

    comment
    How far back are we allowed to go?The first time I really messed up when I was a very young lad was when I wro

    Posted 6 months ago on Worst Tech Catastrophes – 5 Comments

    comment
    Personally I like "synergy" the best.

    Posted 6 months ago on Microsoft Ignite: The Fluid Framework Gets Loopy – 19 Comments

    comment
    I had a flashback just now of trying to run Windows 3.0 on my brother's 286. Was pretty much the same experie

    Posted 6 months ago on Website version of OneNote brings Raspberry Pi to its knees – 4 Comments

    Forum Post

    Website version of OneNote brings Raspberry Pi to its knees

    Hi everyone, Yesterday I fired up my Raspberry Pi 3B+ to begin prepping it for use with this electronics project kit that I bought. Normally the Pi doesn't perform too horribly, considering the hardware that it's made of. I mean, it gets to the desktop fairly quickly, and if you're just browsing the web or doing light programming or whatever, it's not bad. However I wanted to bring up some of my OneNote notes, so I went to the OneNote website and logged in. Immediately I could tell it started to struggle -- just bringing up the first list of sections took some time, and then when I tried to go deeper, I noticed the CPU meter in the upper-right corner of the screen hit 100%, and then it just stayed there. After a couple more minutes went by with no response from the device or the OS, I decided it had gotten stuck, so I cut the power and rebooted. I guess my question is, should it be not surprising that rendering a web app like OneNote would cause the Pi to crumble like that? I mean, is it all the Javascript going on underneath that is too much for it to handle?

    Posted 6 months ago on Website version of OneNote brings Raspberry Pi to its knees – 4 Comments

    comment
    Allow me to play the role of forum twerp:XBOX > SONY

    Posted 6 months ago on Sony has sold 13.4 million PlayStation 5s – 2 Comments

    comment
    Ah yes! I wasn't aware of that shortcut. Thank you.

    Posted 6 months ago on Most Absurd Windows 11 Quirks – 13 Comments

    comment
    I've been using it for a week now, and I'm with you about 95%.I think it would be nice once some of the less e

    Posted 6 months ago on I like Windows 11 – 40 Comments

    comment
    The simplification of the area at the top that used to be the ribbon is what confused me at first. That and t

    Posted 6 months ago on Most Absurd Windows 11 Quirks – 13 Comments

    comment
    That's interesting, however the PC is not set up that way, as the only thing going to my monitor is a DisplayP

    Posted 6 months ago on Strange W11 taskbar bug after upgrading Nvidia driver – 8 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for your input.

    Posted 6 months ago on Strange W11 taskbar bug after upgrading Nvidia driver – 8 Comments

    comment
    Found it ... I right-clicked on each invisible icon and selected, "Display Again" :-D

    Posted 6 months ago on Strange W11 taskbar bug after upgrading Nvidia driver – 8 Comments

    comment
    That's an idea, thanks. If it happens again I'll consider it.

    Posted 6 months ago on Strange W11 taskbar bug after upgrading Nvidia driver – 8 Comments

    comment
    What are some of the other ways one can develop with .NET without Visual Studio?

    Posted 6 months ago on Microsoft Backs Down From Open-Source Mistake – 30 Comments

    comment
    It's funny, because when I first bought an MP3 player in, oh, 2005 or so, the iPod wasn't even on my radar for

    Posted 6 months ago on 20 Years Later: My Original Apple iPod Review (Premium) – 34 Comments

    comment
    I feel lucky because my main gaming machine at home has a 9th gen chip, and my laptop has an 8th gen. But if

    Posted 6 months ago on not enough pushback inside Microsoft? (Windows 11) – 16 Comments

    Forum Post

    Strange W11 taskbar bug after upgrading Nvidia driver

    Hello all, Upgraded my main Core i7 tower to Windows 11 last night. Just now I upgraded my Nvidia driver (RTX 2060 Super), as it's been a few months since I've done that. After that, all the icons of all the running applications I had open on the task bar disappeared (not including everything from the widgets button going left to the Start button), and it took a reboot to get them back. However you could still see the little "tick" marks that indicated they were running applications. It was like they were invisible or transparent. Anybody experience this bug?

    Posted 6 months ago on Strange W11 taskbar bug after upgrading Nvidia driver – 8 Comments

    comment
    Oops ... that should be "cross" platform, not "class platform." lol

    Posted 6 months ago on Might make the switch – 37 Comments

    comment
    I've never completely *switched* but I do own an M1 Mini in addition to my main Windows gaming PC and laptop,

    Posted 6 months ago on Might make the switch – 37 Comments

    comment
    Finally!! Flappy Bird on my PC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted 6 months ago on First Ring Daily 1138: Duo 2 – 4 Comments

    comment
    I like Boom, which can be found in FreeDOS.

    Posted 6 months ago on Windows 11 on a Pentium 4! – 14 Comments

    comment
    In my retro collection I have a Pentium 4 machine ... runs W98 SE though. ;-)

    Posted 7 months ago on Windows 11 on a Pentium 4! – 14 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for the responses. At least I know I'm not alone on this one. Computer science, you know what I mean.

    Posted 7 months ago on Fixing my Microsoft Account for the umpteenth time – 5 Comments

    Forum Post

    Fixing my Microsoft Account for the umpteenth time

    Guys, do you ever have days where you have to "fix" your Microsoft account by re-entering your PIN or going into Settings and fixing it there? This has been happening to me WAY more than I care to tolerate lately, I'd say the past month or so. Almost every day. Once it's "fixed," what would cause it to mess up again? Is there some maintenance I'm not doing that I should be doing?

    Posted 7 months ago on Fixing my Microsoft Account for the umpteenth time – 5 Comments

    comment
    I agree. Even my boss has said to me Teams is now the best way to get a hold of him. I like Teams fine, but

    Posted 7 months ago on First Ring Daily 1134: Teams, Ignite, and a Good Friend – 17 Comments

    comment
    I'm also digging that cover art of Rush: Permanent Waves in the background.

    Posted 7 months ago on First Ring Daily 1134: Teams, Ignite, and a Good Friend – 17 Comments

    comment
    I think the first personal computer I ever had where I actually stood back and said, "Whoa, now this is someth

    Posted 7 months ago on Favorite PCs of Past – 19 Comments

    comment
    I'm kind of in the same boat. I've been checking Windows Update almost every day, but it's not offering it to

    Posted 7 months ago on PC ready for update to Windows 11 but not happening – 6 Comments

    comment
    I just bought one off of eBay a couple months ago. I always wanted one one as a kid.

    Posted 7 months ago on Favorite PCs of Past – 19 Comments

    comment
    Woody Boyd: "You won't tell my mother will you?"Diane Chambers: "Mum's the word."Woody Boyd: "You won't tell m

    Posted 7 months ago on First Ring Daily 1131: Start the Fox – 5 Comments

    comment
    He knew the ins and outs of using that Mac though.

    Posted 7 months ago on First Ring Daily 1131: Start the Fox – 5 Comments

    comment
    Yeah, I'm afraid I might miss some of the "power user" stuff, but like Paul says, since I'm on this site I alr

    Posted 7 months ago on Windows 11 – The Most Perplexing and Bizarre Release of Windows – 18 Comments

    comment
    Tomorrow's the big day, and if I'm offered the upgrade right away, I'm not sure what I'll do.Part of me is ver

    Posted 7 months ago on Windows 11 – The Most Perplexing and Bizarre Release of Windows – 18 Comments

    comment
    Good way of looking at it Paul. I think you've put my mind more at ease.And yes, I inspect the Startup tab ev

    Posted 7 months ago on Ask Paul: October 1 (Premium) – 21 Comments

    comment
    Paul, are you ever overwhelmed at the sheer number of background services and processes that are running on a

    Posted 7 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, October 1 – 14 Comments

    comment
    Well I bought the Seagate expansion disk for my Series S, might as well use it!

    Posted 7 months ago on Microsoft Reveals Forza Horizon 5 PC Requirements – 13 Comments

    comment
    I think it's TOTALLY AWESOME and anyone who disagrees is TWO BEERS SHORT OF A SIX-PACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted 7 months ago on Redesigned Microsoft Paint Heads to Public Testing – 19 Comments

    comment
    Man, if only my phone budget wasn't restricted to the $150 to $200 range I'd love to have one of these. :)

    Posted 7 months ago on Surface Duo 2 Specs and Photo Gallery – 21 Comments

    comment
    Was there an inanimate carbon rod onboard?

    Posted 8 months ago on First Ring Daily 1119: Chip Abyss – 2 Comments

    comment
    It might appear eventually. Lately I've had the same problem, and then it appears a few hours later.

    Posted 8 months ago on First time for everything I guess (iPad crash) – 5 Comments

    comment
    Not to derail the topic or anything, but I liked Vista too, although the UAC should have been less aggressive.

    Posted 8 months ago on Windows 11 Debate – 36 Comments

    comment
    You could take ideas like this further, as in, the fact that starting with Vista (I think) the graphical shell

    Posted 8 months ago on Windows 11 Debate – 36 Comments

    comment
    I hope so, yes. Don't feel like replacing it just yet.

    Posted 8 months ago on First time for everything I guess (iPad crash) – 5 Comments

    Forum Post

    First time for everything I guess (iPad crash)

    Hello all. So the other day in the evening I'm sitting in my usual chair in the living room and surfing the web on my iPad (2017-ish) when all of a sudden ZOINK ... the whole screen froze up and the image became distorted. Would not respond to any touching ... then a few seconds later it rebooted and was fine again. Guess it just took me by surprise, as I think this was the first time it has ever happened. Anyone here with iPads experience occasional stability issues?

    Posted 8 months ago on First time for everything I guess (iPad crash) – 5 Comments

    comment
    Yes, true. However I felt that the artiness was somewhat obscuring the actual message.

    Posted 8 months ago on The First Windows 11 Ad is … Curious – 55 Comments

    comment
    I like the "aesthetics" of the ad ... but it's kind of all over the map IMO.

    Posted 8 months ago on The First Windows 11 Ad is … Curious – 55 Comments

    comment
    Paul, one definition of a good operating system is one that "gets out your way" so you can just run your appli

    Posted 8 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, September 10 – 10 Comments

    comment
    She sells bash shells in the app store.Sorry, tried to be funny there. :-(

    Posted 8 months ago on First Ring Daily 1114: Surface Events – 1 Comments

    comment
    I have three machines at home that run Linux, but if I really wanted to switch away from Windows I would proba

    Posted 8 months ago on Life Beyond Windows – 8 Comments

    comment
    That sounds about right ... but man, Windows 95 sure felt like a breakthrough compared to Windows 3.x.Unless y

    Posted 8 months ago on Windows 10 SE – 8 Comments

    Forum Post

    Windows 10 SE

    Guys/gals, I don't think I've seen anyone make this analogy yet, so I'm going to go ahead and do it. Forgive me if it's been done. But doesn't Windows 11 seem to Windows 10 what Windows 98 SE was to Windows 98? Not that that's a bad thing. I just don't see a revolution here. It's more ... wait for it ... evolution (wow, how profound of me). And it's strange because Windows 98 SE was well received -- it fixed genuine issues with Windows 98. And Windows 11, even though it contains some cool stuff, is also making changes that are rubbing people the wrong way, which is a nicer way of saying p*ssed off. I mean ... am I looking forward to it? I'd say, yes, but I don't even think I'm going to "seek" it. Probably wait until their omniscient telemetry thinks I'm ready. I think we are going to have a very interesting 2022 as we watch this unfold.

    Posted 8 months ago on Windows 10 SE – 8 Comments

    comment
    The new gig sound great ... but thank goodness you're still going to hang around here in some capacity ... I n

    Posted 8 months ago on First Ring Daily 1111: Important Personal News and Personal Windows – 32 Comments

    comment
    Thanks Paul. The best example I can think of that relates to this when I was on that trip with my parents was

    Posted 8 months ago on Ask Paul: August 27 (Premium) – 27 Comments

    comment
    Paul, I'm curious, when you travel internationally, how do you handle the language barriers? Nowadays we have

    Posted 8 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, August 27 – 5 Comments

    comment
    Here's an idea for Windows 11.Put one checkbox in the Settings app: [ ] Enable Power User Features

    Posted 9 months ago on First Ring Daily 1097: Changes to Start – 4 Comments

    comment
    I used to think "qwerty" was original until I found out how many other people actually use it. :)

    Posted 9 months ago on First Ring Daily 1086: Everyone Gets an Update – 4 Comments

    comment
    Brad ... you almost invented a new classification ... when you started talking about Flight Sim I could have s

    Posted 9 months ago on First Ring Daily 1086: Everyone Gets an Update – 4 Comments

    comment
    Well it's not the size of the rocket that counts .......... or is it?

    Posted 9 months ago on First Ring Daily 1084: Our Monopoly – 2 Comments

    comment
    It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong. :)I haven't decided yet how I feel about the centered buttons, a

    Posted 9 months ago on Windows 11 UI, an apology to Paul – 3 Comments

    comment
    I actually have a Steam Link, that device that lets you stream Steam games to your TV. It works great.I also

    Posted 10 months ago on First Ring Daily 1081: Chapters of Windows – 2 Comments

    comment
    I like Your Phone a lot, but I wish it would work 100% of the time instead of, say, 80 - 90%. At least, that'

    Posted 10 months ago on Ask Paul: July 9 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    Hey I just went to that website and it looks really cool. Do you think something like that would be good with

    Posted 10 months ago on Awesome Tech Finds – Past & Present – 10 Comments

    comment
    Awesome. In good condition?

    Posted 10 months ago on Awesome Tech Finds – Past & Present – 10 Comments

    comment
    Hmm ... the LG sound bar that I use with my Xbox ... normally it would have been $300, I got an open box that

    Posted 10 months ago on Awesome Tech Finds – Past & Present – 10 Comments

    comment
    Ads -- me too.

    Posted 10 months ago on Issues with the site currently? – 15 Comments

    comment
    I just purchased a Mac mini and tried out the iOS support ... loaded a couple of my favorite time-wasting game

    Posted 10 months ago on Windows 11 live event first thoughts – 3 Comments

    comment
    If in fact those features are removed from the Windows 11 Start menu, I too will miss them, but I admit it's p

    Posted 10 months ago on Windows 11 App Organization – 11 Comments

    comment
    Yes, I purchased my iPad as a refurb from the Apple store. Great experience.So far, not so much with Best Buy

    Posted 10 months ago on I’m returning my M1 Mac Mini sick – 29 Comments

    comment
    Welcome back Paul.Looking forward to tomorrow. 11 11 11 11 11

    Posted 10 months ago on First Ring Daily 1065: Size 2T – 5 Comments

    comment
    I just came back from Best Buy with an open box Mac Mini M1! Saved almost $60, and it said it was in excellen

    Posted 10 months ago on I’m returning my M1 Mac Mini sick – 29 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for this. Looks tempting to me. Couldn't hurt to at least try out the free version.

    Posted 11 months ago on Antstream for retro gaming – 2 Comments

    comment
    I bought a new PC last year in May before the pandemic really started to screw things up ... and I have a real

    Posted 11 months ago on Windows 10 Support Ends on October 14, 2025 – 87 Comments

    comment
    Paul, in your view, if streaming gaming devices become the norm, what advantages would there be for "dedicated

    Posted 11 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, June 11 – 10 Comments

    comment
    No worries. Wikipedia should enlighten me as to why the sky is blue. :)

    Posted 11 months ago on No Ask Paul this week, sorry – 6 Comments

    comment
    When it comes to the singularity, I think I can go this far: I think, sure, artificial "general" intelligence

    Posted 11 months ago on Ask Paul: May 28 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    The thought of putting an SSD in there crossed my mind, but the performance as it is with the fresh Vista inst

    Posted 11 months ago on My retro computer collection keeps growing – 18 Comments

    comment
    Paul, have you heard of Ray Kurzweil, and if so, what do you think of his predictions? Many of his have come

    Posted 11 months ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, May 28 – 10 Comments

    comment
    Yes, I put some disk image files on a USB stick, and loading them into the system is a piece of cake.You can c

    Posted 11 months ago on My retro computer collection keeps growing – 18 Comments

    comment
    Wanted one of those at first too, but seemed like they weren't in stock anywhere. Picked up the mini at my lo

    Posted 11 months ago on My retro computer collection keeps growing – 18 Comments

    comment
    I bought a C64 Mini a while back. I actually think it's a great substitute for people who want the C64 experi

    Posted 11 months ago on My retro computer collection keeps growing – 18 Comments

    comment
    For whatever reason I've never felt compelled to get a MIDI module for DOS gaming. I feel like the cheesiness

    Posted 11 months ago on My retro computer collection keeps growing – 18 Comments

    comment
    I have Retro Pie as well. A great emulation option.

    Posted 11 months ago on My retro computer collection keeps growing – 18 Comments

    Forum Post

    My retro computer collection keeps growing

    Hey guys and dolls,


    So I'm sure you were all wondering if the Vista telephone product activation service is still running ... it is.


    Somebody gave my coworker a Dell OptiPlex 360, so he gave it to me. Other than needing some cleaning, it was in real good shape.


    Core 2 Duo, 2 GB of RAM, 150 GB hard drive.


    I was expecting Vista to be on it because of the sticker on the front, but when I fired it up, I was greeted with XP.


    I almost considered keeping it that way, but it was so full of stuff that was slowing it down it wasn't even funny. I kid you not, it took about three minutes for the mouse pointer to start working.


    Anyway, I still have my bona fide retail copy of Vista Ultimate that I purchased in 2007. Went ahead and installed that pretty much without issue.


    But since I like to use my retro PCs for gaming, I ordered a GeForce 8600 GT from eBay. Sealed box, never opened.


    When I installed it, the PC wouldn't boot. Turns out the 250 watt PSU in there just couldn't cut it.


    Bought a 450-watt EVGA power supply from Best Buy, and now everything works like a charm.


    Installed Doom 3, runs nice and smooth. Remember when game installs were under 2 GB?

    Posted 11 months ago on My retro computer collection keeps growing – 18 Comments

    comment
    I empathize with you Brad. Saw a news report the other day about the cicada invasion, and it looks like somet

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1054: Natural Cycles – 2 Comments

    comment
    My cat's name is Mittens.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1051: The Beta Test is Over – 5 Comments

    comment
    "I sold my console." -- Paul ThurrottHell hath frozen over.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1048: Mobile and Out – 1 Comments

    comment
    I do the same thing. I have a 4 TB spinning hard drive where I keep the bulk of my data, programming projects

    Posted 1 year ago on Windows 10 Pro – Clean Reinstall (Nuke’n’Pave, Baby!) – 11 Comments

    comment
    Ah, memories of '90s dial-up.I was a CompuServe member for a little while. That was actually pretty cool (com

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1042: Smuggling Ham – 10 Comments

    comment
    Try rebooting your desk Paul. :)

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1041: Relatively Speaking – 2 Comments

    comment
    "Is this gonna raise the price of beer?""No.""Then what do we care?" -- Norm Peterson :-)

    Posted 1 year ago on Site Changes – 46 Comments

    comment
    Makes me think of Steve Wozniak in the documentary Triumph of the Nerds when he said, "Hey, even though we mig

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1040: Daily Billions – 1 Comments

    comment
    Hey Paul. Regarding tablets, one of the areas that iPad seems to have an advantage is in things like music pr

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, April 29 – 9 Comments

    comment
    @7:49 ... I've never gotten the "willies" before from watching this podcast, but there's a first tim

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1034: Start the Surface Battery Results – 2 Comments

    comment
    I guess it's my HP ProDesk with a Core i5 4570 or something like that. I dual boot that with Windows 10

    Posted 1 year ago on Oldest PC Running Windows 10 – 11 Comments

    comment
    Agreed, I've watched several of his videos and they are very entertaining.

    Posted 1 year ago on Retired Windows Software Engineer’s YouTube Channel – 8 Comments

    comment
    Now there's an idea ... my Zune HD is sitting on my dresser in a little pouch, having been unused for qui

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1028: Obvious iMessage – 5 Comments

    comment
    In the spirit of Steve Ballmer I will just say this:ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY ASSE

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1026: Rust of Interest – 1 Comments

    comment
    sunday sunday SUNDAY be there and if you're in jail BREAK OUT

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1024: LG Phones Home – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Yeah I think I might tackle 6502 assembler after this, on my Apple IIgs. That will resu

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: April 2 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to pbakalor:That's the beauty of assembly language I think -- it can never really go away.

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: April 2 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to proftheory:In the late '80s and early '90s I used QuickBASIC a ton.It was so easy to get

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: April 2 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:Pretty much every book I've come across that talks about either assembly or systems p

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: April 2 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for your thoughts Paul. Regarding assembly, what I'm doing is committing myself to completely fin

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: April 2 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    Paul, have you dabbled in assembly language much? I've been studying it lately, and I'm amazed beca

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, April 2 – 10 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:I'm certain you must have used that lunch-pail sized Radio Shack cell phone from 19

    Posted 1 year ago on Smartphones – Now & Then – 20 Comments

    comment
    I just used a Tracfone flip-phone 10 years ago.Today I have a Moto e5 Play.

    Posted 1 year ago on Smartphones – Now & Then – 20 Comments

    comment
    When mixed, augmented, and virtual reality started to become more and more of a thing, I kept thinking that I

    Posted 1 year ago on One of Valve’s Biggest, Dumbest Mistakes – 9 Comments

    comment
    In reply to samp:Well ..........................Yes, in most cases I agree with that logic.For me this is a la

    Posted 1 year ago on Guys and gals, don’t get rid of your serial mice just yet – 3 Comments

    comment
    I just realized the last couple of nights I printed some documents, and I think prior to that, a few days ago,

    Posted 1 year ago on Blue screen from KB5000802 – 13 Comments

    comment
    Pretty much for the most part on most of my machines, I use the Big Three: Edge, Chrome, and Firefox.I also ha

    Posted 1 year ago on Browser(s) in 2021 – 49 Comments

    comment
    Trying to remember similar behavior on some of my machines. I think I've seen cases where the Start menu

    Posted 1 year ago on Windows 10 Start Menu Bug – 5 Comments

    comment
    On my main rig, I have a 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD for Windows and primary apps, and a 4 TB hard drive for games and f

    Posted 1 year ago on Hard Drive & Solid State Question – 13 Comments

    Forum Post

    Guys and gals, don't get rid of your serial mice just yet

    Hey everyone.


    So as some of you may know, I'm into retro and vintage computing. Just recently I took the AMD K6 machine I had been using for Windows 98, and I wiped the hard drive and put MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows for Workgroups on it. Remember the early '90s, folks?


    Anyways, I had mouse issues in Windows. The mouse pointer would appear right in the center, but wouldn't move. I tried different mice (I was using the PS/2 port), different drivers, nothing helped.


    Then I thought, "Hmm. I do have a Microsoft serial mouse in my box o' supplies, maybe I should try that."


    So I plugged it in. Still nothing. Hmm.


    Well, don't worry, this has a happy ending. I had to go into the BIOS and set the serial port to AUTO, and then in Windows I had to choose a driver that listened to COM1."


    Presto! Working mouse!


    So take it from me. You might need to use Card File again some day. Be prepared.


    Posted 1 year ago on Guys and gals, don’t get rid of your serial mice just yet – 3 Comments

    comment
    Somebody from Peanuts said (and I don't remember who), "I'm not afraid of the world ending today, be

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1008: Chrome and Closure – 8 Comments

    comment
    If it makes you feel better Brad, last night when I fired up my Series S it couldn't log me in. And then

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1003: Ignite the Live – 2 Comments

    comment
    Fry's sounds cool, although I'm very happy about the fact that there's a Micro Center relativel

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 1002: Surface Neo in new Clothes – 1 Comments

    comment
    Unfortunately Brad, life is full of wrong buttons. ;-)

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 999: The Mark of the Least – 10 Comments

    comment
    I have a Roku 3 but am tempted to sell it. My TV is smart, and I have an Xbox Series S and an Nvidia Shield s

    Posted 1 year ago on Roku Surged in 2020 Too – 10 Comments

    comment
    For the 1,000th show you guys should at least do a montage of the musical guests you've had, kind of like

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 997: 21H1000 – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Haha, right."You can't say that over the air!""Who cares, no one's listeni

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 996: The Last Headphone – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lwetzel:I hope your electricity situation gets sorted out as soon as possible.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 996: The Last Headphone – 6 Comments

    comment
    "Major League." One of the best comedies from the '80s, IMO."Are you telling me Jesus couldn't hit

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 996: The Last Headphone – 6 Comments

    comment
    That video clip was a hoot. :-)

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 994: Tailbones of Xbox – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:I forgot all about it, but there is a "Show the desktop" menu item in the taskbar's c

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: February 12 (Premium) – 21 Comments

    comment
    As far as all the different ways one can use Windows, Windows+D is my favorite keyboard shortcut as of late.

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: February 12 (Premium) – 21 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. My question today is, what type of balance do you think Microsoft should take with Windows as far as

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, February 12 – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to j5:Haha, that's great. I *think* I tried Jolt once a long, long time ago. I can barely reme

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 991: Two Stooges and a Studio – 6 Comments

    comment
    I can only assume you guys loaded up on Jolt cola for this podcast.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 991: Two Stooges and a Studio – 6 Comments

    comment
    I do enjoy it on my Series S.

    Posted 1 year ago on Forza Horizon 4 is Coming to Steam on March 9 – 8 Comments

    comment
    My mother and I bet a dollar on the game -- she took Tampa Bay because, well, you know.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 989: Super Browser – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Well actually I signed up via my own volition, but with plenty of insistence from the sa

    Posted 1 year ago on New record for scammers – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:I suppose it would be easy to identify a scammer who is really out of touch if they said

    Posted 1 year ago on New record for scammers – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lwetzel:Yeah, this Jeep lease of ours has increased our spam too. Buying/leasing a car used to be

    Posted 1 year ago on New record for scammers – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:Regarding vehicle warranties, us too, since word got out we are leasing a new Jeep.

    Posted 1 year ago on New record for scammers – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to navarac:The scammers are getting more creative with spoofing it seems. They can actually claim to

    Posted 1 year ago on New record for scammers – 17 Comments

    Forum Post

    New record for scammers

    Hey everyone.


    So I don't know how often y'all get called by tech support scammers, but a couple days ago they achieved a new record in our house. They were calling almost all day -- and at one point toward late evening, there were *SIX* messages on our answering machine all from the same outfit claiming to warn me about a breach in my iCloud account.


    Is it getting worse?

    Posted 1 year ago on New record for scammers – 17 Comments

    comment
    20H2 on all three of my Windows machines through the normal update process. Can't think of any issues of

    Posted 1 year ago on What Windows Version Are You On? – 33 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Jamie_Webster:Q: What did AoL tell its members when they shipped them 6-packs of Guinness?A: You&#

    Posted 1 year ago on Let’s start 2021 with a little humor – 7 Comments

    comment
    Great stuff Paul. Yeah, the only other thing I kind of wished I had for my //gs was an Imagewriter, but then

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: January 15 (Premium) – 8 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. This is going to be another one from me out of far left field, but for whatever reason lately I'

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, January 15 – 14 Comments

    comment
    Don't the new washing machines text you when a load is finished?

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 970: Surprise Ending – 1 Comments

    comment
    Can you believe it's January 4th already?

    Posted 1 year ago on Happy New Year! – 9 Comments

    comment
    A joyous 2021 to everyone here in the Thurrott community.

    Posted 1 year ago on Happy New Year! – 9 Comments

    Forum Post

    Let's start 2021 with a little humor

    Made this up myself.


    Picture Family Feud: Steve Harvey says, "We surveyed 100 married women and asked them what about their husbands do they wish was longer?"


    #1 answer:


    Their attention span.


    Posted 1 year ago on Let’s start 2021 with a little humor – 7 Comments

    comment
    No fair! You folks in Germany will be in 2021 before I do (here in Michigan). ;-)

    Posted 1 year ago on Healthy start into the New Year – 2 Comments

    comment
    Hope everyone's holidays were holly and jolly.And looking forward to a better 2021.

    Posted 1 year ago on Merry Christmas! – 21 Comments

    comment
    Don't worry, prices on 4 petabyte drives are coming down.

    Posted 1 year ago on Latest Insider Build – 2 Comments

    comment
    Hmm, is the XSX Pro going to be announced? :) :) :)

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 951: OS of Speed – 8 Comments

    comment
    I played a lot of DN3D over modem with a friend of mine. Unfortunately we couldn't get that to work with

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: December 4 (Premium) – 29 Comments

    comment
    Paul, Duke Nukem 3D wasn't a true 3D engine was it? My understanding is that honor goes to Quake.

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, December 4 – 14 Comments

    comment
    lol, at first I thought it said "Win 3's UI is talked about" in the title.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 943: The SBMM – 5 Comments

    Forum Post

    New scam threat

    Hey everyone.


    I'm used to getting tech support scam calls, but the one I got the other day threatened me with one thing I hadn't heard before. Not only would I lose my files and all that stuff if I didn't call them back, but my PC would actually -- get this -- become "obsolete."


    That's a new one. Would they somehow, remotely, downclock my CPU to 500 MHz and disable 75% of my RAM?


    Posted 1 year ago on New scam threat – 1 Comments

    comment
    Windows Update offered me 20H2 on my main gaming rig so I let it install yesterday. I was astonished at how f

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 942: Tabby Delight – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wolters:Prometheus is one of those annoying movies that I'm afraid to admit I like to watch,

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: November 13 (Premium) – 36 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:I think of it as important, but you do have a fair point. It's kind of like WS

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: November 13 (Premium) – 36 Comments

    comment
    I agree with your feedback Paul, but add that I personally would also mention the app store and UWP.

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: November 13 (Premium) – 36 Comments

    comment
    Well, my Series S arrived today. Setup was a breeze, the UI is extremely snappy. I've only played one g

    Posted 1 year ago on Xbox Series X|S Launch – 29 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. Here's a curveball for you. Let's say someone came out of a coma, and the last version of

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, November 13 – 17 Comments

    comment
    Perhaps a new segment with Paul's Fun Facts in the style of Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey?

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 937: Speedy Photos – 2 Comments

    comment
    Just got some good news for me anyway. On my Sam's Club account page it says my Series S is in FedEx

    Posted 1 year ago on Xbox Series X|S Launch – 29 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Stoicjim:Girth.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 935: Apple Chips and Amazon Dip – 2 Comments

    comment
    I engaged in a chat with Sam's Club tech support (I made a preorder through them) last evening just to do

    Posted 1 year ago on Xbox Series X|S Launch – 29 Comments

    comment
    It's not so much that you were wrong, Paul. It's just that you weren't ... right.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily Live: Ryzen Up – 1 Comments

    comment
    That parking lot story is amazing Paul. That would have really irked me if that happened to me.One time when

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 929: Parking Lot Banter – 2 Comments

    comment
    Best wishes to the birthday boy!

    Posted 1 year ago on Happy Birthday Paul! – 26 Comments

    comment
    I might stop by later Paul, just FYI.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 927: Microsoft Earnings, Series S Unboxing – 6 Comments

    comment
    November 10th, get here already!

    Posted 1 year ago on Microsoft Demos Xbox Series X|S Software Experience – 9 Comments

    comment
    Brad, my Lions have actually won a game or two in the recent past. Miracles do happen.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 925: The Worst Candy – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to darkclown:I'm still writing 2017 on my checks.

    Posted 1 year ago on Questions for 10 / 23? – 13 Comments

    comment
    Hi Brad, I'm sure you heard about that title coming out that's going to run 60 FPS on the Series S o

    Posted 1 year ago on Questions for 10 / 23? – 13 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul, on the lighter side of things, now that Halloween is coming up, any chance we can convince Mary Jo to

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, October 23 – 16 Comments

    comment
    Eagerly awaiting for my Series S pre-order to ship. What I'm anxious for is the comparison to the One X,

    Posted 1 year ago on Getting Ready for the Xbox Series X|S – 44 Comments

    comment
    Paul, Universe Simulator. Think of storing every atom that exists in one byte of RAM. :-D

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: October 9 (Premium) – 16 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. So, we have been relying on Win32 for quite a while now, the API that powers all the legacy software

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, October 9 – 9 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Usman:Thanks, I'll pass this along.

    Posted 1 year ago on Suitable monitor for Series S gaming? – 8 Comments

    comment
    In reply to darkgrayknight:Based on the research I've been doing, it seems that at this very moment, ther

    Posted 1 year ago on Suitable monitor for Series S gaming? – 8 Comments

    Forum Post

    Suitable monitor for Series S gaming?

    Hey everyone. I'm posting this on behalf of my coworker who is having trouble helping his nephew.


    His nephew is looking for a computer monitor that will pair up with the 120 Hz output of the Series S, IOW, a monitor with HDMI 2.1 I guess.


    Do any exist? I guess DisplayPort is more common?


    If not, can a proper conversion be done using adapters and/or conversion boxes?


    My coworker linked this article to me, which suggests it's not particularly straightforward:


    https://www.tempest-av.com/single-post/2019/02/07/HDMI-to-DisplayPort-and-DisplayPort-to-HDMI-Conversion-Explained


    Now, I assume this would be less of a problem if a TV was sought after instead, but I guess he wants a monitor.


    Any advice would be appreciated.

    Posted 1 year ago on Suitable monitor for Series S gaming? – 8 Comments

    comment
    I've been waiting for info about these things. I have an external USB drive to supplement what will come

    Posted 1 year ago on 1 TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series S/X Costs $220 – 32 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Truffles:Computer Shopper!

    Posted 1 year ago on Lenovo is Bringing Linux to ThinkPad, ThinkStation – 19 Comments

    comment
    Why was Swift created, and what makes it special? Not a sarcastic question, I really want to know.

    Posted 1 year ago on Swift Finally Comes to Windows – 35 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jumpingjackflash5:MS Office on Linux seemed unthinkable years ago. I guess not so much anymore.

    Posted 1 year ago on Lenovo is Bringing Linux to ThinkPad, ThinkStation – 19 Comments

    comment
    Whoa I just had a bit of luck. Was able to snag a Series S from Sam's Club, even though I'm not a m

    Posted 1 year ago on I’ve never pre-ordered something before – 11 Comments

    comment
    Dang. Websites crashing, pages not loading, going from "in the cart" to "out of stock" in two seconds.Guess I

    Posted 1 year ago on I’ve never pre-ordered something before – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to codymesh:Bingo. :)

    Posted 1 year ago on I’ve never pre-ordered something before – 11 Comments

    Forum Post

    I've never pre-ordered something before

    Wish me luck guys. I'll be spamming my F5 key tomorrow at 11 AM. Series S for me, even though at first I thought I wanted the X.



    Will I see any of you out there?



    Anyway, what's with this prefix "pre"? Pre-order, pre-existing, pre-boarding.



    How do you order something before you order it?

    Posted 1 year ago on I’ve never pre-ordered something before – 11 Comments

    comment
    Regarding DOOM (the 2016 reboot), although it's a visual showcase and has great atmosphere, I really stop

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: September 18 (Premium) – 34 Comments

    comment
    Paul, do you have an alternative vision for what the 2016 Doom reboot could have been? If I remember correctl

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, September 18 – 13 Comments

    comment
    "Sack Boy"? Sounds like an Adam Sandler sketch on SNL.I can't wait to get a Series X!!!

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 904: This Podcast is about Console Gaming and Sleeping – 3 Comments

    comment
    I enjoyed your article this week Paul, a good read.

    Posted 1 year ago on From the Editor’s Desk for Monday, September 14 – 26 Comments

    comment
    Still waiting for a GW-BASIC extension.

    Posted 1 year ago on Microsoft Brings C++ Support to Visual Studio Code – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:The original series rocks!!

    Posted 1 year ago on The Sams Report: A Series V? – 9 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lezmaka:I definitely don't trust them lizards.

    Posted 1 year ago on The Sams Report: A Series V? – 9 Comments

    comment
    Some eroded teeth seems like a small price to pay for a Series X.

    Posted 1 year ago on You Could Win an Xbox Series X at Taco Bell – 2 Comments

    comment
    This has me unexpectedly reconsidering my options just like everyone else. But ... man, I think I'm just

    Posted 1 year ago on Now I Want an Xbox Series S (Premium) – 47 Comments

    comment
    I started using GitHub recently and am very fond of it. I use it to host open-source programs I write that I

    Posted 1 year ago on Git ‘Er Done with GitHub (Premium) – 24 Comments

    comment
    I can already hear some of the more hard-core Sony fans. They're going to buy the new PlayStation regard

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 898: Xbox Series Perfect – 3 Comments

    comment
    Have a beer and put your feet up.

    Posted 1 year ago on Taking some time off over a long Labor Day Weekend – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to SWCetacean:Yes you are probably correct. I have a Core i7 9700K with an RTX 2060 Super, so maybe

    Posted 1 year ago on Anybody catch the Nvidia live stream earlier today? – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Usman:I'm just wondering if the 600 watt PSU in my system (which I purchased a few months ago

    Posted 1 year ago on Anybody catch the Nvidia live stream earlier today? – 6 Comments

    Forum Post

    Anybody catch the Nvidia live stream earlier today?

    Hey all. Just wondering if anybody saw the introduction of the Nvidia RTX 3000 series earlier today. I watched pretty much all of it -- some of it bored me, but most of it looked like a really interesting peek at a promising future, and the new cards seem very powerful. But I also got frustrated at how much technical info I had trouble understanding.


    Anyway, I don't know if I'm upgrading to one of those new cards anytime soon (I wouldn't mind a 3070), but the future looks bright IMO. If that new "marbles" demo is anything to go by, we are at the start of something really big, because that was all done in real time, not rasterized.

    Posted 1 year ago on Anybody catch the Nvidia live stream earlier today? – 6 Comments

    comment
    Brad's going to be teasing some Demon owners at the red light.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 895: Five Years of Pain – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to brisonharvey:Same here.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 892: Your Fone – 8 Comments

    comment
    I understood your Oracle joke Paul. ;-)

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 891: Duos of Phones – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:Let me see if I can get this without looking it up ... I've seen it in documentaries,

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: August 21 (Premium) – 18 Comments

    comment
    Paul, I think we all agree the Internet was/is a revolution. Do you think its inventors will be remembered ce

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, August 21 – 12 Comments

    Forum Post

    Odd Amazon Question

    Hi guys. So how would you answer this one?



    My guess is that Amazon is going to use this data to start their own line of kitten boxes and undercut the little guy.


    Posted 1 year ago on Odd Amazon Question – 1 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for answering my question Brad. And by the way, it doesn't bother me that this phenomenon is happ

    Posted 1 year ago on The Sams Report: A Duo and a Halo during a Fortnite – 2 Comments

    comment
    Hi Brad, odd question -- do you remember when TVs were TVs and computers were computers? Now we have TVs that

    Posted 1 year ago on Questions for 8 14? – 21 Comments

    comment
    Big giant tech companies pummeling each other to climb to the top of the mountain. And we get to watch and pa

    Posted 1 year ago on Microsoft’s brand worth more than Google – 2 Comments

    comment
    Thanks Paul.Meanwhile the fight goes on. My brother who teaches IT in the college I work at has "Powered By L

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: August 7 (Premium) – 15 Comments

    comment
    Paul, is it safe to say that the Linux kernel (repeat: kernel) is the most widely-used piece of software on th

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, August 7 – 16 Comments

    comment
    Not good news, looking forward to having you guys back and up to speed soon.

    Posted 1 year ago on No FRD today, Paul’s house got hit by lightning – 11 Comments

    comment
    Congrats to The Birthday Boy, who regales us with his tech news.

    Posted 1 year ago on Happy Birthday, Brad! – 35 Comments

    comment
    If true, maybe this will stir up the current tech doldrums we're living in.

    Posted 1 year ago on Surface Duo, the week of August 24th? – 2 Comments

    comment
    Damn, I downloaded Forza 7 on my XoneX and it was 100 GB for criminy's sake!

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 875: Changing of the Charging Speed – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to simont:Depending on price I might do the same.

    Posted 1 year ago on Upgrading or downgrading to the next console? – 7 Comments

    Forum Post

    Microsoft Android launcher bug?

    Hey everyone. So correct me if I'm wrong, but for those of us using the Microsoft launcher on our Android phones, it just got overhauled, correct?


    So here's something weird that happened with mine. After it installed I noticed that it "re-created" a group I had once deleted called "Productivity." And in that group were a couple of icons; one was a shortcut to Todoist (which I no longer use, I now use Microsoft To Do), and I forget what the other one was. But the funny thing is, when I tapped that group to open it, it didn't open the group, it opened the eBay app!


    Bizarre. So I just deleted that group and re-pinned the eBay app.


    Anyone else experiencing any issues?

    Posted 1 year ago on Microsoft Android launcher bug? – 1 Comments

    comment
    I love the Your Phone app!

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 872: Sea of Suits – 2 Comments

    comment
    And oh, regarding the Neo and the Duo, for the life of me I can't remember which one is which.

    Posted 1 year ago on The Sams Report: RIP Xbox SAD, Outlook Manages Time – 4 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for your input Brad.

    Posted 1 year ago on The Sams Report: RIP Xbox SAD, Outlook Manages Time – 4 Comments

    comment
    I'll just never forget Mr. Ellison's analogy that he described. Me? Take Windows 95 on a piece of

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: July 17 (Premium) – 33 Comments

    comment
    Paul, Leo on Windows Weekly has been mentioning thin clients a lot lately. Do you remember the interview with

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, July 17 – 13 Comments

    comment
    Hi Brad, how long does Microsoft typically support their consoles after a new one comes out? I have an Xbox O

    Posted 1 year ago on Questions for 7 17? – 14 Comments

    comment
    Interesting feature, but I have to admit I didn't know it existed.

    Posted 1 year ago on Microsoft is Retiring OneDrive File Fetching – 14 Comments

    comment
    Cool ... I almost bought Golf With Your Friends during the Steam summer sale but passed on it.

    Posted 1 year ago on Here’s What’s Coming Next to Xbox Game Pass – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to SWCetacean:Sounds good, thanks for the advice. I was a little worried at first about the notion th

    Posted 1 year ago on Upgrading or downgrading to the next console? – 7 Comments

    Forum Post

    Upgrading or downgrading to the next console?

    Hi guys. Since I’m typing this on my iPad I’ll be brief. Given what we know so far — and I know it’s not that much yet — do you think going from an Xbox One X to the Lockhart (assuming it exists) will still be an upgrade if you’re on a 4K TV?

    Posted 1 year ago on Upgrading or downgrading to the next console? – 7 Comments

    comment
    More than I really "need," but it sure is fun.Main Core i7 gaming PC, recently purchasedCore i5 4690K machine

    Posted 1 year ago on How many PCs do you use/maintain at home? – 29 Comments

    comment
    On a whim I just bought a nice refurbished HP ProDesk with a Core i5 and 8 GB of RAM ... it came with Windows

    Posted 1 year ago on Dumbing Down MacOS – What The Tech Ep. 475 – 10 Comments

    comment
    Good write-up Paul. I had thought afterward that I wished I had also asked how the Mac aligns with their mode

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: July 3 (Premium) – 18 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul, I'm bugging you again this week. This one's about Apple -- do you think the original visio

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, July 2 – 20 Comments

    comment
    Ah, the days of going to the local book store and browsing through the PC books. That was always a treat.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 858: Recovering the Monday – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:Thanks, I think the first method in the article you linked looks fairly straightforward.

    Posted 1 year ago on Upgrading the graphics card in my Linux machine – 2 Comments

    Forum Post

    Upgrading the graphics card in my Linux machine

    Hey all. I'll ask this here too just in case I don't get a response over at the Linux Mint forums.


    What can I expect as far as driver installation when I upgrade the GT 730 in my Linux Mint 64-bit machine (19.3) to a GTX 1650 -- is it going to be automatic, or will I have to do some manual updating. After all it's quite a generational leap.


    Thanks.

    Posted 1 year ago on Upgrading the graphics card in my Linux machine – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jtemplin:Thanks for that. I wrote it down in my notes as a suggestion for future improvement.

    Posted 1 year ago on Does anyone actually use the Microsoft Store? – 84 Comments

    comment
    Paul -- do you think we'll ever hit a wall with how sophisticated and fast computers will get? After all

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, June 25 – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to naddy69:If a man says something in the woods and there are no women around to hear it, is he still

    Posted 1 year ago on If a tree falls in the woods… – 23 Comments

    comment
    Just got it a couple days ago. Haven't tested printing yet though, so I don't know if that works.

    Posted 1 year ago on If a tree falls in the woods… – 23 Comments

    comment
    Any good exclusives?

    Posted 1 year ago on KFC will win the console war. – 4 Comments

    Forum Post

    My first Unity game

    Greetings all. If you're interested, please try out the new game I published to the Microsoft Store. It's a combination of soccer and pong, and was created with Unity.


    https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9PKSB6V635NT


    Thanks!

    Posted 1 year ago on My first Unity game – 1 Comments

    comment
    Mapple. I like it.

    Posted 1 year ago on The Sams Report: SharePoint Digests, Sony Unveils – 1 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for the insight Paul. Fascinating stuff. As usual, Apple sat on the sidelines until it was ready, and

    Posted 1 year ago on Ask Paul: June 12 (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    Don't plan to buy one, but I think I like it.

    Posted 1 year ago on Sony Unveils PS5 Design, Two SKUs – 21 Comments

    comment
    Paul, aside from some obvious things like thinness and lightness, how do you feel the original iPad learned fr

    Posted 1 year ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for Friday, June 12 – 17 Comments

    comment
    Haven't gotten it yet.If I don't get me some 20H1 I'm not going to be very pleasant to be aroun

    Posted 1 year ago on If a tree falls in the woods… – 23 Comments

    comment
    I have the Moto e5 Play, which is pretty good for a budget phone IMO.To upgrade to one of these is tempting th

    Posted 1 year ago on Motorola Launches New Moto G Fast and Moto E – 1 Comments

    comment
    She blinded me with science...But failed me in geometry.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 839: Lots of talk, Little of Tech – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Dave:I have a big box sitting here of three-and-a-halves, some of it contains software but most ar

    Posted 1 year ago on You’ll never guess what computer book I bought – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Reading the intro in the book was very interesting. I can't remember word-for-

    Posted 1 year ago on You’ll never guess what computer book I bought – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Three UWP games: Battle Task 2153, Jelly Spider Smash, Penny Pitch.Two Win32 Desktop B

    Posted 1 year ago on Does anyone actually use the Microsoft Store? – 84 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:That, and I may rewrite the kernel.

    Posted 1 year ago on You’ll never guess what computer book I bought – 6 Comments

    Forum Post

    You'll never guess what computer book I bought


    I forget exactly how I reached the listing for this on Amazon. I just felt instant nostalgia when I saw it though. I would have loved to have this back in the day. I did have a book by Peter Norton, but this one seems more thorough. I don't have any ambitious plans or anything, but it's nice to look through as a reminder of how things once worked.



    Posted 1 year ago on You’ll never guess what computer book I bought – 6 Comments

    comment
    I bought a Pi 3 last year and set up RetroPie on it for old Apple ][ disks, Commodore 64, etc. Cool stuff.

    Posted 1 year ago on 8 GB Raspberry Pi 4 is Now Available – 8 Comments

    comment
    I used Cortana the other day. I wanted to play Asphalt 8, so I grabbed my Xbox 360 controller and sat down, a

    Posted 1 year ago on Microsoft Details Deprecated and Removed Features in Windows 10 Version 2004 – 25 Comments

    comment
    I *love* the idea of the Windows app store, and for all the reasons already stated it would be great if we cou

    Posted 1 year ago on Does anyone actually use the Microsoft Store? – 84 Comments

    comment
    Tuned in to watch the SpaceX launch ... only to be let down. Fingers crossed for Saturday.

    Posted 1 year ago on First Ring Daily 836: Owls and Pigeons – 3 Comments

    comment
    I use it when I can. I just bought a new Core i7 gaming rig, and as I reinstall stuff, so far I've reins

    Posted 1 year ago on Does anyone actually use the Microsoft Store? – 84 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:It really seems like over the years of its lifespan, the percentage of applications that e

    Posted 2 years ago on Non-preemptive multitasking – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:I was just about to ask you why we didn't just do pre-emptive multitasking right

    Posted 2 years ago on Non-preemptive multitasking – 23 Comments

    comment
    The final camera shot on Paul this episode was pretty epic.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 806: Winds of 5G – 7 Comments

    Forum Post

    Bored? Try out my first Python game

    Hi all. Having more spare time lately finally allowed me to finish my first game in Python, a simple craps simulator.


    If you're interested, check it out at https://github.com/msdos622wasfun/Mini-Craps


    Comments/questions welcome.


    Thanks!

    Posted 2 years ago on Bored? Try out my first Python game – 0 Comments

    comment
    Paul, have you ever heard of Xojo, which used to be called Real Basic? It was originally a VB competitor, and

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 804: Controllers of Suite – 4 Comments

    comment
    Yeah, I've tried to hit the ground running by starting a raw UWP app from scratch, and I find it confusin

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 804: Wars of Emails – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to phoenixatthurrot:I haven't installed Visual Studio Code yet, but it looks nice and I've

    Posted 2 years ago on Making the best of time: C, C++, and gaming libraries – 5 Comments

    comment
    In reply to illuminated:No I hear ya. Most of my projects are not overly ambitious, so I'm not concerned

    Posted 2 years ago on Making the best of time: C, C++, and gaming libraries – 5 Comments

    Forum Post

    Making the best of time: C, C++, and gaming libraries

    Hi all. I assume everyone here is taking advantage of the stay-at-home edicts and maybe doing some programming that they otherwise wouldn't be? Or maybe some of you at least?


    For whatever reason I realized that I can't say yet that I've ever completed a game in either C or C++, even though I have exposure to those languages. But I downloaded three different SDKs -- SDL, Allegro, and SFML, and got to know the basics of all three. Cool stuff! Now it's just a matter of deciding what to make, and which framework to use.


    Anybody here have any experience with these libraries?


    How about coding in C or C++ ... you guys like Visual Studio the best, or do you prefer alternatives like Code::Blocks?


    I think Code::Blocks is extremely nice, however Microsoft's offerings in this department as of late aren't too shabby of course.


    Back in the early DOS days, I heard that Microsoft's big compilers for languages like C were a bit ... cruddy compared to others like Borland's.


    (Yes, I know what you're thinking. C? What is this, 1992?)

    Posted 2 years ago on Making the best of time: C, C++, and gaming libraries – 5 Comments

    comment
    Yeah I felt a chill go down my spine this morning when I realized it was Monday.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 793: A Consumer Teams – 2 Comments

    comment
    I'm picturing in my mind the scene from Office Space where the engineer is justifying his job to the cons

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 792: Teams Goes Up and Up – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Hehe, I know. That was just my favorite SuperBowl commercial.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 789: One Bill(ion) Xbox – 6 Comments

    comment
    Hey Paul, do you have Smaht-Pahk in your car?

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 789: One Bill(ion) Xbox – 6 Comments

    comment
    When my mother and I went grocery shopping in the early afternoon, we pretty much got the last pack of toilet

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Maybe Unplug 2020 – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Kenneth_Burns:In an odd way I respect that.

    Posted 2 years ago on Old Programs You Still Use? – 53 Comments

    comment
    I don't suppose anybody STILL uses one of the Big 3 from the '80s: Lotus 123, WordPerfect, dBase?

    Posted 2 years ago on Old Programs You Still Use? – 53 Comments

    comment
    IrfanView. It's old in the sense that it's been around for a very long time, but it's kept up

    Posted 2 years ago on Old Programs You Still Use? – 53 Comments

    comment
    Party in Brad's basement this weekend, be there be square.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 774: Quiet Until Not – 2 Comments

    comment
    rug rat[rəɡ rat]NOUNrugrat (noun)a child."it's the TV-linked toys that the rug rats crave"

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: They Came for my Go, and I Said Nothing – 1 Comments

    comment
    Damn Brad. One helluva job you did there.Can you call my brother-in-law? He's been working on his basem

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 761: The Basement Reveal – 5 Comments

    comment
    Until Paul mentioned it, I never really noticed how his image looked like the room was smeared with I Can'

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 757: OLED Tabs – 8 Comments

    comment
    In reply to North of 49th:Yes, as bad as Michigan can be sometimes (I live just outside of Detroit), there are

    Posted 2 years ago on OT: The Big One Came – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Well I hear the chili is good down there.

    Posted 2 years ago on OT: The Big One Came – 7 Comments

    Forum Post

    OT: The Big One Came

    Hi all. Anybody here from the Midwest U.S. or East Coast get hammered with snow? Good thing I have Big Bertha (my snowthrower), I had to deal with about 8 inches this morning.

    Posted 2 years ago on OT: The Big One Came – 7 Comments

    comment
    Long live the PC!

    Posted 2 years ago on PC Sales Grew 1.9 Percent in 2019 – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Tiny:Oh kwit joquing around already.

    Posted 2 years ago on Lenovo Introduces New Creator Line of Computers for Content Creators – 5 Comments

    comment
    I also got the update a couple days ago, Motorola E5 Play.

    Posted 2 years ago on Edge on mobile – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Daishi:I've just never heard it summed up in those terms before, so that's why I wanted

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, January 3 – 17 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. I read an interesting statement made by someone on Reddit in regards to the recent termination of Wi

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday, January 3 – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to sekim:You've really introduced me to some new things here. I didn't know about Pi-Hole

    Posted 2 years ago on Anybody here into Raspberry Pi? – 20 Comments

    comment
    And the drywall was hung on the 2x4's with care...

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 742: Paul of Duty – 3 Comments

    comment
    Good to know -- I'm going to have to try that on my iPad.

    Posted 2 years ago on Space bar cursor – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Oh that's totally cool. I'm going to have to check out some of the stuff on t

    Posted 2 years ago on Anybody here into Raspberry Pi? – 20 Comments

    comment
    This is my favorite tech-oriented site. Thanks for all the effort you guys put in. Any Surface would be fine

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Microsoft’s Windows Weekly Giveaway: Surface Pro X, Pro 7, and Laptop 3 – 2573 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lvthunder:I just came back from the store with a 16 GB microSD card, so the plan is to install Ret

    Posted 2 years ago on Anybody here into Raspberry Pi? – 20 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Dang you're a whiz! What's PiDP-11?

    Posted 2 years ago on Anybody here into Raspberry Pi? – 20 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Yes, I considered the 4, but the 3 seemed like a safer bet for now.

    Posted 2 years ago on Anybody here into Raspberry Pi? – 20 Comments

    Forum Post

    Anybody here into Raspberry Pi?

    So lately I've been eyeing that mini Commodore 64 thing, and thinking that it would be a cool retro gadget to simulate a C64.


    But then I started thinking about Raspberry Pi's again (I've kind of wanted one for a while now), and I thought, why not just use a Pi to emulate everything under the sun?


    So this morning I took a trip to my local Micro Center and purchased a Pi 3 B+ kit.


    This thing is so cool! It was easy to set up too. I can't wait to load RetroPie on it (I have to get another microSD card though).


    Of course, I can also see myself playing around with the other features -- Python, Scratch, maybe some breadboard shenanigans.

    Posted 2 years ago on Anybody here into Raspberry Pi? – 20 Comments

    comment
    It's too bad though if battery life, rigidity, and other things suffer just in the name of thin-ness.

    Posted 2 years ago on Chrome book – 3 Comments

    comment
    Back in the 80s I was a big fan of QuickBASIC, but I was aware of Turbo Pascal of course. For me, QuickBASIC

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: Anders (Premium) – 22 Comments

    comment
    Good for her! :-)

    Posted 2 years ago on Article: See this sweet looking grandma? She can kick your butt in ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘Grand Theft Auto’. – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Ezzy:I think I agree.Here's an interesting aside, though -- consider the Apple //e. It was s

    Posted 2 years ago on Most Important Operating System Ever – 40 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:Fair enough. :-)

    Posted 2 years ago on Most Important Operating System Ever – 40 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:Sure, explaining what the registry is to an average consumer is probably a hard thing to d

    Posted 2 years ago on Most Important Operating System Ever – 40 Comments

    comment
    Good insight to my question Brad, thanks. I guess it's no different than some of the very generic-lookin

    Posted 2 years ago on The Sams Report: Next Windows Features, Xbox Questions Answered – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to North of 49th:That wouldn't surprise me, that the aesthetic design was heavily influenced by

    Posted 2 years ago on Questions for 12/20 – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:What is a mouse chord? :-)

    Posted 2 years ago on Most Important Operating System Ever – 40 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:I didn't mean it in a negative way. What I meant was that a lot of people are trying

    Posted 2 years ago on Most Important Operating System Ever – 40 Comments

    comment
    I do enjoy tinkering and learning about Linux on the used Dell tower that I bought a couple years ago. (I kno

    Posted 2 years ago on Most Important Operating System Ever – 40 Comments

    comment
    Brad, regarding the look of the new Xbox, like you, I'm not "offended" by it, and I think it looks clean

    Posted 2 years ago on Questions for 12/20 – 11 Comments

    comment
    This is fantastic! Man it would be great to win one of those Surfaces (Surfi?).

    Posted 2 years ago on Coming Soon: Microsoft’s Holiday 2019 Windows Weekly Giveaways – 100 Comments

    comment
    I must try the Goose Game with my niece and nephew.

    Posted 2 years ago on New Titles Coming to Game Pass for Console – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Fair enough, I do see your point. In a live performance, I can really understand why th

    Posted 2 years ago on Ask Paul: December 13 (Premium) – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:I do tend to see a lot of Macbooks in live situations though...

    Posted 2 years ago on Ask Paul: December 13 (Premium) – 15 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul. This question may sound a little unusual even though it's computer-related, but here goes. It&

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday (December 13) – 18 Comments

    comment
    In reply to madthinus:Agreed. (I even game at 1440, and it's fine.)

    Posted 2 years ago on Xbox One X bottlenecked? – 5 Comments

    comment
    Many things. If I had to narrow it down, in my opinion, things like:iPad -- Finally the form factor between a

    Posted 2 years ago on Favorite 2010s Tech and/or Tech Stories – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to madthinus:Aw man ... I was kind of thinking the same thing recently about my gaming rig, but I jus

    Posted 2 years ago on Xbox One X bottlenecked? – 5 Comments

    Forum Post

    Xbox One X bottlenecked?

    Hi all,


    So I'm not sure if Paul or anyone has discussed this yet on this site, but I've been thinking about it lately.


    I own an Xbox One X, and I think the visuals are fantastic and, well, I don't really notice frame rate issues.


    But, I've read that the Jaguar (is that what it is?) CPU, even though it's a little better than the one in the regular Xbox One, is kind of holding the GPU in the console back.


    Think that's true?


    I don't know, my understanding is that, for the most part, games generally rely on the GPU more anyway, so maybe it isn't an issue, but of course, the two go hand-in-hand because you need a fast CPU to feed the GPU the data that it needs.


    Thoughts?

    Posted 2 years ago on Xbox One X bottlenecked? – 5 Comments

    comment
    In my comfort zone I never thought I'd be able to tackle writing something in Unity. When I first tried

    Posted 2 years ago on This week’s Premium newsletter (Monday, December 9) – 9 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lwetzel:Similar situation with me. I used to use ToDoist and liked it, but there were a couple of

    Posted 2 years ago on Microsoft to Shut Down Wunderlist in 2020 – 17 Comments

    comment
    How I long for the days of the LPRINT command... ;-)

    Posted 2 years ago on The WinForms Notepad Project: New Window, Printing Basics (Premium) – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott::)

    Posted 2 years ago on Successfully started Halo: Reach campaign on PC – 2 Comments

    Forum Post

    Successfully started Halo: Reach campaign on PC

    Hi all,


    Well my Game Pass Ultimate benefits are really paying for themselves. I've never played Halo before, so now that it's available I jumped at this opportunity.


    There was a thread a few days ago about download issues from the Microsoft Store (I want to play on PC), which I did experience a little, but it did finish with only one glitch along the way.


    So an hour ago I decided to fire it up, and unfortunately when I was in the settings changing my key bindings ... CRASH!


    Oh no! But, I just relaunched the game, and everything was fine.


    I finished the first couple of missions. I have to say ... I can't think of anything not to like. Interesting story, good pacing, sound/music.


    The visuals are pretty darn good for a game that's been around for a long time. I would say, the remastering was done well. It looks about as good as a 2010/2011 game with enhanced details can look in 2019. Recent titles are a bit more impressive, but that's to be expected.


    Great time to be a gamer!

    Posted 2 years ago on Successfully started Halo: Reach campaign on PC – 2 Comments

    comment
    Man. My brother was into Flight Simulator in the late '80s. From what I can remember it looking like ba

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 731: The New Old New – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Rycott:I downloaded it from the Microsoft Store and ran into an error, but then upon resuming it f

    Posted 2 years ago on Hands-On with Halo: Reach for PC – 16 Comments

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    I feel VERY tempted to install this on my PC, since I have Game Pass Ultimate. I have never played Halo befor

    Posted 2 years ago on Hands-On with Halo: Reach for PC – 16 Comments

    comment
    Aw man ... part of me was hoping that was the actual console.

    Posted 2 years ago on Sony’s PS5 Dev Kit Spotted in the Wild – 5 Comments

    comment
    Fine line, basically, between whether an operating system should only simply exist as a backdrop to run other

    Posted 2 years ago on Why is the MS Photos app soooooo bad? – 31 Comments

    comment
    Can't beat FRD bloopers. :)

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 727: Two Turkeys Enter – 1 Comments

    comment
    Paul, if your cynicism is growing regarding our need to be constantly entertained, may I recommend "Amused to

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 726: Gaming Turkeys – 6 Comments

    comment
    The guys from the Red Green Show might be able to offer some help.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 725: Don’t Come for the Tech, Stay for the House – 5 Comments

    comment
    Did they remove PROGMAN.EXE?

    Posted 2 years ago on All the features Microsoft will no longer develop – 6 Comments

    comment
    Probably the way some people look at it, a gaming PC can also do video editing and Photoshop, whereas an Xbox

    Posted 2 years ago on Why get a gaming PC instead of an Xbox Scarlett? – 6 Comments

    comment
    So far the only phone accident I've had is bending/breaking a case when it was in my front pocket during

    Posted 2 years ago on Ask Paul: November 22 (Premium) – 16 Comments

    comment
    Paul, have you ever lost a phone? There have been so many that have come and gone in your life.

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday (November 22) – 13 Comments

    comment
    I'm glad you got your ducts in a row Brad.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 721: Apple Helps Apple – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Stooks:Seems unfair of you to say that about Paul in my opinion. He owns an iPad and uses it beca

    Posted 2 years ago on iFixit: New MacBook Pro Keyboard Isn’t So New – 42 Comments

    comment
    And I'm still trying to figure out how ray casters work!

    Posted 2 years ago on John Carmack Steps Down at Oculus, Will Tackle AI – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to yaddamaster:Is it the telemetry, oops, I mean, spying that people are worried about maybe? Obviou

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 8 a better alternative to Windows 7? – 40 Comments

    comment
    Cool. One thing on my bucket list is to sit down with Paul, Brad, and Mary Jo, have a beer, and talk tech.I d

    Posted 2 years ago on Got my MacBook Pro autographed while at Ignite – 7 Comments

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    I've had minor issues here and there with practically every version of Windows I've ever used, start

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 8 a better alternative to Windows 7? – 40 Comments

    comment
    Yikes. The update to 1909 on my laptop went fine, but on my gaming rig it killed my Internet connection. Had

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 1909 – 7 Comments

    comment
    Your complaint will be rectified in the order it was received.

    Posted 2 years ago on your device will restart out of active hours – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Heh, yeah, I once owned a Mac mini of that era and I replaced the original drive with

    Posted 2 years ago on The Windows 8 Challenge – 56 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Bart:I thought that was strange too, the downvote. Are there people who actually get offended at

    Posted 2 years ago on Nothing Major Was Removed or Deprecated in Windows 10 Version 1909 – 24 Comments

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    In reply to jimchamplin:In our case sometimes staff does notice. I work at a community college, and I'd

    Posted 2 years ago on The Windows 8 Challenge – 56 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:For light tasks, yes, I'm sure it's fine, I guess I was being a bit dramatic.

    Posted 2 years ago on The Windows 8 Challenge – 56 Comments

    Forum Post

    Tempted to buy this just to do a YouTube video on it

    What do you think guys? Worth the risk?


    https://www.walmart.com/ip/EVOO-11-6-Ultra-Thin-Laptop-Windows-10-S-Quad-Core-32GB-Storage-Micro-HDMI-Webcam-Silver/441966747?sourceid=csebr0370984769a0324c938152f61e8a50c7ee&wmlspartner=bizratecom&affcmpid=3724935189&tmode=0000&veh=cse&szredirectid=15735948489436482244310080302008005


    Posted 2 years ago on Tempted to buy this just to do a YouTube video on it – 0 Comments

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    In reply to lwetzel:As long as there's some liquid nitrogen in the vicinity for it to clump back together

    Posted 2 years ago on Microsoft researches new archival storage method – 3 Comments

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    In reply to jimchamplin:4 GB of RAM would have once been featured in a $5,000 gaming rig. Now it's suita

    Posted 2 years ago on The Windows 8 Challenge – 56 Comments

    comment
    I heard about this the other day. Very cool.What if you drop it? ?

    Posted 2 years ago on Microsoft researches new archival storage method – 3 Comments

    comment
    The main thing that frustrates me about digital assistants is when you ask them a question and instead of answ

    Posted 2 years ago on Just deleted Cortana – 12 Comments

    comment
    Ha! I forgot about this little experiment...So how goezit Jimmy?

    Posted 2 years ago on The Windows 8 Challenge – 56 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Stooks:I don't own a Chromebook, but ultimately sometimes you can't worry about populari

    Posted 2 years ago on Google Details New Chrome OS 78 Features – 10 Comments

    comment
    Yeah, Windows 7 was kind of like a breath of fresh air after Vista ... of course, prior to that I had Vista in

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 7 Tribute/Eulogy Thread – 7 Comments

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    In reply to Thom77:Yep, as is the case most of the time with integrated graphics, it seems like games that are

    Posted 2 years ago on Gaming test on my new laptop – 2 Comments

    comment
    What can be said? The camera obviously loves Paul.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 710: Ignite 2019 Day 1 – 2 Comments

    Forum Post

    Gaming test on my new laptop

    Hi again all. So I installed Steam on my new Dell Inspiron so I could see how well it could handle some gaming, and I thought I'd share the results, because I'm sure you guys are just salivating for some info.


    Well, the reason I think this is interesting is because of the fact that it's integrated graphics. The Core i5 in the machine has UHD 620 graphics, so obviously I wasn't expecting too much, but here's what I discovered: I installed Unreal Tournament 3, set the resolution to 1600 x 900, and the details to medium, and the result? Between 30 and 40 frames per second most of the time, with dips to the upper 20's when there were a lot of explosions going on and stuff.


    I guess you could say I'm rather pleased, because I don't think of this as a gaming laptop obviously (it's really not marketed or meant to be one). But UT3 is probably my favorite game of all time, and the fact that it plays it well with a few compromises makes me pretty happy. Not only that, it makes me believe that some of the other classic games that I love that don't tax the GPU as much, such as Left 4 Dead or UT2004, are going to run without any issues whatsoever.


    So anyway, feel free to share your recent gaming experiences on portable hardware.

    Posted 2 years ago on Gaming test on my new laptop – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to ghostrider:I would never go so far as to actually go on a treasure hunt to find out what it looked

    Posted 2 years ago on Microsoft Reveals New Logo for Microsoft Edge – 59 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Minke:Some good points there.

    Posted 2 years ago on Stickers on laptops – 20 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Uh, it's illegal to yell fire in a crowded forum thread.........

    Posted 2 years ago on Stickers on laptops – 20 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Skolvikings:I'm with you on that. Must be a youngster thing ... reminds me of when I used to

    Posted 2 years ago on Stickers on laptops – 20 Comments

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    Thanks all for the tips. I'm going to think about it. Heck, maybe I'll leave the big one in place,

    Posted 2 years ago on Stickers on laptops – 20 Comments

    Forum Post

    Stickers on laptops

    Hi all. So I just sold my existing laptop and bought a Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1. Nice machine, but I'm trying to decide if the stickers on the chassis bother me enough to try to take them off. I fear the gunk that it's going to leave behind. You guys equally frustrated by this kind of thing? How have you dealt with it? I assume something like Goo Gone should do the trick ... I might have to look to see if I have some.


    If there's one advantage you get from buying a computer from the Microsoft or Apple Stores, it's the lack of stickers.


    The Dell software tools that are provided are mostly useful I think, but I sure as heck couldn't care less about the McAfee Anti-Virus.

    Posted 2 years ago on Stickers on laptops – 20 Comments

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    In reply to dontbeevil:And remember, if an article is published about Company X whose devices are breaking, bu

    Posted 2 years ago on Apple HomePod’s Latest Software Update Is Bricking Devices – 30 Comments

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    Thanks for your response Paul. Believe it or not I've decided to trade in my MacBook Air for a Dell Insp

    Posted 2 years ago on Ask Paul: October 25 (Premium) – 13 Comments

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    In reply to jchampeau:Ah yes, that classic look. I myself had a ThinkPad that I bought used in the early 

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday (October 25) – 15 Comments

    comment
    Hi Paul, I'm curious. We as a community seem to be in agreement that when Microsoft interfered in the PC

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday (October 25) – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to madthinus:I didn't have a clue about console gaming in the late '90s. I bought a Monste

    Posted 2 years ago on Tangent: what’s your favorite odd web site? – 12 Comments

    comment
    Crank.net always intrigued me. Haven't visited it lately though.

    Posted 2 years ago on Tangent: what’s your favorite odd web site? – 12 Comments

    comment
    Alcohol is MY way of life, and I aims to keep it.Homer Simpson

    Posted 2 years ago on Drinking… – 10 Comments

    comment
    Lots of unexpected things have happened in the last five to ten years, but I don't know if it's as b

    Posted 2 years ago on The tech world has gone to hell – 25 Comments

    comment
    Do we have telemetry on how many people use the Start menu vs. simply plastering icons all over their desktop?

    Posted 2 years ago on what about the older start menu is so wildly different from what we have now? – 35 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Winner:A combination of trying to move forward while supporting everything from the past as well.

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 10 X : UWP neo – 34 Comments

    comment
    When they can't get any thinner, chop 'em in half!

    Posted 2 years ago on Weird new Essential phone. – 3 Comments

    Forum Post

    Hilarious SNL sketch (Office Assistant)

    Hi guys,


    Came across this recently and hadn't seen it before, don't know if you have, but it's great.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpWbTogEEhg


    Posted 2 years ago on Hilarious SNL sketch (Office Assistant) – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Vladimir:Yes, I was reading about that on Reddit last night. This seems to be upsetting to many u

    Posted 2 years ago on Apple Launches MacOS Catalina – 12 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Greg Green:Well, iPhones are popular, Android phones are popular. Can't argue that.But when

    Posted 2 years ago on The 2019 Event Was A Disaster – 49 Comments

    comment
    In reply to WP7Mango:I'm inclined to agree, but this is the part where the tablet app gap would come up.

    Posted 2 years ago on The 2019 Event Was A Disaster – 49 Comments

    comment
    Okay, I was able to print but there were issues: I was able to print a page from Wikipedia from Edge and an e-

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 10 1903’s UWP print stack is broken – Edge, Mail, any other UWP apps won’t print. – 5 Comments

    comment
    I'd be willing to try to print from a couple of UWP apps once I get home this evening. Just got a new mo

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 10 1903’s UWP print stack is broken – Edge, Mail, any other UWP apps won’t print. – 5 Comments

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    In reply to paul-thurrott:Hope I didn't offend you Paul, I didn't mean to. It's just ... what

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 10 X : UWP neo – 34 Comments

    comment
    In reply to SWCetacean:Thanks. :)

    Posted 2 years ago on Apple Launches MacOS Catalina – 12 Comments

    comment
    The dropping of 32-bit app support is what has concerned me the most leading up to this release, but the recen

    Posted 2 years ago on Apple Launches MacOS Catalina – 12 Comments

    comment
    Have to admit the software development landscape in the Microsoft and/or Windows universe does seem to be gett

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 10 X : UWP neo – 34 Comments

    comment
    In reply to TEAMSWITCHER:Then why have I seen comments in Surface videos on YouTube stating, "Why would anybod

    Posted 2 years ago on The 2019 Event Was A Disaster – 49 Comments

    comment
    I own a MacBook Air that I purchased new almost a year ago, and the experience has been terrific ... and now,

    Posted 2 years ago on The Sams Report: Surface Highs, Lows, and What You Need to Knows – 1 Comments

    comment
    So guys, think this will be able to be used like a phone?

    Posted 2 years ago on This Is Microsoft’s Dual-Screen Surface Device – 19 Comments

    comment
    In reply to dontbeevil:Haven't you heard? Microsoft uses their telemetry to ruin your life!

    Posted 2 years ago on Google Delivers Chrome OS 77 – 26 Comments

    comment
    I love this app, but it seems like it's reliability is in direct proportion to how close my phone is to m

    Posted 2 years ago on Microsoft is Testing Notification Responses in Your Phone App – 12 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Oh I didn't have much problem mastering the gestures, and they made even more sen

    Posted 2 years ago on The Windows 8 Challenge – 56 Comments

    comment
    One thing from that era that remains that I still use to this day -- full screen Start. Love it.HOWEVER -- I

    Posted 2 years ago on The Windows 8 Challenge – 56 Comments

    comment
    Ah, the wallpaper sync ... in my experience it's very unpredictable.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 683: Pointing the Credits – 1 Comments

    comment
    The picture on the left of the ambient computing device looks like the old-style "V" mothership to me.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 678: Hardware Horizons – 2 Comments

    comment
    That gaming chair looks like something Siemens would build to do a CAT scan on your body or something.

    Posted 2 years ago on Acer Announces New Chromebooks, PCs, and Displays – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Passinttd:Yep me too.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 670: Opening the Surface Box – 5 Comments

    comment
    I got it ... I got it ... let's add a command switch to "dir" that sends suggestions to the feedback hub.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 664: Beta Hills – 4 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for responding to my question Brad. I took C++ in college (powerful language, but man it gave me a hea

    Posted 2 years ago on The Sams Report: The Surface Phone Home – 2 Comments

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    Brad, have you done any programming in your career, or even on your own, and if so, what languages did you use

    Posted 2 years ago on Questions for 8 9 19 – 11 Comments

    comment
    Ah yes. My first mouse was a Microsoft mouse that used the bus ISA card. I think in the package it came with

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 656: Down with Mice – 2 Comments

    comment
    Event Horizon ... one of those movies that had potential, not much more than that IMO.

    Posted 2 years ago on Windows 10 Cloud Restore – What The Tech Ep. 448 – 4 Comments

    comment
    lol, I still have the original box I bought Windows XP in too.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 653: The Rumbles Come from Inside the Building – 1 Comments

    comment
    Consolation prize? Mouse pad maybe? ;-)

    Posted 2 years ago on Huawei MateBook contest: We have a winner! – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:I agree.I remember when I started my current job back in late 1994, a coworker of mine w

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: Clipboard and DDE (Premium) – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:What are your thoughts on more modern compiled versions of BASIC like QuickBASIC 4 or 4.

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: BASIC Inventors Take on Gates, Microsoft (Premium) – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Actually I was a little jealous of OS/2 back then, but most of that faded after Window

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: NT Everywhere (Premium) – 24 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Back then I wrote a paper and did a presentation for my business communications class

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: NT Everywhere (Premium) – 24 Comments

    comment
    Man. When I ordered my Xbox 360 directly from Microsoft in about 2010 or so, I had *no* idea it had a history

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 646: Lowering Down Music – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Oh wait, I see what you're saying. Maybe the executables themselves weren'

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: NT Everywhere (Premium) – 24 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:I had always assumed this is what they meant by "portability."

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: NT Everywhere (Premium) – 24 Comments

    comment
    So somebody correct me if I'm wrong. Back then, if I had written an application that only used APIs and

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: NT Everywhere (Premium) – 24 Comments

    comment
    So basically, as they were dog-fooding the very first builds of NT, it was essentially just a command-line env

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: NT (Premium) – 17 Comments

    comment
    I would like to win a Huawei MateBook 13.

    Posted 2 years ago on [CLOSED] Win a Huawei MateBook 13! – 769 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Hoomgar:I actually really like the style of that case.

    Posted 2 years ago on PC Sales Grew Slightly in Second Quarter – 13 Comments

    comment
    Oh man. When my best friend showed me VB for the first time, I started tinkering with it, and I believe I tri

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: Visual Basic Takes Over the World (Premium) – 10 Comments

    comment
    My brother brought home a copy of Windows 1.0 in 1988 or 1989 or something like that, and I gave it a spin on

    Posted 2 years ago on My Microsoft Turning Point (Premium) – 41 Comments

    comment
    Coyote in 2019: "Hey Alexa, order explosives from ACME."

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 641: The Rumble Rumble – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to BeckoningEagle:Yeah don't get me started on Edlin. ;-)

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: Hello, Microsoft Basic (Premium) – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to GeorgiaITGuy:That's awesome. As a fan of BASIC it pleases me whenever I hear it has been use

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: Hello, Microsoft Basic (Premium) – 26 Comments

    comment
    Prior to QuickBASIC I had no idea you could write a program without line numbers.

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows: Hello, Microsoft Basic (Premium) – 26 Comments

    comment
    To think in 1984 when I spent all that time playing with BASIC on my Apple //e, I had *no* idea it was written

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 638: Microsoft Talks 19h2, We Talk History – 5 Comments

    comment
    I'm sensing a deja-vu in the matrix...

    Posted 2 years ago on What could this possibly mean? – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:System info says 8.0.0.

    Posted 2 years ago on RIP OUYA and Forge TV, hello Shield – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to ghostrider:Thanks. I like it a lot. And the game controller is a thing of beauty.

    Posted 2 years ago on RIP OUYA and Forge TV, hello Shield – 11 Comments

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    In reply to johnh3:Correct, the MicroSD card slot is gone.The whole Android game console/TV thing might be a l

    Posted 2 years ago on RIP OUYA and Forge TV, hello Shield – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:I can check later and get back with you on that.

    Posted 2 years ago on RIP OUYA and Forge TV, hello Shield – 11 Comments

    comment
    I too was always in awe of the technical achievement that was Turbo Pascal, and I did dabble in it a little bi

    Posted 2 years ago on My rant about Microsoft killing Borland – 9 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Yes. I've only owned it for a couple days, but it's already impressed me

    Posted 2 years ago on RIP OUYA and Forge TV, hello Shield – 11 Comments

    Forum Post

    RIP OUYA and Forge TV, hello Shield

    So I don't know about you guys, but I was one of about six people in the world that purchased both an OUYA *and* a Razer Forge TV -- these were Android-based micro-consoles. Now they're paper weights, because in case you hadn't heard, their servers have been permanently shut down, rendering them basically useless. Yes, one can probably root these things and use them to run emulators or something, but I'm not interested in doing that.


    It's too bad though, because I thought they had potential. They were cheap, but not shoddy, and I've had a lot of fun playing local multiplayer games with them with my niece and nephew.


    So what to do? Well, I went out this weekend and bought an Nvidia Shield. Now we're talking! Amazing how much power this thing packs within a tiny box. And it seems like many of these have been sold, so I'm hoping support for it won't disappear like some other Android initiatives.


    Thoughts? Anyone else out there enjoying their Shield?

    Posted 2 years ago on RIP OUYA and Forge TV, hello Shield – 11 Comments

    comment
    Ah feels good to get my FRD fix.

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 627: Is This Thing Still On? – 1 Comments

    comment
    I actually signed up last night. Could hardly believe it ... maybe a week or two ago I was thinking, "Well, I

    Posted 2 years ago on XBox Game Pass Ultimate 56% off @ Amazon – 4 Comments

    comment
    No issues yet with my 2018 MacBook Air, which I'm typing on right now. Knock on wood. Pound on wood, ve

    Posted 2 years ago on So, My MacBook Air Died (Premium) – 72 Comments

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    In reply to SWCetacean:Thanks! I just wonder what the future holds. Every time I think I'm all set and

    Posted 2 years ago on Another computer-related "A-ha" moment (bought a Gsync monitor) – 14 Comments

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    In reply to Vladimir:I was looking at freesync monitors, and it's nice that they are less expensive, but

    Posted 2 years ago on Another computer-related "A-ha" moment (bought a Gsync monitor) – 14 Comments

    comment
    In reply to MartinusV2:Ooh, yeah that is a lot to spend on a monitor. But hey, sometimes you have to spoil yo

    Posted 2 years ago on Another computer-related "A-ha" moment (bought a Gsync monitor) – 14 Comments

    comment
    In reply to madthinus:Yes, when I first got my GTX 1070 last Christmas, I noticed coil whine at first, which w

    Posted 2 years ago on Another computer-related "A-ha" moment (bought a Gsync monitor) – 14 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jwpear:I would say it's the gaming where I notice it the most, but it does also seem like jus

    Posted 2 years ago on Another computer-related "A-ha" moment (bought a Gsync monitor) – 14 Comments

    comment
    Can I play Connect Four on the front of that grille? ;-)

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 626: WWDC Hangover – 4 Comments

    comment
    Love this idea, I will definitely be checking out these articles.

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows, the Series (Premium) – 67 Comments

    comment
    In reply to George_Semple:I was a big admirer of Ethan ever since he created PDQ for QuickBASIC...

    Posted 2 years ago on Programming Windows, the Series (Premium) – 67 Comments

    Forum Post

    Another computer-related "A-ha" moment (bought a Gsync monitor)

    Greetings all,


    You know those moments you have with technology where you say, "Ah, now I get it?" Just had one the other day and I wanted to know if others feel the same about this particular type of upgrade.


    I owned a 60-Hz 1440p Dell monitor for about six years, but I upgraded to a 32" Gsync monitor made by LG (also 1440p). 144 Hz as opposed to 60.


    Boy oh boy, this does seem to be a case of "can't go back."


    Mostly because of the fluidity and the fact that I have 5" more of physical screen real estate. DOOM looks amazing.


    The only sticking point is the fact that it's a VA panel, which I seem to notice doesn't have *quite* as good viewing angles as IPS. It's not a deal-breaker though.


    So how about it my PC-gaming friends? Do you concur? :D

    Posted 2 years ago on Another computer-related "A-ha" moment (bought a Gsync monitor) – 14 Comments

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    Does anyone know if this is where they drop support for 32-bit apps?Edit: Grammar.

    Posted 2 years ago on macOS Catalina Launches With New Apps, Project Catalyst, More – 19 Comments

    comment
    Paul is going to be wearing a puffy shirt tomorrow (come on guys, tell me you got this joke!).

    Posted 2 years ago on First Ring Daily 621: Fifty Percent Audio – Paul Talks to Himself – 27 Comments

    comment
    Paul ... have you ever had a Fit-Bit-*hit-Fit? :D

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 611: Golfing the Phones – 2 Comments

    comment
    The notion of companies being predatory reminds me of a 20/20 interview with Bill Gates in the early '90s

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 610: Weighing the Technology – 2 Comments

    comment
    Makes me wonder if my Intel Compute Stick is ever going to get any feature updates ... the thing only came wit

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Slacking Out – 1 Comments

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    First Ring Daily: Brought to you for the first time Under Water. :D

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 607: Blue and Pink – 3 Comments

    comment
    Clever "photoshop" (or should I say "paint") there Brad. :D

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 606: Painting the Longitude – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to simont:I'd rather do it this way than get genuinely upset, to be honest (because when you get

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

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    In reply to jimchamplin:Thank you. :)

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

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    In reply to Minke:Normally this is what I'll do. I have all my important contacts on my phone and genera

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

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    In reply to SteveM:Haha, great.

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Daekar:That just might take the prize for one of the more creative ways of handling those calls!

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

    comment
    In reply to TrevorL:Nice. :)

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lvthunder:Right ... I don't know why I would think they would obey what I say anyways. :-|

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

    Forum Post

    Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller

    Hi all,


    So my day didn't even start out that great to begin with, since my car wouldn't start and I had to have it towed to my mechanic. But about 45 minutes ago I got a call from a scammer, and I really lost my patience. Usually when they call I just say, "I know this is a scam, stop calling," and hang up, but this time I decided to chew the guy out. Since he was smart enough to corner me with logic -- he asked me how I knew this was a scam -- I just retorted with the same logic, saying, hey, maybe unicorns are real? I've never seen one, but you can't know about that which you don't see, correct? Anyway, I kept telling him how good and clever the guy was (my voice getting louder and louder), and said, yeah, yeah, my computer has problems, sure it does. The icing on the cake was toward the end of the call when he launched his last salvo: He claimed he had my PIN. I said, sure you do. Stop calling. And hung up.


    Sheesh ... ya know, I'm normally a mild-mannered person, and I was a little shocked afterward that I reacted that way. But you can only take so much, you know what I mean?


    Be on the lookout fellas, these guys are out there.

    Posted 3 years ago on Just lost my temper with a tech support scam caller – 40 Comments

    comment
    This episode definitely had sort of a "PBS" vibe to it for some reason.

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: That Capital of This – 3 Comments

    comment
    Where's Rover?

    Posted 3 years ago on Someone recreated Windows XP in React – 6 Comments

    Forum Post

    Windows NT Server surpassing Netware in the '90s: Is this an analogy for Stadia?

    Hi all. So obviously there's been a lot of talk lately about Google's cloud gaming push, or Stadia as it's called. And one of the things that gets mentioned is the doubt that goes along with it, seeing as how it's going to be such an uphill battle vs. the established competitors. But one thing keeps popping up in my mind -- now, I'm not a networking admin or expert or anything, but remember back in the day when Netware was pretty much the defacto standard, but then over time in the '90s, Windows NT Server took over and became the dominant platform? I guess what I'm trying to say is, isn't this a similar situation? Isn't it just possible that with enough patience, over time the tables could be turned and Google could somehow come out as the winner here?

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows NT Server surpassing Netware in the ’90s: Is this an analogy for Stadia? – 3 Comments

    comment
    Next up, Wal-Mart's entry into cloud storage could be called ... oh, I don't know, WalCloud?

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Apple’s to Apple – 4 Comments

    comment
    Come on Paul ... you must "harangue the multitudes" about Surface (I've always wanted to say "harangue").

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 581: Digital Surface Boxes – 2 Comments

    comment
    Man, Ultraviolet contacted me about the shutdown, and I had totally forgotten that I even had any content ther

    Posted 3 years ago on Ultraviolet Cloud Movie Locker to Shut Down – 9 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karlinhigh:Haha, probably. :-)

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jwpear:It definitely becomes a rabbit hole that just gets deeper and deeper. :)

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to ecumenical:Yes, GOG has pretty much no DRM as I understand it.

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to ecumenical:I was also considering a Sidewinder. In the meantime though I think the Gravis will se

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Waethorn:Yes, I've seen demos on YouTube of people running DOS games with those Roland device

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Andrewzarian:Thanks Andrew! Actually, when I first booted the machine, I thought the BIOS said it

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Greg Green:Thanks!

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to irfaanwahid:Using Compact Flash as storage, Windows 98 shuts down in about three seconds... :-)

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Johannes:Yep, my first Pentium was a 120 MHz-based system. That's where this 3dfx card origi

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    Forum Post

    Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!!

    Hi everyone,


    Just had to share this. I've been wanting to obtain a retro gaming PC for some time now, and I finally got one -- in fact, the circumstances and end result couldn't have been much better. My coworker told me he had an old PC sitting in his basement, which he said I could have, and I said, heck ya, I'll take it off your hands if you want. So he finally brought it in, and I took it home, which included the CPU, monitor, and a box o' stuff (keyboard, mouse, etc.).


    Well, I couldn't be more pleased. Turns out it's got an AMD K6-2 @ 475 MHz. The CRT monitor has turned a little yellow, but it's not horrible. It works. It did contain a 64 MB stick of RAM and an additional 32 MB stick of RAM, but I swapped both of those out for a 128 MB stick that I bought online. (That's MEGA-bytes guys ... remember those days? :D )


    Unfortunately, right out of the box, the hard drive died on me, so for storage I am using a Compact Flash to IDE adapter. Works like a charm, and for Windows 98, it's really fast. (That part made me nervous, I admit, because I had never used something like that before.)


    It's got onboard video and sound, but I made a couple of upgrades. Turns out that I still had my Diamond Monster 3D II accelerator board sitting on a shelf, so I installed that, and now I've got a nice 3dfx Voodoo2 capable machine. I also purchased a Sound Blaster AWE64 online, brand new, and installed that. Works great.


    Another thing I bought, that I found brand new, sealed, is a Gravis GamePad Pro. What a great controller -- I wish I had something like this back in the day, but what I had was some no-name controller that I bought at a local trade show for five bucks or something like that.


    My coworker was able to supply the original Windows 98 install CD and the motherboard CD, and everything was pretty painless to set up. It's not 98SE, unfortunately, but I can live with that.


    The machine was surprisingly clean when I opened it up, and is in real good condition. (The keyboard was a bit gooey, and I had to clean that.)


    Now on to the REALLY good stuff ... the games. I am having a ball with this time machine, going back and re-living all the classics. So far I've installed the following, most of which I bought my own copies of back in the day that I kept all these years: Doom, Quake II, Duke Nukem 3D, FIFA 96 and 97, Need for Speed I and IIse, Links 386 Pro, and Virtual Pool.


    On eBay I also bought copies of Quake I and Redneck Rampage. Quake I is installed with the GLQuake patch so it uses the 3dfx card, but I haven't installed Redneck Rampage yet.


    Some other titles I want to get include Heretic, Hexen, Half Life, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, and others. GOG.com is a good source for some stuff like that.


    I even installed my registered version of WinZIP that came on a floppy disk in the late '90s!


    I'll be busy for a while.


    Some other trivia: It came with a fax/modem card installed, which I removed, and some literature for AOL.


    Here are a couple of photos. Not pictured are the speakers that were also included, including subwoofer.




    Thanks for reading! (As a token of gratitude to my coworker, I bought him a $25 Amazon card.)


    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 98 rises from the ashes!!! – 23 Comments

    comment
    Call me crazy, but I really do think that babies in the future will be born with USB ports.

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 561: A Few Pixels – 3 Comments

    comment
    Links 386 Pro was basically the first golf sim that blew me away.

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Internet Explorer and Office 2019 Have One Thing in Common – 1 Comments

    comment
    Bring back Lode Runner!

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 557: All is Good Again – 4 Comments

    comment
    That Apple //gs photo is easily my favorite of the bunch.

    Posted 3 years ago on Computers I Have Known, a Love Story (Premium) – 67 Comments

    comment
    "Hey Bob, where's the closest brewery and bratwurst haus?"

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Cortana’s new Groove – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to StevenLayton:Fake movie theater butter is the best.

    Posted 3 years ago on I’m creating a new OS called Popcorn – 5 Comments

    Forum Post

    I'm creating a new OS called Popcorn

    In fact, I just got done writing the ... kernel!


    Haha.


    Have a great 2019 everyone.

    Posted 3 years ago on I’m creating a new OS called Popcorn – 5 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Bob_Shutts:I can't image anyone needing 512K of RAM. ;-)Ha ha ... I assume you mean a 512 GB

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

    comment
    In reply to rossdelliott:Hasn't been offered to me yet via Windows Update.

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 10 Gets New Cumulative Updates – 5 Comments

    comment
    I'll add this to this thread instead of starting a new one.I now understand the "leaf blower" references

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Understood. (I really don't feel like making another trip back to the Apple Store

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

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    In reply to 2ilent8cho:Double the battery life, if not more, of my previous device is definitely on the list o

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

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    In reply to Jeffsters:Thank you. If I had to be honest, this was probably a *tad* more than I should have spe

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

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    In reply to Robert-Hostetler:Thanks. Yeah, so far so good, although there is one issue I'm having where

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

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    In reply to josephparker:Sheesh, the thread had to be bumped because of this?

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

    comment
    On my main Windows 10 machine at home that is my gaming/music production/video editing you-name-it rig, I have

    Posted 3 years ago on Start Menu Pinning – 24 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Bats:Actually I'm no longer wild on the concept of hybrid computing as much as I once was. B

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

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    In reply to lvthunder:Makes sense.

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

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    In reply to locust infested orchard inc:You spelled my name wrong.And throughout the process of my purchase, I

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

    comment
    In reply to dnationsr:It's been absconded apparently.

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 521: Windows is Getting Interesting – 15 Comments

    Forum Post

    Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air

    Funny how things work out.


    So I *did* order a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air ... but fate entered the equation. The shipment was delayed, and when I realized how much better the 2018 MacBook Air seemed to be based on online videos and articles, I canceled the original order and ordered the new one.


    Typing on it now. My first Apple laptop (I've owned Mac minis before and a circa 2003 iMac).


    And what can I say? The thing is bloody amazing, in my humble opinion. I upgraded from an Asus Transformer Book 2-in-1 that I bought about three and a half years ago, which I finally decided was a bit too sluggish and a bit too small.


    I ran the Octane benchmark, and it's pleasing to me that the results were only slightly below my Core i5 4690K gaming rig. I'd say that's good for a very thin and light laptop.


    So nice to have some macOS in my life again, as this will be used for portable desktop computing. This is two home runs in a row for me, my most other recent one being a refurbished 2017 iPad.


    But ... my main tower at home running Windows 10 is still going to be my heavy lifter. Heavier gaming, content production, programming. Still, I want to port what I can to the Mac using my cross-platform tools and use things like GarageBand again, which I've missed. I've got MS Office on here, all my cloud storage accounts, my favorite browsers, e-mail set up, Todoist, LastPass, etc.


    What a world we live in now, where you can sip from the cup of the best the different platforms offer and make it all work together.


    Thank you for reading. Other happy MacBook owners please chime in. :)

    Posted 3 years ago on Almost bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook Air – 36 Comments

    comment
    I get the underlying logic about why such a finding would be true, but I still think there are exceptions. My

    Posted 3 years ago on People Who Constantly Point Out Grammar Mistakes Are Pretty Much Jerks, Scientists Find – 18 Comments

    comment
    In reply to longhorn:Couldn't it be *packaged* as a desktop bridge app though? I'm not sure what te

    Posted 3 years ago on Google Chrome is now allowed in the Windows 10 Store – 28 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Siv:Agreed regarding Firefox syncing. Which is why I love to use it.

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoft Reportedly Killing Edge in Favour of a New Chromium-Based Browser – 75 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Nic:Rosetta was around for a few years that allowed PowerPC applications to run on Intel, but was

    Posted 3 years ago on This is How Apple Will Transition Macs to its A-Series Chips (Premium) – 33 Comments

    comment
    In reply to SvenJ:I definitely am going to use macOS primarily. I just want Windows for some of those Windows

    Posted 3 years ago on Boot Camp, Still Crazy After All These Years – 41 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for this Paul. I just picked up a new Air as well (typing on it right now), and I'm doing researc

    Posted 3 years ago on Boot Camp, Still Crazy After All These Years – 41 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karlinhigh:I'm salivating at the thought of running FreeDOS on a Core i9...

    Posted 3 years ago on Slow Software – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to BenIsaacs:Right. Unless the scrub tool is inherited from a widget built into the UI subsystem or

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 10 Version 1809 Breaks Windows Media Player – 56 Comments

    comment
    Yeah this blows my mind somewhat. There are hooks that deep into the OS that would affect the seek functional

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 10 Version 1809 Breaks Windows Media Player – 56 Comments

    comment
    I'm still rockin' with the refurbished 2017 9.7" iPad I bought earlier this year. Probably the best

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoftify an iPad mini – 4 Comments

    comment
    Me neither. Something tells me I might be in for a bit of a wait.

    Posted 3 years ago on Anyone else not yet receive 1809? – 27 Comments

    comment
    Paul, I was wondering, as I understand it you were courageously vocal during the late '90s and into the 2

    Posted 3 years ago on [CLOSED] Ask Paul for this Friday (November 16) – 12 Comments

    comment
    Would the processor be good enough in this SKU?

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoft – Surface Pro 6 – 12.3" – 128GB – With Keyboard $599 – 8 Comments

    comment
    In reply to JH_Radio:In order to appease the haters on this site who scoff at every attempt Microsoft makes in

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoft’s Now Sells a Mid-Range Variant of the Surface Go – 25 Comments

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    In reply to Pbike908:If I was in the market for a laptop/hybrid at the moment, I would definitely consider the

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoft’s Now Sells a Mid-Range Variant of the Surface Go – 25 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karma77police:Personally I think Windows 10 works well as a *hybrid* -- and that's the key --

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoft’s Now Sells a Mid-Range Variant of the Surface Go – 25 Comments

    comment
    Paul, I'm starting to think Microsoft *doesn't* know what's wrong with 1809... :-(

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 504: Communicating and Logging In Is Hard – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Wow! I went to that URL and looked at it, but ... I'm not really sure I understa

    Posted 3 years ago on Used Gopher for the first time the other day – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Daekar::-)

    Posted 3 years ago on Used Gopher for the first time the other day – 7 Comments

    Forum Post

    Used Gopher for the first time the other day

    Hi all,


    So yeah, I'm real late on this trend. But I thought it was interesting that this technology is still available if you wanted to use it badly enough.


    When I first got on the Internet, it was circa 1994/95, and it was at the cusp of the emerging web as we *basically* know it today (obviously things have come a long way). I knew about Gopher back then, but I don't think I ever tried it out. Or, maybe I did and I just don't remember.


    But as the screen shot below shows, it still exists! Hey, it's fast, and something tells me not as strewn with ads everywhere.


    Posted 3 years ago on Used Gopher for the first time the other day – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to HirishoSenju:He talks about tech on a tech blog. Well waddya know.

    Posted 3 years ago on Android Without* Google? – 149 Comments

    comment
    In reply to meek_teef:I don't distrust Google, seeing as how I use their search, Gmail, YouTube, an Andro

    Posted 3 years ago on Android Without* Google? – 149 Comments

    comment
    In reply to nbplopes:Nah. I have two machines at home running Linux, and I own and iPad, and I have an Androi

    Posted 3 years ago on Android Without* Google? – 149 Comments

    comment
    I've been meaning to order a lava lamp.

    Posted 3 years ago on You Can Get Free Shipping on All Amazon Orders During the Holidays – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karma77police:I'd argue that a lot of software is available for Windows. Maybe they canceled

    Posted 3 years ago on So, About the New MacBook Air (Premium) – 42 Comments

    comment
    In reply to duncanator:Similar to Steve Martin getting excited about the new phone books.

    Posted 3 years ago on The OnePlus 6T is Now Available for Purchase – 19 Comments

    comment
    In reply to UbelhorJ:Yeah, I've made some foreign software purchases via credit card before late at night

    Posted 3 years ago on The OnePlus 6T is Now Available for Purchase – 19 Comments

    comment
    And the line continues to blur between high end phones and midrange gaming systems ... gotta love progress!

    Posted 3 years ago on The OnePlus 6T is Now Available for Purchase – 19 Comments

    comment
    That birthday greeting ... just love it.

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 499: Apple Hot Cakes – 10 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karlinhigh:ha

    Posted 3 years ago on Apple Unveils New iPad Pros With Edge-to-Edge Display, Face ID, USB-C More – 88 Comments

    comment
    In reply to skane2600:But but but ... it's black and white. You have to pick one and always put down the

    Posted 3 years ago on Apple Finally Launches the MacBook Air Upgrade You Have Been Waiting For – 24 Comments

    comment
    Man these devices keep getting thinner and thinner. Pretty soon they'll cease to exist in three dimensio

    Posted 3 years ago on Apple Unveils New iPad Pros With Edge-to-Edge Display, Face ID, USB-C More – 88 Comments

    comment
    Paul, I'm from a suburb of Detroit. Is there any ... hope for the Lions?

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 498: Red Hat Birthdays – 4 Comments

    comment
    Homer triples his productivity:https://youtu.be/R_rF4kcqLkI?t=107

    Posted 3 years ago on Today I Learned – 8 Comments

    comment
    My mother and I are with Comcast too and we decided to do the same thing, so I bought a SURFboard SVG2482AC.

    Posted 3 years ago on Looking for a modem/router… any advice? – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Salvador Romero:On all three of my personal Windows 10 machines, I use the full-screen Start exper

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows 8.1 New Perspective – 42 Comments

    comment
    Astronauts on the moon ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA #Ilovesnl

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 496: Everything Earnings – 3 Comments

    comment
    I can say with pride that I finished Half Life 2's campaign -- it was one of those "gotta play it" titles

    Posted 3 years ago on My Original Half-Life 2 Review from 2004/2005 – 22 Comments

    comment
    In reply to epsjrno::)

    Posted 3 years ago on A New Intellivision Games Console is Coming … in 2020? – 15 Comments

    comment
    Ah, memories of playing my friend's Intellivision during 6th grade summer vacation. I got good at Astros

    Posted 3 years ago on A New Intellivision Games Console is Coming … in 2020? – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to RobotRaccoon:I haven't pulled the trigger yet on Cuphead for that very reason.

    Posted 3 years ago on Good Games (the ones I’m good at) vs. Bad Games (the one’s I’m not) – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lordbaal1:Haven't finished it yet, so I don't know if it has a happy ending.

    Posted 3 years ago on Good Games (the ones I’m good at) vs. Bad Games (the one’s I’m not) – 11 Comments

    comment
    I like the look of that black Surface Pro.

    Posted 3 years ago on The Sams Report: Holy Hardware v3 – 3 Comments

    Forum Post

    Comcast Xfinity sent me a defective phone?

    Hi again all. Sorry to spam the forums with my posts (I think this is my third in three days), but...


    Anyway, after having recently discovered that my Comcast Xfinity service comes with mobile included, I decided to switch over to that from TracFone. I ordered a Motorola Moto e5 Play (I know that's an entry-level phone, but it's still better than what I had).


    It arrived yesterday, but I couldn't finish setting it up. At first it seemed like it didn't want to boot up at all, but then finally I got to the setup screen and got as far as entering my Google credentials. After that, no matter what I did, the screen showed nothing at all, blank, nada, zip. (I let it charge for a good hour before I tried turning it on. For the brief period when the screen *was* working, I saw the battery indicator at 100%)


    But what's funny is, I think the phone is actually turning on, but it's the *screen* that's the problem. Because I can hear it say "Hello Moto!" (apparently this is something that the Moto phones do, and there are threads on how to turn that off), but the screen shows nothing.


    So after doing some research, I found out that it's possible for the backlight to go bad on a phone. So I guess what I wanted to ask you guys is, have you ever been shipped a phone with a problem like this out of the box? Or any other major issue where you had to return it immediately?


    Regardless, I called support and they're shipping me a replacement.


    I was just bummed, because I thought I'd be spending last night setting it up and playing with it.

    Posted 3 years ago on Comcast Xfinity sent me a defective phone? – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Kevin_Costa:Yeah, I hear you. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't. For what it'

    Posted 3 years ago on Speed of desktop theme syncing – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to brad-sams:Let me tell ya, if I could vote 15 out of 10 on the severity scale in the feedback hub,

    Posted 3 years ago on Speed of desktop theme syncing – 4 Comments

    Forum Post

    Speed of desktop theme syncing

    Hi all,


    For those of you that use Microsoft accounts on multiple Windows 10 machines like I do, do you experience a delay in the amount of time it takes for one of the machines to notice that you chose a different desktop theme (from the store) on another machine?


    Seems like with me, sometimes the change can happen as soon as I log into the 2nd computer (and I can't think of any reason why it shouldn't), but other times, it literally takes days or up to two weeks.


    For example, a couple of weeks ago, on my gaming machine at home, I chose an autumn-oriented desktop theme. But it wasn't until yesterday, here at work, where I'm on my personal laptop, where the theme finally kicked in.


    Weird.

    Posted 3 years ago on Speed of desktop theme syncing – 4 Comments

    comment
    Our industry sure is replete with these moments, isn't it, where the norms are challenged because we try

    Posted 3 years ago on The Real Photoshop Is Finally Coming to iPad Next Year – 37 Comments

    comment
    In reply to pderosa:I tend to be only mediocre at best when I play FPS multiplayer online. I suppose if I pla

    Posted 3 years ago on Good Games (the ones I’m good at) vs. Bad Games (the one’s I’m not) – 11 Comments

    Forum Post

    Good Games (the ones I'm good at) vs. Bad Games (the one's I'm not)

    Hi all. Well, now that the forums are basically back to normal (thanks for taking care of that, staff).


    Anyway, anybody here every get into the game Super Meat Boy? I think the fact that I saw it in that one documentary is the reason I bought it.


    Now, I'm not normally into platformers, but this one really has charm. But it's funny ... I found my "attitude" toward the game was changing minute by minute as I was playing it, depending on how good I was at that particular moment or whether I sucked. And it's seems like, that's how it is with games in general, and how it colors our perception ... is there a relationship between difficulty of a task and whether we're fond of that task?


    Ultimately, I really started getting into it, and I have to say I really like it, even though it can get challenging.

    Posted 3 years ago on Good Games (the ones I’m good at) vs. Bad Games (the one’s I’m not) – 11 Comments

    comment
    I bungee jump, and, backups? Pfft.

    Posted 3 years ago on Welcome to the Post-Productivity Era! – 18 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:I noticed this as well and was wondering the same thing. Thought it was a problem on my

    Posted 3 years ago on – 5 Comments

    comment
    Congratulations on this achievement, Brad.

    Posted 3 years ago on Beneath A Surface – The Inside Story of How Microsoft Built the Billion-Dollar Brand – 61 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Jules_Wombat:Well, I have an iPad, and a PC, and I use the one that matches the needs for the task

    Posted 3 years ago on Why the iPad can’t replace a PC – explained by Apple – 56 Comments

    comment
    Kind of shocked about the Evernote news. Didn't know things were going downhill for them.I did give Ever

    Posted 3 years ago on Evernot? The Problem with Cloud Services (Premium) – 33 Comments

    comment
    In reply to evox81:It's called Rise Vision. We're a community college. I got to walk through the s

    Posted 3 years ago on Tip: Get yourself an Intel Compute Stick – 10 Comments

    comment
    In reply to locust infested orchard inc:I'm pretty sure the one I got was the second generation. I don&#

    Posted 3 years ago on Tip: Get yourself an Intel Compute Stick – 10 Comments

    comment
    In reply to skane2600:I probably wouldn't recommend them to someone as a main PC, but as a backup or seco

    Posted 3 years ago on Tip: Get yourself an Intel Compute Stick – 10 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Daekar:Understandable. I think it was the immediacy of just literally being able to plug it direc

    Posted 3 years ago on Tip: Get yourself an Intel Compute Stick – 10 Comments

    comment
    The keyboard ... how quaint.

    Posted 3 years ago on Aluminium vs Aluminum (UK Subscriber) – 18 Comments

    Forum Post

    Tip: Get yourself an Intel Compute Stick

    Hi guys,


    So yeah, after getting to know the Intel Compute Stick at work where we are starting to use them for digital signage, I decided to get one of my own.


    Anybody here got one? I really think they're very cool. I connected it to the TV where my Xbox One is connected, and it's nice to use every once in a while when I want to use a nice big screen and just browse the web or watch YouTube or whatever. Or stream music.


    Okay, it would be nice if performance-wise it could do better, but honestly for $120 I can't complain. General app usage and simple games are no problem.


    It just amazes me they can cram an entire PC in that thing.

    Posted 3 years ago on Tip: Get yourself an Intel Compute Stick – 10 Comments

    comment
    Always enjoy reading or hearing your take on why you prefer certain tech, Paul. Have to admit though, I gave

    Posted 3 years ago on No, I Will Not Use Gmail (Premium) – 36 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lvthunder:Every red-blooded American has 50 credit cards... ;-)

    Posted 3 years ago on No movies for you… – 27 Comments

    comment
    I kind of do a mixture of digital/physical.I'll buy some music digitally, but stuff I *really* like, say,

    Posted 3 years ago on No movies for you… – 27 Comments

    comment
    Hope you don't mind Brad, but yesterday during the podcast with the video issue I just resorted to imagin

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 474: Apple’s Sugar – 1 Comments

    comment
    I'll be renewing before the end of the month is over.

    Posted 3 years ago on Renewed – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Chris_Kez:Worth a try!

    Posted 3 years ago on Public Service Announcement – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to brad-sams:Sure, hit a man when he's down... ;-)

    Posted 3 years ago on Public Service Announcement – 11 Comments

    comment
    Actually I'm using this as an excuse to go back to a gaming keyboard ... I ended up ordering a Rosewill k

    Posted 3 years ago on Public Service Announcement – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Aw man ... too bad about that MacBook Pro!

    Posted 3 years ago on Public Service Announcement – 11 Comments

    Forum Post

    Public Service Announcement

    Guys (and gals),


    Don't, just don't, keep coffee near your PC.


    After years of being accident free, I finally did it again and spilled wake up juice all over my Microsoft Sculpt keyboard.


    The hunt for a new keyboard/mouse combo now begins ... so many options ... I wonder what I'll get?


    (Right now I'm using an old spare, but I'd rather have a new set of something, even if it's not the same make/model.)

    Posted 3 years ago on Public Service Announcement – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karma77police:Well, I don't know. My 2017 iPad -- which I love to death -- froze the other d

    Posted 3 years ago on Apple’s Largest 2018 iPhone Will Reportedly Be Called iPhone Xs Max – 28 Comments

    comment
    I use an Apple //+ with Bank Street Writer and a dot matrix printer. Does everything *I* need it to do... ;-

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Boring Keynotes and Names – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to alissa914:I love 'em all and am on Windows 10 now. I'm goin' along for the ride...

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoft Acknowledges New Windows Zero-Day Flaw – 20 Comments

    comment
    In reply to StevenLayton:lol, you wouldn't dare...

    Posted 3 years ago on Talk me out of buying an RTX 2080 – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karma77police:I guess that would depend on whether, at this point in Windows 10's life, it ha

    Posted 3 years ago on Microsoft Acknowledges New Windows Zero-Day Flaw – 20 Comments

    comment
    Yeah, I honestly think I'm not going to make any major moves with my system (i5 4690K, GTX 970) until I r

    Posted 3 years ago on Talk me out of buying an RTX 2080 – 13 Comments

    Forum Post

    Talk me out of buying an RTX 2080

    Hi everyone,


    So this evening I enjoyed a session of some Toxikk deathmatch, and I have a GTX 970. There once was a time when I would upgrade my graphics card with every new generation, but heck, as far as I can tell, I'm still gaming okay even at 1440p (granted, with some games, I can't max out every setting).


    But gee ... with the advent of the new Nvidia cards, I'm now two generations behind! And I'm starting to get that "feeling."


    But ... why should it bother me as long as my games work?


    Any of you guys still content with the 900 series and earlier? How much longer do you think you'll stick it out?


    (And I shouldn't even be entertaining this idea ... I just bought a Korg Pa700 keyboard that I have to pay off.)

    Posted 3 years ago on Talk me out of buying an RTX 2080 – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to pderosa:Agreed regarding the iPad confusion ... when I was in the market to buy a used one just re

    Posted 3 years ago on What is it with all the Goes lately? – 16 Comments

    comment
    In reply to maethorechannen:Precisely.

    Posted 3 years ago on What is it with all the Goes lately? – 16 Comments

    comment
    Not tired of it yet personally, but I wonder when we'll eventually run out of words or if they'll ha

    Posted 3 years ago on What is it with all the Goes lately? – 16 Comments

    comment
    Hello kitty.

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 456: Bacon on the Intel – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Welcome back!

    Posted 3 years ago on Flying home tonight – 5 Comments

    comment
    Love my iPad. Bought a refurbished one (9.7", 2017) a couple months ago direct from the Apple Store (my first

    Posted 3 years ago on Super deal on Ipad – 3 Comments

    comment
    Holy cow ... that really put things in perspective when you placed the Go up to that Surface Book!

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 450: Surface Go Forth – 9 Comments

    comment
    Paul, did you see U2 during their recent Joshua Tree Anniversary Tour? I saw them at Ford Field (home of the

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Intel’s Chips, Microsoft’s Salsa – 5 Comments

    comment
    Ah, how this thread is making me think of the scene in that movie with Ashton Kutcher where he plays Steve Job

    Posted 3 years ago on What MP3 Player did you use? – 23 Comments

    comment
    My first was some sort of Samsung 4 GB thingee (I forget the model name), and then a Zune HD. Now I mainly us

    Posted 3 years ago on What MP3 Player did you use? – 23 Comments

    comment
    That cat footage was like a bad B horror film or something. "The Feline Cometh."

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 440: The Wires Broke – 2 Comments

    comment
    I was thinking the same thing about my Core i5 gaming rig recently. It's got 16 GB, but it will accept 3

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 438: Apple Has New Hardware Too – 1 Comments

    comment
    Yeah I got home from work in the middle of extended time and saw the goal that put Croatia ahead. It's a

    Posted 3 years ago on Salt in the wound – 3 Comments

    Forum Post

    Surprising Octane Test Results

    Okay, so some of you may have seen a post I submitted recently about a free mini PC that I got from work, on which I ended up installing Linux Lite.


    And since I was playing around with that, in addition to (at work) some Intel Compute Sticks that we had to set up to take over the role of digital signage, I decided to finally go ahead and buy a Compute Stick of my own at Micro Center (I’ve kind of wanted one for a long time now, ever since they came on the market, but you know how it can be advantageous to wait for Rev 2).


    Anyway, the Compute Stick was extremely easy to set up and is cool and everything, but what I really started to become curious about was comparing the performance between the Compute Stick and the mini PC.


    So I decided to use the latest version of the Octane test, which is a JavaScript-based benchmark.


    I’ll get to the results in a minute, but keep in mind, the specs of the two devices:


    Linux mini PC — 1.73 GHz Celeron from 2007, 2 GB of RAM

    Intel Compute Stick — Atom X5, also 2 GB of RAM


    So what did they score? This surprised me:


    Linux mini PC — About 6,600

    Intel Compute Stick — About 4,600


    Now, neither of these scores is anything to brag about of course, but to me it was kind of a head scratcher. A single core Celeron that is 10 years old came up with a better number than a late model Atom? What do you guys think? Is that about right?


    Anyway, I don’t care, because they’re both fun to use connected to my TV, but I still thought this was interesting.


    For kicks, if you’re interested in some other scores for comparison’s sake, here are the results on some of my other devices:


    Main Core i5 gaming rig — 36,000

    Core 2 Duo Linux tower — 18,000

    2017 iPad 9.7″ — 16,000

    Asus 2-in-1 — 16,000

    Nexus 7 tablet — 3,000

    My $60 LG Android phone — 1,500 (lol, I think that’s hilarious)


    Posted 3 years ago on Surprising Octane Test Results – 0 Comments

    comment
    I just recently bought an iPad, and I think it's going to be my main tablet until it dies, but I honestly

    Posted 3 years ago on So Predictable (Premium) – 57 Comments

    comment
    In reply to bbold:Hope you enjoy it!

    Posted 3 years ago on Surface "Go" – 17 Comments

    comment
    I think this makes a dent in my plans regarding what I will eventually upgrade to once I need to move on from

    Posted 3 years ago on Surface "Go" – 17 Comments

    comment
    I did see your name in that FAQ Paul. :-)

    Posted 3 years ago on Ask Paul: July 6 (Premium) – 26 Comments

    Forum Post

    Alexa Defends Herself

    It was hot here in southeastern Michigan on July 4th which probably comes as no surprise to most of you, so my mother asked me to ask Alexa (via the Echo Dot in our kitchen) what the temperature was.


    "87 degrees," she replied.


    We both thought that was inaccurate, as it felt hotter to us, so I said to Alexa, "You're full of sh**."


    She replied, "I'm definitely not going to respond to THAT."


    Good on you, girl.


    (Don't get me wrong, most of the time it's a very useful device.)


    Posted 3 years ago on Alexa Defends Herself – 3 Comments

    comment
    Paul were you part of the BBS scene back in the '80s? Was there much of an Amiga presence in that area?

    Posted 3 years ago on Ask Paul for this Friday (July 6) – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to ghostrider:Fair enough, because I can only provide my own anecdotal experience.Although I *usually

    Posted 3 years ago on Love Windows – 41 Comments

    comment
    Although Microsoft has done some things wrong along the way, it bothers me that some individuals in this forum

    Posted 3 years ago on Love Windows – 41 Comments

    comment
    Brad and Paul: The Ronaldo and Messi of tech talk. :-)

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 440: Re(set)ting Expectations – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to infloop:Correct, I was attempting to use the 32-bit version.Your theory makes sense though.

    Posted 3 years ago on Any ideas? – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Oasis:Yep, it has a DVD player.

    Posted 3 years ago on Any ideas? – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Heh, when you add up all the computers I have now, tablets, consoles, phone, etc., I h

    Posted 3 years ago on Any ideas? – 15 Comments

    comment
    Ended up installing Linux Lite on it, and for the most part, considering the age of the machine, it runs decen

    Posted 3 years ago on Any ideas? – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to infloop:Yeah I definitely decided not to go the Vista route, although I had Windows 8 lying around

    Posted 3 years ago on Any ideas? – 15 Comments

    comment
    In reply to PeterC:That Asrock looks interesting ... I'll have to watch some YouTube videos on that thing

    Posted 3 years ago on Any ideas? – 15 Comments

    Forum Post

    Any ideas?

    Greetings again all.


    Got the little mini PC pictured below from work (it was hooked up to a plasma TV for digital signage and is no longer needed).


    Had to clean it up, looks good as new now (sorry for the picture, my entry-level Android phone is not known for its camera).


    As far as I can tell based on a search of its model number, it's probably got a Celeron or Core Duo in it, maybe 1 or 2 GB of RAM, probably a very small hard drive. There was a Windows XP sticker on it. (It actually has a FireWire port if you can believe that.)


    I brought it home but haven't hooked it up yet.


    Any suggestions on what I could do with it? I want to see if I can give it life. I have spare peripherals. I'm thinking of putting Puppy Linux on it. I'm sure some of you will suggest media server or something like that.


    (I have an old copy of Vista around ... dare I? Hmm...)


    Posted 3 years ago on Any ideas? – 15 Comments

    comment
    Hmm, upgraded to 61 just now on W10 Spring Update, but no issues.

    Posted 3 years ago on Firefox 61 breaks site? – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to SteenMachine:Pretty sure I used the rear, but it's moot now since I picked up the Sony camcor

    Posted 3 years ago on Video recording on my new iPad – 3 Comments

    comment
    That's the problem with glass in general ... it's transparent!

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily: A Quick Stop in NYC – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to maethorechannen:I can't believe how much gaming has improved on Linux. I have Steam running

    Posted 3 years ago on No VR on Xbox One? Good! (Premium) – 20 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Bats:I had put my Amazon Fire and Google Nexus on Glyde to sell, but after a little over a week I

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    Forum Post

    Video recording on my new iPad

    Hi again guys.


    So I'm looking for you guys to tell me what I want to hear, that I did the right thing here. As you might know by a recent post I made, I just got a refurbished iPad.


    I wanted to create a new video for my YouTube channel, and I thought, what the heck, why not try using the iPad, since it records at 1080p, and the device I normally use (which is the only thing I have) is a Flip recorder, which does 720p. (Not knocking it; it's nice for what it is, but they don't even make these things anymore.)


    But, wow. Have you guys ever tried using a tablet like this? It's a bit ... awkward? I have a mount/adapter that lets me put the iPad on top of my tripod, so I did that. It actually works, but ... then I had to figure out how to orient the darn thing, which was more awkwardness, because it's this big flat slab instead of an ordinary camera.


    So I ended up recording some video, and it worked. Now for some more fun. Transferring it to my PC.


    I installed iTunes, but no matter what, I could not get either one of my Windows 10 PCs to establish a connection with the iPad. What worked: Uploading the video to iCloud, and downloading it again on the PC.


    Success. And the video quality is ... okay. Kind of grainy. (Don't know if that's my fault or not.) Can I just chalk this up to the fact that this is a mobile device? I can only assume that maybe video recording on a tablet is usually an afterthought.


    But then I had an epiphany later that night. I just decided, what the hell, why don't I check out Best Buy's website to see if there's a new digital 1080p camcorder I can afford. And sure enough, there was an entry by Sony just under the $200 mark that had positive reviews everywhere I looked. Ordered it.


    I guess the point is ... I can only assume that getting the right tool for the job is the way to go. The quality MUST be better. And more straightforward to import/manipulate.


    I pick it up tomorrow -- looking forward to it very much.


    I *am* doing the right thing, right? Right? :-)


    P.S. Still love the iPad.

    Posted 3 years ago on Video recording on my new iPad – 3 Comments

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    In reply to curtisspendlove:Me with an iPhone?Okay, stranger things have happened. :-)At one point, years ago

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to SteenMachine:Yeah, it actually causes you to look at things differently. Music production on a ta

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to alissa914:I used a microSD card in my Amazon Fire, which I admit was very nice.The iPad I bought h

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    Forum Post

    Steam sale is a go

    Hi everyone,


    Anybody going to snatch up some titles?


    I can't say no to Super Meat Boy for like a buck and a half.

    Posted 3 years ago on Steam sale is a go – 0 Comments

    comment
    In reply to TEAMSWITCHER:Right ... I'm going to pay attention to what happens, because I'm not in an

    Posted 3 years ago on Moving to the dark side… – 14 Comments

    comment
    I'm entertaining the notion of my next laptop being a Macbook Air ... I'd love to be able to dual bo

    Posted 3 years ago on Moving to the dark side… – 14 Comments

    comment
    Just browsing, I didn't see too much aside from The IT Crowd (which I already watch on Hulu), but "The Co

    Posted 3 years ago on Cutting the Cord? You Need to Know About Tubi – 19 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:That's something I could try.

    Posted 3 years ago on Blank tiles after 1803 update? – 14 Comments

    comment
    Why am I in the mood for a peanut butter cup now?

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 434: Candy in an Hour – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to alissa914:Temporarily, unfortunately. :-)Blank tiles are back. They come and go. Sometimes ever

    Posted 3 years ago on Blank tiles after 1803 update? – 14 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wolters:Same.

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wolters:I bought an Insignia Windows 10 tablet one time ... on paper it was nice, but it kept free

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    comment
    I was talking to my teenage nephew recently, and he told me how has started to play this game. But poor kid,

    Posted 3 years ago on Fornite: Games Changer? (Premium) – 23 Comments

    comment
    That's cool. I had heard about this, that Windows is now smart enough to adjust itself in the event of a

    Posted 3 years ago on Neat WIndows 10 Trick – Don’t Reinstall the OS – 11 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for the feedback. My phone may still be an entry-level Android, and I'm okay with that, but as fa

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    Forum Post

    My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad)

    So I don't know about you guys, but I can now officially say I've owned my share of tablets.


    It all started with a Samsung Galaxy Tab maybe five or six years ago (sold it), then a Surface RT (traded it in for credit for something else), a 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab (sold it to a coworker who now only uses it as a remote, it's not good for much else), a Google Nexus 7, and an Amazon Fire HD 8.


    But now, as my first iOS device ever, I bought a refurbished 2017 9.7" iPad directly from the Apple Store. Since I was having issues with the two other tablets that I still have (the Nexus and the Fire), I wanted to get an iPad so I could see what the fuss was all about.


    And I hate to sound like an Apple sycophant here, but damn, all I keep thinking since I got it is, "Where have you been all my life?"


    Now, I know the iPad, when it was first released, probably had humble roots, much like the original iPhone kind of seems ancient compared to the current crop of iPhones. But the experience as it stands now, just blows me away. Everything about the tablet is such high quality … the build, the OS, the performance, the ecosystem. I'm an amateur musician, and I'm very excited about trying out the various music production apps that are available, which is something that was lacking on my Android tablets.


    Some of the other tablets I've owned I liked … my first Samsung Galaxy Tab was okay, the Surface RT was … okay, but the platform fizzled, as you all know … the Nexus 7, was a very nice Android tablet.


    And even the Amazon Fire … for the *money*, it's pretty good, especially if you're heavily invested in the Amazon world. And I sideloaded the Google Play store onto it, which was a nice bonus.


    But man … I just couldn't put up with the problems any more. Especially poor Bluetooth performance with my wireless headphones. And the almost constant pausing of video and/or music playback. My iPad suffers from none of that.


    So I guess I now understand why the iPad is kind of considered King of the Hill as far as tablets are concerned.


    Now only that, but the refurb I got was $100 less than the current price of the new model that replaced it, which only differs (I think) in a slightly newer processor and pencil support. I think that's a pretty good deal for an Apple product. It was even packaged as if it was a new product, in the traditional elegant Apple way.


    Do you guys agree/disagree? Think iPad is the best, or does it have any serious competition? I'm interested in your thoughts.

    Posted 3 years ago on My tablet journey (finally ending with an iPad) – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Bill_Strong:That's right, I forgot all about their integrated GPUs.

    Posted 3 years ago on Intel new discrete GPU – 7 Comments

    comment
    "The other day, I ... wait, that wasn't me."-- Steven Wright

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Edging Into the Past – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lordbaal1:I heard about Linux in the late '90s for the first time, and it seemed very mysteri

    Posted 3 years ago on Printing on Linux – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Minke:Yeah if I had to be honest I don't think I've ever used much of the software that

    Posted 3 years ago on Printing on Linux – 17 Comments

    comment
    I'm curious about this as well. On the one hand, though, I kind of view AMD and Nvidia as so entrenched

    Posted 3 years ago on Intel new discrete GPU – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Minke:Yes it's strange. On my system for example, via WiFi I can't get my W10 machine t

    Posted 3 years ago on Printing on Linux – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Oasis:Yeah, I thought the most fool-proof way would be to connect via USB. I considered WiFi, but

    Posted 3 years ago on Printing on Linux – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Right ... usually the most advanced features I even interact with are just print quality

    Posted 3 years ago on Printing on Linux – 17 Comments

    Forum Post

    Printing on Linux

    Well you could have knocked me over the head with a feather.


    So the Windows 10 1803 update seems to have broken printing on my main gaming rig, or at least I think it has. And normally I don't have too many issues with Windows updates.


    But, in the meantime I had to look for alternatives. I have my Linux machine (Lubuntu), so I plugged my HP All-In-One into it, and after clicking my way through a few dialog boxes, it said it was ready to go.


    Printed out a test document, and ... all is well.


    Granted, the process was a little "Linuxy" in that I still think Windows presents friendlier wizards, but this was nothing that a user with sufficient intelligence couldn't handle.


    Got to admit, seems like Linux is getting better all the time.

    Posted 3 years ago on Printing on Linux – 17 Comments

    comment
    To be honest I didn't know what Inbox was until recently. I launched it just now and looked things over

    Posted 3 years ago on What do you think of the new Gmail interface? – 8 Comments

    Forum Post

    What do you think of the new Gmail interface?

    It's ........................ not horrible!


    Haha, seriously, I think it's a nice makeover. Took a couple days to get used to it, but I think it's a change for the better.

    Posted 3 years ago on What do you think of the new Gmail interface? – 8 Comments

    comment
    Ha, that's interesting ... I was wondering if the "Moog" in "Moogsoft" had anything to do with the synth

    Posted 3 years ago on Windows Weekly 572: Chocolate Blockchain – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to MutualCore:Yes, writing "Hello World" in VS is not unlike driving an 18-wheeler to move groceries.

    Posted 3 years ago on Is Microsoft good at actual software? – 61 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wunderbar:Good points.

    Posted 3 years ago on New CMOS battery after only three years? – 2 Comments

    comment
    Using that tip from alissa914 on that web page, seems to have worked.

    Posted 3 years ago on Blank tiles after 1803 update? – 14 Comments

    comment
    Pfft ... tiles are blank again.Might have to try that cache clearing trick below.

    Posted 3 years ago on Blank tiles after 1803 update? – 14 Comments

    comment
    I use Google Play Music with all my ripped music along with some purchased digital music, and generally I like

    Posted 3 years ago on Tip: Use Google Play Music – 85 Comments

    Forum Post

    New CMOS battery after only three years?

    Hey everyone. So something unexpected happened to my main Intel Core i5 gaming rig last week. Every time I turned it on, I would get a message stating that the BIOS has reset itself to its default values. The only custom setting I really had, though, was my RAM speed, which I bump up to 1866 because that's what it was rated for. So I set it back to that, but then, next boot, yep, BIOS goes back to default again with the same message.


    So I did some research, and all signs seemed to point to my BIOS battery needing to be replaced. I happen to have a bunch of those CR2032 button batteries on hand, so I cracked open my case, took out the old battery, installed the new one, and my PC has been fine since. (That was tricky, though ... at first I wasn't sure how the darn thing was supposed to come out, but I realized that if I took a very small screwdriver and sort of pushed down on the edge of the battery where it touches this "tab," then all of sudden POP it flew right out of its socket.)


    So problem solved, but I guess my point is, sheesh, I had this PC custom built at Micro Center not much more than three years ago. Isn't it a bit early for the battery to go? As far as I can remember, I never had to do this. However, I read that if what they put in when the system is built isn't good to begin with, it's possible that it won't last long.


    It's a relief though, because that BIOS message had me worrying that something was going to go really south with the system.

    Posted 3 years ago on New CMOS battery after only three years? – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to alissa914:Interesting, thanks. I will have to bookmark that page.

    Posted 3 years ago on Blank tiles after 1803 update? – 14 Comments

    comment
    Come on Paul, we're talking a METEORIC RISE of GARGANTUAN PROPORTIONS here...

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 427: Rolling out Microsoft’s Market Cap – 1 Comments

    comment
    Yeah I've only seen it happen on my desktop gaming rig, not my Asus 2-in-1.Edit: And it goes without sayi

    Posted 3 years ago on Blank tiles after 1803 update? – 14 Comments

    Forum Post

    Blank tiles after 1803 update?

    Anybody here experiencing blank tiles on their Start menu/screen after the 1803 update? I did, and at first there seemed to be no obvious way to correct the issue. But I just tried something ... resizing them to something else (either larger or smaller), then resizing them again back to what they originally were. I rebooted, and it stuck. <crosses fingers>


    Today's tip brought to you by Bud, the King of Beers.

    Posted 3 years ago on Blank tiles after 1803 update? – 14 Comments

    comment
    That crazy cat.

    Posted 3 years ago on First Ring Daily 425: The Updated Battery – 2 Comments

    comment
    Seems real nice. If my Asus T300 Chi 2-in-1 died on me today, something like this is probably exactly what I&

    Posted 3 years ago on Lenovo Flex 6 (14″) First Impressions – 13 Comments

    comment
    Oh that's right, Genie was another one I couldn't think of.Yeah, you had to be careful with cost bac

    Posted 3 years ago on CompuServe vs AOL vs… – 14 Comments

    Forum Post

    CompuServe vs AOL vs...

    Hey everyone. I was just wondering, what, if any, major online services did you guys belong to back in the day before the Interwebz basically took over. Me, I joined CompuServe for a little while in the mid '90s, and I remember how amazing I thought it was. The thing I liked about it the most was how it didn't really insult your intelligence. It did seem to attract the more technical types of folks. It even had a gateway to the Internet, and I think that's the first time I really ever surfed the web. I ended up canceling my account, however, when I switched over to a local ISP.


    Of course there was AOL, Prodigy, probably others that I can't think of right now.


    Some insight from any of you that might have used a service like CompuServe in the '80s would definitely be very interesting. Back then it couldn't have been a graphical front end, could it? At least not at the beginning?

    Posted 3 years ago on CompuServe vs AOL vs… – 14 Comments

    comment
    Congrats on coming out with this app. I've used the Desktop App Converter so far on two games that I wro

    Posted 3 years ago on I wrote an app, to make using Microsoft’s converter tool easier – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to harmjr:I used Paint 3D seriously for the first time yesterday to make some changes to an image, an

    Posted 3 years ago on Is Paint 3D so bad? – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Yes, good examples. I thought of including OS/2, but I was always under the impressio

    Posted 4 years ago on Is Microsoft good at actual software? – 61 Comments

    comment
    What I always found interesting was how Microsoft has almost always had other companies nipping very closely a

    Posted 4 years ago on Is Microsoft good at actual software? – 61 Comments

    comment
    I used to think they were the best, but now I think I'm more of the opinion that they are one of many who

    Posted 4 years ago on Is Microsoft good at actual software? – 61 Comments

    comment
    Hmm, I don't know. I did a quick test just now, and I pointed both Chrome and Edge at just one site, All

    Posted 4 years ago on Google Chrome memory hog – 19 Comments

    comment
    I'm almost speechless at your bravery and honesty with this post Brad. I hope you continue to be victori

    Posted 4 years ago on Fighting The Demon: Why Brad Drove 1100 Miles by Himself (Premium) – 124 Comments

    comment
    Oddly soothing.

    Posted 4 years ago on Windows XP 2018 Edition – 13 Comments

    comment
    In reply to epguy40:Well the update went fine on my Asus 2-in-1, and I've yet to experience any issues th

    Posted 4 years ago on 1803 update: 4th time’s a charm – 21 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:I agree in principle about giving people choices about those things, but I see it as a pot

    Posted 4 years ago on Is Paint 3D so bad? – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to bryan1up:Was thinking the same thing.

    Posted 4 years ago on Build 2018: What I Expect, What I Hope For (Premium) – 45 Comments

    Forum Post

    Is Paint 3D so bad?

    Hey everyone. Yesterday as I was reading an extremely long thread on Reddit about the Windows April 2018 update, there was also a sub-discussion about the warning you now get when you run Paint about it eventually moving to the store.


    So naturally, this sparked a debate, with some people claiming that it *should* be removed because it's so old and Paint 3D is better, while others claim it does no harm to stay because it's still a great, fast tool to use when you want to do really simple graphical operations on an image or photo (like cropping).


    So this caused me to fire up Paint 3D and play with it a bit, and I started thinking that, okay, maybe this isn't so bad, that I could more than likely get used to it. Yes, it's "app-ified," if there is such a word, and it does more than what a lot of people need with the inclusion of these goofy 3D features, but can't those just be ignored?


    I also think the old version of Paint should not go away completely for people that still want to use it, hence it moving to the store. But what do you guys think? Is this just a case of us not wanting to get rid of old habits?

    Posted 4 years ago on Is Paint 3D so bad? – 26 Comments

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    In reply to pbsie:Okay, thanks. I have four games in the store at the moment, and plans to add more apps in t

    Posted 4 years ago on I got a SNEAK PEEK at something you mentioned, Thurrott!! – 5 Comments

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    That's interesting. I've submitted two games to the store via the Desktop Bridge, and both times I

    Posted 4 years ago on I got a SNEAK PEEK at something you mentioned, Thurrott!! – 5 Comments

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    In reply to goodbar:Holy cow. It goes without saying that waiting 8 - 10 hours is unacceptable. Hopefully yo

    Posted 4 years ago on 1803 update: 4th time’s a charm – 21 Comments

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    Actually, up until now, I've had no problems with Windows 10 updates, but now that I got this BSoD I'

    Posted 4 years ago on 1803 update: 4th time’s a charm – 21 Comments

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    In reply to ghostrider:It might even be worse than that. Sometimes when I even ask people what version of Win

    Posted 4 years ago on 1803 update: 4th time’s a charm – 21 Comments

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    In reply to paul-thurrott:Thanks Paul, I suspected something might be wonky at the moment.

    Posted 4 years ago on 1803 update: 4th time’s a charm – 21 Comments

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    My thread keeps disappearing...Just wanted to mention how last night my main system did a BSoD three times bef

    Posted 4 years ago on 1803 update: 4th time’s a charm – 21 Comments

    Forum Post

    1803 update: 4th time's a charm

    Oopsie. Something happened to my original post, it disappeared. I wrote in detail how my main system last night went all BSoD on me as I tried to install 1803 via Windows Update. After the third try (unplugging various peripherals and updating my Nivida driver, etc.), I finally decided to use the Media Creation Tool, and then it worked fine.


    Some alternative combination of 0's and 1's? lol

    Posted 4 years ago on 1803 update: 4th time’s a charm – 21 Comments

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    My captor turns on FRD when he comes down here to refill my water dish... ?

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 414: The Pre-Build Show – 4 Comments

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    Actually, isn't the Desktop Bridge a temporary solution in the eyes of Microsoft? I say that as someone

    Posted 4 years ago on A Way Forward for the Microsoft Store and Windows Apps (Premium) – 35 Comments

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    I should also add, I need to be aware of my USA-tunnel-vision. From what I understand, there were markets in

    Posted 4 years ago on Did regular consumers just not know about Windows Phone? – 44 Comments

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    In reply to hrlngrv:Have to admit, back then I was really out of the loop as far as this topic is concerned.

    Posted 4 years ago on Did regular consumers just not know about Windows Phone? – 44 Comments

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    Prior to the iPhone, my understanding was the landscape was much different. Didn't Windows Mobile actual

    Posted 4 years ago on Did regular consumers just not know about Windows Phone? – 44 Comments

    Forum Post

    Did regular consumers just not know about Windows Phone?

    Okay, so. I know this has been analyzed quite a bit already, but. Since I'm kind of a newcomer to the world of smart phones, I would need input from people in the know (you guys).


    Title pretty much says it all. I'll never forget the time when I mentioned to my brother-in-law, who is an electrical engineer and no stranger to tech, actually was surprised when I told him about the existence of Windows Phone. He didn't know there was such a thing.


    So what was the deal? My understanding is that for the most part, when you walked into a typical cell-phone store, what you saw on display was all the shiny iPhones and a giant Android section. Windows Phone just wasn't pushed.


    Was part of the problem just consumer recognition? I mean, I'm not saying Windows Phone deserved to be in 1st or 2nd place, but geeze. Seems like it always had really low numbers in the United States.


    On the other hand, Microsoft was late responding to the iPhone, correct? And Android was free. Two giant hurdles.


    Maybe this was the only way this could have turned out?

    Posted 4 years ago on Did regular consumers just not know about Windows Phone? – 44 Comments

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    Just going to wait for Windows Update.

    Posted 4 years ago on Windows 10 1803: Manual update, wait for Windows Update or clean install? – 20 Comments

    comment
    Yep, it's definitely not like the "old days" where even the upgrade from a 486 to a Pentium was a quantum

    Posted 4 years ago on Ah, THIS is why the PC market is slow! – 15 Comments

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    Every day I keep saying to myself, "Maybe today, maybe today," and the days go by, and it's not today. ?

    Posted 4 years ago on All Quiet on the Windows 10 1803 front – 8 Comments

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    Yeah cabled is the way to go for the Xbone's network/Internet. I had persistent issues with using Wi-Fi.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 412: X Brings it to Gmail – 1 Comments

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    Although I'm not the most cynical on this topic, I can at least understand the validity of the criticisms

    Posted 4 years ago on Consistency, Thy Name is Not Microsoft (Premium) – 48 Comments

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    In reply to Hoomgar:Yeah, I remember trying to use Touch Develop, something that Microsoft was offering that w

    Posted 4 years ago on Learn to Code … with a Mobile App? – 23 Comments

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    I think I could get used to the "modern" OneNote pretty quickly.I'm already using it on my Mac mini, and

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Demotes OneNote 2016, Moves Forward with Modern OneNote – 83 Comments

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    In reply to Elindalyne:That's a pretty incriminating set of numbers and letters there...

    Posted 4 years ago on What Does Microsoft Know About Us? Not Much (Premium) – 18 Comments

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    Imagine something like this for assembly language.I see myself passing through red lights as I ponder how to u

    Posted 4 years ago on Learn to Code … with a Mobile App? – 23 Comments

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    In reply to Bob_Shutts:It boots instantly, too ... no nagware ... no data collection ... ?

    Posted 4 years ago on Learn to Code … with a Mobile App? – 23 Comments

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    I never owned a smart phone until relatively recently because I basically didn't think I needed one. I h

    Posted 4 years ago on Why a smartphone? – 9 Comments

    comment
    Was in the low to mid 70s yesterday ... today we get a message on our TV saying "Winter storm watch..."Sheesh.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: If a Podcast Happens in the Woods – 1 Comments

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    Paul, I'd love it if you went into more specifics about why your prefer Windows to macOS. I'm not c

    Posted 4 years ago on Ask Paul for this Friday (April 13) – 16 Comments

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    ?The waiting ... is the hardest part ...?

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 402: Where is the Mystery – 3 Comments

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    In reply to navarac:As a member of the Feline Anti-Defamation League, I take umbrage at this comment.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 401: Not The Samsung Edge – 3 Comments

    comment
    In the meantime Brad, play some Links 386... ?

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 398: A Wave to the Masters – 2 Comments

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    lol love that cat

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 357: Living the Dongle Life – 2 Comments

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    In reply to offTheRecord:I use Reaper too. Amazing what you get for $60.

    Posted 4 years ago on What software do you pay for? – 26 Comments

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    Paul's video did look pretty good today.Brad, I'm not far from you (a suburb outside of Detroit). I

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: The Traveling PWA – 3 Comments

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    Bull: 1. Human: 0.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 353: Somebody Once Told Me – 4 Comments

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    I have a lot of, but not all, of my documents in Dropbox. On my Windows PC I let File History do its thing us

    Posted 4 years ago on Backup strategies – 12 Comments

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    In reply to StevenLayton:I've seen the occasional comment from guys in forums and/or YouTube who still us

    Posted 4 years ago on Ask Paul for this Friday (March 16) – 18 Comments

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    Small world. I had a dental appointment this morning too. (I find this "pay whenever" plan intriguing, might

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 347: Teaming the PWA Gamers – 3 Comments

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    How about this for a Seinfeld episode in 2018: "The Contest" where they see who can use S Mode the longest wit

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily 346: The benefitS – 4 Comments

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    In reply to lwetzel:Much appreciated.

    Posted 4 years ago on How cool is Bing? – 15 Comments

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    In reply to arunphilip:Some things are too good to die off!

    Posted 4 years ago on How cool is Bing? – 15 Comments

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    In reply to jimchamplin:It was also more than just the static image you see in the screen shot I took. There

    Posted 4 years ago on How cool is Bing? – 15 Comments

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    In reply to anchovylover:Haha, thanks!

    Posted 4 years ago on How cool is Bing? – 15 Comments

    Forum Post

    How cool is Bing?

    So, I was born on March 9, 1972.


    It's nice to know Microsoft cares:



    Bing: It's all you ever wanted in a search engine. And more.

    Posted 4 years ago on How cool is Bing? – 15 Comments

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    I'm thinking they should reboot Bob for VR...

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Thieving the High Hubs – 4 Comments

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    I thought this would make me excited, but if I had to be honest I don't even use tabs in Finder on my Mac

    Posted 4 years ago on Windows 10’s File Explorer Is Finally Getting Support for Tabs – 47 Comments

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    Hello kitty.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Windows 10 S Cat – 2 Comments

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    I've never owned one, but oddly enough I used to hear good things about Packard Bell's OOBE. Wonder

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: The First Boot of LTE – 4 Comments

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    Dude that code appearing on the screen was so surreal ... like something from the matrix.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: The Informed Delivery – 6 Comments

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    I guess computers today are "faster" but we make them do more, so it's a never ending cycle.Who among us

    Posted 4 years ago on Why iOS feels faster than Android, and why computers don’t feel as fast as they used to – 26 Comments

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    The cat's thinking, "I'll strut right by with my tail in the air..."

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Andromeda Patents the Envy – 7 Comments

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    I tawt I taw a putty tat.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Xbox and the 5G – 3 Comments

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    I had to buy a breath guard/pop filter for my mic too that I use in my musical endeavors. Makes a big differe

    Posted 4 years ago on The Sams Report: Sparking the Windows 7 Flint – 3 Comments

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    Audio's good, but you need to add some sepia and/or water droplet effects to the daily podcast. ?

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: The Weekly Fix – 5 Comments

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    Audio sounds good to me boyz (I'm honored to be the one to tell you)... ?‍??

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Xbox Watches the Audio – 2 Comments

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    She seemed quite interested in the production.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: The Windows 10 Roadmap Edition – 5 Comments

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    The "Azure" side. Azureside. Sounds like a gruesome cloud ritual... ?Wow guys. This was strange. Not only

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Lifecycle Life Support – 5 Comments

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    I feel ashamed that I once fell for that and felt it was beneficial to run them, thinking that cleaning up the

    Posted 4 years ago on The Complete Guide to Registry Cleaners and Optimizers – 1 Comments

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    Speaking of Microsoft buying things...Paul/Brad, have you heard of a company called Cakewalk? They make a rea

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: 36 Billion Games – 7 Comments

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    Cue Jurassic Park Theme Song... ???

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Getting Fit with PWAs – 5 Comments

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    Aww... ?

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Pancake Computers – 4 Comments

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    In reply to Lewk:My niece Katie visited Australia for three weeks with her high school a few years ago, and sh

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: CES Hangover – 5 Comments

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    Oh yeah fellas. Here in Michigan it's been snowing all day, but it's starting to calm down now.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: CES Hangover – 5 Comments

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    In reply to TEAMSWITCHER:Definitely sounds like there was some future-proofing, to the extent possible, in tha

    Posted 4 years ago on How frequently do you upgrade? – 22 Comments

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    In reply to ghostrider:True dat about SSDs. My Core 2 Duo rig runs Lubuntu really well with the exception of

    Posted 4 years ago on How frequently do you upgrade? – 22 Comments

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    Yeah I guess I had a knee-jerk reaction when I read that SWBF2 system requirement. I should know by now to ta

    Posted 4 years ago on How frequently do you upgrade? – 22 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Jules_Wombat:We have a winner... ?

    Posted 4 years ago on How frequently do you upgrade? – 22 Comments

    Forum Post

    How frequently do you upgrade?

    So guys, how long do you typically hold on to your PCs, and generally, what kinds of things make you want to upgrade to the next greatest thing?


    I ask because it finally happened ... I checked the "recommended requirements" for Star Wars Battlefront 2, and it said "Core i5 6600" ... whereas, I have a 4690K.


    But for cryin' out loud, I'd be really, really lying to you if I said I wasn't happy with how my system is still performing (w/ 16 GB of RAM and GTX 970).


    My laptop is an Asus 2-in-1 that I bought about 3 years ago, but geez ... it still works fine.


    I even have a Google Nexus 7 tablet that I still use because ... well, it still works and is awesome.

    Posted 4 years ago on How frequently do you upgrade? – 22 Comments

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    I like the one with you and the Energizer Bunny.

    Posted 4 years ago on The Ghosts of CES Past (Premium) – 17 Comments

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    In reply to jimchamplin:I put High Sierra on that refurb before I returned it, and things seemed fine. But ri

    Posted 4 years ago on What tech do you regret buying? – 63 Comments

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    In reply to jimchamplin:A few weeks ago I ordered a refurbished Mac mini with that 5400 RPM hard drive in it a

    Posted 4 years ago on What tech do you regret buying? – 63 Comments

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    In reply to Harrymyhre:Curious, wouldn't Force Quit help in a situation like this?

    Posted 4 years ago on Apple Design on the Decline (Premium) – 38 Comments

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    But can it run ... (you know what game I'm talking about)?

    Posted 4 years ago on Review: NVIDIA Titan V, The Best You Shouldn’t Buy – 8 Comments

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    To you as well, your family, and everyone involved with keeping the site going.

    Posted 4 years ago on Happy Holidays! – 10 Comments

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    Brad. Regarding your power supply issues. One of my supervisors in the electronics department at the college

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Electro…What’s the Word? – 2 Comments

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    In reply to dfcrone:Thanks, much appreciated.

    Posted 4 years ago on My 2017 Christmas music project – 6 Comments

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    Thank you all.

    Posted 4 years ago on My 2017 Christmas music project – 6 Comments

    Forum Post

    My 2017 Christmas music project

    Greetings all.


    Perhaps some of you might remember last year when I posted a link to Oh Christmas Tree, a rendition I recorded myself and uploaded to SoundCloud.


    This year I decided to do Auld Lang Syne. Here is the link on SoundCloud if you are interested in listening to it. Have a Happy Holidays everyone.


    https://soundcloud.com/erichkohl/auld-lang-syne-instrumental


    Posted 4 years ago on My 2017 Christmas music project – 6 Comments

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    In reply to yaddamaster:I like mine (Fire HD). It's a low-risk investment considering the cost. Even if

    Posted 4 years ago on Tablet market dead? – 41 Comments

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    I know, it's too bad that there can't be a viable third option behind iOS and Android. But again, m

    Posted 4 years ago on Tablet market dead? – 41 Comments

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    Sometimes I'm daunted by the complexity of modern gaming as well, but it depends on the game I guess.

    Posted 4 years ago on New Book Idea for Paul: COD WWII Made Simple – 2 Comments

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    I've thought about that. But then I wonder if it makes sense for it to morph into what we already have,

    Posted 4 years ago on A Matured Chrome OS = Window’s (and Mac) Worst Nightmare? – 37 Comments

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    That's a spicy meat-a-ball!

    Posted 4 years ago on Apple’s $5000 iMac Pro Goes on Sale Later This Week – 37 Comments

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    For Chrissakes, what's with all the palm trees??? ?

    Posted 4 years ago on Behind the Scenes: Maui, 2017 (Premium Video) – 19 Comments

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    In reply to Jules_Wombat:The smallest device I owned where I got to use the live tiles was my Surface RT. So

    Posted 4 years ago on Who else here has been "Microsoft-ifying" their phones? – 24 Comments

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    In reply to SWCetacean:I like Bing as well and try to use it as much as I use other search services.

    Posted 4 years ago on Who else here has been "Microsoft-ifying" their phones? – 24 Comments

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    In reply to rmlounsbury:Yes, there is something to be said for consistency and going all in with one platform.

    Posted 4 years ago on Who else here has been "Microsoft-ifying" their phones? – 24 Comments

    Forum Post

    Who else here has been "Microsoft-ifying" their phones?

    Hello all. So if you may have seen my recent forum post about this, I recently purchased my first smart phone, an entry-level LG running Android. And although I have nothing against Android per se, my curiosity eventually got to the point where I decided to start piling it up with the Microsoft apps, such as the launcher, Cortana, Bing, OneNote, etc. (haven't installed their virtual keyboard yet). I was just wondering to what extent everyone here has been doing this to their phones as well, whether Android or iOS, and how you feel about doing that, whether you prefer the look and feel of the Microsoft apps versus the stock Android or iOS experience, etc.


    I'm trying to figure out my motive for doing this, and I suppose it's a combination of the Microsoft fanboy inside of me plus the idea that I'm helping them sustain "some kind of" presence in mobile, even if it's just a software presence.


    But I have to admit, I really think Microsoft's mobile apps are very nice.


    It doesn't turn a phone into a Windows Phone, of course, but then that brings up that whole other can of worms that has already been discussed here. And it makes you wonder, would a phone that Microsoft sells that ran Android yet was completely replaced with a Microsoft skin actually be considered a Microsoft phone?


    One can only ponder.

    Posted 4 years ago on Who else here has been "Microsoft-ifying" their phones? – 24 Comments

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    Meanwhile it's cold here where I am in Metro Detroit! Have fun Paul, thanks again for all the content yo

    Posted 4 years ago on Notes from the Road: Planes, Planes, and Beach (Premium) – 11 Comments

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    In reply to hrlngrv:Yes, in that scenario you describe I can now see why it would be an issue.I just tried the

    Posted 4 years ago on Edge – 19 Comments

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    What I think is interesting is that the highest-end phones right now come with more RAM than my laptop that is

    Posted 4 years ago on PC makers skimping out on RAM – 20 Comments

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    In reply to hrlngrv:Actually, now that I gave it more thought, wouldn't this be the expected behavior? I

    Posted 4 years ago on Edge – 19 Comments

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    In reply to hrlngrv:Tried this too and I got the same error message you did.

    Posted 4 years ago on Edge – 19 Comments

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    I've assembled three PCs so far, but the one I have now was assembled by Micro Center. I just told them

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Nothing Ever Works – 3 Comments

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    Nice. I own the original CoD on DVD as well.

    Posted 4 years ago on Call of Duty on Windows 10 – 5 Comments

    comment
    Why is that scene from The Jerk flashing in my mind right now where Steve Martin says, "My name in print! I&#

    Posted 4 years ago on That Time My Name Appeared in a Firefox Ad (Premium) – 6 Comments

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    Flashback. A friend of mine back in the '80s had a LASER computer. I remember it was pretty decent, and

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Turkey Tech – 4 Comments

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    Isn't it odd that we picked that finger to mean what it means ... it's so arbitrary ... like Jerry S

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily: Thanksgiving Signoff – 2 Comments

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    In reply to paul-thurrott:Thanks Paul.

    Posted 4 years ago on New game I wrote, my first UWP app – 11 Comments

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    Challenging yes. :)Takes practice.I think the highest I ever got was in the 2,000 range (I even got five in a

    Posted 4 years ago on New game I wrote, my first UWP app – 11 Comments

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    In reply to lvthunder:Thank you.

    Posted 4 years ago on New game I wrote, my first UWP app – 11 Comments

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    In reply to wolters:Thanks for the tip! Now I've really got some thinking to do. :)

    Posted 4 years ago on Winners and Losers in the Smart Speaker Wars (Premium) – 52 Comments

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    Thanks for trying it out folks. :)

    Posted 4 years ago on New game I wrote, my first UWP app – 11 Comments

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    As much as I'd like to support Microsoft in this area, I'm just way too tempted to buy an Echo Dot.

    Posted 4 years ago on Winners and Losers in the Smart Speaker Wars (Premium) – 52 Comments

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    In reply to brad-sams:Yes, hopefully. Even a successful launch can produce a lemon or two.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Xbox One X with issue? – 3 Comments

    Forum Post

    First Xbox One X with issue?

    Hello fellow gamers,


    Thoughts on this video?


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-u37dToKs


    My hope is this does not become typical of the new console. I have an original Xbox One (well, the Forza Edition), and it's not loud at all to me.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Xbox One X with issue? – 3 Comments

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    In reply to Trickyd:Agreed, I thought it was very well done.

    Posted 4 years ago on The Sams Report: Surface Book 2 Review – 5 Comments

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    In reply to Jacob-Bearce:How's your experience with Windows 10 S, or did you upgrade to Pro?

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Surface Laptop Second Impressions – 32 Comments

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    Imagine what the world would be like if they poured all their money into the Apple II line instead of the Mac

    Posted 4 years ago on Like it or Not, Apple is Usually Right (Premium) – 32 Comments

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    In reply to wolters:Understood. I don't really have a problem admitting that the iPad is the epitome of

    Posted 4 years ago on Android Tablets Suck, But There’s a Solution in Sight (Premium) – 25 Comments

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    In reply to brad-sams:Wow, thanks Brad. Yeah, I thought I was coming from a very unique perspective, and that

    Posted 4 years ago on Late to the smartphone party (just a wee bit) – 3 Comments

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    Dang it! Why couldn't I think of this. Might be worth a purchase. I know I pine many times for tabs in

    Posted 4 years ago on Groupy Brings Tabs to Every Window in Windows – 28 Comments

    Forum Post

    Late to the smartphone party (just a wee bit)

    Hi everyone.


    So. Where to begin.


    I think ya'll will find this fascinating simply because of the inherent interest we have in statistical disparities. So here it is in a nutshell: I bought a new smartphone last week.


    My ... first smartphone. And I'm 45 years old. And a tech enthusiast who has owned a variety of personal computers, laptops, tablets, game consoles, MP3 players, you name it.


    Yes. Chalk it up to the fact that I was sticking to a simple principle, the notion that I *really* didn't think I needed one. What I was mainly concerned about was simply having something to make phone calls in the case of an emergency. I always thought, when I'm out and about, my first priority is to concentrate on the task at hand. If I was at the grocery store, I would be trying to decide between Cap'n Crunch or Cocoa Puffs, not checking Facebook.


    Was there *ever* a time where I felt the need to look up something online when I was not at home? Not at first, but admittedly, that desire started to grow.


    So I've been relying for many years now on feature phones. I've been a TracFone customer for a long time, and it suited my needs. The occasional call? Check. The occasional text? Check. Affordable? Check.


    But I have to admit, recently, something happened. Things reached a boil, and I decided I wanted to upgrade to something better.


    So I purchased a smartphone that made sense for *me*. Nothing fancy. In fact, it's another TracFone. Specifically, an LG Rebel 2, but it does run Android Marshmallow, and it's a step up in every way from what I had.


    Okay, sure, it's an entry level phone. (If I had to be totally honest, I guess it could be called "low end," but that makes me feel so icky.) But here's the thing ... for my first smartphone, I don't think it *needs* to be more advanced than what it is.


    I've been using it for a few days now, and it's ... fine. Maybe there's a little lag here and there, but overall the performance is okay. (It has a 1.1 GHz quad-core Snapdragon.) The internal storage is only 8 GB (yikes), but I added a 16 GB microSD card that I had laying around, and it's allowing me to move many (but not all) of the apps and games I've been downloading to that card. The screen quality is good. It's an attractive design and it's light. As far as I'm concerned, this qualifies as "good enough" for me personally.


    So, sure, I won't be able to push this phone the way one would be able to with a flagship that had much higher specs. But that's okay -- I don't need it to do any heavy multitasking. Doing some Googling (or Binging), browsing websites, the occasional video, running a couple apps here and there. It's probably up to the task.


    And the best thing about it is, since it still operates under the same TracFone payment system, I only pay for what I need. Over 1,700 of the minutes I had on my old phone were able to transfer over. I added 1,000 texts for $5. I then added 1 GB of data for $10 (I know that's not a lot, but I can always add more). It all gets rolled over as long as I don't miss my next deadline.


    Now, I'm sure many of you may be reading this and kind of wondering how someone could put up with some of these ... limitations. That's because I have the feeling that the majority of the hard-core tech enthusiasts on this site are used to higher-end hardware based on more-or-less unlimited plans.


    And I also must say, I have no problem with people buying what they want. Just because *I* don't have an iPhone 8/X or a Samsung Galaxy S8 doesn't mean that nobody should.


    But I have to start somewhere, and I didn't want to go overboard with my first purchase (budget and income are factors). I have the feeling that down the road, I'll move up a tier. But this is fine for now. Hey, if I'm at home, I'll use the Wi-Fi, not the data.


    What's so strange is that I think I *get* it now. I understand the purpose of this thing. It's a computer in your pocket that you can make your own and take almost anywhere. And I find myself now researching and reading articles about mobile computing as well as watching videos about various phones, even phones I know I'm not buying. It suddenly has become all so fascinating. (And believe me, it used to be extremely easy for my mind to wander whenever the conversation turned to phones.)


    I was actually wondering if I could make the argument that for someone like me, it simply made *sense* to wait it out until the market became mature (like *really* mature, apparently). I'm not sure about that one, but it's an interesting idea to ponder. After all, look at other forms of personal computing technology. Maybe the first PCs were invented in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, but didn't it take almost two decades before they were commonplace in the average household?


    Now, I still plan to stick to some serious guidelines. I refuse to use my phone while I'm driving, be it talking or texting. And I plan to obey the rules of smartphone etiquette. And I think we *all* need to disconnect now and then, go outside, and just get some fresh air.


    But yeah, I'm glad I have one now. I'm glad I can communicate with the people in my life using this tool. And I'm glad I can now travel the information superhighway no matter where I am.


    So thanks for reading. Hopefully others who are still holdouts might read this and have the same epiphany. Or not. At any rate, I'm just glad we live in such amazing times, and I hope that it keeps getting better.

    Posted 4 years ago on Late to the smartphone party (just a wee bit) – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wolters:I personally think there are a handful of Android tablets where the suckage factor is mini

    Posted 4 years ago on Android Tablets Suck, But There’s a Solution in Sight (Premium) – 25 Comments

    comment
    I use Firefox for this site. I let it install the update right after I read this article.Looks real nice so f

    Posted 4 years ago on Firefox 57: Come for the Speed, Stay for the Text Rendering – 58 Comments

    comment
    Greetings, welcome to our frat (that's basically what the environment is like around here...) ;-)

    Posted 4 years ago on Hello world – 25 Comments

    comment
    In reply to wright_is:Yes, can't forget those terminators... ;-)Oh yeah, my SCSI Pentium system was a be

    Posted 4 years ago on Throwback Dell Ad – 12 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:This is good news Paul. I'm glad the campaign is good, because it matters to m

    Posted 4 years ago on Some Thoughts About the Call of Duty: WWII Single-Player Campaign – 20 Comments

    comment
    Doesn't it do a memory check for the first 640K of memory? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, ahem.

    Posted 4 years ago on Enjoy the Xbox One X Startup Animation – 10 Comments

    comment
    I haven't experienced the Edge problem you described, but I am noticing that since I updated to 1709 UWP

    Posted 4 years ago on 1709 weirdness – 16 Comments

    comment
    Great costume Brad. God I love this site! ?

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 266: That’s No Bear – 8 Comments

    comment
    In reply to moruobai:I agree, it had some style, in an era where the beige PC reigned supreme. :)

    Posted 4 years ago on Don’t hate me, but I recycled my iMac – 9 Comments

    comment
    Great article, interesting stuff.

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft’s Bold Plan to Bring PWAs to Windows 10 – 69 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Weren't these the ones that were the first in not including floppy disk drives?

    Posted 4 years ago on Don’t hate me, but I recycled my iMac – 9 Comments

    Forum Post

    Don't hate me, but I recycled my iMac

    One that I bought about 15 years ago that has a G3 processor, that is.


    Yeah, took it along with an old CRT TV that I also wanted to unload to a nearby electronics recycling event this past weekend.


    Pic:



    I used it up until about 2009 when I bought a Mac mini to replace it. Was my first real experience with a Mac. Started to learn my way around it. Ended up using it as my personal web server and did some MIDI stuff with it.


    Anybody else here purchase one of these curvy guys back in the day? I wish mine was colored, like they originally were when they came out in the late '90s, but I think when I ordered mine all those cool colors were discontinued.


    Honestly, I thought about the possibility of finding somebody who might want it, but there's nothing too special about this machine anymore, and I'm sure the version of OS X on there isn't supported (it's probably Jaguar or Panther, I think).

    Posted 4 years ago on Don’t hate me, but I recycled my iMac – 9 Comments

    comment
    Actually, yeah ... I noticed that too. I could have sworn Paul was talking about it recently that it would be

    Posted 4 years ago on What is that on my taskbar? – 6 Comments

    comment
    Admit it Paul, you love your job. :)

    Posted 4 years ago on Xbox One X Unboxing – 44 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:I hear you, but in the end I'm not sure how to feel about it. I was up and runni

    Posted 4 years ago on On this day – Windows 8 Released! – 22 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jwpear:I still have the motherboard and CPU from my Pentium-120 system we bought in 1995. Will pr

    Posted 4 years ago on AMD Ryzen Threadripper: Back to my Roots – 40 Comments

    comment
    Have fun with it Brad! My first 1.0 GHz PC had an AMD Thunderbird CPU in it. I've bounced back and fort

    Posted 4 years ago on AMD Ryzen Threadripper: Back to my Roots – 40 Comments

    comment
    Wait, what? I don't see a Start button in that screen shot...Ha ha. Yeah, I went against the tide and b

    Posted 4 years ago on On this day – Windows 8 Released! – 22 Comments

    comment
    Got it on my 2-in-1 as well as my gaming rig by checking Windows Update. The 2-in-1 updated without issue, al

    Posted 4 years ago on The "Who got 1709" post – 32 Comments

    comment
    Don't have it yet, but looking forward to it. I just hope an in-place install works okay. I've got

    Posted 4 years ago on The "Who got 1709" post – 32 Comments

    comment
    Funny, seeing it in a picture it looks (to me) a lot more premium than its plastic reality would suggest.

    Posted 4 years ago on Hands-On: Microsoft Surface Precision Mouse – 21 Comments

    comment
    My experience setting up Ubuntu on a refurbished Dell Optiplex I recently bought was similar. Pretty painless

    Posted 4 years ago on Thoughts on Linux – 2017 – 10 Comments

    comment
    To the extent that you guys can, Paul, Brad, and staff, thanks for trying to keep the site clean.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 253: Windows Loot Boxes – 4 Comments

    comment
    Hey Brad. Guess we won't be going to Russia in 2018... :-(

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 252: The Street Cast – 2 Comments

    comment
    Take a look at "Accidental Empires," by Robert X. Cringely.

    Posted 4 years ago on Books about individuals or companies in tech – 8 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Trust me, I prefer Windoze. :)

    Posted 4 years ago on A video for the disheartened Microsoft fan – 13 Comments

    comment
    Hmm. That comment about PC users not having a sense of humor.Okay. Never knew that about myself!

    Posted 4 years ago on A video for the disheartened Microsoft fan – 13 Comments

    comment
    I should add, one very important thing I do on my W10 machine is audio production and MIDI sequencing. Althou

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Tim:Seems like it's come a long way, that's for sure. I used to think Linux in general

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

    comment
    I went from a Micron system that ran on all SCSI when Windows 95 came out (I'm embarrassed to say what we

    Posted 4 years ago on Throwback Dell Ad – 12 Comments

    comment
    In reply to monkeyboy:I've used Mint before, and I considered it this time as well. Actually, my first i

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

    comment
    In reply to skane2600:Heh, it occurred to me that I don't know what I was expecting, considering Windows

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Bill_Russell:I'm just not ready or willing to bump Windows down into 2nd place yet. At the v

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Confusing family of operating systems. ;-)But thanks. Would it be safe to say it

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

    comment
    Wow, I just looked at the list of extensions for Edge now, and it's nice that it's grown.I use Edge

    Posted 4 years ago on Can you use Edge as your daily browser? – 44 Comments

    comment
    All I know is, I hope it continues for a long time. This website and the podcasts are such an integral part o

    Posted 4 years ago on Paul, Brad- how about a State of the (Premium) Union address? – 3 Comments

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    In reply to skane2600:I hear you. One should definitely be able to do that, but I think that's just not

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

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    In reply to skane2600:If you visit my software page here:http://erichkohl.blogspot.com/p/my-software.htmlI hav

    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

    Forum Post

    I'z finally done did it -- set up a Linux machine

    Hi everyone. So in the past, my relationship with Linux consisted mostly of running distros in virtual machines or dual-booting. But I finally decided to get a little more serious -- I purchased a refurbished Dell OptiPlex and put Ubuntu on it, so it's a dedicated machine.


    The Dell came with a Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of RAM, and a 160 GB traditional (platter) hard drive. I put an additional 4 GB of RAM in it and also installed a dedicated (but entry-level) graphics card.


    I've got to say, setting up was very easy and Ubuntu has been running well. The only criticism is it would be faster with an SSD, obviously, but I had to stop somewhere. Doing basic gaming on it is a piece of cake (I even have Steam installed).


    I'm pleased with how popular apps are becoming more available. Spotify, for instance. And I can access other things via the web, like my OneNote notes.


    So what's the point of all this? Tech curiosity, mainly, and to be able to say I'm familiar with more platforms than just Windows. Linux's UNIX underpinnings are quite fascinating the more I study it.


    I've even started porting some of the games I've written to Linux. So this is the farthest I've ever gone with it. How about you guys -- are you curious about Linux, or do you use it yourself in your own life? How about those of you that prefer it and use it at home, and just Microsoft stuff at work? Any, heh, "switchers?"


    Some pics:




    Posted 4 years ago on I’z finally done did it — set up a Linux machine – 39 Comments

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    This looks pretty cool to me since I never owned the original. I was going to ask can you type in your own pr

    Posted 4 years ago on A mini version of the Commodore 64 is coming in 2018 – 1 Comments

    comment
    I'm actually starting to get a little bored with gaming lately. You know what I played this past weekend

    Posted 4 years ago on Cuphead First Impressions: Gorgeous but Difficult – 30 Comments

    comment
    I've used Paint.NET many times for free. I think it's time I purchase it now that it's in the

    Posted 4 years ago on Paint.NET Comes to Windows Store – 76 Comments

    comment
    In reply to JHawkZZ:You win the Internet for today. :-)

    Posted 4 years ago on Cuphead First Impressions: Gorgeous but Difficult – 30 Comments

    comment
    In reply to evox81:I've had mixed reactions when other people use my system.My teenage niece really was i

    Posted 4 years ago on What keyboard & mouse does everyone use? – 28 Comments

    comment
    I use the Microsoft Sculpt ergonomic keyboard and mouse (wireless) on my main desktop gaming rig.

    Posted 4 years ago on What keyboard & mouse does everyone use? – 28 Comments

    comment
    Nice to hear. They needed to get this right, obviously (can there be a more obvious statement?). Probably wo

    Posted 4 years ago on Hands-On with Xbox One X – 34 Comments

    comment
    In reply to paul-thurrott:Depends if the lining of my stomach can handle it... ;-)

    Posted 4 years ago on Didn’t win – 8 Comments

    Forum Post

    Didn't win

    Dined this evening at Taco Bell and purchased an Xbox One X giveaway meal.


    Texted my code. Didn't win.


    Oh, well. :-(

    Posted 4 years ago on Didn’t win – 8 Comments

    comment
    Any thoughts on Todoist, Brad? It's what I use for my to-do lists, and I love it (cross platform and all

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 225: Four Disappointments – 5 Comments

    comment
    Hi Brad, not really a question -- just wanted to let you and Rafael know that I hooked up a Cat5 cable to my X

    Posted 4 years ago on We Help Wednesday 8/30 – 13 Comments

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    In reply to MartinusV2:Exactly. I have a Linux rig right now that I created out of a refurbished Dell OptiPle

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 219: That New House Smell – 6 Comments

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    Believe it or not I just watched a YouTube video the other day where a guy makes the case that *LINUX* is the

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 219: That New House Smell – 6 Comments

    comment
    I was beginning to think Cuphead would never see the light of day.

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Announces New Xbox Hardware, Software at Gamescom 2017 – 5 Comments

    comment
    Can't we just rewind back to the days of East Germany where there is only one OS? Then we wouldn't

    Posted 4 years ago on Living with Chromebook: The Basics – 110 Comments

    comment
    A coworker of mine recently reacted as if I was an alien from another planet when I told her I use Bing in add

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft: “Bing is Bigger Than You Think” – 48 Comments

    comment
    "First Ring Daily, now with less Paul." Less Paul. Les Paul. Haha.

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 217: A Few New Apps – 2 Comments

    comment
    I have to admit I don't know what my own personal anecdotal experience means. Maybe it's just that

    Posted 4 years ago on Looking at Consumer Report data more closely – 10 Comments

    comment
    I've owned two Mac minis. Bought them new. I thought they were nice, but sold the second one after I de

    Posted 4 years ago on From an old Mac mini to an even older Mac Pro – 15 Comments

    comment
    Falken's Maze?

    Posted 4 years ago on A bot just defeated one of the world’s best video gamers – 5 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for the input regarding my Xbox issues guys. :)

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 211: Rafael Stops By With Answers and Windows Insight – 4 Comments

    comment
    Just when I thought my brain couldn't get any smaller.

    Posted 4 years ago on First-person shooters could be bad for your brain – 4 Comments

    comment
    As long as we're on the subject of moving on from legacy stuff, is the Registry ever going to go away? N

    Posted 4 years ago on What’s really wrong with Win32? – 17 Comments

    Forum Post

    What's really wrong with Win32?

    Okay, people. Let's put the cards on the table. I want cogent, detailed reasons why we have to move on from Win32 and/or .NET to whatever the next thing may be (UWP, or whatever).


    Not trying to start any flames or war here either. :)


    But I'm going through it in my own mind, and I'm not satisfied with just "out with the old, in with the new." Or nebulous reasons like "Win32 was for another era."


    I was hoping we could shed light on the real technical reasons.


    And I say this as someone who just recently published a simple game to the Windows 10 Store, a UWP app. Thing is, I wrote it in Clickteam Fusion, and it created the Visual Studio project for me. All I had to do was package it. I didn't see the nuts and bolts.


    Come on now, don't be shy. Speak up! :-)

    Posted 4 years ago on What’s really wrong with Win32? – 17 Comments

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    Nice!

    Posted 4 years ago on Yes, Spotify is Coming to Xbox One (Updated) – 20 Comments

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    Cool, I've been waiting for this one to happen.

    Posted 4 years ago on Spotify is coming to the Xbox One – 2 Comments

    comment
    I'm satisfied overall with Windows 10 (not that everything's been perfect of course), but my hope fo

    Posted 4 years ago on What’s to like about Windows – 2 Comments

    comment
    I do have Ubuntu 16.04 running on a refurbished Dell Optiplex 780 that I just bought, not Mint, but seeing as

    Posted 4 years ago on Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya Released. In a word, Superb. – 15 Comments

    comment
    Hmm, okay. So these are developer editions, and the recommended specs are beefy, Core i7 w/ GTX 980, etc. etc

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Begins Selling Mixed Reality Headsets Online – 22 Comments

    comment
    What PC specs do you need for these and what games/software will work with it? I'm going to Goo ... I me

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Begins Selling Mixed Reality Headsets Online – 22 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Chris_Kez:You're right of course. Don't know why I didn't see that last part.

    Posted 4 years ago on Spotify now has 60 million paying subscribers – 5 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Oasis:No problem, I understand. Now that I think of it, it's almost a presumptuous assumptio

    Posted 4 years ago on New game I wrote, my first UWP app – 11 Comments

    comment
    I think I see Paul's point, but I'm not sure what to make of the statement. First it says 60 million

    Posted 4 years ago on Spotify now has 60 million paying subscribers – 5 Comments

    comment
    Like most people here have said, it'll be up to you, but I renewed my subscription yesterday because I li

    Posted 4 years ago on Thurrot Premium – is it worth? – 39 Comments

    Forum Post

    New game I wrote, my first UWP app

    Hi everyone,


    So if you have some spare time and are interested, I'd love it if you'd try out a new game I just wrote and put in the Windows Store. It's a UWP app, believe it or not, so now there's ... how many altogether? Seven? Hahahahaha...


    But anyway, here's the link...


    Jelly Spider Smash


    This is no AAA title of course, it's just a little something you can fire up to pass the time while you're waiting for your 4K Adobe videos to render. But I tried to do a good job.


    Enjoy!

    Posted 4 years ago on New game I wrote, my first UWP app – 11 Comments

    comment
    I eat there sometimes. I wouldn't mind taking a chance on this offer to try to win the new console.

    Posted 4 years ago on Taco Bell Contest Will Give Away Xbox One X Consoles – 8 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv::)

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Says Paint Isn’t Going Away But You Already Knew That – 40 Comments

    comment
    Speaking of space and how much software uses it, sometimes I really wonder why an operating system has to take

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Says Paint Isn’t Going Away But You Already Knew That – 40 Comments

    comment
    In reply to navarac:lol, yeah my first 8088 compatible had a 20 MB hard drive. I'll never forget the eff

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Says Paint Isn’t Going Away But You Already Knew That – 40 Comments

    comment
    Funny you should bring this up, because I just bought a refurbished Dell OptiPlex and put Ubuntu on it. But i

    Posted 4 years ago on What would make you leave Windows? – 83 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv:Drudgeons, that's what we are...

    Posted 4 years ago on Dealing With The Morons – 23 Comments

    comment
    "Insert the disk in the drive and close the door..."<Inserts disk, gets up and closes the door to the offic

    Posted 4 years ago on Dealing With The Morons – 23 Comments

    comment
    Just on looks alone I'm almost sold on this ... thing is, I don't know how many video game consoles

    Posted 4 years ago on Atari Goes Full Retro with New Console – 41 Comments

    comment
    I will most likely renew using the discount.

    Posted 4 years ago on Who’s renewing? – 47 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Narg:Good point I suppose. I knee-jerk reacted to this story, but now it looks like this is more

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Suddenly Drops OneDrive Support for Non-NTFS Disks – 94 Comments

    comment
    I don't think this is going to affect me personally, but if it did I think I'd be pretty PO'ed.

    Posted 4 years ago on Microsoft Suddenly Drops OneDrive Support for Non-NTFS Disks – 94 Comments

    comment
    More features please...

    Posted 4 years ago on Over-Promise, Under-Deliver (Premium) – 86 Comments

    comment
    Bookmarked it. :-)

    Posted 4 years ago on New-ish Microsoft Blog (by Appy Text’s Developer) – 5 Comments

    comment
    Like the original Xbox One, I didn't get one until it had been in the market for a couple of years (I bou

    Posted 4 years ago on Xbox One X – 20 Comments

    comment
    Sorry to hear about those computer troubles Paul ... I hope your son wasn't motivated by those "let'

    Posted 4 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 170: Amazon Pulls A OneDrive – 3 Comments

    Forum Post

    More tales from tech support

    So I work in a community college where I have to help people who use our systems in the classrooms, and the other day I came across an interesting one. The individual said things started to work once the "HTML cable" was plugged in to the laptop, and that in order for the system to turn on (and thus the projector hanging from the ceiling to cast an image), the DVD player needed to be turned on first.


    HTML cable? That's a new one. :-)


    And nothing is dependent on whether the DVD player is turned on. It doesn't provide power to other parts of the system.


    But sometimes you just nod and go on with your day.


    But hey, I admit, I don't know everything either. I bet if a mechanic tried to walk me through building my own engine or changing my own oil, I'd probably ask some silly questions too.


    Anybody else got some recent humorous computer naivete to share?

    Posted 4 years ago on More tales from tech support – 0 Comments

    comment
    Paul, you never write about Xenix, it's depressing.

    Posted 4 years ago on Paul’s double standard? – 13 Comments

    comment
    Some day I'm going to dress up in a costume like that for Halloween.

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 151: Clippy Nation – 8 Comments

    comment
    I used to think the trackpad on my Asus T300 Chi was okay enough to use day to day, but then I decided I could

    Posted 5 years ago on Simply The Worst: Elantech Trackpad – 2 Comments

    comment
    In reply to bbold:My nephew's the same way. I wonder if he would be intrigued by this new development.

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Brings Code Writing to Minecraft: Education Edition – 9 Comments

    comment
    Oh my gosh, back in the day when I got my first IBM PC/XT compatible, I always wanted one of these keyboards.

    Posted 5 years ago on Northgate Omnikey Ultra Keyboard – First Look – 7 Comments

    comment
    I use a decent-sized handful of modern/UWP/whatever apps alongside my desktop applications, but I almost feel

    Posted 5 years ago on Making Sense of Windows 10 S – 138 Comments

    comment
    Ah, how I pine for the days when DOS fit on a floppy.But this reminds me of the times I used to program in Qui

    Posted 5 years ago on Windows is Bloated, Thanks to Adobe’s Extensible Metadata Platform – 30 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Bardi Golriz:I am 'appy to help out. ;-)

    Posted 5 years ago on Appy Text – a modern (and free) Notepad UWP alternative – 44 Comments

    comment
    Took the plunge and upgraded to Premium. Thanks for taking the effort to make such a nice app!

    Posted 5 years ago on Appy Text – a modern (and free) Notepad UWP alternative – 44 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin:Yeah I was looking forward to GMM too. Because Creators. Too bad. Back when I owned

    Posted 5 years ago on Now iWork, GarageBand, and iMovie are really free for everyone – 2 Comments

    comment
    Wow! First impressions are really good. I'll obviously have a more informed opinion as I further use th

    Posted 5 years ago on Appy Text – a modern (and free) Notepad UWP alternative – 44 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Narg:I can relate.

    Posted 5 years ago on Run classic black and white Mac apps in your browser – 6 Comments

    comment
    gon·do·la  (gĹŹn′dl-É™, gĹŹn-dō′lÉ™) n.1. Nauticala. A lightweight narrow barge with ends that c

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 134: Third Most Ridiculous Podcast – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Simard57:Haha. :-)

    Posted 5 years ago on Run classic black and white Mac apps in your browser – 6 Comments

    comment
    Neat. Seems to work well enough, although the Space Invaders game flickered a lot.AppleWin is a great option

    Posted 5 years ago on Run classic black and white Mac apps in your browser – 6 Comments

    comment
    I never cared for the game much, but still found the video interesting. I like Hearts better, and always enjo

    Posted 5 years ago on Meet the Intern Who Wrote Solitaire for Microsoft – 2 Comments

    comment
    Have to admit the one nagging point that Paul lists -- the inability to drag a site from the address bar to cr

    Posted 5 years ago on Edge of 17(03): Microsoft’s Web Browser is Still Lacking – 100 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Associat0r:Interesting. Just tried this out; didn't know that keyboard shortcut did that. T

    Posted 5 years ago on Edge of 17(03): Microsoft’s Web Browser is Still Lacking – 100 Comments

    comment
    In reply to mahoekst:I think I noticed it too. Maybe 100 milliseconds or so.

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 131: Cloudy Books – 3 Comments

    comment
    I'm hoping I don't have to wait too long to get it.

    Posted 5 years ago on Creators Update – 6 Comments

    comment
    Ah, the good ol' days. I purchased Vista Ultimate to install on the first PC I ever assembled myself, a

    Posted 5 years ago on Rest in Peace Windows Vista!!! – 4 Comments

    comment
    We never thought we'd be doing word-processing and running Word on phones and tablets, yes I know. Thing

    Posted 5 years ago on Relax, Android Ascendance Was Inevitable – 101 Comments

    comment
    Wouldn't want the classic Paint program to go away. I use it for miscellaneous tasks. Guess I'd be

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 120: Creators Countdown – 12 Comments

    comment
    Funny, it's not that I'm not looking forward to the Creators Update or anything but ... I don't

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 119: Rainy NYC – 5 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Waethorn:In my opinion, I'd say school is *primarily* about learning, with a little fun mixed

    Posted 5 years ago on Learning To Walk With The Surface Studio – 48 Comments

    comment
    You should do one of those "Can I survive on one of these for a month" videos for YouTube. :)

    Posted 5 years ago on Move over Dell XPS, Lenovo X1 Carbon and Macbook! – 8 Comments

    Forum Post

    Had to resort to my Zune last night

    Was on my Amazon Fire, then all of a sudden Wi-Fi goes out, and switching over to my Google Nexus 7 didn't help either. Our phone said "Check Tel Line."


    Well, I figured it was going to be a brief outage due to the unpredictable weather we've been having lately, so I just said to heck with it, and grabbed my Zune for the rest of the night. (I don't have a smart phone, just a feature phone with no music on it.)


    This morning, the problem still didn't go away yet. Turned on my gaming rig and couldn't connect to the Internet. Picked up the phone and there's a busy signal! Huh?


    So I grabbed our last statement from Comcast with their phone number on it, and I was just about to call them on my TracFone, when all of a sudden -- *POOF* -- everything magically just started working again.


    So guys -- how often do you experience outages?


    Posted 5 years ago on Had to resort to my Zune last night – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to lwetzel:Will have to keep that in mind. As far as I know we haven't missed any important cal

    Posted 5 years ago on Best Methods to Stop Spam Calls? – 10 Comments

    comment
    Nice ambiance there Brad!Never had the privilege of using WinMe. Went from 98 SE to XP.I have a buddy who liv

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 92: New Features, Better Lights – 7 Comments

    comment
    Don't know if this will help, but recently our household switched to Comcast Xfinity, and we signed up with No

    Posted 5 years ago on Best Methods to Stop Spam Calls? – 10 Comments

    comment
    Regarding reviewing video games, I can relate to how you feel.  Although I enjoy my share, there are so m

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 91: Ok Printer – 9 Comments

    comment
    When did they start implementing memory address randomization and stuff like that?  Was that in 8 or 10?

    Posted 5 years ago on What Windows Version Is Most Secure? – 10 Comments

    comment
    Indie Game was great, I saw it too.

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 90: Valentines Timeout – 1 Comments

    comment
    Make any snow angels Paul?

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily Live: Snow Blowing Office – 4 Comments

    comment
    In reply to skane2600: I remember those days as well.  Was always a treat to browse the PC section in the

    Posted 5 years ago on Visual Studio 2017 Arrives March 7 – 10 Comments

    comment
    Have to admit this almost sounds like an obvious feature that should have been included a long time ago, to me

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Brings Picture-in-Picture To Windows 10 With Latest Insider Build – 21 Comments

    comment
    I use File History to back up to an external hard drive that I keep plugged in 24/7, and it's always worked we

    Posted 5 years ago on Backup Options. – 8 Comments

    comment
    I'm curious about that music maker app too, and I hope it eventually appears.  I'm not expecting it to pr

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 85: Where Art Thou Groove – 3 Comments

    comment
    I guess we're always comfortable with what we know.  I'm so used to Steam and similar services such as Or

    Posted 5 years ago on My experience with a Windows Store AAA game – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin: Yep.  Love me some File > Open new window in File Explorer.  ;-)

    Posted 5 years ago on Features you want to see in Windows 10? – 11 Comments

    comment
    Have to admit, a tabbed file explorer was something I always thought I wanted.  But back when I used to h

    Posted 5 years ago on Features you want to see in Windows 10? – 11 Comments

    comment
    Guys, even DOS isn't dead yet!  Check it out: http://shop.powerbasic.com/collections/all/products/powerba

    Posted 5 years ago on What The Tech 341: Windows Cloud – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Narg: I noticed that too, and I thought something funny was going on.

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Provides More Details About Edge Improvements in the Creators Update – 29 Comments

    comment
    In reply to bakysbak: Glad you liked it.

    Posted 5 years ago on A little holiday music from me, to you (you blockheads!) – 11 Comments

    comment
    Hope you're okay Brad!

    Posted 5 years ago on Thurrott Daily: Out of Africa – 41 Comments

    comment
    Last year I got a great deal on a Razer Forge TV, which is an Android TV that also doubles as a little gaming

    Posted 5 years ago on What The Tech 340: PC Sales Continue To Decline – 1 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Chris_Kez: My only exposure to an Amiga was when a friend of mine had one back then, and he showed

    Posted 5 years ago on New Amiga documentary? – 9 Comments

    comment
    Cool.  Never owned one myself, but I will probably buy this video too.

    Posted 5 years ago on New Amiga documentary? – 9 Comments

    Forum Post

    New Amiga documentary?

    This is mainly directed at Paul, but I'm sure it would appeal to most of us here.

    Looks like there is a new documentary on the Amiga that recently came out.

    https://amigafilm.com/watch-viva-amiga/

    Looks interesting?

    Posted 5 years ago on New Amiga documentary? – 9 Comments

    comment
    My original Xbox is still sitting over by my gaming/media area.  Was my first console.

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 68: Ye Old Xbox – 3 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv: Makes me wonder if 20 years from now we're going to be looking back on our tiny 128 GB mi

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    comment
    Going to try out my new Kinect tonight...

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Closes Out 2016 with a New Xbox One Sale Event – 7 Comments

    comment
    Thanks guys.  :-)

    Posted 5 years ago on A little holiday music from me, to you (you blockheads!) – 11 Comments

    Forum Post

    A little holiday music from me, to you (you blockheads!)

    Hi everyone.  My 2016 Christmas music project is my personal rendition of the Peanuts version of "Oh Christmas Tree" that I created with a program called REAPER and a piano plug-in.

    Here is a link to it on SoundCloud if you are interested in listening:

    Oh Christmas Tree - Charlie Brown Version

    And the same music with accompanying video on my YouTube channel:

    YouTube link

    Thanks, hope you enjoy it, and Merry Christmas to all.

     

    Posted 5 years ago on A little holiday music from me, to you (you blockheads!) – 11 Comments

    comment
    I used to use Movie Maker a lot, but recently decided to switch to a paid Win32 program called VideoPad (becau

    Posted 5 years ago on Support for Windows Essentials Ends in January – 33 Comments

    comment
    Haha, I have the softball Microsoft mouse too.  Very happy with it.  It's also notable when relative

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 55: Apple Surface Counts – 5 Comments

    comment
    Sigh.  Guess it's about time I do this.  Just now I created a new Outlook e-mail address for myself,

    Posted 5 years ago on It’s (Past) Time to Close That Yahoo Account – 44 Comments

    comment
    Two more things to add: 1. I hated how something like "ON ERROR GOTO" could make an otherwise elegant QB progr

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    comment
    Thanks for all your input guys.  Fascinating stuff as far as I'm concerned.  I could go on and on. &

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    comment
    In reply to ben55124: PowerBuilder, yeah.  That product looked like it was a heck of a tool for database

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    comment
    In reply to hrlngrv: Thanks for that link, looks like interesting reading.  Going to check it out when I

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Paul Thurrott: Sure it counts.  :)  Actually I was surprised once I learned that Microso

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    comment
    In reply to rgelb: Cool!  Yeah, my adventures with QB resulted in some crap I made, but also some good st

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    Forum Post

    Microsoft Compilers of Old

    Hi everyone,

    Was wondering, to all of you here who did programming back in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s, what did you think of the Microsoft compilers and languages of the time versus the competition? Seemed like the two heavyweights were Microsoft and Borland, but I think there were others that were popular, like Watcom C.

    As a hobbyist, I was in love with QuickBASIC at the time, but it had flaws compared to other comparable languages of its era, such as Turbo Pascal. Now that was a hit – and if I recall correctly, even Microsoft had their entry with Quick Pascal. Anybody here use that? Just didn’t eat into TP’s market share, but Windows 3.0 was on its way anyway, so…

    When I went to junior college in the mid ‘90s and took C++, we used the Borland tools.

    Of course, I was amazed when Microsoft finally fixed most of QuickBASIC’s problems and released the BASIC Professional Development System, but, I mean … Visual Basic, so…

    (Topic posted in General Discussion because of its antiquated subject matter, as opposed to the Microsoft section.)

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Compilers of Old – 19 Comments

    comment
    /start of joke But there are remnants of DOS all over Windows still.  For crying out loud, you can still

    Posted 5 years ago on Thurrott Daily: December 13 – 20 Comments

    comment
    Man, I am just looking for an excuse to buy a device like this; I was even contemplating a Google Home recentl

    Posted 5 years ago on Cortana Is Coming To New Devices, Harman Kardon Teases New Hardware – 16 Comments

    comment
    Makes me wonder how my Asus Transformer Book, which has a Core M, could be redesigned or reimagined with ARM i

    Posted 5 years ago on Future of Windows 10 on ARM – 26 Comments

    comment
    In reply to bbold: Not having an app for something seems like a scary proposition nowadays as it has the poten

    Posted 5 years ago on Thank you Paul Thurrott for showing me the LIGHT – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karma77police: Well, I guess in the old days mainframes were clunky.  Can't say I know for su

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Demonstrates Windows 10 Running on ARM – 69 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Waethorn: Still, I'm wondering if it would be good enough for consumer apps.  Obviously most

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Demonstrates Windows 10 Running on ARM – 69 Comments

    comment
    In reply to karma77police: It might fail.  But then, why does anyone need a PC instead of a mainframe? &n

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Demonstrates Windows 10 Running on ARM – 69 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Waethorn: What I'm wondering is if they'll be able to just make Windows "lighter" so that it can r

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Demonstrates Windows 10 Running on ARM – 69 Comments

    comment
    The ultimate test would be to see if you can slip past them the "coffee mug holder" on your old Packard Bell..

    Posted 5 years ago on answers.microsoft – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to ldsands: Yeah, I was thinking the same thing ... my gaming rig has a Core i5 4690.

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Plans to Make Mixed Reality Mainstream in 2017 – 11 Comments

    comment
    In reply to csims1977: Yes, I like it a lot too.  I got upgraded from Android 4 to 5 and then to 6, so I

    Posted 5 years ago on Google Begins Rolling Out Android 7.1.1 Nougat – 24 Comments

    comment
    Honestly, I think Paul keeps me grounded.  Sure, whenever you listen to other people there are instances

    Posted 5 years ago on Stop Bashing Paul – 41 Comments

    comment
    Aw man, my Nexus 7 isn't getting any updates, and I'm getting audio stutters when I listen to music with my ne

    Posted 5 years ago on Google Begins Rolling Out Android 7.1.1 Nougat – 24 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin: Hi, yeah.  For the money, nice, but ... repeatedly the screen kept freezing, cou

    Posted 5 years ago on Los Cheap Tablets – 23 Comments

    comment
    Who could miss it ... you mean that screenshot of Program Manager, right?  j/k  :-)

    Posted 5 years ago on I was feeling nostalgic today… – 3 Comments

    comment
    Many different ways to achieve things, all good depending on one's needs.  This program looks like it has

    Posted 5 years ago on The Essentials: Taking A Better Screenshot – 28 Comments

    comment
    I play Burnout Paradise on PC, I also concur it's a great racing game.  I've re-installed it so many time

    Posted 5 years ago on Games with Gold: December 2016 – 4 Comments

    comment
    I was initially a graduate of the Mary Jo school of note-taking years ago, since all I used was Notepad.  

    Posted 5 years ago on A Personal History of Microsoft OneNote – 31 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin: Ah, I see what you're saying.  It's something to consider I suppose.  Norma

    Posted 5 years ago on Los Cheap Tablets – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin: When you say insufficient to keep them running, are you saying they don't do a good j

    Posted 5 years ago on Los Cheap Tablets – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin: Oh, I agree 100%, and that's why I also purchased a 64 GB SanDisk card a couple days

    Posted 5 years ago on Los Cheap Tablets – 23 Comments

    comment
    Nice laptop.  And hey, no driving on the shoulder.

    Posted 5 years ago on HP OMEN Laptop First Impressions – 18 Comments

    comment
    In reply to JR347: I'll have to second that, but I'm referring to the campaign.  I'm not into multiplayer

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft: “Strong Demand” for Xbox Over Black Friday – 11 Comments

    comment
    Congratulations.  I know for some time to come I'm going to be living vicariously through other people's

    Posted 5 years ago on Surface Studio up and running – 6 Comments

    comment
    In reply to jimchamplin: Cool!  Yeah, I just checked my shipping status, and I think my tablet might show

    Posted 5 years ago on Los Cheap Tablets – 23 Comments

    comment
    Can't say I have experience with the NuVision specifically, but because my Nexus 7 Android tablet has been inc

    Posted 5 years ago on Los Cheap Tablets – 23 Comments

    comment
    Aww, man.  I hope the CoD: IW campaign isn't *that* bad.  I just finished the Advanced Warfare campa

    Posted 5 years ago on Thurrott Daily: November 22 – 17 Comments

    comment
    I find it amazing that Microsoft can excel on opposite ends of such a wide spectrum, like Azure (enterprise) a

    Posted 5 years ago on MS #2 most loved brand – 8 Comments

    comment
    Guys, I have an honest question and obviously I want honest answers.  On my Windows 10 PC I use almost a

    Posted 5 years ago on The Biggest Problem with Windows Today? The Past – 91 Comments

    comment
    I guess technically it would be my Radio Shack TRS-80 MC-10.  Bought it on eBay several years ago for the

    Posted 5 years ago on Oldest computer(s) you have? – 17 Comments

    comment
    In reply to WP7Mango:   Haha, yep, if you just use your imagination, the sky's the limit...  :-)

    Posted 5 years ago on Messing with tech support scammers – 2 Comments

    Forum Post

    Messing with tech support scammers

    Hi everyone,

     

    Just to let you know, I'm with you on the fight against scammers that call you on the phone who claim to be "helping you with your Windows PC."

     

    A while back I got a call like that, so I decided to have a little fun.  I ended up telling the guy that I have a Commodore 64 and that I was connecting to the web with a modem.  When he heard that, he said "Oh, I see, sir.  Well, have a nice day."

     

    Hahaha.

     

    I've actually gotten multiple calls from those people, and my usual response is, "I know this is a scam, please don't call again."

     

    Hard to know what difference one person can make, but we need to let them know we're on to them.

     

    Semi-related, I once picked up the phone when I didn't recognize the number (assuming it was a telemarketer), so I decided to be a wise guy and I said, "Domino's Pizza."  The guy said, "Oh really?  What's your address?"

     

    I paused because I didn't think he'd call my bluff, so I started saying something like, "123 Main Street" or something nonsensical, and he interrupted by saying, "Oh, I see you had to think about it, well tell ya what, we'll call back at a later time..."

     

    And I said, "Yeah, yeah" and hung up.

     

    Modern life and the stuff we put up with.

    Posted 5 years ago on Messing with tech support scammers – 2 Comments

    comment
    I really love that European architecture.  Even if it's a little wobbly.  ?

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 34: The EU Offices – 4 Comments

    comment
    I wish I knew the answer to this as well.  Most of the time my stuff syncs, but there are times when it d

    Posted 5 years ago on Windows settings no longer sync across devices – 3 Comments

    comment
    He had moxie, gumption, chutzpah.  Those intangible qualities.

    Posted 5 years ago on Who misses Steve Ballmer? – 7 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Pbike908: I kind of thought the same way at first.  Wasn't really sure if I would ever want o

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Finally Explains Its VR Strategy – 31 Comments

    comment
    In reply to polloloco51: Keyboard Design Lab ... now there's an idea.  :-)

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Quietly Delivers New Surface Keyboards, Mouse – 23 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Narg: It does sound like an improvement, but, mmm, I don't know ... it that good for a laptop?&nbs

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Bumps Surface Book with New High-End Versions – 31 Comments

    comment
    In reply to WP7Mango: Yeah, I'm curious about the Music Maker app as well.  Although I use a bunch of oth

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft to Brand “Redstone 2” as Windows 10 Creators Update – 30 Comments

    comment
    Ha.  Just now saw the footage on my local news as the sports guy was showing it. It must just be the comp

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Has a Bill Belichick Problem – 84 Comments

    comment
    In reply to Siv: I think I'm a PC guy at heart too, but over the past few years I can't deny that I find table

    Posted 5 years ago on Health of Tech: The PC Industry – 27 Comments

    comment
    The thing I like about CoD is that it's "accessible," at least to me.  I don't play multiplayer, just the

    Posted 5 years ago on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered Review: Gaming Perfection – 14 Comments

    comment
    Still getting along nicely with a Roku 3 and my 1080p Insignia TV.  The new lineup looks nice though.

    Posted 5 years ago on Hands-On with the Roku Premiere+ – 24 Comments

    comment
    When I tried to launch the site Cortana thought I said "The Rock". I propose that should be Paul's new nicknam

    Posted 5 years ago on First Ring Daily EP 6: Kin You Not – 9 Comments

    comment
    Agreed, more and more I'm loving being a part of this community, and it just seems like it's going to get bett

    Posted 5 years ago on Episode 2: Ignite Day 2 – 20 Comments

    comment
    I can't tell if your comment is in the cloud or stored locally on my hard drive; it doesn't have a green check

    Posted 5 years ago on Microsoft Teases OneDrive Placeholder Feature, Will Announce More Details At Build – 23 Comments

    comment
    And here I am, I just started Forza Horizon 2!  So many games...

    Posted 5 years ago on Forza Horizon 3 is Now Available Worldwide – 9 Comments

    comment
    Looking forward to listening to the new podcast.

    Posted 5 years ago on Episode 1: Kicking Off The New Podcast From Ignite – 56 Comments

    comment
    Man ... either one of these or a Chrome Cast would be a great gift for me to give my mom for Christmas, but I'

    Posted 5 years ago on Roku Introduces a New Streaming Player Lineup – 23 Comments

    comment
    Too many.  :-) I played through all of Half Life 2 as well, and I also own Cities: Skylines.  I star

    Posted 5 years ago on What games are you playing? – 10 Comments

    comment
    I felt like you at first, but just today I decided to go for it and I signed up for Premium at the reduced rat

    Posted 5 years ago on Still on the fence…HELP – 13 Comments

    comment
    Couldn't hold out any longer ... decided to take the plunge and become Premium.   So Hello everyone! &nbs

    Posted 5 years ago on Hello World – 13 Comments

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