filtherton

Yeah, you can get a pretty nice computer for $1000 these days.

It's just as likely someone on an old computer would benefit more from a RAM upgrade than a formatting.

shakran

Reformatting will eliminate OS decay, so the computer will be faster than it was, even if they install everything they used to have after a week. That said, a 3-5 year old pc is not going to be as fast as a current $1,000 PC. . . Especially with PC prices meaning you can build a $1,000 gaming rig that will handle any new software you throw at it.

World's King

Okay fine...



1. If it's a signature dish or a special for the night. Don't try to change it. I worked hard on it. I'm the chef. You're the fat fuck that thinks he knows better.

2. If you ask for 'sauce on the side' I'm gonna dip my finger in it. Then the server is gonna dip his finger in it.

3. Your server is making up everything he/she is saying about that glass of wine they recommended.

4. You can't tell the temperature of lamb just by looking at it. Don't act you're the only one in the world that can. Same with Veal, Pork, or Chicken...

5. If you snap or wave to get your servers attention, they will bitch about it in the kitchen. I'm gonna make sure your food takes forever.

6. When your server says that he/she will be happy to fix the mistake the kitchen has made with your meal; they are lying to you. Either they made the mistake or you're a fucktard and forgot what you ordered. I don't make mistakes.

7. Anthony Bourdain is God.

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

ring

Two quick questions for the chefs and food servers:

I don't understand why asking for sauce on the side causes a problem.
Is the particular dish made up ahead of time with a certain amount of sauce
already entirely blended in?

If you need to get a servers attention, what would suggest to do after waiting for 15 or 20 minutes?
I have found that trying for eye contact and a very small hand wave never seemed
to bother anyone. There's a big difference between that, and waving both arms
frantically like your directing an airplane landing.

Sorry for the off topic questions, but I would like to see more satisfied chefs/food servers,
and satisfied customers.

dippin

He is certainly cool as hell. And this from a cultural perspective as well, as he is neither condescending nor disrespectful to the places he visits. He never treats things as a freak show ("look how weird their food is") and he approaches things in a non-ethnocentric way. His show on Lebanon (when Israel started its attack) was one of the most interesting shows Ive ever seen.


Now, since I don't want to threadjack, let me add my insights as well. I am an economist/stock broker turned sociologist/academic:

- If you are investing in the stock market, beware of overconfidence. Even the best economists in the world lose money or go broke. The fact that you've made money on the stock market during an expansion doesnt mean that your "system" works, that you are good at it, or that you can beat the market when things go south. Both prior to the 2000 crash and to this latest recession, people would always tell me of how much money they made on the market, how easy it was, blahblahblah. Most of them are undergoing serious financial hardship right now. So always be mindful of the risks, and dont risk what you cant stand to lose.

- This is for the women. Beware of overworked gynecologists. One of the grants I was involved in was a major research project for the CDC related to HPV vaccination. One of the shocking things we learned during our research is that there is a very significant number of false negatives for HPV from pap tests mostly caused by "worker fatigue."

- As bad as it sounds, who you know matters more than what you know for most careers. The biggest difference between going to harvard and going to local state U is who you meet there, not what you learn.

- Science (be it social science or "hard" science) is messy and complex. Don't make major decisions regarding your health, lifestyle, career or family life based on news reports of scientific results. Oprah, journalists, talk show hosts and so on often either get it wrong or oversimplify things to the point of being useless.

- If you are looking to make money off of derivatives markets instead of just using it to hedge against risks, keep in mind that in the end they are not very different from gambling in Vegas. In fact, before the Chicago Board Options Exchange existed, there were numerous gambling houses in Chicago taking bets on what essentially has become the futures market.

ngdawg

(possibly former employee of)Family-owned business:

No matter how good you are at your craft, the best friend's kid they hired will be better.
When those family members get into a row and try to get you involved, politely and half-jokingly state you can't get involved.
Bosses don't want to hear what they're doing wrong, even if it means running the business into the ground. If they ask for suggestions, give positive ones, not "well, maybe if you hadn't spent $xxxx on yyyy...."
If you find incriminating evidence about a boss, don't tell the other one. Save it for those "special" times.(hehehehe) Or let the other one find out on their own.
Be prepared to be the first one to be let go. They don't want to face their best friend after firing their kid, so the kid stays.

__________________
Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

CinnamonGirl

Pretty much.



I'd also like to add, that at least from the server's point of view, if you leave a truly excellent tip (as in, more than 20%, getting up into the 40% range), pretty much anything you do will be forgiven. And we WILL remember you the next time you come in. Conversely, if you run us constantly, ask for everything on the side, let your kids make a mess, camp out at the table, and leave a really BAD tip...we'll remember that, too.

Oh, and just a personal pet peeve of mine... when your server asks "how are you tonight?" replying with "I'll have a coke," is just annoying and rude. A blank stare, or flat-out ignoring the server when they ask a question is also annoying and rude.

I think everything else has been covered... but like I said, I'm pretty laid-back... you can do every annoying thing in the book, as long as you take care of me (monetarily speaking), all is forgiven.


Edit: Wait, thought of one more. If you go to church, please, please, PLEASE do not leave those little brochures. They're a complete waste of paper... no one takes them seriously, and they get pitched immediately.

__________________
"...for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world."


"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Plan9

Pfft, I'm not even a woman and that scares me. "Worker fatigue" huh? False negatives are supposed to be a fraction of false positives in most tests and "significant number" sounds all bad.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

dippin

Of course, different studies and different methods yield slightly different numbers, and I wont pretend to be an expert in medicine, as I was just part of the team that was reviewing the numbers of the existing literature and so on. But let me clarify a bit here: improper "sampling" of the cervix during a pap smear, or improper handling of the sample allowing it to dry off before analysis leads to what some have found to be a 20% false negative rate overall.

Now, the false negative rate is for HPV, not cervical cancer, so if women are screened often enough, or if their tests also include hpv-dna testing, that means that even in the case of a false negative there is still plenty of time to act before the lesions become cancerous. On the other hand, some researchers have reported that up to 50% of women with invasive cervical cancer had false negative tests for hpv prior to the diagnosis of the cancer.

Hyacinthe

Noodle covered most of the ones that I would have (since we work in the same industry there)

So here are some tips from my other job you never know when you might need some etra money to pay off those college fees after all ladies.

1) Peep show booths are hot (not sure about from the guys side) if you're going to be in there long term wear something short and or light. I have seen girls from other clubs who have had to be taken to hospital from heat stroke at the end of a shift. One of the best ways to combat this is to have a fold up kiddy pool and a bikini stashed in your locker, you make just as much money cause the water show is a novelty and you don't injure yourself due to the heat.

2) The majority of guys don't care what you dance like on the pole so no those pole dancing lessons won't help you score tips. They want you to take off your clothes, do so within a set amount of time or there will be complaints and you will be fired.

3) Remember your regulars! I can't stress that enough! These guys will remember you, remember them, when you're in the crowd stop and give them a hug or a kiss on the cheek, the fact that you know who they are and the fact that you interact with the regulars will not only impress them and make you more money but will encourage other guys to come back. I have seen mildly attractive girls make more money then stunners because they knew how to work the crowd.

4) Despite what Bart Simpson has to say in high heels you can't necessarily walk heel toe, specially in super high heels. Walk flat footed, lifting the entire foot and then placing it flat back down will make you more stable and is MUCH easier on your ankles.

5) Yes, corsets are hot and yes you see them on TV but unless you're doing a long show on stage they take too long to take off. This relates back to tip number 2.

6) Having a dildo in the booth with you will score you more peep show then if you don't - even if you don't use it for ages people will continue putting money in. This also works if you just have a large peep show stage with two girls on it and split the profits.

7) Be nice to the management and the bouncers, the guys take care of you so you take care of them. Doesn't have to be anything over the top just learn their names say thankyou when they do something nice or offer to buy them a coke or red bull during a long night. You'll be recommended for more private dances if the people behind the counter making the bookings like you. Also related to this is NEVER try to convince them to watch your show specifically, many of them will be fine but some guys have a problem meeting a girls eyes directly after they've watched you grind yourself up and down a stage.

8) Have different outfits planned ahead, sometimes you will make no money in an outfit because it just doesn't emphasise the right things. Try something else. Specially if you are going to try for costumes.

9) Don't take it personally if someone prefers one of the other dancers or she makes more money then you. It is not a personal thing. They chose to watch someone who is more their physical type naked rather then you, the same thing happens the other way around.

10) For your own physical safety don't try to blackmail the clientele. Your bouncers will not like it, other dancers will not like it and if someone nasty (someone VERY nasty) who most likely owns the place or knows the people who do finds out about it you will be lucky to end up fired and unable to find work in that industry ever again, if you're not you'll end up in traction.

__________________
"I want to be remembered as the girl who always smiles even when her heart is broken... and the one that could brighten up your day even if she couldnt brighten her own"

"Her emotions were clear waters. You could see the scarring and pockmarks at the bottom of the pool, but it was just a part of her landscape – the consequences of others’ actions in which she claimed no part."

LordEden

Yes, yes he is. God walks around backwater towns with a cigarette in one hand and cup of local homemade liquor in the other. God speaks the truth at all times.

Most of the time, a sauce is made to order (unless you eat corporate). As stated by WK in his post, he is the chef, you are the fat fuckwad that thinks he knows better. This is what you say to a chef when you order his speical SOS (sauce on the side) that he came up with and made the sauce to bring out all the flavors of the dish; I know better than you. If you get something from a fine-dining restaurant, eat it how the chef wants you too. You need to think about it this way. If you go to a dinner party (or grandma's house) for dinner, would you look the person in the eye and tell them to change their meal just for you after they spent the day making it for you? Try telling your mother/grandma that the sauce on her meatloaf should be on the side, cause you don't know if you will like it. She will give you a mean old lady look and put in on the meatloaf and serve it to you. You better eat every last bite of that meal or you won't be coming back.

I think WK means when do the wave/shake/point, you know like saying "Over here, yeah you, I need this shit now" with your hand. Two things you should think about before you get angry with a server. One, how busy is the restaurant? Can you see your server running around getting items for customers, running food from the kitchen, and at the same time getting more tables? He/She is most likely knows your table needs salads/drinks/refills and will get to you the minute they can. Just chill. If your drink is empty, the place is slow, and your server is flirting with the tall busboy in the corner? They suck, you have some right to complain.

Two, have you worked in the restaurant industry as a cook/waitron? No? Fuck off, you have no idea what the job is like. Work as a waiter for 6 months then you are allowed to bitch.

__________________
Vice-President of the CinnamonGirl Fan Club - The Meat of the Zombiesquirrel and CinnamonGirl Sandwich

vanblah

If I'm aware that the sauce contains an ingredient that I don't like but the main portion of the dish is something that I'll normally eat then, "YES," I have been known to ask people in their own homes to put the sauce on the side (one of these people who I have deigned to offend is a very respected chef here in Memphis). Besides, I'm not a big sauce person. Even when I ate meat I prefer a very light amount of sauce. Now I usually just have a salad. I've never gotten a mean look from my parents/grandparents or my chef friend. In fact, most of them understand where I'm coming from. I know my tastes a lot better than them.

This is not a slight on the chef ... normally the sauces are good for what they are. I just don't like so much sauce. Peoples taste buds are all different. I taste sweet and salty a lot more than my wife. She loves sauces, especially fruity ones, I can't stand them for the most part.

My answer to most chefs, including the one here in town who is a good friend, is "Get over yourself." I've said it to him several times. You are in the SERVICE industry; expect to have your vision compromised from time-to-time by people like me who don't like treacly sauces covering up whatever the main ingredient is.


Yes, I have. I have worked in various capacities in the restaurant industry -- both front of house and back of house. Although, I've never worked as a chef, only the sandwich guy or the soup/salad guy; dishwasher and waiter. Never worked in a so-called "fine" restaurant though. I worked in a vegetarian restaurant for a while ... wouldn't call it fine, but the food was really, really good.

People are allowed to bitch regardless of where they have worked. I'm sure you've complained about some service you've gotten (perhaps from an ISP or cable provider, maybe the phone company) from an industry you've never worked in.

Tip from my industry:

1) Don't use the deleted items folder in Outlook as a storage place for email. You'd be surprised by the number of people who do this (at least at my employer).

ring

Uh, on the sauce thing,
all I was trying to convey was, YES! I wanted the sauce with the dish,
but why couldn't I have some control as to how much of it I put on.

When my Mother made our family spaghetti, she did not force
any of us to have a specific amount of sauce on it.

I too have worked in the food industry.

I cannot see in the least how my post sounded like I was bitching.

You told me to fuck off, LordEden.

That was rude and offensive.

ngdawg

You shouldn't be in the food service industry.
You shouldn't assume others haven't worked in the food service industry.
Some of us have physical reactions to ingredients in the sauces/gravies/whatever tops the dish and shouldn't have to be dictated to as to where or how much we get.
And I know I've been in enough restaurants to know the difference between staff that's working like mad and staff that would rather hang out and gossip than check on their (tipping) customers.

__________________
Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

Xerxys

That's just the thing though. I may know nothing about cooking but who the fuck are you to tell me what I know and what I dont know?? I know for a fact that some sauces don't go well with most of the dishes they were originally intended for so why the hell do you take offense? I am p[aying for the food, I can order and customize as much as I want.

Here's why I hate restuarants and service driven businesses ... most fucks that work there don't realize that we PAY the bills!!!

ring

I know we are way off topic here, and I apologize for being part of it.
Perhaps this discussion deserves its own thread.

roachboy

thing is that in a resto it's easy to tell whether the chef's any good or not.
the proof's in what you put out, not in the shit you talk.
it's like that with most anything.

roachboy's helpful tip, based his years of teaching:

don't assume the people you're interacting with are stupid.

__________________
a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

-kamau brathwaite

World's King

So start one...


And use the PM I sent you on the subject. I did a far better job explaining things.

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

ring

Sorry, I usually delete my PMs shortly after I receive them.
Nothing personal.
If someone else wants to start a thread, go for it.

I should add something towards the OP.

I don't really have a 'line' of work at the moment.
I am on Soc. Sec. disability since 2003

I write, I paint, I take photos,
I help out others when I can.

My unusual tip might be on the order of:
Stay in the moment.
Trust your intuition.
There is beauty all around you,
even in the dark places.

Manic_Skafe

It could just be me but I didn't read LE's post as an angry unprovoked attack. I think he/she was speaking more so about a hypothetical "fat fuck" annoying customer who insists upon demanding that things are done exactly to their specifications.

He/she has been here for too long not to know that things don't work that way around here.

__________________
"Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian

Slims

LordEden: Unless that Chef has MY taste buds in his mouth he can respect my wishes and serve my food the way I desire. OR I will happily take my money elsewhere as he obviously isn't interested in it.

I understand how annoying customers can be, but ultimately the restaurant business is about giving people what they want and making money doing so. If someone is unreasonable, simply refuse.

__________________
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence

Anormalguy

I was in litigation support, namely records procurement. My comments pertain mostly to medical records & related billing records, but can also apply to employment and payroll records.

If you are a plaintiff in a law suit, be careful about signing blank authorizations, especially if they contain wording allowing a copy to be as valid as an original. Attorneys, even the one representing you, will usually ask you to sign several blank forms allowing them to gather your records. Even if you sign only authorizations that are directed to specific medical providers, be aware that those authorizations can be manipulated and altered to obtain records from other providers (don't ask me how I know this). Specifying a time period for which the authorization is valid is useful, but that can also be altered.

If you are concerned about making certain that specific records will provided only with your knowledge and consent, file a notice with your medical provider stating that your records can only be released with an authorization with your original signature. Ask, demand if necessary, that said notice be placed in your medical file.

I could ramble on, but I'd rather respond to specific questions and/or comments, if there are any.

__________________
In a society where the individual is not free to pursue the truth...there is neither progress, stability nor security.--Edward R. Murrow

Sue

I have no unusual tips. Just practical.

I work in pediatrics.

1) DO NOT bring your kids' food in with you. Did it occur that there are other children who may have severe allergic reactions, even to crumbs?

2) It's extremely rude to be on your cell phone, or even texting, while we're trying to take a history on your child. Please stop, otherwise we stand there looking like morons waiting for you to get off the phone.

That's all

__________________
Teg yw edrych tuag adref.

thespian86

As an artist I can understand where Eden is coming from.

His job isn't entertaining; he isn't your host. If you don't like food at a certain restaurant, don't go. These dishes are creations. I don't get why people think it's okay to go to restaurants and dictate the Chef's work. It wouldn't be okay anywhere else.

There has to be a line between customer service and pandering. A carpenter can change a structural decision but who's to say how sound it is, or how he/she will look when the house collapses. They choose the tastes specifically. But you choose to pick at it and then it's the Chef's fault that it sucks. Unfair.

I get physical limitations NG but most people do it out of "taste" not because they are allergic to something.

I had a waiter refuse my girlfriend ketchup at a high end italian restaurant in Toronto. She was annoyed. I got it. Who wants to make art and then have someone paint over it with something that is cheap and tasteless.

__________________
EX: Whats new?
ME: I officially love coffee more then you now.
EX: uh...
ME: So, not much.

filtherton

Another tip from somewhere I used to work:

There are cooks who are artists and there are cooks who are cooks. There are a lot of the latter who think they are the former.

Plan9

Continuing the emo chef / cook threadjack:

While I can appreciate art, I generally don't think of anything I have to scrape from my backside with two-ply the next morning as too artistic.

...

Hmm. I did have to eat a lot of army food. That may have killed my ability to appreciate it.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

World's King

First off... I'm not talking about casual dinning places such as Chili's or Applebees or TGI Fridays... These places are there to serve you what you want.


That's not my style of cooking. (I'm about to brag) I was the sous chef at Denver's only 5 Star restaurant not three two months out of culinary school. I've cooked for several of Denver's sports stars. I just recently helped open Denver's newest and most unique restaurant. And starting in the Spring I will be teaching culinary arts at a small boutique school here in Denver.

I'm a classically trained chef. Now, I'm not saying that the guys in the kitchens at those casual dinning places aren't talented... I'm just saying it's a different world. The restaurants I've worked in you go to because you want to eat what the chef has created. Not because it's an easy place to stop and get a burger and a beer on your way home from work.

My server's aren't there just to pay their way through school. They are life-long servers that do what they do because they love it. Most would be surprised the training these people have gone through over the years. I've always been proud of them and will stand behind them. The same goes with any and every cook I've worked with.

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

aberkok

Musician here:

Gigging:

1. Obviously, be on time. If the gig starts at 9p.m., you should have your gear set up by 8:45 or even earlier if there needs to be a band discussion over the set list, etc. On time is too late.

2. On accompanying: you are the accompanist, not the lead voice. When it comes to performance time, being right is not as important as making the lead voice sound right.

3. Have a set list. The best way to improve your live show is to have fast pacing between tunes. Also, if it is your gig and you have hired sidemen (i.e. it's not collaborative), don't ask your band "what they feel like playing." Just tell them.

4. Your time may never be good enough, but don't forget to relax.

Networking:

1. There's no need to bullshit or exaggerate about what you're up to. I once asked a drummer just out of college what his plans were and he replied by telling me he was gigging and in the studio "7 days a week," which wasn't answering the question. His time was lousy and I hadn't heard of him before and haven't heard of him since.

2. Be sensitive about the lack of money in music. Some stalwarts believe musicians should be paid by the clubs and don't work for under a certain amount. I respect that, but on the other hand, clubs can't or won't pay, and to reject them would vastly reduce the opportunities to get new music out on the scene. Whatever side of the pay issue you land on, it is important to realize that the community is made up of all sorts and you should respect the opinions of others.

3. Have a good handshake and don't be afraid to talk to other musicians. In fact, like in every other line of work, develop good social skills. My most recent beef: if you are facing someone, don't lean over and talk into their ear. Talk to their face! A guy did this to me last week and it was really annoying.

Teaching:

1. Our North-American culture has really bad time. There is an obsession with playing the right notes. That is why, when I am teaching a student, I almost never worry about pitch correction (I'm a pianist). They usually find it themselves and I save the smackdown for rhythm.

2. The balance between teacher interruption and letting mistakes go by is a difficult one to achieve but I err on the side of letting mistakes go by. Students need to have experience in the momentum of the piece. I can talk after they stop.

3. Counting out loud while you play is the best technique ever.

4. Students always have a higher capacity for repetition than I give them credit for... in the lesson anyways.

__________________
!check out my new blog! http://arkanamusic.wordpress.com

Warden Gentiles: "It? Perfectly innocent. But I can see how, if our roles were reversed, I might have you beaten with a pillowcase full of batteries."

LordEden

Wow, I ranted and ended up thread jacking. I came off real angry and didn't realize it at the moment. Ring, I wasn't telling you that, again I was ranting. I apologize for that.

//End ThreadJack (Hopefully)

__________________
Vice-President of the CinnamonGirl Fan Club - The Meat of the Zombiesquirrel and CinnamonGirl Sandwich

ring

Thank you.
I hope World's King's very well written post helped others to understand the difference
between types of dining experiences.

okay..back to the OP

I have been enjoying this thread,
who's next?

Lasereth

Not really. Any PC with 512 MB of RAM or more can be made as fast as a $5,000 PC today regardless of CPU, RAM quantity, or videocard. An older PC with 1 GB of RAM (still common in 3-5 year old PCs depending on who bought it) is impossible to detect from a brand new computer. If your PC is slow and it has 512 MB of ram or more then it is simply the user not knowing what they're doing. More RAM and a faster CPU can help cover up bloatware and user ignorance but any PC with 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM can be made lightning fast for as long as you want.

Negative. More RAM is sweeping dust under the rug. It will help short-term but a reformat will fix everything and for any duration you need it to.

A 3-5 year old PC can and will be as fast as a $5,000 PC bought today.

Of course PC gaming doesn't count in any of this but that's not what I meant in my OP anyway.

Sorry to nitpick but 50% of my current job is tweaking and constructing Windows images from scratch and I know how to make an old PC run fast and stay fast.

PS: Windows Vista obviously changes some things since it won't even run on less than 1 GB of RAM. But most people are still running XP so that is what this applies to.

__________________
"A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

Plan9

Okay, I'll bite. I'm at a loss at how this works. An average car from the 1950s is not as fast as an average car from 2000. Besides erasing all the bullshit and "TSR" (don't know the modern term for it) programs, how is 1 GB of memory the same as 4? Like comparing gunshot wounds from a .22 and a 12 gauge.

My Compaq laptop from 2002 will never be as fast as my Toshiba laptop from 2008. The software requirements dictate that, don't they? A photo editing program that takes 10 minutes to load on the '02 loads in a minute on the '08.

If this is the case... what is the excuse for ubernerds buying new computers every other year? Shouldn't they know how to fix their rig?

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

LordEden

I think what Lasereth is talking about is for casual users, those people who don't run into the three major processor drainers, (imo) which are graphic design (video editing, graphic manipulation, photoshop), database manipulation (or any kind of massive number crunching), and video games. The average user who checks email, uploads camera pictures, types in office, and does their taxes won't see a big difference between 3 gig of ram and 1 gig (if they are running XP, vista NEEDS that ram to run/screw up). I agree with Lasereth that a reformat can do wonders to a PC, I recommend one every 6 months depending on use and amount of users.

Ubernerds fall into the extreme user catagory, which means they need every ounce of processing power, HD space, and memory they can get out of it. Every new game that comes out has higher requirements that the last. That's why we have 8 fans in our PCs, watercooling systems, and HD raids when we really don't need 4 TB hds on RAID1.

I swear I'm not trying to threadjack again.

__________________
Vice-President of the CinnamonGirl Fan Club - The Meat of the Zombiesquirrel and CinnamonGirl Sandwich

Lasereth

LordEden is exactly right. Newer hardware (including ram, CPU, videocards, and hard drives) are designed pretty much for 2 types of users: PC gamers and media creation/artist type users. Windows XP reached its maximum speed with around a 600 MHzish CPU and between 512 MB and 1 GB of RAM. You asked if 1 GB is as fast as 4 GB. The answer is yes.

It's almost a huge conspiracy/scam theory shit going on (PC hardware). If games and multimedia programs were never invented, only the OSs that are released every 5 years would push the boundaries of PC hardware.

If you aren't in these 2 types of users, it is impossible to tell the difference between a 600 MHz, 1 GB PC and a Core 2 Quad Q9550 with 4 GB of ram. I actually periodically get a few computer-savvy coworkers to come over to my desk and tell me which PC is the good one and they can't (the test subjects are usually a 512 MB PC and a 4 GB core 2 quad). If a computer with 512 MB to 1 GB of memory is slow, the OS is simply convoluted and needs to be tweaked and/or reformatted, regardless of the CPU speed/power, hard drive space, videocard, Internet connection, etc.

I laugh at the people who go into Best Buy or Dell stores and buy a $1,500 PC and say "hoo boy, this thing is blazing" when they have a 3 year old PC at home that has never been reformatted. What they don't put together is that the new PC is slow as shit after 6 months anyway so it is entirely software related.

If ANYBODY on TFP had a PC that was slow and had 512 MB of memory or more and gave it to me they would be outright stunned at how fast it can perform once it has been cleaned or reformatted.

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"A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

shakran

Well, I agree that an old PC can be made much faster by clearing out the cobwebs. But as you said, the idea that a new PC and a 3-5 year old pc will perform equally on games and media creation is false. The people who aren't gaming or doing media creation generally just want a web portal, in which case, yes, a 3 year old box will be just fine. Seems we agree on everything, but just had a miscommunication

Oh, and I, too, was not counting Vista because I'm assuming the PC in question is not owned by a masochist

genuinegirly

I'm a botanist.

If you want all of your plants of the same species to sprout at the same time, place them in a vial of water in a dark refrigerator for 48 hours before planting.

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"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

ring

I just realized that using tip # 2 from the first post,
about shifting your gaze away from center under dim or poor lighting,
helped me drive home one night during one of the foggiest nights
I ever had to drive through.

I was on a rural country road, where stopping was not really an option.
The only way I could navigate those last 80 miles, was to shift my gaze
a little to the left, and then I could see the middle line of the road.

I could only see about six inches in front of the car,
but I could SEE it.

It's kinda like looking at the Pleiades,
you see them more clearly, when don't look directly at them.

Great Tip!