Dell Canada has the SP2309 23″ screen — a monitor with 2048×1152 screen resolution (that’s a bit greater than the standard 1080 hd resolution) — for a mere $239 until midnight!

I’m usually not an advocate of spending, but if you have $250 and need an external monitor, this is a must get. It’s a great deal; I’ve personally been a fan of Dell’s monitors ever since I got the S2208W (here’s my review on it: http://cutedge.org/full-hd-in-22-inches-the-dell-s2209w/), and this baby exceeds HD (even if only by a bit)!

Check it out, it’s only on till midnight so get cracking!

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/days_of_deals?c=ca&cs=cadhst1&l=en&s=dhs&ref=hbn

Moblin Video

There’s a revolution starting about (evidence: 1,2). No need to panic, but you might do a double-take: the netbook revolution has started. You might have noticed some “savvy”-looking people carrying around absolutely minuscule laptops/notebooks. I know I did a double-take. But now, the number of these people are starting to grow exponentially — from a 40-year-old housewife (power to the people!) to that businessman in a power suit. Next thing you know, the majority of people will probably have one of these miniature laptops/notebooks — also known as netbooks. In fact, my own parents have considered getting one as of late — and so have I.

photo credit: intdev

My desire for a netbook comes with the thought of convenient computing. Sure, good old powerful computers are still essential for tasks like heavy photo and video editing, gaming, and rendering — however, lighter, more convenient and portable netbooks are appealing for their quick boot speed and simple UI. Because practically everything in a netbook is accessed through the Internet, it’s not really necessary to have a more “complicated” UI like Windows — instead, the netbook’s main functions can all be covered in just a few tabs or menus.

photo credit: Joe Brockmeier

From the video, Moblin looks like a very inviting and warm operating system — I’ve seen some comments directed to it’s UI being too childish for some of the more mature users, but I personally find it quite refreshing. Also, it’s great that Moblin not only provides easy access to the Internet, but also to more specific and specialized features like direct Twitter updates and media players. Moblin shows great promise, and if I ever manage to get my hands on a netbook, I just might have to give it a whirl. If you’re interested in learning more about Moblin, you can visit them at http://moblin.org/.

It’s obvious that OS X looks infinitely better than Windows (Vista included, even freaking Windows 7 included — I’ve seen those screenshots, and they’re not pretty). But my problem with Macs is that they cost an arm and a leg — for the price I’m paying, I could be receiving a ton more in hardware. Which might not seem like that big a problem — but I, much like many of yourselves, am on a budget. Meaning I can’t afford the Macbook Pro, which would’ve been fine had I been willing to sacrifice performance. I’m not. I want performance. I’m telling you straight up that my Dell Inspiron 6400 can perform just as well as a current Macbook (graphics not taken into account, because the nVidia Go! 7300 is a bit weak). Nonetheless, my point is my machine from two years ago for less than the price of a Macbook today, can perform just as well, or even outperform, one of today’s Macbooks (fancy wordplay).

My Dell Inspiron 6400 has:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 (Merom/1.83 GHz/2MB L2)
• Nanya Technology 2x1GB PC2-4200 @ 4-4-4-12
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 128MB
• Seagate 320GB 5400RPM SATA
• 15.4-inch, 1280×800 pixel display

A current $1,399 Macbook has:

• Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz
• 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2x1GB
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
• 160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
• 13.3-inch, 1280×800 pixel display

I know that most speeds are different, but I hope I got my point across — with similar processors and RAM, a larger hard drive, and a physically larger display, it wouldn’t be worth it for me to spend another $1,399 (before tax) on a Macbook juuuust yet. I’m a full-time student, so I have to keep my spending as tight as possible, for my own good (haha).

Point made — so, I want OS X on my Dell Inspiron 6400. Ordinarily, I would have stopped there, because it used to be technically impossible. Thankfully, Project OSx86 was created and we can now install a copy of OS X onto our ‘ordinary’ PC’s. I’m now going to warn you about some of the moral things wrong with this:

1. Users can’t install OS X on non-Apple hardware. Last time I checked, it was in the OS X EULA (I’m 92% sure it still is and always will be — how else would Apple make any money?).
2. Users also should have a licensed version of Leopard before they install Leopard on their PC’s. I just feel that this step is necessary to ensure that we are doing it for the right, honourable reason. I’m picking my copy up soon. I’ll post pictures when I do. And if I don’t pick a copy of Leopard up, it’s because…
3. Users should be intending to purchase a Mac, and using this version only as something like a ‘trial’ version to get them accustomed to Mac OS X. I intend to purchase a Macbook this summer (well, I kind of have to — the guilt of doing something like this isn’t right — see reason #1).

As long as we admit that we aren’t going to use this as a permanent solution, I think it’s justifiable even to Apple. For the reason that we are going to buy your product soon and need time to adapt to it (for example, finding software for it).

The Installation

Alright, moving on from guilt to the actual process. There are typically 3 stages of installing OS X onto your PC.

1. Preparation and Downloading — downloading and burning the actual disc. Also, partitioning would be a good idea.
2. Installing — booting up on the disc and then arranging your drive types.
3. Troubleshooting…because there will be trouble. Drivers, software, whatever.

1. Preparation and Downloading

Typically, this is the easy stage. Download an image (I found Kalyway 10.5.2 very friendly, but I can’t provide links — find it yourself). Try to download it all in one session, because I found that my success with Kalyway was mainly owed to the constant downloading. I’m paranoid of Torrents missing some data when I pause it accidentally or shut down the computer. So leave your computer on overnight, and/or while you’re at work/school, and don’t touch anything until the .iso image gets fully downloaded.

Burn it using CDBurnerXP. Typically, I’ve read stories about installations being more successful when burned onto a DVD-R, but I used a DVD-RW without a problem (I like their re-usability).

If you plan to use strictly OS X on your PC, then you don’t need to partition.

If you want to dual-boot Windows XP/Vista and Mac OS X, then you’ll want to partition your drives accordingly. Meaning one drive for Windows, and one drive for Mac. I have one for Windows, one for Documents, and one for Mac. The hard drive partition for Mac should be empty right now, so don’t worry about it. If you’re using Windows Vista, instructions for partitioning are here. XP users I can’t say for sure, but I found a post on how to partition here. Comments in the post are interesting too, read them.

2. Installing

If everything went alright, then you should have a burnt disc. Take it out, inspect it, and then put it back in your drive. Reboot your computer. At the blue/black manufacturer screen (mine says Dell, yours might say HP or Sony or something), press the according button to boot via CD/DVD drive (I think for Dell users it’s F2 or F12). You should see a bunch of text on a black screen, then after a few moments, the OS X installer should pop up. Proceed through the installer, pause on the last step before installing. You’re going to want to customize it according to your computer, because OS X typically isn’t compatible with all sorts of hardware by default. This will be a problem later on.

The installation typically takes an hour including the disc check (I did it for my first couple of times), half an hour without. After rebooting, your computer should play the welcome video (if you have graphical stuttering, it’s because you have a dual core machine and OS X is being cooky. Reboot, type in ‘-v’ and press enter. Then type in ‘cpus=1′ and press enter. Everything should be fine. Type in the information (I didn’t use my real information because I’m really, really paranoid).

3. Troubleshooting

Drivers don’t work. It’s a normal thing. What’s not normal is if everything works fine with your OS X installation on your PC (which can now be dubbed a ‘hackintosh’). Proceed to InsanelyMac and search everything you can find about your specs. Even better — register and write about your problems, or thank them for their work.

Dell Inspiron 6400 users are in luck — user Devilhood has written up a comprehensive guide on how to get everything working on your Dell Inspiron 6400: from sound, to displays. Here’s the link to his guide.

The Secret

The secret is in two parts — the philosophy, and the methodology of installation. Your philosophy at all times should be that you have lived until now without OS X, and you can continue living without OS X. With this mentality, you will be able to sacrifice your stable installation to install some weird drivers to make everything work — which is your goal, to have a functional Hackintosh. Your methodology should be simple and easy — stick to Google and InsanelyMac for your problems. I can be of minor service if you are a Dell Inspiron 6400, but I will not go out of my way to help you find out whether your video card is compatible or something complex like that (sorry, but I’ve got my own things to work on too).

And always remember you can go back to Windows at any time. I know you don’t want to, and you know you don’t want to — but I’ve had to repeatedly agree to the concept of buying a Mac and actually overspending. Because of this though, I feel that I can actually move on and purchase a real Mac eventually. Haha.

I wish you luck. Feel free to comment or pose questions. If you need something silly, like the knowledge of how to get dual monitors to work on your Dell Inspiron 6400 or how to get sound to work, I think I can be of minor assistance.

And in the end, it took me a year and three months to figure out how to do this properly. So be persistent. Prior to 2009, I didn’t even get past the second stage of installation — so yeah, I didn’t get to see an actual working desktop until early March (during the break, when I swore to myself I’d get it working). If you want to see a result of my frustration (and a barrage of insults on my intelligence, haha), feel free to read this post where I wrote about my installing of OS X in third-person and referred to myself as ‘a friend’ because of my paranoia.

I’ve recently developed a philosophy of using things to their fullest potential: originally, I was forced to replace my older gadgets with new versions repeatedly. It wasn’t until a short while ago that I decided against my consumption for a variety of reasons:

• It wasn’t a healthy way of gaining happiness (an interesting topic on its own).
• It wasn’t a wise way to spend my money — I already had an iPod Video, why did I need an iPod Touch? I could be saving up for that Macbook I always wanted.
• It wasn’t satisfying me anymore. I think I’d exhausted all satisfaction that I might’ve gotten originally from buying gadgets. That’s the problem with consumerism.

Don’t get me wrong — I still buy new gadgets: but now, my new gadgets typically are used to replace something thats been lost/broken/malfunctioned, or for the sake of convenience (combining two gadgets into one). Or to introduce a whole new concept into my life (I’m looking into getting a PSP…we’ll see how that works out, haha).

But I’ve discovered an alternative to the constant consumption and re-consumption of gadgets — using basic computer knowledge, a keen eye, and a spirit of adventure to find out how to leverage your gadgets and use them to their fullest potential. I’ve done what I’d thought was previously unimaginable — my deeds (so far) include:

• Putting Leopard 10.5.2 on my Dell Inspiron 6400 (I don’t advise you do it if you are of the faint of heart — I should also mention that it’s against Apple’s agreement you have to click in order to use Leopard, because you’re installing Leopard on non-Apple hardware). Don’t get me wrong — it wasn’t easy, and I only recently figured out how to do it to near-perfection, with sound and dual-monitor support.
• Installing Android on my HTC Touch. That one turned out to be a fail (fail used as a noun — yep: an event where one fails miserably and hilariously at an attempt; http://failblog.org), as everytime I tried starting Android up (I installed it as a .cab file so it can be easily installed and removed) I was left with a white screen or my phone would turn off. Fail.
• Tweaking my iPod Video 5.5G so I could play Pokemon Red on it. I also installed other themes on my iPod 5.5G so I could make it look ‘fresher’ — like an iPod Touch, if I may. Both using custom firmware (which might void iPod warranty, so be careful with that — I figured since my iPod was so old anyway, I might as well give it a shot, haha).
• I’ve also managed to make my Wii play .mp3 files, .mp4 files, homebrew games (that should give the secret away), and even — DVD’s. That’s right — and I didn’t even have to touch the hardware.

photo credit: You Are The Conductor..

I’m no expert. I’m just an ordinary guy — probably a bit nerdier, but still pretty ordinary. And if I can do it, you most definitely can — so here are a few lessons that I learned along the way.

• Google will be your best friend. That’s right. You’ll get by just typing in ‘(insert gadget name here) modifications’ or ‘(insert gadget name here) hacks’.
• If you fail once, brush yourself off and try it again. And if you fail again, then change something. Or Google it again.
• Forums will be your second-best friend. Register if you have to (I registered anonymously on InsanelyMac). Use their search functions regularly, because you probably won’t have been the first person to experience a certain kind of problem.
• Don’t try modding new gadgets. Unless you can afford to replace it — because typically warranties don’t cover that kind of stuff.
• Don’t be afraid to push it! I remember when I was installing OS X, I installed a bunch of incorrect drivers that eventually required a format. It was discouraging, and I had to start over again, but I remembered that I used to live without it just fine, and so I can continue to live without just fine. If you can’t live without it, then you might want to pay for it (legitimately — not that leveraging is usually illegitimate).
• Not all gadgets can be leveraged — here’s the Herbert rule: if it has a screen/screen output, it can be leveraged.

I’m not sure if anyone’s ever associated the term ‘leveraging’ with ‘gadgets’, but I recently learned of the term in a business course and I wanted to use it. That and the word ‘synergy’ really jumped out at me. If the public demands it, I will begin posting general guides on how to leverage gadgets, so it can be a learned process (these won’t be step-by-step though, I don’t like writing comprehensive stuff — sorry). And even if the public doesn’t demand it, I think I just might.

I’ve read a bunch of articles on dual-monitors and their benefit towards productivity.  I even tried a pair of dual monitors on my own, which wasn’t a bad experience — but I had to return the monitor to its original owners, so it was a pain moving it back and forth after use.  I really wanted an external monitor — I was expecting to use it primarily as just a replacement, and not so much an addition to my laptop screen (except at times when I needed to do real work).

So I went with the Dell S2209W.  Mainly because I trusted Dell (and my cousin Jonathan from APH Networks really boosts them), but also because I found it for $189.99 during Dell’s 12 Days of Deals a month ago (happy new year, by the way).

I wasn’t expecting much though.  I just wanted an ordinary LCD — in fact, if I could find one for an appropriate price, I would’ve gladly picked up a 17″ monitor — saves my Ikea desk some space.  But enough stalling: how exactly do I find the Dell S2209W, and was the dive worth it?

I tried taking a more “structured” approach to this review: please, tell me what you think!  Inspired by Anandtech’s review on the BenQ E2200HD (a monitor very similar to the S2209W).

- http://www.anandtech.com/displays/showdoc.aspx?i=3449&p=1

Design/Build Quality

Refreshing lack of gloss: the “matte” display.  In contrast to the glossy frame of the Dell S2209W (a cool addition, matches my Das Keyboard very well), the display doesn’t have a layer of gloss over it like my Dell Inspiron 6400 does. So far, I appreciate it: it’s affected less by the Incandescent bulb in my study, and now I can actually open the blinds when I compute — that’s right, it fights the glare!

The glossy frame itself can be a topic of debate: although it’s great from a design standpoint, it attracts dust and shows it off.  Much like the Das Keyboard.  I’ll admit that during normal computing, I can’t notice it — but when I take those macro pictures, I’m a bit ashamed at how dusty it’s getting.  As for maintenance to counter the dust, I guess a quick Swiffer every so-often couldn’t hurt.

Kinda cool base: The base that the display stands on is sizeable enough to offer good balance.  And it’s got a little embedded lower level — perfect for holding loose change (I’ll keep it clean though, I assure you).  Hm, I wonder if it’d have been possible to add a second level and put some USB ports in there though.

No clips to tame those cables and wires! I did manage to stick the majority of cables out through the square tunnel that the Dell S2209W has on the stand, but clips right behind the bottom of the display itself to keep the cables from sight: out of sight, out of mind.  Personally, I find it just a bit annoying — but I know quite a few enthusiasts who are big on cabling.

No built-in swivel! Yipes.  Although the vertical resolution is acceptable (1080px, great in comparison to 800px on my Dell Inspiron 6400), I really would’ve loved a swivel for reading those long passages (something like this review).

The button placement is typical for today’s monitors: all located on the side, hidden from the eyes and easy to reach.  Much appreciated are those little icons — but I just prefer experimenting.  The power button is pretty cool though — I didn’t know how to turn the display off at first, but it turns out you actually push the Power light, which will slide down into the frame of the Dell S2209W.  It’s really, really cool.  It changes to white when the display is active, orange when inactive, and it turns off when the display shuts down.  It’s amazing how simple a feature it is, yet how much a contribution it makes to the beauty of the display.

No built-in speakers: meh, didn’t really matter much to me.  If you can afford this monitor at regular pricing, you can probably afford a pair of speakers.  Har har.  Plus, I tend not to believe in the sound quality of monitors (iMac included).

No USB ports: because I’m using a laptop, I always appreciate extra USB ports.  The Dell Inspiron 6400 features 4 ports — not exactly a generous amount, but sufficient for now.  The Das Keyboard features two ports, and it’s getting enough power not only to power itself but also my Logitech G5 and my iPod on occasion.  If the monitor gets power from USB and from the outlet, why not include a few ports?  Again, oh well — not a matter of life and death.

No HDMI?! I’m going to be perfectly honest — hold your “boo”s, please — I’m not 100% sure what HDMI is.  Here’s what I do know though: it’d probably be best to have HDMI when you want to play PS3 or Blu-Ray on a display.  And if I’m going to pay $269.99 for this thing, I want it to be able to display my PS3 and Blu-Ray movies to its best.  Doesn’t matter to me, since I have neither a Blu-Ray player nor a PS3, but if I had one I’d be raging.

Official Technical Specifications

Dell S2209W
DISPLAY Panel Size: 21.5″ Panel Type: TN – Twisted Nematic Maximum Resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080 at 60 Hz Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (typical) Brightness: 300 cd/m2 (typical) Response Time: 5 ms (typical) Viewing Angle: 160° / 170° (typical) Color Support: 16.7 million colors Pixel Pitch: 0.248mm CONNECTIVITY Analog DVI-D (Digital) STAND Tilt and built-in cable management BUILT-IN DEVICES None SECURITY Security port (cable lock sold separately) COLOR, SIZE AND WEIGHT Dimensions (W x D x H): 20.6 inches x 8.76 inches x 15.0 inches Weight: Weight (panel only – for VESA mount): 3.84 kg (8.47 lb) Weight (with packaging): 7.2 kg (15.88 lb) Color: Black
Environmental and Regulatory
ELECTRICAL Power: 100 to 240 VAX/50 or 60 Hz+- 3 Hz/2.0A (Max.) Power Consumption Operational: 42 Watts (maximum) Power Consumption Sleep: Less than 2 Watts ENVIRONMENTAL Temperature Range Operating: 00° to 400 °C (320° to 1040 °F) Temperature Range Non-operating: Storage: 0 ° to 60 °C (32 ° to 140 °F) Shipping: -20 ° to 60 °C (-4 ° to 140 °F) Humidity Range Operating: 10 – 80% (non-condensing) Humidity Range Non-operating: Storage: 5% – 90% (non-condensing) Shipping: 5% – 90% (non-condensing) Altitude Operating: 3,657.60 m (12,000 ft) max Altitude Non-operating: 3,657.60 m (12,000 ft) max COMPLIANCE AND STANDARDS Energy Star EPEAT Silver WHAT’S IN THE BOX S2209W 22″ Flat Panel Monitor Power cord VGA cable (VGA to VGA) DVI cable CD User’s guide and documentation

Wow, I’m surprised at how well that chart turned out: you can find the original chart here.

A few observations: it wasn’t just careless observation, it’s official — there’s no HDMI input.  I never knew there was a security port though — this would be great for places such as classrooms or even University dormitories (in case you don’t trust your roommates — shame on you, haha only joking).

And a TN panel.  Many criticize it for being sucky, I really don’t mind.  Of course, I haven’t used anything but TN-panels, but I don’t see what’s so bad about it — image quality is fine during regular computing (and editing).  However, for those wanting the best movie-viewing/video-gaming experience, this might be the dealbreaker.  First no HDMI, and now this?  Keep hope alive.

Unique Screen Resolution and Aspect Ratio

Typically, widescreen computer monitors have an aspect ratio of 16:10 — and thus, 22-inch monitors typically have a screen resolution of 1680×1050 pixels.  I never really liked that.  I tend to prefer “sharper” images — the most pixels on the least screen area as possible.  Meaning that 1680×1050 pixels would’ve been fine, if it was mounted on a 20-inch screen.  And if I were to buy anything bigger than a 20-inch monitor, I’d have to go for a 24-inch monitor (they’re not that expensive nowadays) for the 1920×1200 pixels.  So when I found the Dell S2209W on Dell’s 12 Days of Deals, I placed an order on it ASAP.

And I didn’t regret it. The pixels are no joke — everything looks much crisper, sharper, and I don’t need to worry about horizontal scrolling anymore.  It’s downright impressive at how Dell managed to fit such a high resolution into a 22-inch monitor.  1080 pixels also classifies it as “HD”, but seeing as how I’m connected via VGA, I can’t accurately comment on it.  But after eagerly downloading “Amazing Caves in 1080″ from Microsoft’s WMV HD Content Showcase, I had a look.  1080p video was of near-excellent quality; however, I did feel that bright colours were displayed much more precisely than darker ones, which were slightly grainy (almost artifacting).

I also started catching up on some of my favourite anime: downloading 5 episodes from Dattebayo, I watched Bleach in 480p.  Wasn’t bad, but it was definitely very different from the 1080p video.  Who would’ve thought, right?

What about Image/Video Quality?

Although initially, I had to run it on 1680×1050 pixels because my “graphics card didn’t support it”, according to Dell.  But, after clicking through some options and updating my drivers, I actually got it to work — imagine my excitement!  From a warped, butt-ugly image (because of the 16:10 resolution on the 16:9 screen ratio), to a crisp, sharp image with a ton of screen real estate.

The Dell S2209W by default was a bit blurry, but after some minor manual tweaking, everything was to my preference (I’m not that picky).  As I said earlier, even 1080p plays on full-screen — no black lines, nothing.  It’s freaking beautiful.  480p and 720p videos also play full-screen thanks to the Dell S2209W’s aspect ratio, and the differences are viewable (480p is a bit blurrier — not as crisp as 1080p).  However, as I did mention earlier, I found the bright colours in videos to be displayed a bit more accurately than darker colours, which were a bit grainy for my taste.  But, it could most certainly be due to that VGA connection (still not 100% sure).

I found images to be displayed clearly, sharply, and beautifully.  Everyday-use with website graphics is child’s play for the Dell S2209W (as it should be), but the extra pixel count does take a bit of getting used to.  Imagine this: from 1280×800 pixels to 1920×1080 pixels.  No complaints here though, it’s an excellent adjustment.

Troubleshooting

If you can’t get your Dell S2209W to display at 1920×1080 pixels, update your drivers. After calling Dell Support (the reps did play a part in solving the problem, as they isolated my video card’s maximum resolution being the issue), and Googling around, it’s not an uncommon problem.  And updating your drivers is now a near automated process, all thanks to Microsoft.  In Windows Vista:

1. Right-click your desktop.
2. Select “Personalize”.
3. Select “Display Settings”.
4. Select “Advanced Settings” at the bottom right corner of the window.
5. Select the “Adapter” tab, then under “Adapter Type” select “Properties”.
6. Select the “Driver” tab in the window that opens, and then click the “Update Driver” button.
7. Relax, let Microsoft search for the latest drivers.  If there is a newer driver version, it will automatically be downloaded and installed.  Hello, improved hardware improvement.  Otherwise, sorry — your video card could either be too old or lacking in performance to support such a high resolution.  Get a new one, or give away your Dell S2209W (hey, I had to accept this fact too).

Worked for my nVidia Go 7300, which isn’t bad but isn’t exactly “card of the year”.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea to Google your graphics card to see its maximum resolution though, in retrospect.  Also, updating your drivers will (likely) improve performance — do it whether you’re getting a new monitor or not!

What are ya waitin’ for…

For $269.99, it can go both ways: if you’re looking for a new monitor and do a lot of video-editing (and are not planning to use Blu-Ray or a PS3), then it’s perfect.  Heck, I recommend it not only to amateur designers, but to writers and gamers as well (the 16:9 feature on CS:S works well — trust me).  It’s the most screen real estate you’ll ever get in a 22-inch monitor — so if you browse the Internet a lot, want to view more than one page on Microsoft Word at once (I can seriously do two at once now, at 100%), take high-res photos, or download some HD content and take advantage of Youtube’s new standard 720p, get it. If you find it for less than $269.99, get it.

If you want a monitor for gaming or watching Blu-Ray movies though, you might want to have a look at BenQ’s E2200HD, as reviewed by AnandTech.  Yeah, I tried my best emulating it, but it’s really not the same (especially without “Input” Lag tests, colour accuracy tests, and a comparison to other “real” monitors).

“Which computer do I buy?”

“What specs should I look for?”

“When should I buy a computer?”

“Will it run Vista?”

“What if I don’t want to risk trying Vista?”

It would be impossible to accurately review every single computer out there.  But why not try to examine the hardware and peripherals that these computers are constructed from?  I’ve got the answer to your questions.

Which computer do I buy?  What specs do I look for?

In terms of brands, I suggest anything (although I have a few reservations about Gateway) from Future Shop or Best Buy will be fine.  I can also recommend Dell — they’ve got great customization abilities, but don’t require you to build your own computer.  I’ve owned an HP Pavilion desktop which I had no problems with either.

The variety in computers makes it quite difficult to choose the right one for you.  I know you probably didn’t come here to read ten page guide, so let me summarize thing for you:

Budget Computer

If you’re running low on money but you’re in desperate need of a new computer (although I wouldn’t know why you’d want to buy a new computer if you’re low on money), here’s one for you.

• CPU: Dual core, no less.  Intel Core 2 Duo, or AMD Athlon X2.
• RAM: 1GB for XP, 2GB for Vista.  Minimum.
• Graphics: Anything for XP, nVidia 8xxx series and up or any new ATI Radeon for Vista — so you can run Aero.
• Storage: 80GB should be fine for a budget, 160GB if you can find a good deal.
• Estimated cost: $500-$1,000

Media Computer:

For the video and music junkies, these specs are still near minimum but should be enough for a smooth computing experience.

• CPU: Preferably quad core.  Intel Core 2 Quad, or AMD Athlon X2 Phenom.  For heavy video processing.
• RAM: 2GB minimum, 4GB preferable.  Good multitasking.
• Graphics: nVidia 9xxx series.  Not so sure about ATI Radeon, I’ll say anything with the 3xxx and higher.  Don’t quote me on that though.
• Storage: 320GB minimum, 500GB preferable.  Gotta have enough storage for those shows.
• TV tuner card a MUST.
• 20″ widescreen monitor, if you know what’s good for you.  Ask if the video card has dual monitor support.
• Estimated cost: >$900

Herbert’s choice:

I would go for a balanced workstation — balanced between work and play.  I’ll be much more specific about what I want here, mainly because I know more about what I want than what you do.  I was able to build it on Dell though, so I’ll be able to give you a much more accurate price.  This was based on what I consider the sleek, nicer case — the Inspiron 518.  Its size allows for upgrades, in contrast to the slim or studio version (although I did consider the two).

Source: http://i.dell.com/images/…/inspndt_518_right_314x314.jpg

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 — great for heavy work.  I like to listen to music while I do…well, pretty much anything.  Some light gaming too.
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium, although Ultimate is also a good choice if you don’t mind the extra cost.
• RAM: 4GB, even though I’ve got 2GB at the moment and Vista runs smoothly anyway.
• Storage: 500GB — I’m a packrat and can’t stand having too little storage (I learned the hard way that even 160GB wasn’t enough for my packing ways — yeah I re-formated).
• Sound card: Here’s where Dell couldn’t really supply me with anything — I’d get a Creative Audigy from Future Shop.  Not the software version that Dell offers.  On a scale of 1 to 10, replacing a sound card is probably a 4/10 (replacing RAM is a 3/10).
• Graphics: All Dell offered was the ATI Radeon HD 3450, which I would gladly take.  The nVidia 9xxx series of cards are more than acceptable though.  Vista’s Aero UI relies on the graphics, as will some light gaming.  And dual-monitor support.
• TV tuner card is a must, again.
• So is a 19-in-1 media reader, for those important SD cards.
• 8 USB ports, please.  4 in front, preferably.
• A 20″ monitor, hopefully coupled with a 17″ monitor.
• Estimated Cost, without the monitors: $1,019 CDN

When should I buy a computer?

Anytime!  There are always specials in stores, so hunt around but don’t waste too much time.  If you’re looking to save, you might want to wait for Black Friday or Boxing Day to hit those stores — although I’m not exactly sure how much cheaper computers will be (I know TV’s are usually a lot cheaper).

If you’re interested in Dell, there are always new deals every week or so, available in a sale or coupon format.  Sometimes these sales offer some outrageous deals, so keep an eye on them!

Will it run Vista?

Any of the suggestions I recommended will be Vista-compatible.  I suggest getting the Home Premium version of Vista, for balance.  Vista Basic is the bare bones without Aero, and Vista Ultimate is probably going a bit overboard (not if you’re a media junkie though).  When in doubt, try to remember: dual core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a recently-created video card (nVidia 9xxx series or an ATI Radeon).  Might want to try it out in-store, if possible.

What if I don’t want to risk trying Vista?

Why, cause you’re afraid you’ll fall in love with it?  Haha.

But seriously folks, there are tons of alternatives to Vista.  Microsoft has recently extended support for Windows XP, and Apple has recently released their OS 10.5 Leopard, and Ubuntu 8.10 should be out, so it’s a great time to choose to explore anything asides from the Windows path.  Keep in mind that OS 10.5 Leopard only runs on Apple hardware.  And Ubuntu’s got some kinks to it.  So you might want to stick with XP, which might be a bit difficult at retailers (I’m sure you’ll be able to find a copy here and there though).

Don’t sweat it…

Don’t worry about buying a computer.  Just buy it.  I know it might sound like a major purchase, but it’s good for at least five or six years (I don’t expect Windows 7 to be as demanding a change as Vista was).  Don’t forget to enjoy your computing experience!  And it’s probably wise to ask for an OEM version of the Vista Home Premium (or Ultimate) disc if you’re buying a computer — in case you want to reformat and partition it (that’s the first thing I did with my own Dell Inspiron 6400).

It’s been a pretty busy week for Dell – word is that they’re creating a new iPod killer.  And this fact might’ve slightly overshadowed a more immediate occurrence – the arrival of Dell’s new desktops: Dell’s family-friendly Inspiron 518 and its stylish Studio Hybrid.  I think that the Studio Hybrid is an excellent device to show off in your living room (as opposed to a clunky typical-looking computer).  And, the importance placed on form-factor is noted – a leaf taken out of Apple’s book, perhaps?

With computer makers stepping the form-factor up, I think that this can only be a positive for the integration of computers into living rooms – something that I thought would have happened a lot sooner.  It started with PS3′s and Xbox 360′s being “media centres”, but Dell steps it up by connecting an actual PC to the TV.  However, I’m certain that I missed something – where is the TV tuner card?  Without it, the Dell Studio Hybrid certainly misses one major convenience – the ability to schedule and record TV shows onto your computer.  Asides from that, I can see few appealing reasons to house a computer in the living room.

Starting at $499 USD and $529 CDN (reasonable dollar matching, I suppose), the Dell Studio Hybrid is an affordable and interesting product.  It’s extensible, but only through Dell – after all, you’re taking a huge risk if you’re going to personally try fitting something in such a tiny and unique machine.  And although I don’t guarantee its commercial success, I’m certain that it’s a step in an interesting direction.

Press Release: http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topic…&s=corp