Pem’s Tech Blog

I recently built a desktop computer (from parts).  Warning, it’s been up and running for at least a few weeks, so some of the parts may already be outdated.  The most obvious change is that AMD will soon be releasing Bulldozer CPU’s.  However, there’s always better hardware coming out…  And I didn’t want to put it off any longer (my old computer was really falling apart, and becoming a distraction / liability).

Parts:
* HAF 932 AMD Edition (AMD Fusion dragon computer case), $160
* Corsair AX1200, $280 minus $10 mail-in rebate
* Asus Crosshair IV Formula, $215 on newegg.com
* CPU cooler, Thermalright Silver Arrow, $90, amazon.com
* CPU, AMD Phenom II X6, Socket AM3, $200 for 3.2 ghz, minus $50 rebate
* GPU, Asus DirectCU II Radeon HD 6970, oversized and overpriced, but less loud than other 6970′s, $400 minus $60 rebate
* DDR3 memory x 16 GB (4 GB x 4 slots) ($300, overpriced)
* Optical Drive with Blu-ray, $110 on newegg.com
* HDD, WD Caviar Black, $170 on newegg.com

Total: 160 + 270 + 215 + 170 + 90 + 150 + 340 + 300 + 110 = $1805

Extras (which put it over $2000):
* air filters to reduce dust
* extra case fan, reversed 3 of 4 fans to create negative air pressure
* extra hdd’s, including a very expensive and very fast SSD, 240 GB OCZ Vertex 3

Reuse: I reused my KVM, keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, furniture. I got a new mouse pad shortly about a month after the computer was setup (Razor Ironclad), b/c the paint on my desk (which is made of particle board) is bumpy and erratic.  If I get anything else for the computer in the next year (12 months or so), it probably won’t be anything expensive.

Goals affecting hardware choices – high performance & stability, less noise
I didn’t get workstation hardware (you could easily spend over $5,000), and I got an AMD CPU (at the time of writing, the Phenom II X6 costs significantly less than an equivalent Intel Core i7).  But other than that, cost was not a significant factor.  In case it’s not obvious, this is very much an AMD computer (AMD CPU, AMD GPU, and AMD chipsets on the motherboard).

A primary goal was to have reasonably high cooling (and stability), but with significantly less noise than my old computer.  Bigger fans typically means less noise per airflow (CFM).  This goal influenced my choices for almost every component.

In some cases, I picked a component with lower performance, not due to the price, but due to my concerns about noise.  Example, the Asus Crosshair IV Extreme is higher end than the Asus Crosshair IV Formula, but it has an annoying tiny/loud chipset fan.  Example, the 6990 (at the time of writing) only had a reference version, which had a much louder fan.

I also decided to go with (negative air pressure) and (dust filters) to reduce dust.  The dust filters are DemciFlex, which are magnetic, and custom size/shape.  Only my case’s front fan is an exhaust fan.  The rest are intake fans.  This is to create negative air pressure (to reduce dust).

I also wanted a better (cleaner, neater, bigger) case, with better cable management and big fans (low noise but high airflow).  I decided on the AMD Edition of the HAF 932.  The standard HAF 932 has a big fan on the side, but the AMD Edition replaces the fan with a bigger window, with an AMD Fusion dragon logo on it.  I’m not sure if I would normally trade a big fan for a bigger window.  But, I do like the big window (and AMD theme).

Pem (Admin) :: 2011/05/15 (Sunday, May 15, 2011) :: Computers / Tech, Hardware :: 1 Comment »

I have some really old DDR memory from Crucial (years old).  It recently broke, and I heard Crucial has a lifetime warranty on it.  I got it directly from their website, crucial.com.  And I submit an RMA request to replace the 1 GB stick, for free, also from crucial.com.  It sent me an address label and RMA paper to print.  I put them in a regular envelope with a 42 cent USPS stamp on it, and put it in the USPS box.  They sent me the replacement, with no additional hassle.  I didn’t have to call them on the phone even once, or keep track of some years old warranty paper or number.  Pretty low hassle, especially since the broken RAM fit in an envelope.

Somewhere in the RMA papers, I think it said to put it in the original package, so I was worried they wouldn’t accept it in a plain standard envelope…  Fortunately, they sent me the replacement anyway.

I more recently got some DDR3 from newegg.com, branded G.Skill.  If it breaks, I just hope it’s as easy to RMA as that 1 GB DDR stick from crucial.com.  If not, then I’ll regret getting (G.Skill from newegg.com) rather than (Crucial from crucial.com).

Pem (Admin) :: 2011/05/01 (Sunday, May 1, 2011) :: Computers / Tech, Hardware :: No Comments »

For a period of time, I had begun to feel like mobile AMD CPU’s were having trouble competing with mobile Intel CPU’s (I’m specifically talking about mobile, not desktop, not server / workstation).  For example, I had some worries about if there might be a higher likelihood of heat problems (and battery life).  However, the Fusion APU’s completely change that.  laptopmag.com gave the HP Pavilian dm1z with Fusion APU an editor’s choice, and said, “Despite its small size, the dm1z is one of the coolest notebooks we’ve yet tested” and “blows past Atom-based netbooks while providing enough endurance to see you through the day”.  As mobile x86 CPUs and APUs allow smaller devices with low heat and all day battery life…  It might turn out that eventually the ARM tablets (iPad etc) turn out to be a fad.

Pem (Admin) :: 2011/01/23 (Sunday, January 23, 2011) :: Computers / Tech, Hardware, Mobility :: No Comments »

The iPad supports bluetooth 2.1 keyboards.  But there’s two keyboards in particular that Apple is initially pushing.

The iPad Keyboard Dock has special function buttons on the top row: home button, search button (redundant since you can just press the home button twice?), brightness down, brightness up, picture frame mode toggle, software keyboard toggle, a mysterious unlabeled button, music/video media controls (track left, pause/play toggle, track right), volume mute, volume up, volume down, screen lock.  One thing I like about it is that the bottom left keys are (Control, Option, Command).

However, the deal breaker is that the keyboard is attached to the dock, and the dock doesn’t fold – so this makes it less portable.

When you checkout from the online Apple store with an iPad, the other keyboard they try to sell you is the Apple Wireless Keyboard.  I’ve used one at a Best Buy display, and I think it’s pretty slick overall (in particular, it’s small size).  However, I’m not sure how well it would fit in my laptop bag next to the iPad, with that raised cylinder.  The other concern is whether the F keys work the same as with the iPad keyboard dock.  I am hopeful that they do, even though they are labeled differently.

However, the deal breaker is that the bottom left keys are (Fn, Control, Option, Command).  The position of the Fn key is confusing for shortucts.

A similar thing that may kill me, regardless of what I do, is that, when I use Mac OS X, I remap Command to Control (and Control to Command), so that most Windows shortcuts (like ctrl+X, ctrl+C, ctrl+V – cut, copy, paste) work the same.  I am doubtful about this being easy to do on the iPad.  I know it’s close-minded, but shortcuts like cut copy paste are for my left pinky finger – not my left thumb!!!

For now, I’m waiting to hear more info about specifically how the iPad works with the specific keyboard keys…  And whether they will release another Apple Wireless Keyboard (for iPad) that doesn’t have the Fn key.  Or another iPad Keyboard Dock, that is more portable.

Update: I still don’t like that the wireless keyboard has a Fn key.  And it looks like you can’t remap the keyboard keys (like I do on Mac OS X, swapping control and command).  So you still have to do (Cmd+X, Cmd+C, Cmd+V) for (cut, copy, paste), which is the Windows equivalent of having to do (Alt+X, Alt+C, Alt+V) instead of (Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V) – in terms of the hand positioning (muscle memory for keyboard shortcuts).  However, overall, my biggest gripe is that I want an Apple wireless keyboard without that Fn key.  It really bothers me (in terms of muscle memory for keyboard shortcuts), since it means Control is no longer on the very bottom left!  I think I’d be a lot happier if they put Fn key on the right side of the spacebar.

Pem (Admin) :: 2010/04/11 (Sunday, April 11, 2010) :: Hardware, Mac OS, Mobility :: No Comments »

I am interested in the iPad.  The reason is not because it’s awesome (although it is, but so are a lot of other things).  The reason is because they are first to market, and it may be a while before something that is really in the same category comes out.  The general category is, bigger than a smart phone but smaller a laptop.  However, that’s not the entire story.

I’ve pretty much lost interest in single-purpose one-color slow-screen-refresh devices, like the Amazon Kindle, or Barnes and Noble Nook.

Today’s netbooks are still slow, because Intel Atom is slow (and at the same time, Atom’s power efficiency is worse than ARM devices).  There are even some thin keyboard-less Atom tablets (such as Archos 9 PC) (Asus has a rumored Eee Tablet), and convertible Atom tablets (such as an Asus Eee model).  But that’s still a different category – an undersized x86 Windows computer (with an x86 OS), rather than an oversized ARM device (with an ARM OS).

This is the same reason why I would call the upcoming HP Slate PC to still be a significantly different category.  Yes there’s starting to be more overlap in functionality, making it feel somewhat gray.  Yes, there will be a stronger push for x86 keyboard-less tablets too.  But running (Windows 7 on a real x86 computer) vs. running (iPhone OS on an ARM device) is still a completely different experience – even if they are both tablets with screen sizes that are about the same size.  Also, HP Slate PC isn’t out yet (rumors say June).

Another iPad competitor that looked sort of cool is the TouchBook (it’s a small ARM netbook).  And it did come out before the iPad…  But I’m skeptical about the resistive touch screen (it’s also a little thicker, even without the keyboard).  In the end, it’s another ARM tablet that supports Android OS (and other mobile OS’s), although I do love the detachable screen / keyboard design.

The real competitor for iPad (in terms of category) is other similar sized ARM devices.  Later this might include Windows Mobile 7, or even Palm Web OS, or Nokia Symbian (or who knows – maybe even BlackBerry?).  But right now the main known competitor is Android.  That’s in the near future, but not a lot out yet.  Plus, there might be further delays (before we get something that really competes) relating to Android fragmentation and multitouch support?

So I’m definitely considering an iPad myself (for now) – unless I see some really amazing Android Tablet coming out within the next month.  Then, in a year or 2 (or 3), I may also be in the market for an x86 tablet (or convertible laptop).  Maybe a nice x86 tablet with an awesome AMD/ATI Fusion processor

Finally, I would like to admit that the current separation between (x86 with desktop OS: Windows 7, Mac OS X, Linux) and (ARM with mobile OS: iPhone, Android, Palm, Symbian, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry) may become even more gray.  Because both Android OS and Chrome OS support both ARM and x86.  For example, the WePad is x86, yet it’s going to run Android.

Pem (Admin) :: 2010/04/11 (Sunday, April 11, 2010) :: Hardware, Mac OS, Mobility :: No Comments »

Background
I am both a software developer and a frequent traveler, and I have both enjoyment and productivity uses for portable computing.  This even applies to desktops (ie, portable desktop computers).

There are some really small examples like fit-PC2i and LinTop.  And there is a decent variety of NetTop options, including Asus EeeBox, ASRock Mini PC series, Acer Aspire Revo, and other NetTop computers (Intel Atom, Nvidia Ion).  However, for my personal use, these options are just too slow (Intel Atom is too slow).

So what I’m really looking at is either a Mac Mini or a Mac Mini competitor.  The Viewsonic VOT550 sounds good too, but I think a better competitor for the Mac Mini is the Dell Inspiron Zino HD.

Zino HD vs. Mac Mini
Here are advantages of the Mac Mini (over the Zino HD):
* slightly smaller/lighter: (6.5 x 6.5 x 2 in, 2.9 lb) vs. (7.8 x 7.8 x 3.4 in, 3.5 lb)
* slightly faster CPU (not by much) (uses more heat/power)
* slightly faster memory (DDR3 vs. DDR2) (more expensive per GB)
* official support for Mac OS X (does not require hackintosh)
* 2.5 hdd helps it be physically smaller, but only 5400 rpm and less GB per $
* the $999 server option has a 2nd hdd instead of an optical drive

Here are advantages of the Zino HD (over the Mac Mini):
* more options, broader price range, lower cost per performance/features
* discrete graphics option (ATI Radeon HD 4330)
* eSATA, Blu-ray, HDMI, memory card reader
* supports 8 GB RAM (Mac Mini only claims support for 4 GB?)
* 3.5 hdd is faster, 7200 rpm, more GB, but physically bigger

Mac Mini is 2 inches high, while the Zino HD is 3.4 inches high.  But the Zino HD has eSATA, Blu-ray, HDMI, discrete graphics – making it a better HTPC.  I think the rest of the differences are mostly just minor trade-offs.

To make the Mac Mini smaller, I still wish they would just remove the optical drive.  I definitely like the Mac Mini’s $999 two hdd option.  But even for the Mac Mini, I’d still rather they just have a one hdd option with smaller dimensions (ie, fit it into a smaller case).

Overall, I like the Zino HD’s extra features/options (and lower price per performance/features).  However, some obvious things I would like to see them do to make it smaller are (use a 2.5 hdd) and (remove the optical drive) and (remove anything else that takes up space, such as the memory card reader).  Of course Blu-ray is great for HTPC, but my interest is more about a reasonably powerful PC with high portability (small, light weight, durable, fits in backpack).

My specific situation
Finally, I should mention some details about my specific setup.  My plan is to run all three major OS’s using a KVM switch (one more powerful desktop with Windows 7, one Mac Mini with Mac OS X, and one Linux computer that is similar in portability and performance to a Mac Mini).  I’m planning to run Ubuntu Linux (and/or openSUSE) (maybe Fedora) on this third desktop computer.  And I have a strong preference to portability (hence why I want one 2.5 hdd and no optical drive).

If you’re looking at a Mac Mini because you want to run Mac OS X, then it’s probably a better choice (unless you just think it would be fun to try hackintosh).

If you’re looking at Mac Mini vs. Zino HD for HTPC (Home Theatre PC), then I think Zino HD is clearly a better choice, because it has Blu-ray DVD and a discrete GPU (plus HDMI).  Plus, a 3.5 hdd with two eSATA ports gives you high speed/bandwidth and lots of GB storage for large video files.

For my situation, it’s a more difficult choice.  For my situation, both Mac Mini and Zino HD are bigger than they need to be – because I don’t want an internal optical drive (I’d rather use an external optical drive that I don’t have to take in my backpack).

So far, I’m strongly leaning towards Zino HD for Linux.  One reason is (discrete GPU, eSATA, 8 GB mem).  But I have to admit that it’s also partly just because I’d rather carry around (one Mac Mini with Mac OS X, and one Zino HD with Linux OS) than carry around (one Mac Mini with Mac OS X, and a second Mac Mini with Linux OS).

Pictures: Mac Mini vs. Zino HD

Pictures: fit-PC2i vs. Mac Mini

Pem (Admin) :: 2010/03/28 (Sunday, March 28, 2010) :: Hardware, Mobility :: 3 Comments »

1) iPod touch 64GB (the highest now is 32GB at $500, but I am waiting for the 64GB)
Multimedia device (audio / video / photo, podcasts, music, music videos, etc). Great web browsing on a device. Multitouch interface and growing applications platform (SDK from Apple).

2) AT&T Tilt: Windows Mobile 6 ($300 with AT&T 2 yr. contract) or other Smart Phone with slide-out keyboard (Verizon XV6800, Verizon’s Samsung SCH-i760, T-Mobile Wing)
Business-style cell phone (instead of an iPhone) with great wide slide-out QWERTY keyboard and big screen. Awesome for Microsoft Office Mobile applications like OneNote, Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint. Use as primary email/text (instead of iPod touch). Platform for applications like IM clients, Skype/Gizmo, etc (use keyboard) (SDK from Microsoft). Personal choice, I prefer long slide-out keyboard (vs. top half is screen, bottom half is keyboard, such as BlackBerry)

3) Dash Express GPS (uses WiFi for traffic and other cool stuff) ($400)
The WiFi (and/or data plan) makes this the next generation GPS, and lets you do extra things like (send it an address from your computer) and (search gas prices, yahoo directory, use widgets) and (get free map database updates) and (get better traffic data, since every Dash GPS user’s anonymous current speed/location data is automatically shared to the Dash’s network). However, I may want to wait for a future generation or competitor b/c CNET review said the GPS is inaccurate “a few blocks off”.

Honorable mention:

iPhone (iPod touch won for me, since AT&T Tilt is my phone, and I want the higher capacity on the iPod touch)

Nokia N810 internet tablet (iPod touch won for web browsing, AT&T Tilt won for typing email and office applications)

Nokia N96: not as a WiFi device, but as a great option as your phone, with a great camera (as far as camera phones go)

Pem (Admin) :: 2008/05/20 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008) :: Hardware :: No Comments »