New Computer Time

By Shamus Posted Wednesday Mar 8, 2006

Filed under: Random 5 comments

I’m shopping for a new computer, and I run into this unintentional humor at Tiger Direct. Check it out:

This magnificent machine runs on Windows' brand new XP Media Center Edition … light years more advanced, intuitive and magical than any other operating system on Earth … the perfect system to take full advantage of the unprecedented features of this wonderful PC.

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?

 


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5 thoughts on “New Computer Time

  1. mom says:

    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

  2. foobario says:

    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.

  3. dan says:

    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.

  4. Boingophile says:

    Dell is just evil in general.

  5. Alighieri says:

    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.

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