Daren

Which Mod/Admin should I forward an abusive PM to?

Thanks for the help, guys!

Don't know why you're even thinking about SSD's, they're so slow and inefficient compared to 5 1/4 floppies. Just like P4's are faster than C2D's... Which use far less power than that silly new tech - i3! You're so welcome, Speedup.

Speedup or PowerBand or whatever your name is today, I'm sorry I wasted any time typing out all the stuff I did, you obviously don't appreciate it or understand it.

I have nothing wrong with my self confidence - my issue is with fools who come to ask basic questions for which the answers are readily available on literally thousands of websites. Then you have the gall to make rude comments and give false gratitude.

Classy guy.

Yes, that's exactly what I want to do: carefully analyze the questions of a total newbie who never says 'thank you'. Can I please?

You're not making sense. If higher spec's aren't important to you, why do you even care what speed the CPU clock runs at? Just get something that looks good and feels good with a price you can afford. And if you're as undemanding on your PC as you claim, why not go for an ultra-cheap Atom processor? Brand new machines start at $300USD!

Then again, you might want actually evaluate what you're going to be using your computer for. You implied that you're not a gamer, but what do you actually use your computer for? Do you do any photo/video/audio editing? Do you like to watch HD movies? Are you running several programs and browsers at the same time? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, you will need to think about specs...

I'd love to see the article you read about i3's being less efficient than C2D's, because every professional review states exactly the opposite. For instance: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-...5-661,2516.html

PS - If you think your P4 was faster than your C2D, maybe you don't need a computer at all. An abacus might be a lot faster for what you're using it for.

I don't understand why all the people who are having this issue aren't calling True and giving them an ear-full! Even here in Thailand, I would demand a replacement or a refund for faulty hardware.

Though, this honestly doesn't sound like faulty hardware.... darn crappy Thai power strikes again!

On paper, the Lenovo is the best due its 4 GB RAM. Both processors - C2D and i3 have 2 cores, but the i3 32nm processor saves considerable amounts of energy over the older 65nm (or 45nm) model. Today, 2 GB of RAM is considered bare minimum if you're running Win 7, and 4 GB is rather average.

Keep in mind though, that these are all some of the lowest specs available for a new computer currently. If you're replacing a Core2Duo, why would you want to buy another one (unless your old computer was stolen, of course)? If you're getting a new machine because you out-grew the last one, you might need to reconsider what you're computing needs are.

When it comes to price vs performance, I always recommend buying in the middle of the market. The base models are far too under-powered for all but the least demanding of users and in the top-end, you'll be paying an extremely high premium for technology that most users won't take full advantage of. This is generally true for everything from Computers to TV's to cameras, or anything other electronic.

PS - Unless you're actually doing a whole lot of networking (or streaming HD video), and you have an "n" router, you'll probably never notice a difference between the wireless standards.

All that said, this info is easily available on the internet. Google, my friend, goolge!

Garyh, I don't need a TV card though. Seems awfully superfluous to buy a TV card for the remote...

I'm sorry about the mistakes and lack of paragraphs - I wrote bkk that on my phone.

I went to Pantip today, but I was disappointed by the lack of good pc remote options. There were only 2 models in the entire place as far as I could see - a smaller black model with a retractible core on the IR receiver, and a larger grey remote that looked more like a standard TV remote. The best prices I found were 290 for the small, black one and 340 for the larger model. I opted for the more normal looking model, but I'm not really bkk that happy with it. Without installing 3rd party software (not free either), some of the buttons aren't recognised in some programs (like 'play' in vlc ). On the box, they claim 'no driver needed' but this is really more of a flaw than a feature. He they had included a button mapping program, I'm sure it would be much better. I can say that because that's essentially what the 3rd party app does. Button placement is also not good, 'my computer' is right above the 'up' and there is absolutely no tactile difference between the two so I find I'm constantly mashing the wrong one. Lastly, the mouse motion is really the deal breaker. I knew I wasn't getting a great piece of hardware for 340B, but the pointer doesn't move the direction I push, it's not smooth at all and it seems to click-lock, even though it's disabled, so dragging sliders is nearly impossible. I'm definetly considering taking it back but I'll give it one more day.

Err... USB is simple by design. As for the accuracy of the GPS, the unit in my phone is usually accurate to about 4m, so yes.

Would someone please go to speedtest.com and post the results?

On the topic of Plasma, I love the way they look, but hate how much they cost! The blacks are so much better than LCD currently, but I also live in an apartment where electricity costs are already inflated. I think I'd be better off going with the LCD to save on the sticker price as well as cost of using it.

Jim Shortz, where did you buy your Samsung? That seems like a pretty good price!

I download a lot of HD documentaries, so full HD would be really nice!

How much were they going for, Jonathanpattaya and Gmac? Arm and leg-type prices?

I have seen a comparison between LED LCD and CFL LCD before, and it's striking how much better the LED's color and brightness are!

One thing I know: there are only bad times and worse times to buy electronics.

Does anyone have an opinion on PowerBuy?

nadzproject.com has a good selection of games. The site is in Thai but it's fairly easy to navigate any way. Also, if you call them, there's usually someone who can speak reasonably good English.

bazmlb, thanks for sharing that. There is some good info in there, though I feel like I should I point out that buying a 1080p TV is only really a good idea when panel size and viewing distance are both within a particular range. Check out this handy dandy chart for a general reference.

Another problem your friend seems to fall victim of is that manufacturers manipulate contrast ratio measure techniques to get the highest possible number. Check out this article, if you're so inclined!

Contrast ratio of LCD TV - explained

The contrast ratio measures the capacity of a display device to produce the brightest colour and the darkest colour and it is usually expressed as a ratio of their light intensities. There is a lot of disagreement prevails in measuring the contrast ratio so the contrast ratio measured using different methods show different figures.

While manufacturers of LCD TV follow their own methods to measure the contrast ratio, most of them are reluctant to take into account the effect of room light conditions. Majority of them have a view that the contrast ratio of a display device like LCD TVs should be measured in an ideal room where there is no place for the light from TV to get reflected and all the light that a TV emits is completely absorbed. They usually prefer the method of the complete on/off when they measure the contrast ratio as it would show the maximum contrast ratio.

There is another method, the Ansi contrast which provides the most realistic ratio as it includes the effects of room into measurement. Ansi contrast is often used to measure static contrast ratio while complete on/off method is employed to measure the dynamic ratio.

The methods used for measuring pure black and white vary from one manufacturer to another. However, all these methods are less likely to give the contrast ratio acceptable by everyone. There is always discrepancy between the contrast ratio specified by the maker and the actual contrast ratio that a viewer discovers after he puts the TV under a test.

Newer LCD TVs use PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment) and S-PVA (Super Patterned Vertical Alignment) to produce deeper black levels and greater viewing angles. S-PVA also removes ghosting to certain extent by providing fast response times using RTC technologies.

Good black depth is prerequisite for viewing dark scenes in well-lit rooms. PVA and S-PVA technologies enhance the contrast ratio up to 3000:1

Another method a LCD TV uses to offer black depth is by illuminating the wall behind the screen thus making the dark scenes appear darker.

From here: http://www.lcdtvreviews.org.uk/lcd-tv/cont...atio-explained/

Nio - Perhaps that is the case with your TV's, but many newer models have support for DiVX, MPEG and potentially other video formats on board! All you have to do is load up a flash drive or external HDD with your favorite videos, plug it in and away you go! Samsung was the first one to have USB ports on many of it's LCD TV's, but I see them on other brands now too.

Kuffki, I never really like LG stuff in the past, and now I will be sure to avoid them!

Thanks for the input, folks!

Our 4 year old Panasonic recently had a little accident and it's gone up to see it maker. The screens is completely shattered and it's my understanding that replacing the panel is often as much as, or more costly than buying a new set. So I've come to ask the wonderful posters here at ThaiVisa for their help. If you were TV shopping today, what would you buy and where would you buy it?

We don't need anything massive, 32" - 40" should be plenty and we do want to save some cash, so top-of-the-line isn't desired. Samsung had caught my eye as they were one of the first brands to offer a USB port right on the set, but now it seems that's become a more common feature. Though, what about codec support? Is one company much better than another when it comes to the variety of video it can playback? Of course Sony is always a good bet in terms of quality, but I'm not sure they're really in the running for the cost vs performance title.

We live in BKK, between Thonglor and Ekkamai, and I have transportation, so I wouldn't mind driving a ways if it meant significant savings. I've heard mixed reports on PowerBuy - is it crap or the best game it town? Of course Tesco, Big-C and Carrefour all stock a fair number of TV's, is there any reason not to go there?

I've read a few LCD TV Buyers' Guides and they're helpful when comparing spec's, but anecdotal can also be very valuable, esp. as TiT, after all.

I'm eager to hear your ideas!

Perfect! I'll start there!

Thanks for the help everyone!

Thanks for the replies! I don't need a TV tuner, but thanks for chiming in! Hopefully I won't need to go all the way up to Laksi. Surely Pantip has something similar.

As for whether to buy local Chinese hosting or to go international, I would get hosting in a western country personally. Though I must admit, it's purely based on my skepticism of all things Chinese when it comes to the internet. Besides, you aren't selling to customers in China any way.

I've been a happy DreamHost user for 3 years now, and I would recommend them to any one. They offer unlimited storage space and unlimited bandwidth -- which is GREAT! If you're interested, I can get you $50 off ($47 for your first year!) plus 3 additional free domain registrations (total of 4). I only get $3USD for the referral, but it's better than nothing!

The promo code is:

BESTDEALIO

Just use it when you sign up. Any one can use that promo code, it honestly is the best offer possible with DreamHost.

It's all in the title! I want an IR remote control for my W7 computer. I just need basic TV/DVD-type functionality - volume, pause, play, etc. - fancy LCD screens and the like are not needed or wanted. Something similar to this would be nice:

WIndows Media Center Remote

I checked online at Thanni.com and Shop4Thai.com but they didn't have what I was looking for. Shop4Thai.com has wireless presentation remote, but they're not optimal for a number of reasons.

I'm gonna go search at Pantip, but if someone could give me a tip on where to look would wonderful. Pantip is big....

Cheers!

Good to know! 8-15k is Kinda what I was expecting. Thanks people!

Thanks for the reply, Peter. I just wanted to know the average price to rent a house -- not too flashy -- in Phuket Town. Got an estimate?

Checking online, I see lots of upper range apartments and houses for rent in Phuket but not a lot of low- to mid-range listings. I'm not surprised, but I'm wondering what an average 2 - 3 bedroom house in Phuket town (north side preferably) would cost.

Can any one please shed some light?

All input greatly appreciated!

I'm applying for a job at Satree Phuket School and I was just wondering if any one here can give me some information, either first hand or otherwise. It's a very large school, but what about its reputation? I have worked at a large EP in Nakhon Si Thammarat for the past 4 years so I have some idea of what it might be like, I'd just like some specifics.

Thanks folks!