After six years of storing files on my DS412+, it wasn’t even half full, and Synology hasn’t yet pulled the trick I now expect from all hardware manufacturers – forced obsolescence through software updates. The old Intel processor is from 2012, but it still runs the latest DSM. We’ll see […]
Tag: computers
Linksys MR8300 Mesh Router
I wasn’t completely happy with the Netgear X4S router – it was missing a few essential features – but then I really wasn’t happy when it started factory resetting itself in the middle of the night. Luckily, it happened within 30 days of purchase, so Amazon took it back. After […]
Synology DiskStation DS412+
I think I’ve solved my storage problems once and for all. It’s taken me a while to pull the trigger on this purchase, but my previous NAS and its 2TB drive was almost full. The Synology unit is obviously way more expensive, but it does so much more, it’s not […]
Eee PC Reboot
I’ve had an Asus Eee PC netbook for a few years. I was initially impressed with its speed and the Xandros linux load that came pre-installed. After about a year, however, I concluded that a 7″ screen is just a bit too small for me, and I discovered that the […]
IOGEAR Wireless Keyboard
Last year, I wrote about the Lenovo Keyboard I bought, and that I wasn’t a fan. It has its good points, but overall the lack of backlighting is a deal breaker. But I’ve found a keyboard that I can definitely recommend for the Home Theater PC enthusiast. This IOGEAR wireless […]
Netopia 3347 DSL Modem/Router
At the suggestion of an AT&T technician, I upgraded my old router and DSL modem to this Netopia 3347 combination unit, and I am very glad I did. He notified me that my old DSL modem, a Slipstream 4100 B that I purchased at Best Buy about a year ago, […]
Lenovo Wireless Keyboard
The Lenovo N5901 wireless keyboard is a small handheld remote with a full QWERTY keyboard and built-in trackball. It seems well suited for home theater (HTPC) applications, however, it has a number of drawbacks. The first, and most noticeable, is that in the home theater environment, there is a desire […]
HTPC Results
[This is the final part in a series on building your own HTPC] The primary reason I set out to build a Home Theater PC was so I could get rid of DirecTV. I’ve been a subscriber since 1999, and I’ve never had any complaints about their service, apart from […]
HTPC Install
[This is Part IV of a series on building your own HTPC] Once you’ve assembled the hardware, and collected the software, it is time to begin your install. You can expect this entire process to take between one and two hours to complete. Please follow these instructions: Install Windows It […]
HTPC Software
[This is Part III of a series on building your own HTPC] I started out thinking this would be a Linux-based PC, but two things changed my mind. First, I’ve written before about my travails with Linux. I want to like Linux, I really do. But I can’t. Mabye I’m […]
HTPC Hardware
[This is Part II of a series on building your own HTPC] Let me start by saying that I did not compile this entire list of hardware through trial and error. Most of it came from Jay Taylor’s excellent blog over at AMD, and a big thanks to him for […]
Home Theater PC
When you start the research, like I did, on building your own Home Theater PC, you inevitably come across a page or two that claims to give you all the information you need to build the “ultimate” rig for yourself. Some of these pages do provide a wealth of valuable […]
Tunes To Go
I’m lucky to work at a place that doesn’t mind its employees listening to music (on headphones) while they work. Years ago, I carried an actual MP3 Player to work everyday, but I quickly outgrew the limited storage capacity, so I ultimately transitioned to carrying a simple USB drive. The […]
Spammers Have Ruined The Internet
If you’ve ever gone through the process of getting a new phone number, you know that the previous owner’s reputation and associations may haunt you. The phone companies are supposed to let phone numbers lie fallow for some period of time (usually a year) before they reassign them to new […]
Western Digital 1TB MyBook
What can I say? Two hundred gigabytes just ain’t that big anymore. Western Digital is offering this series of MyBook drives in a number of different configurations, including a 500GB RAID, and the Essential Edition that I purchased featuring a 1TB partition. I bought this one on sale at Circuit […]
Adventures in Linux-Land
Look, I’m a software guy, okay? I’ve been banging around on computers since my first TRS-80 that my dad bought in 1982. I’m a software engineer for the world’s largest aerospace company. And I’m here to tell you that as far as computer operating systems go, we as a civilization […]
Asus Eee PC
My new netbook arrived a couple of days ago, and I must say that I am not disappointed. I have the 4GB Linux version. Configuring it to connect to my wireless network was a breeze (in fact, I’m typing this review on it), and it comes with Firefox (of course, […]