The Gaming Den

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:33 pm**

So I'm getting a new computer and got a decent deal on it. (Dell Inspiron 580, 1 Terabyte hard drive, something like 4 gigs of RAM, Windows 7, 2.93GHz, etc etc, for $800 USD after tax and shipping).

Problem is, I've never messed with Windows 7. Is there I should know about making it do what I want? Anything annoying about it?

(Example: Vista's sidebar thing gets on my damn nerves, so I tend to disable it in every computer I get.)

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:37 pm**

I'm curious about this as well. I have an old box running XP, and I'll likely get a new one in six months or less.

I have a lot of old games I like to run on it (old, as in early 90s era), so I'm worried about compatibility issues. Perhaps a Windows 7-friendly version of DosBox will fix that...

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:49 pm**

I hate vista and i really like 7.

I disable the gadgets because the wife doesn't like them.

http://www.techradar.com/news/software/ ... ets-643861 gives the skinny on all the new features and stuff.

the dell also has Stardock on it which is an awesome application.

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 5:58 pm**

I haven't had any problems at all with 7, with the exception of not being able to play some games that get borked by data execution prevention. Aside from being pretty, it wakes up very quickly. For the most part the GoG version of DosBox works perfectly.

I don't know anything about sidebars or gadgets; Either I disabled them as soon as I installed it or they came disabled (I'm running an MSDNAA 'upgrade' copy of 7 pro).

If you're used to XP, some of the interfaces might take some getting used to. If you want to get to some program of option that you can't seem to find, just use the search box in the start menu.

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:36 pm**

I have only limited experience with Vista, but I like 7 a lot. It's still kinda bloated (in terms of system size and the number of clicks you need to do things) but it just feels nice, if that means anything.

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:52 pm**

On the whole, I'm pleased with 7. It's what Vista should have been. I haven't had any problems with games not running yet, but I haven't really tried to play any massively old games. Unlike Vista, it seems snappy and responsive, it doesn't crash, etc.

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 9:19 pm**

I was totally unable to play Gothic II, and Torment kinda tanks at times. But I don't know if that's because of the OS or just my videocard.

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:04 pm**

Isn't saying 7 is what Vista should have been like pointing out the feature list of XP was what they sold Chicago as having before releasing 95?

-Crissa

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:04 pm**

blicero: it takes more clicks to do things? one of the main features they seem to have implemented in 7 is the ability to shorten the click-trail. some of the stuff might seem counter-intuitive at first but most of it is less clickety-click

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:34 pm**

More like "7 pretty much bills itself as having the same features that Vista was supposed to, but it actually works this time."

Posted: **Fri Apr 16, 2010 4:00 am**

Blicero wrote:I have only limited experience with Vista, but I like 7 a lot. It's still kinda bloated (in terms of system size and the number of clicks you need to do things) but it just feels nice, if that means anything.

I've noticed this on a few things as well. In order to pop up an IM window I have to hover over my chat client icon for a second or two before the mini-windows pop up and I can slide to one of those and click it open. It's actually quicker for me to just click the icon and then click a second time to get the specific window.

Posted: **Fri Apr 16, 2010 4:23 am**

Strange, all I have to do is swoop my mouse to the trigger point, then click over the window, and bam, I'm there. Of course, been doing that for a few years...

-Crissa

Posted: **Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:03 pm**

I haven't noticed any system size bloat myself.

Posted: **Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:04 pm**

Surgo wrote:I haven't noticed any system size bloat myself.

mrr it takes up 120 gigs on a new machine with the very basic win 7 home.

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 12:41 am**

Cynic wrote:
Surgo wrote:I haven't noticed any system size bloat myself.
mrr it takes up 120 gigs on a new machine with the very basic win 7 home.

That seems like a pretty incredible claim to me. My windows partition is 60gb (out of 500). My windows directory is 13gb, but of course the base install uses more than that. The swap file and hibernation file take up another 5gb. Microsoft programs and data take up another 2 gb, for a total of 20 gb.

If you started off with an unformatted disk, installed Windows 7, and found 120gb filled, I think the most likely cause is that you have a very large hard drive (on the order of 500+gb). NTFS has a fairly high overhead on large disks, and I could see the formatting of the disk alone taking up 100gb on a large enough hard drive. My hard drive is 500gb and the NTFS formatting takes up almost 10% of that (although not all the partitions are NTFS formatted).

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 1:26 am**

Well, operating systems come with alot of programs and extras that can filling space, and there is also an option to load all the container files on your drive which speeds installation of the OS and using devices. But it does eat drive space like crazy...

Personally, I'm okay with a gig of 'extra' language fonts and stuff like that, but the extra programs like 'free' office and games I'll never buy are kinda annoying.

-Crissa

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:05 am**

Those 'free' office and games programs generally come with the computer, not the operating system.

Microsoft's official position is that it dislikes that practice, a lot. But hey, it keeps the price of computers down.

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:40 am**

They come with the OS, too.

And I'm not big on it, either. But Microsoft was the one that started plonking trial and full versions of their own version of a competitor's product. So we're gonna have to live with it, as it's better than letting Microsoft (or Apple) run roughshod over other software publishers.

-Crissa

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:41 am**

Thanks, everyone.

The computer's arriving tomorrow.

If anyone cares to look, here's what's arriving:

Inspiron 580

Inspiron 580, Intel Core i3-530 processor(4MB Cache, 2.93GHz)

4GB DDR3 SDRAM AT 1066MHz-4X1GB

Dell USB Entry Keyboard

20.0" Dell ST2010-BLK HD Monitor with VGA cable (supplied), 20.0" viewable image size

Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD

1TB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive 7200 RPM

Dell 19 in 1 Media Card Reader

Dell Connect 2.1

Dell Support Center 2.0 64bit

Dell Dock Consumer

Download Store Links

DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron

DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic

PC-Restore, Dim/Insp

Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface

You have chosen a Windows 7 System

Dell Resource DVD with Application Backup

1Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English

Dell USB Optical Mouse

1Integrated NIC card

No modem requested for Dell Dimension

ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE

16X DVD+/-RW

Cyberlink Power DVD 8.3 Playback

Dell Software,Roxio 1.0

Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

No Speaker Requested (I have my own

McAfee SecurityCenter 15 Month Subscription, English

Microsoft Works 9.0, English

1 Year Limited Warranty

Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus Bantech Onsite Service After Remote Diagnosis, Initial Year

Bantech Onsite Service, After Remote Diagnosis, Initial Year

No Warranty, Year 2 and 3

Software, Soft Contracts Dell In-Home

Dell Limited Hardware Warranty 7X24 Technical Support, Initial Year

Solution Station, Data Migration 1 incident for 30days

2GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS

DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 2GB

To activate your online backup account, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online

S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom for DHS Desktops

There's a lot of things I wish I could have left out, non-essential extras and the like.

But, well, for under $800 USD, I'm not complaining.

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:56 am**

Yeah, but they make 'em look good to people who don't know better. Hope it comes with no loose wires!

-Crissa

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:58 am**

Crissa wrote:Yeah, but they make 'em look good to people who don't know better. Hope it comes with no loose wires!

-Crissa

Same here.

I should be able to handle it, in any case.

I will make a geek confession right here: I'm not excited by electronics specifications or the minutiae of computer performance. I don't get excited by the difference between 3 GHz and 2.69 GHz. I just want it to WORK, dammit.

So as long as I get a decently-functioning computer that will last me a few years...

I'm good.

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:48 am**

Well, it means it processes direct instructions on a faster pace. The Core X means there are parallel processing, meaning more complex instructions can be managed more efficiently; which usually refers to threading in programs.

Not all programs are threaded. And bigger numbers aren't always better. But yeah. Just working does mean buying the right product for the right job, and all.

Anyhow, the most likely time for some solid-state or assembly issue to show up is right out of the box, hence the wish ^-^

-Crissa

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 9:57 pm**

I recently got a box with 7, and the only problems I ever encountered were having to run Total Annihilation windowed instead of full screen and at one point it wouldn't let me run Firefox in anything but safemode; I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I just deleted and reinstalled. Overall I'm at least as satisfied with it as I was with the last two XP PCs I've used regularly.

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2010 10:09 pm**

Well, the computer works great.

I'm using my old monitor because the new one did not work right out of the box. And, yes, I tried it in different outlets and with cords I know work.

So I'll see about getting that rectified. Other than getting used to the new operating system and how the icons have stacked windows, I'm liking this

Posted: **Sun Apr 18, 2010 11:48 am**

Go onto the Dell website and find their monitor drivers.

That should tell you if there is any hardware issues with the monitor or if the system wasn't configured correctly.

That does sound strange though, I've had Windows 7 support pretty much everything I've plugged into it. Of course that hasn't been much, but still I think Dell should ship it's computers with the correct drivers for its own monitors.