Computer Stuff
This document last modified June 19, 2008.
My Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC) is arguably my favorite techie-toy. A HTPC is basically a digital video recorder (or DVR, like TiVo) built around a common personal computer. Unlike TiVo or other commercial DVRs, though, I can save my movies and TV programs to any computer storage, or transfer it over a network to my laptop, or move it to a portable video player, or back it up, or even transfer it over the internet to view while I’m away on business travel or vacation. I can watch whatever I want, whenever I want, and where-ever I want. At this point, the technology is mature and the system operates without fault, 24x7. The record and playback is at DVD quality, and is indistinguishable from the original broadcast. The only drawback to this setup, as opposed to the commercial DVRs that cable and satellite companies offer, is that hi-def video capture can’t yet be done on the computer except from over-the-air sources. But for most of the content that I’m interested in (news/commentary), that’s just not important to me.
Operating
Systems, Networks When I was running a corporate computer network, I used these sites daily. (Usually
several times a day.) Includes support for desktop and
server operating systems, as well as internetworking hardware like routers.
Internet
Access and Support If you're new to the internet,
check out some of these sites. There's some must have software, as well
as a site that just might save you some money and get you a faster connection.
Purchasing
Links contains street price search engines to help you find the best mailorder prices,
plus computer show schedules and even a vendor ratings site.
Reviews
-- research which component is the best of its type at these sites
Miscellaneous Computer News, Support and Information Sites.
Home Theater Personal Computer
My current system is built around Snapstream's Beyond TV.
This application and the associated hardware have made for an absolutely rock-solid HTPC experience.
Read about the features on their web site, and be assured from me that everything works.
I can transfer movies and news programs (or whatever else I want to record and watch) to my laptop computer
and play it back with either Windows Media Player or the DivX Player. DivX seems to
make for higher quality recordings than Microsoft's WMV format, so that's my preference for movies or
anything else that I want to have the best possible picture quality.
My latest toy to go along with the HTPC is a Creative Labs Zen 4GB Media Player.
This credit-card sized device allows me
to catch up to news and commentary programs while at the gym, or out for a walk, or I can even plug it into the car stereo
and listen while I'm driving to work in the morning. It has been pretty reliable, but I keep this link handy for software updates.
Operating Systems, Networks
Microsoft, Inc. For support of the
never-ending-beta-test, Microsoft Windows -- you know,
the operating system that's still not fixed. Also, support for all those
buggy, insecure applications that have taken over the world. Here's a direct
link to their support
pages. You're going to need it.
Cisco Routers Found in the closets of
all great system administrators.
Novell, Inc. Tech support for Novell's
Netware and other products.
Banyan Systems, Inc. , makers of Banyan VINES. VINES is a very powerful network,
especially for WANs and MANs (Wide Area Networks and
Metropolitan Area Networks), largely because it's built on UNIX. I used to work at a Banyan site that
included over 20,000 users in the whole MAN.
Internet Access and Support
Internet Access Providers
DSL Reports. Getting tired of your current service provider's pokey connection
and shared bandwidth? This is arguably the best place to search for an alternative.
The Standards -- my choices for a core suite of internet applications:
Mozilla Firefox
-- why get sucked into Bill's World when you can get the best browser for free?
Pegasus Mail by David Harris Just
e-mail, no bells, no whistles, and no vulnerabilities!
Purchasing Links
Price Watch is a
street price search engine, cataloging hundreds of very competitive mail order
vendors. Mostly hardware, but some software, too, such as
operating systems.
PC Connection is just one of many
great mail order vendors.
KillerApp
Computer Channel another street price search engine. Recently
bought out by CNET.
CNET Shopper.com -- yet another one.
Product Finder is PC World's
answer to Pricewatch and other similar services.
Reseller Ratings --
evaluations of mail-order/internet computer products sales companies
Computer Fairs in the Tri-State Area offer the best prices that I know of:
KGP Computer Show &
Sale Home Page
Tri-State Fairs
Market Pro
Reviews
Tom's Hardware Guide is probably
the premiere product review site on the web.
Anandtech
is another great site.
Small Net Builder
has current reviews and articles on Small Office/Home Office
networking equipment.
Gizmodo
comes up with some of the coolest sh... umm, stuff you'll find on the net. Not really a "review" site, but really cool techie news.
Frostytech has reviews that are specific to computer builders/hobbyists that are looking for cooling systems and cases. This has direct relevance to my ongoing home theater PC project.
Miscelaneous Support and Information Sites
InfoWorld Electric Page One , from
THE BEST weekly in the computer industry.
PC World Online , from
one of the better monthly magazines.
US Naval Observatory Time will help you
set your clock. (Hey, it's important for us computer-types!)
The Digital Camera Resource Page is
the best resource that I know of for this quickly advancing technology.
PC Photo Forum also has
comparisons of digital cameras.