Monitors - Having fun with nostalgia

[Genesis]

I'm still waiting whether I'll be recontracted for one more year here in the UAE, however since chances are slim, have been working hard on throwing out junk as well as sorting through all of my earthly possessions. Any one else who take their computer hardware as personally as I do? Can't be many people with four monitors. Been using mostly two out of the four - the two Samsungs, with the LG purchase (an impulsive buy from a friend) standing to the side for almost two years. Couldn't quite get to actually boxing them until last night.

Here is an introduction to the four monitors. Would love to hear what every one else has.

Samsung Syncmaster 151S

When I purchased this Samsung it was state of the art at its time. A 15 inch LCD with a pivotal base, one could turn it on its side. Came with detailed software and instructions. As it was getting older and 15 inches were getting out of date it needed to be replaced. However, I just couldn't let go of it, in the same way that I'm struggling to let go of my current Windows XP system that is still going like a song. The little Samsung finally got boxed last night in its original packing in preparation for being sold.

So no surprise that I got another Samsung - a 22 inch this time:

But the unbelievable happened. I didn't really like this Samsung like I had the little 15 inch Syncmaster. It just wasn't the same.. 22 inches were much too big, but most of all, the colours were not the same brilliance as my 15 inch LCD. I think Samsung monitors, or maybe just this range, aren't what they used to be. I'm still missing my 15 inch Samsung to this day.

In the meanwhile a friend of mine - shortly after the purchase of my 22 inch Samsung - sold her 22 inch LG Flatron monitor to me (she was in a hurry to get rid of her stuff on her way back to the States). It's an LG FLatron E2240S LED Monitor.

I always meant to replace the 22 inch Samsung with it, but it never happened - was standing around for all of this time. So tonight decided I should at least try it out for a day or three to see what I'd been missing. Installation was dead easy. Easier than the 22 inch Samsung. The colours are absolutely stunning, HOWEVER, the fonts appear almost spirally and not very visible. Could be that my GeForce 7300 is a bit out of date to do justice to this monitor. I also seem to have picked up issues with Microsoft Windows XP Security and my GeForce graphics card so the graphics drivers aren't working properly. 22 inches though are still much too big. So if I were to buy an LG Flatron, it would need to be slightly smaller. I'd definitely recommend it over the Samsung however.

Am much looking forward to see what the Dell Optiplex 9020 Monitor will look like this weekend.

Here are the specs:

Dell OptiPlex 9020
Intel (R), Core (TM) i7-4770 CPU
3.4Ghz

8GB Memory
500GB Disk space

Windows 7 Home Premium (I was expecting Professional - but I'm sure this must be good enough as well)

Monitor is 18 inches. Finally the size I've always wanted.

 

[Genesis]

Feel as though I'm talking to myself ....

So someone expressed interest in buying the LG monitor, which meant I had to disconnect it in a hurry, and now have my DELL Monitor operating off my Windows XP Rocky III. Not bad at all. Feels slightly small at its 18 inches in comparison with the 22 inches of LG, but it is probably going to be easier on my eyes.

Only step that didn't work was to load the Dell driver and I'm almost certain it must have something to do with not being able to work with Windows XP. I'm not that unhappy though as Windows XP did a great job of configuring the plug and play display for me. The font also looks a little bit more legible than the LG one.

Let's see whether we can sort out the rest of the Dell equipment this weekend. Only part I'm not looking forward to is installation of my internet can only be done through a phone call to the Internet Service Call Centre, and that is always an enormous testing of patience. Am already praying that I'll luck out with getting someone who is reasonably good with communication. The last time I called they couldn't even get my account number.

 

[Penguin]

Well I'm using a 24" Dell S2409W LCD that I bought in 2009.

Here are the specs:

Dell OptiPlex 9020
Intel (R), Core (TM) i7-4770 CPU
3.4Ghz

8GB Memory
500GB Disk space

Windows 7 Home Premium (I was expecting Professional - but I'm sure this must be good enough as well)

Monitor is 18 inches. Finally the size I've always wanted.

Congratz on the new build.

 

[Genesis]

Thanks Penguin! :smile: The colours with this monitor are stunning. Probably due in main to the Geforce Graphics Card. Hope Dell isn't going to disappoint with its Graphics Card.

Darn! My computer has never been in as good a shape as it is just now. Super fast, happy and now I've got to change. Feels like such a shame.

I've just carried my Dell Computer upstairs to my "office" and it's almost ready to be hooked up. Maybe Thursday.

Let the fun begin.

Challenge No. 1: Set up computer for Internet (Call Centre Challenge to enable the whole thing - notoriously a bad scenario)
Challenge No. 2: Get HP Laserjet1000 to work with Windows 7 (HP discontinued new drivers for LJ1000 with Windows 7)
Challenge No. 3: Get my Altec speakers to have the same magic sound as they had with Windows XP
Challenge No. 4: Hopefully the Graphics will be the same brilliant colours as my Nvidia Geforce graphics card

Worst case scenario:

1: A few hours struggles with ISP bureaucracy - it will work eventually - maybe some down time - if I start the battles at the beginning of the weekend it should be OK by the end of it. Hopefully!
2: Bin my HP Laserjet1000 and buy an al cheapo NON-HP new printer
3: Invest in a new sound card - if necessary - cross fingers
4: Invest in a new Graphics Card - if necessary - cross fingers

Objective: Perfect computer by end of September.

 

[Penguin]

1. If you are using DHCP in your modem/router, then internet should work out of the box.
2. The printer should work fine.
3. The sound quality will definitely be better than your XP experience.
4. Don't they mention the graphics card model in the specs?

 

[Genesis]

Dell specs are strange. They vary. But I'm sure if I dug deep enough I'll find it. I'll check it out Penguin, thanks.

Great to hear about the sound quality. Printer is not a given though. Been digging deep enough on that one. Internet doesn't work out of the box unfortunately. If it did, I'd have probably been on my new system months ago. Part of the procrastination has to do with not wanting to be offline for too long. When I go through this exercise I'll try and jot down some notes to report back on, maybe it will make more sense then.

 

[Genesis]

OK, just made the change and so far the verdict is thumbs down all of the way:

1. Connecting up with the Internet was a pleasure. I lucked out with the ISP. So that part was good and that is pretty much where the good stops for me.

2. I don't like anything of Dell so far. I don't like the shape of the monitor. I'll probably be changing the keyboard and mouse very soon. Will use my little LG mouse and Logitech keyboard. Everything feels heavy and looks distorted. Got a rough plastic feel around it.

3. Colour is not that great. Loaded Dell Driver and tuned up things like its colour calibration feature but nothing helped. Obviously can't compensate for a Video Card that is not as great as mine used to be. Now trying to figure out how one gets the darn icons to be smaller. Will probably sort that out eventually.

4. Still to sort out the sound system

5. Still to sort out the printer. May do that tonight when I get home.

BUT I'm connected to Windows 7. So far not an improvement over Windows XP. Doesn't feel that much faster even. Only real difference is that all of its functions are more intuitive. I feel almost as though Microsoft is also controlling everything much closer too.

 

[Genesis]

Connected sound. Sound is not the same, but at least it has volume. Think I can live with that.

OK printer will have to wait until tonight. PLENTY to set up tonight.

I hate Dell! :aggressive:

At least got my Logitech keyboard and LG mouse going. Back to my fast self again.

And now I can say I'm on Windows 7. Finally goodbye to Windows XP. I loved it right to the last moment. And it was going incredibly strong at that point as well.

 

[Genesis]

TOTALLY amazing. I followed the solution that worked for some people with installing HP Laserjet 1000 for which HP decided not to get a Windows 7 driver as they wrote Laserjet 1000 off as obsolete. I downloaded the last up to date Windows XP driver from HP, then after logging in, and not before, plugged in the printer. And then when it was searching for the software, discontinued the search. Then navigated to printers and devices to update the driver. Initially it was greyed out. And I couldn't do it, but then when I continued to click around found a dialog screen that allowed to look for updates for the driver. I then selected the Windows XP driver that I had downloaded from XP, but bad luck. It didn't work.

OK, I knew this could happen, and I thought this was then the sign that like most of every one else I'll have to scrap my HP Laserjet 1000 printer. EXCEPT, I then thought for the heck of it (couldn't possibly work), to try the original CD driver disk of HP - dated 2001. That's almost fourteen years ago! :shock: AND ..... can you believe it, Windows 7 asked me to select a file. I selected the one that showed up as a default. AND, then again couldn't believe it when Windows 7 actually installed that driver. AND, then couldn't believe it when I sent something to print, and it printed without any hazzle. As though nothing had changed. So the original HP Laserjet1000 driver of 2001 (Windows 98/2000/Me/XP) works for Windows 7. The last upaded driver exclusively for Windows XP doesn't work! I remember when I tried my Laserjet1000 original driver when I got my last computer in 2009, that it hadn't worked. I had to go download its last driver from the HP Website - which had been dated 2005. And I remember I had real difficulty connecting it up as had to get a technician in on the job. This is so WEIRD!

I'm not unhappy however. :yahoo:

OK in summary. I'm connected up. Broadband went very easy. Not happy with Dell colours (still have to go and check what graphics card it is), Am still to really give the sound a go, but initially didn't like it compared with previous. Volume is OK however as that was what I'd been worried about. Office 2013 was a nightmare to install. I also find my intuitive software in conflict with Windows 7 when it is also intuitive. Like now when I use my flash disk both Kaspersky and Windows 7 ask me to scan it. Hopefully it will settle down eventually. OK, let's go and check out that sound.

 

[Genesis]

SOUND is perfect! WOW! I think it's better than XP .... at least Dell is good for something ... although still being tested. :give_rose:

 

[Gauravs90]

Dell have great hardware no doubt with that but I generally find there designs are far behind than other competitors.

 

[Genesis]

I've come to learn that the hard way Gaurav. All of my computers up to the Dell one have been generic computers, custom built. I'll definitely move back to that with my new computer. May happen even sooner than I think perhaps. But for now I seem to be settling down a little.

 

[Lycos]

Must say I also can get attached to my hardware. Particularly since I'm seriously addicted to new technology.