Random Question Thread: Tech

**BaneTheBrawler** · 2012-08-30 17:31

So some big things are happening in my life and I'm hopefully going to be going back to school soon, as well as coming into a fair chunk of change.

I'd like to get a netbook for school/writing/taxes/mobile web browsing/music playing. My dad suggested the Microsoft Surface tablet, but I'm not keen on touch-screen. I guess they have attachable keyboards and stuff, though, so I suppose Tablets are still in. I'd want it to be able to do video streaming without issue, as well as run Office.

Got any suggestions? Feedback on the Surface? I haven't looked into at it at all yet, so any info is useful.

**Isiolia** · 2012-08-30 22:51

Surface won't be out until Windows 8 launches, and even then the one MS slated to launch is the RT (ARM based, only runs new Windows apps sourced from the Windows apps store). The Pro model likely won't be out until the new year (and will likely be $900-1000+). So it depends on your timeframe on that.

The bigger thing right now for the small/light style are Ultrabooks, though they're substantially more expensive than the netbook style stuff. Still, if your budget allows for it, I'd go for one of those (or a decent small laptop) over a netbook.

**BaneTheBrawler** · 2012-08-31 02:20

Well, I'm not going to be doing ANY gaming on this second computer. At all. I have issues with distraction, and I need a separate device to do work/school stuff (Basically lots of Office) on. I'd also like to be able to use it to look things up on the internet when I'm out and about, hence the video streaming. By that I mean able to handle Youtube, etc. Anything more powerful than that would be wasted for my purposes.

Yeah, after looking at the Surface some, I'm not really that interested in it.

**Adajer** · 2012-09-01 08:15

So this is new to me, but apparently has been in development for several years now. There are some new 21:9 resolution monitors coming up. Any idea if current games support it? Will the viewable area be expanded like with a nvidia surround/eyefinity set up but without the distortion looking effect on the sides?

It is 2560x1080 resolution. I read somewhere that movie theaters use this 21:9 ratio.

**hey** · 2012-09-01 16:01

Originally Posted by Adajer

Any idea if current games support it?

Any decent game should support any AR. I don't know why you'd want it over a 2560x1600 monitor though..

**Adajer** · 2012-09-01 19:34

Well, like i asked, since it is so wide. Can you see more horizontally while gaming? Like how you see a bit more with triple monitors.

**hey** · 2012-09-01 22:41

Originally Posted by Adajer

Well, like i asked, since it is so wide. Can you see more horizontally while gaming? Like how you see a bit more with triple monitors.

More than a 1920x1080, yes. like i said, most games will support any AR, or resolution.

**Adajer** · 2012-09-01 22:52

I wasnt asking if it will support the aspect ratio. I was asking what will gaming look like. Will it be stretched? Will it have extra viewing area on the sides like when triple monitor set ups?
You said yes. That is all i wanted to know, ty.

**hey** · 2012-09-01 23:18

Originally Posted by Adajer

im not asking if it will support the aspect ratio.

That's exactly what you are asking.

I am asking what will gaming look like. Will it be stretched? Will it have extra viewing area on the sides like when triple monitor set ups?

As far as a game is concerned, there is no difference between 3 monitors and one reaaallly wide monitor. Pretty much any game can render to any arbitrary resolution, regardless of AR.

To be clear: The answer is yes. It will not be stretched. Older games may give you trouble, but anything even remotely recent will work at any resolution.

**hey** · 2012-09-02 00:33

wrong thread.

**Omniyoji** · 2012-09-02 00:35

Originally Posted by hey

wrong thread/

And I was beginning to think you were a robot...

**hey** · 2012-09-02 00:44

Originally Posted by Omniyoji

And I was beginning to think you were a robot...

Uh, what?

**Omniyoji** · 2012-09-03 14:26

Anyone know or read studies on inductive charging affecting battery life?

**hey** · 2012-09-03 14:49

No different than wired charging, except perhaps in how it might affect your charging habits.

**Datonare** · 2012-09-04 10:34

Got a question on SSD installation. Right now my wife's pc has a standard HDD with windows 7 and everrything installed on it and we just got the SSD in today. As far as installation goes, would I disconnect the HDD, connect the SSD, boot up the pc and install windows on it and have it as the primary boot thingy in BIOS? Once windows is installed I can just go ahead and reconnect the HDD? That is to say I want the PC to boot windows from the SSD. Will leaving a windows install on the HDD do anything as long as I don't boot from it?

**Zimman** · 2012-09-04 10:38

Installed a illegal copy of Microsoft Office and my pc has been having issues since. When I try to uninstall (even in safemode) I get an error saying cannot complete uninstall. It may be a virus, not really sure. Initial virus scans didn't pick up anything, but I did have some spyware which I usually don't. Haven't really dug into it yet.

Anyone know a good program to remove office completely, or should I just try a system restore. Not sure if that will even work, or if I should avoid due to a possible virus.

**Niya** · 2012-09-04 10:52

Originally Posted by Datonare

Got a question on SSD installation. Right now my wife's pc has a standard HDD with windows 7 and everrything installed on it and we just got the SSD in today. As far as installation goes, would I disconnect the HDD, connect the SSD, boot up the pc and install windows on it and have it as the primary boot thingy in BIOS? Once windows is installed I can just go ahead and reconnect the HDD? That is to say I want the PC to boot windows from the SSD. Will leaving a windows install on the HDD do anything as long as I don't boot from it?

Should work fine this way. It's even a good thing to unplug the old HDD, otherwise the new Win7 install would just add itself to the boot loader of the old one. And that could give you a headache when you ever decide that you want to delete the partition of the old install and can't because the boot loader resides on it... (well, unless your old install has a separate boot partition)
As long as you set the boot order in BIOS right you can have a boot loader on every disk in the system and it won't affect anything.

**Omniyoji** · 2012-09-04 11:51

Originally Posted by Zimman

Installed a illegal copy of Microsoft Office and my pc has been having issues since. When I try to uninstall (even in safemode) I get an error saying cannot complete uninstall. It may be a virus, not really sure. Initial virus scans didn't pick up anything, but I did have some spyware which I usually don't. Haven't really dug into it yet.

Anyone know a good program to remove office completely, or should I just try a system restore. Not sure if that will even work, or if I should avoid due to a possible virus.

Download the appropriate removal tool from microsoft. Google Microsoft Office removal tool. See if that works.

**Zimman** · 2012-09-04 21:41

Tried the Microsoft tool, and it just sat at 'Loading Setup.exe' for about 45 minutes.

Loaded again and it did the same thing. Decided to try the normal Program Uninstall method for the hell of it, and was surprised I didn't get an error right away like before. Eventually got an error saying cannot find XXX, please make sure you have access. Hit retry, and it ended up uninstalling. Not sure what really happened but its gone now. Whole thing was weird and slightly worried this isn't the problem.

Thanks for the help though

Edit: Sorry for double

**Zimman** · 2012-09-04 21:41

Tried the Microsoft tool, and it just sat at 'Loading Setup.exe' for about 45 minutes.

Loaded again and it did the same thing. Decided to try the normal Program Uninstall method for the hell of it, and was surprised I didn't get an error right away like before. Eventually got an error saying cannot find XXX, please make sure you have access. Hit retry, and it ended up uninstalling. Not sure what really happened but its gone now. Whole thing was weird and slightly worried this isn't the problem.

Thanks for the help though

Thread: Random Question Thread: Tech

Thread Tools

Latest Threads

Up & Coming Threads

Hottest Threads