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-   -   Chit-Chat Developers, developers, developers, developers (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=306434)

Starry Windy October 20th, 2013 4:44 AM

When I checked my Windows Updates last time, I installed most of them already except for Office 2007 SP3 and 2010 support (and 2 certain drivers updates), that I consider my laptop is fully up-to-date, and it was in a few days before my laptop's BIOS goes haywire...

I want to ask you guys (after I'm experiencing the problem that I just mentioned), if you guys have ever changing using laptops or even PC at some point.

Tsutarja October 21st, 2013 4:40 AM

Well, I do consider changing computers all the time based on what has the better specs.. in the most recent case, I began using my desktop way more than my laptop once I managed to get a newer (but not new) desktop and put Windows 7 on it. Before then, the desktop I used only had 2 GB RAM and Windows XP.

Legendary Silke October 21st, 2013 6:02 AM

Sometimes I wonder whether I'll manage to stay with this laptop for more than a year... It's almost 10 months.

Starry Windy October 21st, 2013 7:49 AM

It's the first time for me to changing laptop, because of the old laptop's issue that I need to buy a new one. I need to be used to newer OS of Windows 8 in my new laptop after using Windows 7 for years, because using this new OS means a totally different league for me.

However, I never change my PC because I was upgrading my PC little-by-little in terms of RAMs. But the out-of-date nature of my PC (well, the hardware which is in there is already old-fashioned) is what makes me consider to change one someday.

Legendary Silke October 21st, 2013 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wind Heart (Post 7893740)
It's the first time for me to changing laptop, because of the old laptop's issue that I need to buy a new one. I need to be used to newer OS of Windows 8 in my new laptop after using Windows 7 for years, because using this new OS means a totally different league for me.

However, I never change my PC because I was upgrading my PC little-by-little in terms of RAMs. But the out-of-date nature of my PC (well, the hardware which is in there is already old-fashioned) is what makes me consider to change one someday.

So what are you planning to get/did you get this time?

Starry Windy October 21st, 2013 6:52 PM

I managed to buy a new laptop yesterday which have Windows 8 in it, and for me, Windows 8 is quite odd if I'm not getting used to it, because the Start button does different thing now.

Starry Windy October 21st, 2013 9:36 PM

I think I agree with you, that Windows 8 starts to grow up in me, and my new laptop is more nicer if it comes to gaming right now (which have 1 GB dedicated memory), compared to my old one (which have about 128 MB's).

Tsutarja October 22nd, 2013 5:45 PM

It never really takes long for an operating system to grow on me at all. The next problem is: trying to get the fact that when I'm using older operating systems that some features aren't available.

For example, my server runs Server 2003, and when I was doing some work with it about a month ago, I tried to drag down a window up to the top of the screen to maximize it.

Starry Windy October 22nd, 2013 10:30 PM

lol yeah, I'm like that too, because after I'm using my current phone (which have touchscreen), when I'm touching my old phone's screen, I realized that my old phone is not using touchscreen, so I'm like between getting used to new technology or old ones now.

Terabyte October 23rd, 2013 8:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7896015)
It never really takes long for an operating system to grow on me at all. The next problem is: trying to get the fact that when I'm using older operating systems that some features aren't available.

For example, my server runs Server 2003, and when I was doing some work with it about a month ago, I tried to drag down a window up to the top of the screen to maximize it.

That's exactly how I am! And it's strange for me since I use Windows Vista alongside Windows 7, both of which use Aero.

Speaking of which, I really wish Windows 7 had the option like Windows Vista to where windows weren't transparent when they're maximized, because I don't like the idea of seeing my desktop background through my taskbar whenever I have programs maximized :\

donavannj October 23rd, 2013 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terabyte (Post 7897046)
That's exactly how I am! And it's strange for me since I use Windows Vista alongside Windows 7, both of which use Aero.

Speaking of which, I really wish Windows 7 had the option like Windows Vista to where windows weren't transparent when they're maximized, because I don't like the idea of seeing my desktop background through my taskbar whenever I have programs maximized :\

Try Windows 7 Basic or go into your themes and adjust the color intensity of your window colors in your Aero theme settings. Won't completely hide the windows behind your current one, but you won't notice they're there unless you're specifically seeking them out.

Tsutarja October 23rd, 2013 4:12 PM

If I ever actually switch to Windows 8, the one thing I'd probably miss the most is Aero Glass.

quilzel October 23rd, 2013 5:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7897738)
If I ever actually switch to Windows 8, the one thing I'd probably miss the most is Aero Glass.

Areo Glass, and Areo Peak are what I miss most. Simple things are the most missed, strange.

Legendary Silke October 23rd, 2013 9:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terabyte (Post 7897046)
Speaking of which, I really wish Windows 7 had the option like Windows Vista to where windows weren't transparent when they're maximized, because I don't like the idea of seeing my desktop background through my taskbar whenever I have programs maximized :\

I know your feeling, right? Try cranking up the colour intensity of the window colour in Windows 7 - it's actually just another word for "how opaque the windows should be". It won't be completely opaque, but it's close when you have it at maximum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by donavannj (Post 7897295)
Try Windows 7 Basic or go into your themes and adjust the color intensity of your window colors in your Aero theme settings. Won't completely hide the windows behind your current one, but you won't notice they're there unless you're specifically seeking them out.

This is also arguably the fastest way to see your desktop responsiveness and smoothness plummet. Windows' DWM uses your graphics card to draw all these nice-looking windows and handle a lot of work, reducing the load on CPU by a lot and also preventing redrawing glitches for the most part. Not allowing that means everything has to be done on the CPU, and, well...

You'll also be penalizing the graphical performance of web browsers, for example.

Leave Aero on in Windows 7 if your graphics card isn't some integrated junk in 2006 (emphasis on integrated in 2006 - today's Intel integrated is faster than your CPU at drawing your desktop).

Quote:

Originally Posted by quilzel (Post 7897824)
Areo Glass, and Areo Peak are what I miss most. Simple things are the most missed, strange.

Aero Peek actually still exists in Windows 8.x. It's just disabled by default. Open the taskbar properties and check the last checkbox.

donavannj October 23rd, 2013 10:22 PM

Windows Aero is just as dependent on the processor as the Windows classic theme in Windows 7, if not moreso. Maybe it is technically supposed to work the way you describe, but that's not been what I've been experiencing when experimenting with this and looking at raw performance numbers on various PCs running W7.

Seki October 24th, 2013 1:58 AM

I am using my current laptop for about 5 years already and I am going to change it to a new one in about 1 or 2 months time. The only reason why I am changing it because the battery life sucks, its getting slower and slower as the days go by, and I can't play most of the current-generation games.

Tsutarja October 24th, 2013 2:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNOR(es)LAX (Post 7898275)
I am using my current laptop for about 5 years already and I am going to change it to a new one in about 1 or 2 months time. The only reason why I am changing it because the battery life sucks, its getting slower and slower as the days go by, and I can't play most of the current-generation games.

Out of curiosity, does the laptop run XP or Vista? Because I will agree that 5 years is a little long for a laptop. I know my Compaq laptop though has the same problem with its battery not living up to like its supposed to be.

Legendary Silke October 24th, 2013 3:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donavannj (Post 7898147)
Windows Aero is just as dependent on the processor as the Windows classic theme in Windows 7, if not moreso. Maybe it is technically supposed to work the way you describe, but that's not been what I've been experiencing when experimenting with this and looking at raw performance numbers on various PCs running W7.

You'd be surprised how much CPU is taken up when you're not using Windows Aero and on the desktop whenever something needs to be updated. Keep in mind that the window manager tries to not draw anything that it can not draw...

It is supposed to work in the way I just described. Drawing graphics is not the CPU's best thing to do when it can be used to do something else...

Also, there's a bunch of niceties that you lose besides the fancy effects when you disable Aero and other HWA goodies in Windows Vista or newer. Take an application that isn't responding to window paint messages and was hidden before being brought back to visibility. If this were Aero, at least Windows will be able to show the last contents as it keeps them in a buffer.

Classic mode? The contents were already thrown out. Guess what's there?

"Adjust for best performance" perhaps should be relabelled as "Adjust for crappiest appearance" these days given sufficiently fast graphical hardware.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raymond Chen
Starting in Windows Vista, a lot of visual effects were offloaded to the graphics card. Consequently, the impact on system performance for those visual effects is negligible, and sometimes turning off the effect actually makes your system run slower because you disabled hardware acceleration, forcing operations to be performed in software.

For example, if desktop composition is enabled, then a backup copy of a window's entire contents is kept in video memory, even if the window is covered by other windows. Without desktop composition, the window manager uses the classic model which follows the principle don't save anything you can recalculate: The contents of an occluded window are not saved anywhere, and when the window becomes exposed, the window receives a WM_PAINT message to tell it to regenerate its contents.

This means that, for example, when you remove a window from the screen and expose the window underneath, the desktop compositor can show the contents of the underlying window immediately because it saved a copy of the window in video memory and has been keeping it up to date. On the other hand, if you disable desktop composition, you will just stare at a blank window underneath, and then you have to sit and wait for that window to repaint itself.

Congratulations: By disabling desktop composition, you made the act of uncovering a window run slower. (You will see the same effect when switching between maximized windows.)

I believe how much CPU advantage enabling Aero gives also depends on raw CPU power available. Most GPUs should be able to stay in 2D mode with a normal desktop environment, so they shouldn't guzzle up power, either.

Seki October 24th, 2013 5:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7898306)
Out of curiosity, does the laptop run XP or Vista? Because I will agree that 5 years is a little long for a laptop. I know my Compaq laptop though has the same problem with its battery not living up to like its supposed to be.

My laptop's running on Vista.

Tsutarja October 24th, 2013 11:12 AM

I will say that sometimes I do indeed use Windows Vista for nostalgia purposes, but that's about it really.. and I also always have that one Windows XP Virtual Machine on my desktop as well if I want to revisit that. :)

Catalyst. October 24th, 2013 2:06 PM

Well, just finished a motherboard/CPU upgrade on my main rig. New specs:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($113.94 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77-HD3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($55.67 @ Amazon)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Scorpio Blue 160GB 2.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($44.95 @ Mwave)
Storage: Seagate Pipeline HD 500GB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.95 @ Mwave)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7750 1GB Video Card ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX12V Power Supply ($36.23 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DVD-E818AAT/BLK/B/GEN DVD/CD Drive ($21.99 @ Mwave)
Total: $660.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-10-24 18:04 EDT-0400)

Not bad for the price, if I do say so myself. OS X Mavericks is running on the SSD and the 500GB, while Windows 8 is running on the 160GB purely for gaming purposes. Quite happy as this is the first combo gamer/hackintosh I've had in quite a while.

Tsutarja October 26th, 2013 7:34 PM

Hmm this was weird but a few moments ago my desktop just suddenly decided to freeze up and I had to hard-boot it just to get it moving again :/

Legendary Silke October 27th, 2013 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7903572)
Hmm this was weird but a few moments ago my desktop just suddenly decided to freeze up and I had to hard-boot it just to get it moving again :/

How long has it been on? Sometimes even computers just need a short break.

Starry Windy October 27th, 2013 3:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7903572)
Hmm this was weird but a few moments ago my desktop just suddenly decided to freeze up and I had to hard-boot it just to get it moving again :/

I was having it on my desktop some months ago, and it was freezing even when opening some start-up programs like antivirus. In my case, my PC is finally working like it used to when the harddisk of my PC is plugged out, and later plugged in again (with carefully), along with some cleaning on my PC's inside (it was full of dusts).

Tsutarja October 28th, 2013 5:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ♪Twiggy♪ (Post 7904049)
How long has it been on? Sometimes even computers just need a short break.

It had a two-week uptime roughly, though I guess it's because I let it run nonstop. Maybe I should give it a break every now and then.

Aeroblast October 28th, 2013 5:39 PM

"Circuits"... College has made me hate this word. If I was a Comp E major, I'd be on the verge of suicide. (maybe not)

Edit: THANK YOU ZACH.

Tsutarja October 28th, 2013 5:49 PM

I guess I'd probably get to hate the word too if I had to look at it everyday :P but eh it was time for a new title in the thread. Not the best title but eh..

And my older laptop (which I very rarely use to this day) has a bad battery in it apparently.. the charge light blinks on and off whenever plugged in, and on the taskbar it's stuck at 27% not charging.

Legendary Silke October 29th, 2013 6:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7907467)
I guess I'd probably get to hate the word too if I had to look at it everyday :P but eh it was time for a new title in the thread. Not the best title but eh..

And my older laptop (which I very rarely use to this day) has a bad battery in it apparently.. the charge light blinks on and off whenever plugged in, and on the taskbar it's stuck at 27% not charging.

Hmm...

What do you plan to do with it?

In other news, I recovered my entire laptop to Windows 7 as 8.1 is very wonky with regard to drivers for my Windows 7-era laptop. Might as well as go back in time to full support.

Funny enough, even with most of the same stuff installed, it boots in 64 seconds instead of 8 minutes.

Tsutarja October 29th, 2013 6:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ♪Twiggy♪ (Post 7908149)
What do you plan to do with it?

I'll probably eventually toss it but I'd like to keep it for nostalgic purposes since it runs Windows Vista.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ♪Twiggy♪ (Post 7908149)
In other news, I recovered my entire laptop to Windows 7 as 8.1 is very wonky with regard to drivers for my Windows 7-era laptop. Might as well as go back in time to full support.

Funny enough, even with most of the same stuff installed, it boots in 64 seconds instead of 8 minutes.

Ouch, that sucks. I'm fortunate that no drivers failed on my desktop when I installed Windows 7 on it since it ran Windows Vista originally.

Morkula October 29th, 2013 9:43 AM

Zach, about your freezing - do you have an Nvidia graphics card? The last few new drivers have been causing system freezes with my card (560 Ti) and I had to roll them back to a previous version. It's a pretty well-documented problem if you Google a bit.

Tsutarja October 29th, 2013 9:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morkula (Post 7908438)
Zach, about your freezing - do you have an Nvidia graphics card? The last few new drivers have been causing system freezes with my card (560 Ti) and I had to roll them back to a previous version. It's a pretty well-documented problem if you Google a bit.

I have an ATI Radeon HD 4300/4500 Series card in my machine, and this was an isolated case as it's the first time my desktop just suddenly froze on session without any response. Though I wasn't performing any settings changes or anything too graphical with my GPU at the time the freeze occurred.

Kyrul October 30th, 2013 12:38 PM

Can anyone recommend some high speed head phones at a reasonable price? I'm looking for something better than my current turtle beaches. Not really sure what the good brands for headphones are though.

Tsutarja October 30th, 2013 5:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyrul (Post 7910415)
Can anyone recommend some high speed head phones at a reasonable price? I'm looking for something better than my current turtle beaches. Not really sure what the good brands for headphones are though.

What kind of headphones are you looking for? I'm sure those can help us out in terms of narrowing our recommendations :)

quilzel October 30th, 2013 7:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyrul (Post 7910415)
Can anyone recommend some high speed head phones at a reasonable price? I'm looking for something better than my current turtle beaches. Not really sure what the good brands for headphones are though.

What are 'high speed' head phones?

For the money, Turtle Beaches aren't bad. If you are looking for cheap music listing head phones with more bass than the Beaches, then I highly recommend Sennheniser HD 202. They are less than $30USD, and for the price, they are really hard to beat. They have good highs, and the clarity is really good, the bass is also pretty good, but not as good as more expensive head phones. http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-202-Professional-Headphones-Black/dp/B003LPTAYI/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

GreyVirgo October 30th, 2013 9:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyrul (Post 7910415)
Can anyone recommend some high speed head phones at a reasonable price? I'm looking for something better than my current turtle beaches. Not really sure what the good brands for headphones are though.

Maybe this site can help you: http://www.razerzone.com/store/gaming-audio

Legendary Silke October 31st, 2013 5:18 AM

Heh, speaking of headphones, I'm thinking that maybe I should get a pair of real headphones, too, if only for comfort.

Just have to decide between a gaming headset and something more for music.

Tsutarja October 31st, 2013 5:39 AM

Recently my second pair of Apple earbuds got a short in them somehow just after constant use I guess.. but the same thing that happened to the second pair happened to the first pair. Ironically, my cheaper JVC earbuds have more durability.

And I need a new USB headset for my desktop as well. It's held up for a good two years, but earlier this year the microphone began to short out and eventually it did, then the speaker wire started to go as well, but I've had to hold the wires in place where they aren't shorted with tape so that they would continue to work. Now they're beginning to physically fall apart.

Legendary Silke October 31st, 2013 6:06 AM

Something about headphones and short durability... yeah, does it feel weird?

Starry Windy October 31st, 2013 6:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ♪Twiggy♪ (Post 7911635)
Something about headphones and short durability... yeah, does it feel weird?

I think that's the issue I found when getting or buying headphones, even though I must admit, using headphones instead of earphones can be a bit comfortable at some point.

Legendary Silke October 31st, 2013 10:36 AM

I miss using my Sony buds. They worked very well when I was young, years ago.

Kept going until I lost them.

Aeroblast October 31st, 2013 1:04 PM

NEXUS 5 HYPE GET

http://www.google.com/nexus/5/

So cheap compared to iPhone 5S and 5"C." I already have a Note II though it has a lot of scratches.

Tsutarja October 31st, 2013 3:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seattle (Post 7912345)
NEXUS 5 HYPE GET

http://www.google.com/nexus/5/

So cheap compared to iPhone 5S and 5"C." I already have a Note II though it has a lot of scratches.

Oh wow, that does look like a good phone.. I would at least hope that for the price of the phone the overall quality of it is good. And I see it's the inaugural device for Android 4.4 KitKat as well.

quilzel October 31st, 2013 4:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seattle (Post 7912345)
NEXUS 5 HYPE GET

http://www.google.com/nexus/5/

So cheap compared to iPhone 5S and 5"C." I already have a Note II though it has a lot of scratches.

I have to admit, I actually kind of want one. I wonder if it will work on Verizon. I noticed that it has CDMA support. So I hope so, Finally a good Nexus device I can use on VZW. The camera has to be amazing through, I'm not giving up my Lumia unless the camera is really good!

blue October 31st, 2013 5:02 PM

I'd love a Polaroid Camera, they look so professional and always take high definition pictures.

Tsutarja October 31st, 2013 5:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suicune™ (Post 7912696)
I'd love a Polaroid Camera, they look so professional and always take high definition pictures.

A lot of cameras these days can take really good photographs, even point-and-shoots.. however, I wish to have a DSLR camera like everyone else in my family, that's for sure :P

Nolafus October 31st, 2013 6:08 PM

I have a Fujifilm finepix S, and that takes some good photos.

Tsutarja October 31st, 2013 6:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slayr231 (Post 7912775)
I have a Fujifilm finepix S, and that takes some good photos.

That actually looks like a nice camera! Is it one where the lenses can be changed around as well?

Nolafus October 31st, 2013 7:05 PM

I don't have different lenses, since I only do scenery photography as a small hobby, so I'm probably not the best person to ask. I would imagine so, since that's a common feature on the bigger cameras. I guess my final answer is probably, without any help from personal experience.

Starry Windy November 1st, 2013 6:25 AM

Speaking of cameras, I was given a Sony DSC-S3000 as a gift about 2 years ago, and I can take some good shots. However, I wish I can handle the shooting well that my hand won't shake when I take the shoot.

Legendary Silke November 1st, 2013 7:21 AM

I have a Sony Alpha NEX-5R.

Although I have a 55-210mm, I tend to just use the 16-50mm power zoom lens that automatically collapses and extends by itself. You know, it's more mobile than the telephoto zoom lens.

Tsutarja November 1st, 2013 8:25 AM

My camera is a Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS, and it's a point-and-shoot.. it's a very good camera with lots of functions such as manual ISO and many different picture modes.

Legendary Silke November 1st, 2013 9:23 AM

Speaking of cameras, I really want to get a Nokia Lumia 1520, if only because of the camera (and the fact that I'd be getting a quad-core Snapdragon phablet running Windows Phone 8/Lumia Black).

20 megapixels of 1/2.5" in a phablet with optical image stabilization, some usable zoom, and full manual control, as well as RAW. Possibly the highest-end phablet camera yet.

Tsutarja November 1st, 2013 9:27 AM

If we're talking mobile devices and cameras, I'd recommend anything other than the iPhone and or iPod Touch line of devices. Apple probably has the worst mobile device cameras out there, IMO.

But at least my Nexus 7 has a 5-megapixel camera which I'm fine with definitely, considering I rarely use the full 5-megapixel range :P

Cordelia November 1st, 2013 10:25 AM

Not to defend Apple at all, but the iPhone actually has a pretty decent camera. lmao

Legendary Silke November 1st, 2013 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac (Post 7913681)
Not to defend Apple at all, but the iPhone actually has a pretty decent camera. lmao

iPhone cameras are actually very good for their sensor size. The 1/3-3.2" 8 MP iPhones work very well in both stills and videos, as long as it doesn't get too dark (due to lack of OIS).

Having your base ISO at a very low value of 32 helps a lot, too. They do get the processing down pat, too.

Shame about lack of out-of-the-box camera control, though.

Tsutarja November 1st, 2013 11:07 AM

At least the 4th gen iPod Touch camera sucks, though.. I guess iPhones do have good cameras but the earlier models (including the iPhone 4) don't have really good quality imo.. but at least Apple is improving on their cameras.

Cordelia November 1st, 2013 12:39 PM

A lot of people think the iPod touch is an iPhone that can't call and that's not right. The specs on it are comparably low end to iPhones which cost upwards of $800 while an iPod touch cost what, upwards of $300?

Legendary Silke November 2nd, 2013 1:01 AM

Somehow I think I might be able to get away with no smartphone... by "cheating" and buying an iPod Touch in addition to a phone.

Tsutarja November 2nd, 2013 5:08 AM

I'd still prefer to have a smartphone though with data access so that I could access the internet anywhere I may need it, in the event where there isn't any wifi around, or all the wireless access points around my current location are all locked and secured.

Nolafus November 2nd, 2013 1:31 PM

I don't have a smartphone, I have a dumbphone. :P

I don't get cell phone reception at my house, so I don't even use my phone very much. I've had my phone for about five years now and I don't see myself giving it up anytime soon. It makes calls and texts, what more do I need?

Tsutarja November 2nd, 2013 2:56 PM

Being the tech mod, I will say that I don't have a smartphone either Dx but to be honest, I don't really need one, since I really don't communicate with others outside of the internet.. I have Google voice which is plenty for SMS transmission and if I want to speak with someone I have either my house phone or Google voice calling on the computer. I do have a cell phone though for emergency purposes when I'm out in public to contact my parents with.

Nolafus November 2nd, 2013 4:04 PM

^ Yup, that's pretty much my reasoning right there.

Alexander Nicholi November 2nd, 2013 9:38 PM

Well, I used to have a dumb old pay-per-minute Verizon flip phone, then last Christmas I got a brand new Samsung Galaxy Reverb. The thing that sucks the most is that it only has 2 gigabytes of internal space, and I like to keep music on there, so... yeah. I need a micro SD card. XD

I might be getting a Samsung Galaxy S 4 for this Christmas though, as my current phone has a giant crack in it from when my dad crushed it with his boot. It's starting not to hold a charge, and not to mention it's absolutely hideous to look at. 4G much?

P.S. Screw Apple. I don't have time to jailbreak a phone that should be doing what I want anyway. Also, screw Steve Jobs and whoever replaced him. Read oPtion$ (a book, I know) and you'll see how much of a fraud el Jobso is.

Legendary Silke November 3rd, 2013 12:31 AM

If you don't like Apple, chances are you just don't like their approach to mobile devices.

Everyone has a different opinion on how open and customizable a mobile device is. You could say that Android devices are at the "wide open" end, while Apple devices are "locked down", with Microsoft somehow managing to get in the middle (how nice do you want it to be? Oh, and, two sideloaded apps and no more).

How did that phone get under the boot in the first place?

Speaking of the Galaxy S 4, are you going for the normal S 4, or are you going to:
  • Trade in the AMOLED panel for an LCD panel in exchange for ruggedness
  • Trade in hardware specs for a stabilized optical zoom lens
  • Trade in hardware specs for one more SIM
  • Trade in hardware specs for a smaller size

I think the normal S 4 should be good for everyone else :)

Elaitenstile November 3rd, 2013 1:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ♪Twiggy♪ (Post 7916747)
If you don't like Apple, chances are you just don't like their approach to mobile devices.

Everyone has a different opinion on how open and customizable a mobile device is. You could say that Android devices are at the "wide open" end, while Apple devices are "locked down", with Microsoft somehow managing to get in the middle (how nice do you want it to be? Oh, and, two sideloaded apps and no more).

I should agree with you. I'd really like to have all I can stuff as my own into the electronic device and turn it completely different from the original. I try to create my own style of organising things. Heck, it's mine, it's my world. That's what I feel Apple's been lacking. I feel Apple (phones, especially) is trying to give everything to us easy but in their own way so it spoils the spirit of it. I'm just glad they haven't made much modifications to the calling and SMS services. Oh the horror.

Legendary Silke November 3rd, 2013 4:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ★Hoenn★ (Post 7916786)
I should agree with you. I'd really like to have all I can stuff as my own into the electronic device and turn it completely different from the original. I try to create my own style of organising things. Heck, it's mine, it's my world. That's what I feel Apple's been lacking. I feel Apple (phones, especially) is trying to give everything to us easy but in their own way so it spoils the spirit of it.

I know, right? Sometimes it can feel very strange to have your hand held in every step.

I guess I don't miss the customizability of Android after over a year of using a Windows Phone since I don't really see the point of having a mobile device being susceptible to pretty much everything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ★Hoenn★ (Post 7916786)
I'm just glad they haven't made much modifications to the calling and SMS services. Oh the horror.

Haha! Apple can never do that since if they did that nobody else would be able to do anything to owners of iPhones. Standards for wireless communications and interfaces exist for a good reason.

--

In other news, I've bought a set of Sennheiser HD 439s (a closed over-the-ear headphones costing about USD104 converted) tonight.

That had to be the comfiest over-ears I've ever used, and nothing sounds muddy compared to the in-ear Philips I was using.

Tsutarja November 3rd, 2013 4:51 AM

I've noticed with Apple that when two iPhone users text one another, it's not through SMS but rather Apple's iMessage platform.. but I would at least hope that if one wanted to use SMS in lieu of iMessage to another iPhone user, I would at least hope Apple has a method to disable that without having to disable iMessage as a whole, since iPod Touch users can also use iMessage.

blue November 3rd, 2013 5:26 AM

I've recently got the iPhone 5, it was a choice between that or the Samsung Galaxy S2 but since I've got an iPad and Apple account I thought it would just be easier to have them all under one account. I've really adjusted to using it though even though I've only had it for about a month now, however I did manage to rack up a very expensive bill on my first month. ;;

Elaitenstile November 3rd, 2013 5:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suicune™ (Post 7917038)
I've recently got the iPhone 5, it was a choice between that or the Samsung Galaxy S2 but since I've got an iPad and Apple account I thought it would just be easier to have them all under one account. I've really adjusted to using it though even though I've only had it for about a month now, however I did manage to rack up a very expensive bill on my first month. ;;

Ouch. How do you feel about it?

I don't really see the difference between my family's Smartphone and iPad. Only perhaps a larger screen and no calling and messaging services. Perhaps someone can elaborate?

Alexander Nicholi November 3rd, 2013 8:01 AM

My uncle has a bunch of Apple devices he gets as gifts from his friend Tim in San Fransisco. He just gives them to him second hand, since Tim always has the latest and greatest Apple crap. He just got a Mountain Lion in the mail like a week ago.

As far as what I see from them, they're very pretty, and useful to a regular user like him, but otherwise useless for someone who likes to get intimate with the device (such as myself). I'll admit I've gotten fed up with my Android enough to try to root it a couple times (albeit unsuccessfully), so I know I probably couldn't handle the craziness of an Apple device ever.

Dter ic November 3rd, 2013 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ♪Twiggy♪ (Post 7916747)
If you don't like Apple, chances are you just don't like their approach to mobile devices.

Everyone has a different opinion on how open and customizable a mobile device is. You could say that Android devices are at the "wide open" end, while Apple devices are "locked down", with Microsoft somehow managing to get in the middle (how nice do you want it to be? Oh, and, two sideloaded apps and no more).

That is usually the case for Android phones but I find that Samsung in particular is trying really hard to 'lock down' the devices they make with each new revision. I mean, in the S2 they introduced the modification counter so that the device knows how much it's been modified with and then displays the yellow triangle on boot. Then they start locking the boot loaders for the newer devices so it's less easier to root the device if you want to.

Tsutarja November 3rd, 2013 11:15 AM

I'd say Samsung is probably the most locked-down manufacturer with Android devices.. one time when I tried out a Samsung Galaxy tablet at Staples, I barely recognized the interface to it like that of normal Android, and it was running Jellybean as well.

Legendary Silke November 3rd, 2013 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dter ic (Post 7917620)
That is usually the case for Android phones but I find that Samsung in particular is trying really hard to 'lock down' the devices they make with each new revision. I mean, in the S2 they introduced the modification counter so that the device knows how much it's been modified with and then displays the yellow triangle on boot. Then they start locking the boot loaders for the newer devices so it's less easier to root the device if you want to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7917645)
I'd say Samsung is probably the most locked-down manufacturer with Android devices.. one time when I tried out a Samsung Galaxy tablet at Staples, I barely recognized the interface to it like that of normal Android, and it was running Jellybean as well.

You might have not noticed it yet, but Samsung is actively trying to hide all the "Google"-ness of their devices. Pretty much every single thing got the Samsung treatment, for better or worse.

I'd say for better, since I hated unskinned Android.

Starry Windy November 3rd, 2013 12:29 PM

I think Samsung probably is one of the manufacturers that makes its phones somewhat unique interface-wise, and I wonder if HTC can rival it since I noticed the signature clock display of HTC's Android phones when I see it on the phone magazines, at least on older ones iirc.

EDIT: Like this one, for example:

Tsutarja November 3rd, 2013 6:06 PM

Even though the example Windy posted above is an older version of Android, I will say I like the idea of HTC's clock widget.. my parents' both had the HTC Droid Eris phones as their first smartphones back in 2009 and the clock looked exactly like that.

As for the Google feel, I'm perfectly fine with that, especially since I have a Nexus 7 tablet, which technically is officially from Google, but manufactured by Asus.

Meganium November 3rd, 2013 6:29 PM

I haven't had any problems with Samsung, even with my current phone which is an Infuse. Sucks that they never really provided an upgrade since it's stuck on Froyo. My next phone will be a Galaxy S3 or 4, or maybe an iPhone. My friend from San Diego is pushing me to get the iPhone tbh. lol

Cordelia November 3rd, 2013 6:51 PM

You traitor if you get an iPhone. And lol @ Froyo omg xD

Starry Windy November 3rd, 2013 7:09 PM

My current Android phone is on Froyo too, but sometimes I wish I can buy the better ones like Ice Cream Sandwich-based one, because I see some software on Google Play that requires the latest Android version.

Meganium November 3rd, 2013 7:12 PM

I'm surprised the majority of the apps I use can support Froyo. One reason why I adore Android. <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac (Post 7918420)
You traitor if you get an iPhone. And lol @ Froyo omg xD

I'm tryiiiing to stay away but he texts me like every day telling me that "LOL LOOK WHAT I CAN DO WITH MY IPHONE ISN'T IT COOLIO O WAT?"

Legendary Silke November 3rd, 2013 10:28 PM

*is stranded on Windows Phone 7.x*

More reasons to upgrade (if only to make my web browsing experience better), but it still works.

Starry Windy November 3rd, 2013 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Fail (Post 7918797)
I like Android for its freedom and versatility. It can be played around with and customized in so many ways.

^ This.
I'm reminded when I was using Symbian before I even buy an Android phone, and after I use the Android Phone, turns out I like it that some years later, I started to miss my old phone's feature because I rarely use them nowadays.

Zet November 4th, 2013 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac (Post 7918420)
You traitor if you get an iPhone. And lol @ Froyo omg xD

Don't be jealous of the superior phone that works out of box. Why bother with Android when you have to a, b, c, d, and f just to get it the way you want it to work, while with iOS, it just works.

countryemo November 4th, 2013 1:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zet (Post 7918913)
Don't be jealous of the superior phone that works out of box. Why bother with Android when you have to a, b, c, d, and f just to get it the way you want it to work, while with iOS, it just works.

Android "Just works" also. Sure you can tweak it to work more to your liking, but its fine out of the box also, usually. You just have that freedom, you don't like that keyboard? Switch it. Don't like the animations? Change them.

Also whats with all this iPhone Galaxy talk. What about the Moto X? Pretty much the best/smoothest/fastest one out, Nexus 5, Android 4.4. o.o

Elaitenstile November 4th, 2013 2:54 AM

Ahh everyone has their own pet phone xD

But I believe the true consumer will buy his phone regardless of brand but of cost.

aka phones get a bit costly these days considering my country's inflation, importing, and poor receiving

Tsutarja November 4th, 2013 3:11 AM

Although I'm definitely not an app developer, one thing I like about Android is that unlike iOS, you can run its SDK on Windows.. iirc, you have to become an Apple developer first and then also have to have a Mac to develop for iOS.

And for me, I run Android 4.3 on my tablet.. just waiting for 4.4 to come out.

Catalyst. November 4th, 2013 5:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachLMedia (Post 7919025)
Although I'm definitely not an app developer, one thing I like about Android is that unlike iOS, you can run its SDK on Windows.. iirc, you have to become an Apple developer first and then also have to have a Mac to develop for iOS.

And for me, I run Android 4.3 on my tablet.. just waiting for 4.4 to come out.

You need OS X. Xcode is free, you only need to be an Apple Developer if you want to publish them on the (non-jailbroken) App Store.

Cordelia November 4th, 2013 6:00 AM

Thankfully with KitKat's release lower specced phones should at least have it on there because it's made to be run on as little as 512mb of RAM. No more of this Froyo/Gingercrap nonsense running around.

Legendary Silke November 4th, 2013 6:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac (Post 7919223)
Thankfully with KitKat's release lower specced phones should at least have it on there because it's made to be run on as little as 512mb of RAM. No more of this Froyo/Gingercrap nonsense running around.

...before any OEM customizations come into view?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catalyst. (Post 7919215)
You need OS X. Xcode is free, you only need to be an Apple Developer if you want to publish them on the (non-jailbroken) App Store.

The problem is that a properly licensed OS X machine costs a lot of money since it's basically a new computer. If the developer owns nothing but Windows machines, he'd have to hackintosh it.

Cordelia November 4th, 2013 6:56 AM

You won't get official support from the manufacturer. I was talking about new phones.

Legendary Silke November 4th, 2013 8:04 AM

It's actually quite interesting how Windows Phone 8.x compares to Android 4.x running on equivalent-level hardware. There's something about how fluid the former is and it practically never misses a beat.

I'm very interested in how Windows Phone 8.x holds up when paired with a quad-core Snapdragon. These devices... they're like my dream devices.

donavannj November 4th, 2013 8:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac (Post 7919223)
Thankfully with KitKat's release lower specced phones should at least have it on there because it's made to be run on as little as 512mb of RAM. No more of this Froyo/Gingercrap nonsense running around.

This would explain why my Sensation with about 600 MB of RAM struggles with running apps from time to time. Its system version is 4.0.3, and it probably barely meets minimum specs for the later versions of ICS.

Tsutarja November 4th, 2013 9:06 AM

I would at least hope that KitKat could perhaps resolve the random shutdowns and reboots my device has if its requirements are gonna be lower than those of Jellybean's. The device itself is smooth with Jellybean, but I would hope that stability improves.

Cordelia November 4th, 2013 9:10 AM

Sadly Zach, I'm pretty convinced it's a hardware issue not software, but only KitKat's arrival will tell.

Legendary Silke November 4th, 2013 9:51 AM

New OSes tend to strain the hardware just as much as the old ones...

donavannj November 4th, 2013 9:56 AM

90% likely that it's an issue with the device itself. Pay attention to the frequency of your random shutdowns and check the battery levels after each reboot. The device firmware may be having issues communicating with the battery if the battery level drops considerably after each reboot.

Tsutarja November 4th, 2013 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mac (Post 7919458)
Sadly Zach, I'm pretty convinced it's a hardware issue not software, but only KitKat's arrival will tell.

Luckily I have a 1-year warranty on the device with Best Buy, so once the KitKat update rolls around I'll watch for it to still be rebooting, and if it does I'll return it.

Somehow I think the random shutdowns were caused by notifications because they became more frequent when I began to use the tumblr app, and then I uninstalled that and they haven't happened a lot. And the reboots have been very sporadic as well. Both seem to also happen around times I receive app updates as well.

Cordelia November 4th, 2013 12:37 PM

You better get it in soon. I know you'd rather have a fully functional device.

Zet November 4th, 2013 4:42 PM

I'm with Mac on this. It's definitely hardware related, and you're going to need to do something asap. I'm only saying this because I used to have a first gen Windows Phone, and almost a year later it started restarting randomly, freezing, and becoming really hot really quickly.

Tsutarja November 4th, 2013 6:24 PM

I went ahead and got the receipt and box out should I really need to return it. It's got an uptime now of over 48 hours since I've uninstalled tumblr now, so I'll see how it goes from there.

Elaitenstile November 4th, 2013 8:47 PM

Sounds frustrating. It's always hard to be without a phone that you know you want it to work and it doesn't.


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