T w e n t y S i d e d
I’m shopping for a new computer, and I run into this unintentional humor at Tiger Direct. Check it out:
It takes a special blend of ignorance and foolishness to call windows “intuitive and magical”. You guys DO know there are other operating systems out there, don’t you?
I mean, magical? Are you kidding me?
I’m looking for a machine with 1GB of memory and about 3Ghz of “oomph”. Something in that neighborhood. This machine looks like it fits the bill, but it’s a Gateway.
Last time I got a big-brand PC it was wall-to-wall with annoying “helper” software that made the blasted thing infuriating to use. Just one example of many: Put in a music CD, and instead of doing something intuitive or magical like playing the CD, it instead popped up with an ad for me to register my copy of Musicmatch. The whole machine worked this way. I’d try to do something simple, and get an ad in the face. The first time I booted it up, the system tray was packed with useless nonsense, and I was buried in popups to register this, activate that, check for new versions, enter my user info, configure something else. It took ages to uninstall this stuff to the point where the computer was “clean” and ready for me to start installing stuff. (For the curious, the machine was an HP. Never, ever again.)
It was a nightmare, and after that I swore I’d never get another big-brand machine again.
Suggestions?
Bethesda NEVER Understood Fallout
Let's count up the ways in which Bethesda has misunderstood and misused the Fallout property.
Free Radical
The product of fandom run unchecked, this novel began as a short story and grew into something of a cult hit.
Dead Island
A stream-of-gameplay review of Dead Island. This game is a cavalcade of bugs and bad design choices.
Top 64 Videogames
Lists of 'best games ever' are dumb and annoying. But like a self-loathing hipster I made one anyway.
Video Compression Gone Wrong
How does image compression work, and why does it create those ugly spots all over some videos and not others?
Hi Hon,
When i read the title I thought that you were writing an article about a new way to measure or display time. Then, as I read the article I thought you were making fun of them for saying it was “lightyears” ahead of.. ( so where is this computer os, on alpha centari ?) I was nearly through the article when I realized you are talking about getting a NEW Computer. Congrats. Alas I have no suggestions. Can’t someone sell you a “plain” computer for you to outfit? They have to exist. Let me guess…they are much more expensive. Freedom is always expensive.
Love
Mom
The first thing I do with any computer, regardless of where it came from, is whack the hard drive and do a clean install of the OS. There’s no good reason to be held hostage by that annoying “helper” software.
I buy computers from whoever gives me the best value, and I don’t include the installed OS in that calculation.
I have to agree with Fabio. Just do a clean sweep of the machine. my only suggestion is don’t go Dell they are a nightmare to work on hardware wise. They make me want to bleed my eyesockets dry.
Dell is just evil in general.
i’d say go find someone to make a custom comp for you, i did so and i got quite some “oomph” for not that much, and the guy who made it already installed the ‘basics’like antivirus, win10, microsoft office, etc.