Damn it, but computers have become really complicated

[SecretAsianMan]

I technically use utorrent but I hardly ever torrent so I don't really notice much.  The only reason I still use it is because its part of my ninite installer but it looks like they have qBittorrent on there now so I'll probably switch to that too.  But this post is mostly an excuse for me to say again how much I love ninite.

[JonCole]

Does anyone have the paid version of Ninite? I've kinda been considering it for the updates of freeware that generally require manual updating.

 

Also, what exactly is wrong with uTorrent? Ads? The weird "devices" part that's prepopulated with stuff I don't actually have? It looks sorta shitty, but it doesn't really bother me.

[SecretAsianMan]

Does anyone have the paid version of Ninite? I've kinda been considering it for the updates of freeware that generally require manual updating.

 

I've never tried the pay version.  I just run my installer once a week.

[tegan]

I use Vuze, myself. Everyone thinks it's weird, but I love it. 

[Codicier]

I use Vuze, myself. Everyone thinks it's weird, but I love it. 

 

I'm actually running Vuze 5.3 atm, the reason I've been looking around for a alternative is that its been pestering me to update to 5.4 (& I've had bad experiences with other programs being ruined by update and being unable to revert), but there's actually a lot i like about it (like the simple ability to move a file to a different folder once its complete downloading). I may just create a restore point & try 5.4, or maybe try qtorrent.

 

It's frustrating through feature creep ruins so many things, like I'm still running a version of facebook months old on my ipad just because i don't want the message function as a separate app

[JonCole]

I just bought a GTX 970 and am super stoked! Those things are relatively hard to get, seemingly out of stock everywhere except for 5 minute - 1 hour windows of time where they are briefly available at random retailers. I had to hold out for Newegg so I could use my PayPal Credit account, but I finally got an EVGA model (I was willing to go with Asus, MSI, or EVGA).

 

Now I just have to pay it off for $60/month for 6 months. :DDDDDD(

 

Edit: If you're having trouble tracking down GTX 970s, this is the site I used - http://www.nowinstock.net/computers/videocards/nvidia/gtx970/

[cyrix]

just in case anyone is still looking, deluge is a pretty good open source torrent client.

[Henroid]

Alright thumbs folks, it's time for me to modernize.

 

Next week probably I'll be getting a smart phone. My first one actually, because I saw it as a gross excess up to this point. I know jack all about the platforms for the most part and have some nit-picky criteria to be met for me to make a decision.

 

- No Apple. I've never been one of those Apple-hating types, but I don't want to be locked down to their platform in this instance. And in case there's cross-platform stuff I might want to do in the future with my Windows based computers, I don't want to run into compatibility issues or whatever. Also I'm an old man and may as well not introduce another platform in my life.

 

- I don't want to actually touch my touch screen. I need a case for the phone that has a secure holster for a stylus. Hands touch gross things and I don't want to smudge the screen.

 

- I'm actually really minimalist and won't need a super-duper horse-power piece of hardware.

 

- Are mini-keyboards a thing on these? As in not part of the touch screen?

[Dewar]

You might be one of the last people on earth who actually wants a Blackberry

 

Seriously, stylus and physical keyboard are kind of their thing.

[JonCole]

I actually just got a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to replace my Galaxy S4 that had some weird issues. I super like it and I'm finding the built-in pressure-sensitive stylus really useful. I'm taking notes all the time in Evernote and it's helping me organize my thoughts which is something I literally never did before. Also, I frequently use the stylus along with the SwiftKey keyboard to do Swype-like typing and it works very nicely. I'm looking forward to using the stylus in the winter, too.

 

That said, it is very much a big ass flagship 5.7" phone. But I like that kinda shit too, so it works.

[undermind9]

You might be one of the last people on earth who actually wants a Blackberry

Seriously, stylus and physical keyboard are kind of their thing.

I've a strong testimonial for blackberry - I use a z10 as an everyday phone and lots of work AMD love it. I've the touch screen and it took a few days but the keyboard is great and predictive text is way better than other androids I had used before, even the paid Swift key pales in comparison

The interface of melding many inboxes and messenger programs into a singular interface is pretty great

This fall they are merging Amazon apps into their pitiful store.

The physical keyboard version, q10?, works the same way but with the familiar no-look text-while-walking feel.

All being said company is switching phone plans oct 31 and ill have a nexus 5. I'll report back if still looking

[Cyborg771]

I was on the team that helped design that unified inbox thing. You're welcome I guess. I'm glad somebody likes it.

[Henroid]

Sounds like I'm getting a Blackberry then!

[Ben X]

Suddenly a large portion of Youtube videos aren't playing on my laptop - they just load for a while then give up. I don't have the issue on my desktop, so I'm wondering if it's an issue with 64-bit Chrome which I installed on my lappy after Gormongous recommended it, or perhaps something to do with internet or processor speed. Or maybe it's an html5 player issue that my desktop just isn't having for some reason.

[tegan]

Goddamnit, for some reason Windows Explorer keeps crashing and restarting on me. It seems to be a fairly common problem with no agreed-upon solution. I've mostly got it under control now thanks to one fix that I found, but I can't figure out what's triggering it.

[JonCole]

Suddenly a large portion of Youtube videos aren't playing on my laptop - they just load for a while then give up. I don't have the issue on my desktop, so I'm wondering if it's an issue with 64-bit Chrome which I installed on my lappy after Gormongous recommended it, or perhaps something to do with internet or processor speed. Or maybe it's an html5 player issue that my desktop just isn't having for some reason.

 

Do they work in IE?

[JonCole]

Goddamnit, for some reason Windows Explorer keeps crashing and restarting on me. It seems to be a fairly common problem with no agreed-upon solution. I've mostly got it under control now thanks to one fix that I found, but I can't figure out what's triggering it.

 

Is it occurring with any kind of consistency? Like, when you open a folder or program, for instance?

[tegan]

Funny thing: I was just having problems this morning with it restarting any time I opened an mp3 from the Phantom of the Paradise soundtrack. I moved the folder and now it works fine. So weird.

[Twig]

...was the path too long?

 

If it's really long sometimes programs might have issues with it. I don't know. Just sort of a random guess.

[Ben X]

Do they work in IE?

 

Good point, I haven't tried other browsers yet. EDIT: bah, this one worked this time! I'll wait 'til another one that doesn't work after refreshes and coming back later, then try it in FF and IE. Thanks JC!

[Dewar]

Goddamnit, for some reason Windows Explorer keeps crashing and restarting on me. It seems to be a fairly common problem with no agreed-upon solution. I've mostly got it under control now thanks to one fix that I found, but I can't figure out what's triggering it.

 

Try turning off the preview pane and the content view?

[Ben X]

Do they work in IE?

 

So, here's one that's just perpetu-loading, but works immediately in Firefox (I disabled IE while on a Windows-optimising spree).

 

 

EDIT: It actually works in Chrome in this embedded version!

[Ben X]

Okay, gifs on twitter.com don't seem to work either (but do in Firefox).

 

EDIT: ok, apparently twitter converts them to mp4s, so I have no idea if that's related to the YT problem. Thanks twitter.

[Henroid]

Where would you folks recommend I order PC parts from online? I've got things squared away and can finally order for / repair my months-dead PC.

[JonCole]

Where would you folks recommend I order PC parts from online? I've got things squared away and can finally order for / repair my months-dead PC.

 

I pretty much buy everything from Newegg. Tigerdirect is also kinda big in Florida, as far as physical stores go, so sometimes I get parts there if I need them in a pinch. Amazon is okay too, but they don't tend to have very many good deals unless they're price matching.

 

If you're in CA, I'd recommend keeping an eye out for deals at Fry's. They often have amazing processor or processor/mobo combo deals.

 

Basically what I did when I made my computer was plug the whole thing into PCPartPicker as a means of monitoring sales on the exact components I wanted. Then I looked at Newegg Shellshocker deals every day, plus subscribed to their email deals that go out weekly. If there's a good enough deal, it changed my mind on various things. I was prepared to buy a budget Corsair case (200R), but there was an amazing deal on a Fractal Design R4 that cut it's price to about $15 more than the 200R. The R4 is a top-tier case, so the deal swayed me. Also for parts like power supplies, I'm not incredibly picky with brands so if I see a 80 Plus Gold/Platinum 500+ W modular supply go up I'm going to grab it unless reviews are poor.