Many DSL providers offer a free (after rebate) DSL modem/router combo in return for an annual contract. For most of us without spare tech gadgets lying around, this is a great option to get online quickly. For the internet provider, this is a means to fulfill an agreement with the hardware manufacturers.

Unfortunately for the consumer, the modems provided are crap.

For instance AT&T offers some customers a variant of a DSL router manufactured by 2Wire. While the modems themselves are easy to install and relatively maintenance-free, I’ve heard nothing but trouble from those that experience problems. One of my friends’ 2Wire modems fizzled out soon after the 1-year warranty agreement by AT&T. The modem booted up, but the power light would remain red. Hard resets and power cycling did nothing to the modem. The model was a 2700-HGB. AT&T suggested to her to buy a new modem (for >$79). I found several online accounts similar problems with these modems, and it turns out to be a faulty capacitor in the modem or a faulty power supply.

The power supply unit offered by 2Wire cannot be purchased separately. However, several electronic devices in the market use a similar 5.1V head. The quick fix for the 2Wire 2700H-GB power supply is a PSP power adapter (like this). For a mere $5, you can get your modem back and running again. If it doesn’t work, you’re only down $5.

computing tech

Those of you who are still hanging onto Windows XP should be relieved that M$‘s aging operating system still has life left for routine computing purposes. After all, the termination date for all hotfixes that M$ has set for WinXP is April 8, 2014. That should be plenty of time to maintain your beast of a desktop or laptop in commission until the next generation hardware is released.

I’ve collected a bit of tweaks throughout the years to help keep my copy of XP competitive on older hardware. I’ve decided to post a list of optimization techniques for Windows XP, mainly for myself and those of you who still may be using this operating system. Refer to my previous guide on netbook optimization, as some of these suggestions overlap.

Firstly, these tips are not specific to any hardware, although some systems may not be amenable to these tweaks. Laptops, in particular, have specific drivers that may be required to function properly. Be warned.  Secondly, I expect a minimum baseline in your system (ie Pentium 2 is unlikely to respond as well as a Pentium 4).

1. Memory. No matter what type of computer you have, you need memory. From my experience in ECE110 (operating systems) in college, the memory will give a higher end-user speed improvement over clock speed (although clock speed is what drives the electric current to the memory). You should have at least 1gb in your system. If your computer is too old to warrant a memory upgrade and has too little (256mb), then any sort of optimization will be limited.
2. Stop indexing. My Computer->Right Click hard disk->uncheck “Allow indexing Service to index this disk for fast searching”. You don’t need this.
3. Stop unnecessary services. There are specific services that are required for your system. Check to make sure which ones you need, and cut out the ones you don’t. Go to Start->Run->”services.msc”. There is a list of services that you can uncheck. A few that I have found to be useless for the average home user include:
   1. Error Reporting Service
   2. Help and Support (Who ever uses this?)
   3. Fast User Switching (If you had enough power to support multi-user logins, you needn’t be using this article)
   4. Telephony
   5. Anything with “Remote Desktop”. Security hole.
   6. Messenger. No way.
4. Cut some of those special effects. You probably don’t need most of them: Control Panel->System->Advanced->Performance->Settings. Uncheck the drop shadows and visual styles.
5. Optimize startup. Cut out Office Launcher and Acrobat startup. Let them load on first run of opening Word/PDF files. If your taskbar is over a fifth of your desktop width, then you might have too many startup programs.
6. Ditch Symantec Antivirus. This program has memory leaks. I don’t understand why some universities still purchase a site license for this useless software. If you need antivirus, use something like Comodo Internet Security.
7. Try Bootvis. It can optimize startup order. It sped up my startup by 10 seconds!
8. Ditch some unnecessary fonts. Excess fonts that you never use can bog down word processing and any graphics editors that you use. Control Panel->Fonts. Choose some to remove. Just don’t forget to keep the basics.
9. Use a tweaking application. I used to use TweakUI, which eventually became encompassed by PowerToys. X-Setup is an extreme tweaking app that I found pretty helpful. You can enable “fast updates”, disable tooltips, and other optimization hacks. I obtained a noticeable speed increase after using this tool.
10. Remove unnecessary programs. Some of the programs that you installed and used once can have startup functions that slow down the boot process.

That’s it! These basic tweaks can bring life to any aging Windows XP system.

computing tech

Interesting use. Could someone elaborate?

medicine medicine, tech

Back in the heyday of Intel 80486 processors, there were many opportunities to run software on underpowered hardware. I remember those days when Doom! required a math co-processor (DX chip), for its polygonal rendering. Most of us still had the standard SX chips. We found ways to bypass that, as well as the 4mb extended memory requirement. In the end, the software ran, albeit sluggishly.

It seems like hardware has caught up the power race, and most desktop systems are capable of handling all but the most processor-intense applications. I’ve been one to believe that current computers are overpowered for their intended purposes. Who needs a dual-core with 2gb memory and 1gb video ram to browse the ‘net and word process? Indeed, there is no role for this in routine use, but I recently discovered that new hardware helps even with light software use.

I recently installed Microsoft’s Visual Studio with SQL Server onto my 1.7ghz Thinkpad. The installation burned through about 15gb of disk space (out of a 40gb disk) and took over an hour to complete. After the ancillary drivers were installed in place (.NET, Powershell…etc), the laptop ran like a 500-lb man after going through a Vegas buffet. I promptly uninstalled the software.

It’s probably time for an upgrade.

computing rant, tech

Nice.

misc tech