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  1. Mercutio

    Mega-Storage

    I have a lean, stable configuration for my file servers that's based on Fedora. ZFS is quite tempting but given the volume of storage I'm dealing with I really don't want to go messing around with my set up, especially with the current uncertainty about the direction of Solaris. I figure that a...
  2. Mercutio

    Hybred Drives

    I've been quite tempted to try the Seagate 500GB Hybrid drive but I can't quite justify it for myself.
  3. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    APC Netshelters make good coffee tables.
  4. Mercutio

    PCI express 2.0 in a PCIE slot?

    Generally yes but compatibility is not assured. I've not had a problem sticking Radeon 4000-series cards on ancient LGA775 motherboards.
  5. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    My rack systems really aren't loud at all. They're not as quiet as my desktop PCs but they're bolted in their racks with the door shut. I can only hear them when I'm standing right next to their enclosures. Swapping the factory fans makes a huge difference though.
  6. Mercutio

    WTB: Windows XP x64

    Something something something MSDN can be used for pre-sales something something.
  7. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    I don't like the layout of Antec's rackmount chassis. Not enough drive bays.
  8. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    That would be a spiffy tool for a modest backup system, but I haven't seen a rackmount machine with a 5.25" drive bay in ages.
  9. Mercutio

    WTB: Windows XP x64

    Say, Stereodude, you want to buy a computer system from me, don't you? *whistle* *cough*
  10. Mercutio

    Toshiba, Realtek and Microsoft shit eaters.

    I've had problems getting proper drivers from Toshiba's web site for years, Coug, but in that regard at least they aren't Acer.
  11. Mercutio

    Mega-Storage

    I hope that guy spent some money on an LTO changer to go with all those WD drives. 'Cause I'm sure he'll be getting some use out of it.
  12. Mercutio

    Help with inexpensive "Server" build

    Onboard RAID1 should be possible with anything that supports a modern (ICH7 or newer) Intel southbridge.
  13. Mercutio

    Help with inexpensive "Server" build

    Absolutely. You'll find your solid caps that way for sure.
  14. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    I usually shove SSDs between the drive bays and the right side panel of the chassis. They're cushioned by all the other cables and crap I stick back there so they aren't moving around. That beats screwing around with 2.5" to 3.5" adapters.
  15. Mercutio

    Affordable graphics cards

    After all the times I sent my 8800GTX back, I'm not taking any chances at all with $300+ graphics cards and warranty issues. Current ATI software is fine. It took me a while to get it all straightened out on my 5870, but I suspect that was a combination of new card + platform they don't test...
  16. Mercutio

    Least expensive SATA laptop that would allow a Vertex Turbo to work at full speed?

    Basically anything that's new enough to use DDR3 should have a modern SATAII controller.
  17. Mercutio

    Help with inexpensive "Server" build

    My file servers are ancient C2D E6300s on solid-cap Gigabyte boards, though I don't remember specifically which model (IIRC, they have 12 onboard SATA ports and DDR2 and DDR3 DIMM slots, so whichever one that was). They each have 700W Seasonic PSUs, 2GB DDR2 and use a pair of 250GB drives in...
  18. Mercutio

    Affordable graphics cards

    One thing about XFX and its warranties is that they're really, really serious about making you register your card when you get it in order to qualify.
  19. Mercutio

    Smallish 2.5" drives

    Let me know how much you want for 'em.
  20. Mercutio

    Affordable graphics cards

    I really hope that's a typo 'cause a 4% better 3DMark score and less processing geegaws in trade for lower idle power consumption doesn't seem that interesting
  21. Mercutio

    Fun with Windows Office 2007

    I can at least see the point to having Sharepoint, though I suspect that in larger corporate settings implementing it is just an extension of the office-peon tendency to do absolutely everything in Excel so they don't have to learn some other tool.
  22. Mercutio

    Affordable graphics cards

    They're comparing last year's $250 card to this year's $325 card.
  23. Mercutio

    Smallish 2.5" drives

    Lots. I carry five drives around in my notebook bag. I seem to find new reasons to have them all the damned time.
  24. Mercutio

    Parallel printer at the end of a CAT5 run

    Parallel ports use IIRC 17 pins in standard operation so you'd need three cables and possibly a dumb repeater as well for a run of that length. I have to imagine that the bulk of 3 cat5 strands has to be comparable to a normal parallel cable.
  25. Mercutio

    Smallish 2.5" drives

    Does anyone have any smallish, working 2.5" drives they're looking to part with for some reasonable price? I'm looking for 30GB+ drives, IDE or SATA.
  26. Mercutio

    Affordable graphics cards

    That doesn't look like an apples to apples comparison to me. In fact, it looks kind of underwhelming.
  27. Mercutio

    Fun with Windows Office 2007

    Don't use those things.
  28. Mercutio

    How to be Adobe Free?

    Sadly, Foxit Reader is also getting rather bloated. I think the installer is up to 6MB now and it spews crap like browser toolbars on your computer, too. I'm giving serious thought to moving to Sumatra. The Foxit Reader installer that's available on ninite.com doesn't install the extra crap at...
  29. Mercutio

    Fun with Windows Office 2007

    It's basically using the IE embeddable component inside your Firefox Window, so it's using whatever IE is on your computer. There are options to let it inherit settings from Firefox as well. The only place I use IEtab is to pay my power bill. Even MSDN subscriber downloads don't require IE any...
  30. Mercutio

    LCD Woes

    This is why there is value to occasionally paying attention in those liberal arts classes they make you take when you get a real degree instead of going to a glorified trade school.
  31. Mercutio

    Fun with Windows Office 2007

    I think the word "fun" in the headline might also be inaccurate, since no one in the history of time has ever had fun with Office. ;)
  32. Mercutio

    LCD Woes

    I want to know where LM is getting lesbian video cards. Some of my friends would be very interested in them.
  33. Mercutio

    Fun with Windows Office 2007

    I'm sure he did, but in this post he sounds like some of the less clueful folks I help, e.g. "What version of Windows do you have?" "It has Word!" "Um..." "2003 Word!"
  34. Mercutio

    400W 80Plus Bronze PSU : 35$

    Newegg has the very nice Antec NSK 4482B with a nice Antec 380W PSU for $65 +$3 shipping with coupon code EMCZYZX86 right now. Great case, good styling, solid if not fantastic PSU.
  35. Mercutio

    Fun with Windows Office 2007

    What is a Windows Office 2007?
  36. Mercutio

    How to identify MSDN licenses

    I just bought some back in August and got 10. I redeem all the keys and save the list first thing.
  37. Mercutio

    How to identify MSDN licenses

    Also, given that the system is in China, give the guy some credit for using any kind of legitimate license. He probably could have obtained a pirated copy of a fake license even more easily than one that really can pass Activation and Genuine Validation.
  38. Mercutio

    How to identify MSDN licenses

    The least expensive sub that allows access to Windows and Office is US$200. You get 10 keys for each product, with some international editions counting as different products (Windows 7 N and K have different keys for each edition). Each key can be re-activated a certain number of times: Vista...
  39. Mercutio

    PC Gaming = World of Suck

    I've looked at Youtube videos and I really do not get Minecraft at all.
  40. Mercutio

    Injecting network latency for testing

    I was thinking that you could just use a second WANem session to represent the additional variable delay for your new device. Two WANems in series, I suppose.
  41. Mercutio

    Injecting network latency for testing

    Why can't you just run an additional VM with another instance of WANem? You're doing all static routes anyway, right?
  42. Mercutio

    Something Random

    4000 is a good number of posts to have.
  43. Mercutio

    HTPC build

    Yes. These days Netflix streaming is built in to a lot of BD players and all the game consoles, so that's not a particularly interesting trick any more. I think my TV will stream Pandora if you give it an internet connection, too.
  44. Mercutio

    HTPC build

    I can think of a few reasons, starting with flexibility to easily adopt new technologies instead of waiting for consumer electronics to catch on to something, ease of control from doing everything with a single device (my mom can't work a satellite TV box + Tivo but she does OK with just an HTPC...
  45. Mercutio

    PC Gaming = World of Suck

    Gog.com has added Planescape: Torment, very possibly the best role playing game of all time, period; and also Icewind Dale, another Infinity Engine title, to its list of available products.
  46. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    It's extremely unrealistic to think you're going to get any greater subjective improvement once you've gotten the SSD thing going. I say use what you have and be happy that things are only going to get bigger and cheaper.
  47. Mercutio

    Something Random

    I hate ebay so much now. I can't believe something that used to be so awesome has been ruined THAT much.
  48. Mercutio

    SSDs - State of the Product?

    Newegg just kills you, doesn't it? I think I've purchased more stuff from Amazon and Provantage this year than I have from Newegg. The flat $80 for two-day delivery on everything I order from Amazon saves me hundreds of dollars a year, easy.
  49. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    SSDs are funny in that the product announcement seems to coincide almost entirely with the release date. I don't see much advance publicity at all for new drives. The just show up and then there's a post on Engadget or something that says "Oh by the way Corsair released a bunch of new drives...
  50. Mercutio

    When to Build New System

    I believe the i7/875 is also multiplier unlocked.
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