The 2018 Operating System thread

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: The 2018 Operating System thread

Yup.

x32 is out, as she runs 16Gb of Registered DDR2. Not even a Page file RAM disk trick (how I make use of 8GB on my Gallatin rigs) will utilize all of it. Not a huge deal though, as windows 7 is good enough for what it does.

Can you have a bigger RAM drive on 7? If not, I suggest XP x64!

[Curious.George]

Re: The 2018 Operating System thread

I said: "I initially thought that when SMT came along. But, eventually realized it was just a new set of tools and skills."

Not exactly.
New stuff tends to be built like shit and not really made to be serviced. It's really mostly debugging software these days. Whenever there is a hardware problem, it's just easier (and often cheaper) to replace things rather than try to fix things on the hardware level.

So your new tools and skill set are pretty much limited to "rebooting" and/or "try powering it off and on again".

I was referring to the change in assembly and design tools that came about when SMT was introduced.

For example:

• hot air irons instead of traditional irons for thru-hole
• component handling and PnP tools for really tiny parts (I don't need a stereoscope to do thru-hole!)
• layout tools that more readily supported higher component/signal densities, components on both sides of boards
• finer lead pitches and tighter DRC's
• oddball packaging options (e.g., chip-on-chip)

You can still repair boards -- you just need different tools to manipulate the components.

[Assuming you can sort out what is happening in the circuit without documentation AND that the components involved are COTS devices]

The reason it isnt economical to repair boards is that the costs of labor have continued to climb whereas production costs have continued to fall. If you are willing to work for le$$ -- or, pay more for new products -- then the calculus changes.

I.e., most folks here place a low enough value on their "uncommitted" personal time that it "makes sense" (economically) to repair something instead of replacing. Their attitudes might change if they didn't have "uncommitted time" (i.e., were working long hours that ate into their "free" time -- easier to BUY a new whatever and spend the free time you have doing something you need or enjoy, more!)

[hannah]

Re: The 2018 Operating System thread

Windows 10. I've always been a fan of Windows 7, but 8 didn't quite fit the bill. I got Windows 10 when I upgraded my computer, because some of the drivers didn't work on Windows 7.

Now I like it so much that I don't plan to change it anymore.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: The 2018 Operating System thread

After all, I delete old Prefetch data with CCleaner daily when I shut down my PCs.

But, you made a noob mistake! Don't clear the prefetch directory all the time, especially not every week, for gosh sakes! That will defeat the purpose of prefetch!

Windows XP is the other way around - it takes longer to get to the Login screen. But on a clean XP install, once the Login screen appears and the user logs in, there's hardly any HDD activity after that.

That sounds like Windows 2000, LOL. Windows 2000 takes forever to get to the login screen, but login should be fast. (With Windows 2000, it seems to not matter, even if you have a fast single core processor!)

And Vista is a bad one, it also takes forever to get to the login screen, but on faster PCs, should login at an OK rate but can randomly hang (sit in one place for a while, possibly with zero HDD activity). Vista is even more likely to have ton of HDD activity even after login.....

7 on some PCs may randomly hang on login, (take a real long time, with possibly zero HDD activity) but shouldn't be forced to hard reboot.....