[bobsickle]

Is DX-10 Vista only? Or is it just to do with having a graphics card that requires re-mortgaging your house in order to purchase it? To be honest I couldn't care less... My computer's too old and broken to play games, and my copy of XP Pro isn't validated. I used to have Ubuntu, but got annoyed with it, because I couldn't get wine to work and I had a lot of programs I wanted to run.

[Gobbler]

DX10 is Vista only, yes. And CrossOver is what you might want to be looking for, when you really want to run Windows apps on Linux. Ironically though, that license will cost you, and the outcome ain't really too enticing either, it's just an improvement on Wine with some added compatibility layers.

This post has been edited by Gobbler: 12 February 2008 - 12:45 PM

[joshofalltrades]

Until they work out the kinks in DX10 (of which there are many), I will happily keep using XP for games with which DX9 is compatible and buying Xbox 360 games for those which are not.

Unless somebody gives me a reason not to.

[Gobbler]

I'll just stick to those Super Nintendo emulators here, they're more fun anyway.

[arien]

I'll just stick to those Super Nintendo emulators here, they're more fun anyway.

Seconded. High-five.

[AdamM]

Bobsickle:

If you want a new product key just ring up Microsoft and they'll give you one. That's what I did when I found the hard drive I purchased came with a copy of XP Pro and no product key. I just pretended to be completely inept and the woman on the other end probably thought it was less trouble to just generate another key for me.

"Okay Mr M, so which version of Windows do you have?"
"Oh, I dunno... XP? Is it? It might be."
"What does it say on the screen?"
"Errrr... there's something that looks like a button... I think it might be a button..."


Oh, and joshofalltrades, please keep posting about Linux and operating systems, you're funnier than Yahtzee.

This post has been edited by AdamM: 13 February 2008 - 04:31 AM

[joshofalltrades]

Was that sarcasm directed at me? I'm notoriously bad at detecting sarcasm in little text boxes.

If so, no big deal, I can talk about other stuff. Whatchoo guys wanna talk about?

[bobsickle]

Bobsickle:

If you want a new product key just ring up Microsoft and they'll give you one. That's what I did when I found the hard drive I purchased came with a copy of XP Pro and no product key. I just pretended to be completely inept and the woman on the other end probably thought it was less trouble to just generate another key for me.

"Okay Mr M, so which version of Windows do you have?"
"Oh, I dunno... XP? Is it? It might be."
"What does it say on the screen?"
"Errrr... there's something that looks like a button... I think it might be a button..."


Oh, and joshofalltrades, please keep posting about Linux and operating systems, you're funnier than Yahtzee.

Sounds like a good idea, but I've got a dodgy copy from PC Repair Shop Man who annoyed me, because it took him so long to work out hat took me 2 minutes.

Phone conversation:
Me - "Um, my computer won't switch on, it won't even enter BIOS, I think it might be the motherboard."
PCRSM - "Right, I'm just going to scan your hard drive with my special virus scanner through my computer."
Me - "But..."
PCRSM - "Don't worry, I've got all the latest updates and everything!"
Me - "But it won't even boot up into the BIOS, the hard drive doesn't get to do anything! Have you even tried switching it on!?"
PCRSM - "Um, no... Sorry, it's usually a virus..."
Me- "Well, is it to do with the motherboard?"
PCRSM - "I don't think so."

2 days later:
PCRSM - "It's really weird, I just can't get your computer to switch on."
Me - "Yes, I know that."
PCRSM - "I've put in a new hard drive and power unit, it works now."
Me - "OK, so what's the problem?"
PCRSM - "I don't know."

Days later again:
PCRSM - "I can get you your computer back to you soon. Do you have a copy of your OS installation disk?"
Me - "No. Well, not a working one, just part of a trial..."
PCRSM - "Do you want me to put on Windows XP for you?"
Me - "How much will it cost?"
PCRSM - "About £100."
Me - "I'll just do it myself, I can get it cheaper."
[annoying conversation where I have to convince him that a fiver means something to me]
PCRSM - "I'll tell you what, I can put on one of my special copies of XP for about £20. I've got a lot of licences but when Microsoft brought out Vista a few months later, they changed all the rules and now I can't really use these. It'll be a bit unfair on Microsoft."
Me - "So, what's the difference? And it's not like Bill Gates is short of money." (It was a bad joke, but he still didn't get it...)
PCRSM - "Well, you can't get IE7 or WMP11."
Me - "So it's just like the free trial, only infinite?"
PCRSM - "No, it's nothing like that. It won't bug you about getting it validated." (Which it has, many times)
Me - "So it's pretty much the same other than that then?"
[pointless argument about this, because he's retarded. And I was right.]
Me -"So yeah, I'll go for the £20 one then."
PCRSM - "Fine."

Many days later (again):
[Annoyingness as he continued to no finish working on my computer]

Days later:
[I get my computer, with a shitty 13GB hard drive]
PCRSM - "The whole SATA side of your hard drive had blown."
Me - *Fumes, but ends up paying £100 for a now sub-standard PC"

*Not exact conversations. But pretty darn similar! It was months ago...

The moral of that story is, "fix computers yourself." I now the Motherboards was broken, for £100 I could've gotten a decent new motherboard, kept all my stuff, and had use of everything SATA! I basically want him dead. Oh, and the copy of Windows isn't legal enough for me to bother. In fact, I can't be bothered anyway. I could get one for £95 or whatever if I really wanted. And I will never go to a PC repair shop again. Well, not that one...

[AdamM]

Hahaha. Well well. He must be one of the rogue traders popping up who think they can sucker the computer illiterate public.

I actually bought a copy of XP Home because I had no idea there was a copy of Pro on the hard drive I had bought. I now have the package sitting next to me unopened, a £60 paperweight. I'll need to find some way to shift it. Might even make a profit if I strike at the right time.

Oh jesus no, josh, I didn't mean it to be read as sarcasm. I actually truly meant that your posts on this subject I found very funny. Looks like we've become too cynical in this forum now.

On this subject, mind.

[joshofalltrades]

It was the "funnier than Yahtzee" line that gave me pause, since I undoubtedly am not.

Since we're still talking about operating systems, does anybody remember Windows ME? I think that particular product was formed by shoving a Commodore 64 directly into the anus of the worst programmer at Microsoft, then explosively defecated 2 years later onto Bill Gates' desk whereupon he said, "Sounds good. Let's charge $200 for it."

[FFreak3]

It that had happened, then at least windows ME would've come with hardware it could run . . . presumably.

My theory is that an economist at Microsoft was writing a paper on the gullibility of the public and passed a few ideas past old billy so he could use first hand research.

[AdamM]

[Casual]

Ahh god windows ME. Hands down the worst OS I've ever had the displeasure of using. Hey Josh since its so funny why don’t we keep having a rambling conversation about OS's?

[bobsickle]

I had to use ME for 6 years! I came so close to literally throwing it out of the window every time I used it... Looking back, it makes me sick!

[David-kyo]

Josh, you might want to try making (weekly) videos of yourself ranting about OS-s stream of consciousness-style, capturing a few error messages, blue death screens etc. Maybe you'll make a fortune.