Where'd you learn so much about computers?
- Thread starter vonfeldt7
- Start date
Ramodkk
VIP Member
I know right??! I swear 1-2 years ago I knew crap about computers just the basics, CPU, Memory and Hard Drive but did not know their specifications or anything like that you know like the cache, ram speed...
Well, It all comes down to Wikipedia (hands-down) and I have an uncle that works for Foxconn so yeah he's answered many questions for me. And last but not least Computer Forum.
Thanks for all of you CF guys who have helped me know stuff!
Well, It all comes down to Wikipedia (hands-down) and I have an uncle that works for Foxconn so yeah he's answered many questions for me. And last but not least Computer Forum.
Thanks for all of you CF guys who have helped me know stuff!
DrCuddles
New Member
Amen to that, but my dad taught me a lot of what i know, the rest is self taught, you'll be suprised waht you can leanr when you have google at your finger tips
Also when you have old pcs lying around to try and rebuild (yep there where a few minor explosions
)
Cooner750
New Member
It probably started with the Acer Aspire 1878 (http://www.acersupport.com/desktop/aspire/html/v58xa2n_specs.html) that my aunt bought new when it was new. This computer was used up until almost 2005. It was used downstairs. In the meantime I was using a generic (brand unknown) machine with a Pentium II @ 233MHz and 32MB RAM with at first Windows 98 and then later Windows 2000 and 64MB RAM. If I recall this machine first had a 800MB hard drive that I later upgraded to 4GB. It was when I got the PII when we first got High Speed Internet at my aunt's. I found an old ISA NIC and used that in the PII.
The 'network' was nothing more than a Linksys EZXS55W Switch connected to the cable modem. This permitted two computers to be online at once.
Later on while I still had the PII, I got an HP Kayak XA, don't remember the model, I think 300-something Mhz, can't remember. I used it instead of the PII.
Then about a year ago I bought a Powerspec 7856 (1GHz PIII, 256MB RAM), used, for $40. Later I upgraded the memory to 384MB. This machine was the first of mine to run XP (not counting the a320n mentioned at the end)
Then, last year I found a 1.5GHz P4 eMachine (Forget model) with 512MB RAM out for the garbage with nothing more than a dead power supply.
It was at this time with the PIII mentioned earlier became the first server, providing Internet and network services to the now 3 computers online.
I used the P4 until earlier this year when my aunt bought an Acer Aspire AST160 for an excellent deal (new). Then I got the Pavilion that you see in my signature.
From there, I ended up getting my Pavilion a320n that I had used at home since 2003 back, which is now the server. (2.08GHz Athlon XP+, 512MB RAM).
The a720n is still my main machine for the time being.
Lol, long post.
Throughout all of this I have learned everything on my own from experience. I have never read any books on the subject of computers, etc..
The 'network' was nothing more than a Linksys EZXS55W Switch connected to the cable modem. This permitted two computers to be online at once.
Later on while I still had the PII, I got an HP Kayak XA, don't remember the model, I think 300-something Mhz, can't remember. I used it instead of the PII.
Then about a year ago I bought a Powerspec 7856 (1GHz PIII, 256MB RAM), used, for $40. Later I upgraded the memory to 384MB. This machine was the first of mine to run XP (not counting the a320n mentioned at the end)
Then, last year I found a 1.5GHz P4 eMachine (Forget model) with 512MB RAM out for the garbage with nothing more than a dead power supply.
It was at this time with the PIII mentioned earlier became the first server, providing Internet and network services to the now 3 computers online.
I used the P4 until earlier this year when my aunt bought an Acer Aspire AST160 for an excellent deal (new). Then I got the Pavilion that you see in my signature.
From there, I ended up getting my Pavilion a320n that I had used at home since 2003 back, which is now the server. (2.08GHz Athlon XP+, 512MB RAM).
The a720n is still my main machine for the time being.
Lol, long post.
Throughout all of this I have learned everything on my own from experience. I have never read any books on the subject of computers, etc..
Last edited:
b3rt_d4ni3l
New Member
I joined here this year and before that I know nada about computer.
But I am taking Computer Engineering major... go figure
Not sure what was in my mind when I was selecting the major.
But now, with the help of fellow CFers and being a sponge for the first couple of months, I learned a lot and I still learn new things from here everyday.
Cheers to CF!
But I am taking Computer Engineering major... go figure
Not sure what was in my mind when I was selecting the major.
But now, with the help of fellow CFers and being a sponge for the first couple of months, I learned a lot and I still learn new things from here everyday.
Cheers to CF!
tlarkin
VIP Member
Professionally, I have been a PC/Mac Tech, subcontractor for onsite technology specialist, network technician, network admin, help desk, and glorified technology mover. The mover part is the physical part of my job(s). Whenever we have to deploy or move technology the IT department gets to move it. Hauling servers, laser printers, desktops, etc. Doesn't seem too bad, but when you deploy say 3,000 desktops and have 8 people doing it, it can get tiring.
On a personal level I started off as a gamer back in windows 3.11 playing the original warcraft right before windows 95 came out. I wanted to play my friends online via direct modem connection. So, I learned all the AT commands for the modem and it just went from there. I then got an IT job while I was in college (at age 18) and ended up just staying in the IT field permanently.
Most people get confused on what they want and what they are talking about. It seems like everyone wants all these features, when in my experience simplicity really is best. Would you rather have something be simple and easy to and quick to use, or would you rather hunt around in that application for 15 minutes trying to find that hidden feature?
In technology there is always a million ways to accomplish the same thing, but in troubleshooting problems with technology if you don't keep things simple it may take you a long time to figure out how to fix things. Which is why it is important to keep things simple. For example, if something at my work breaks or crashes I can generally tell exactly what the problem is usually with in 30 minutes of discovering the problem. That is because we keep things simple.
Books and the internet are great places to learn, but ultimately experience is best. I learn the most from actually using the product, and also, ironically you learn more from failure. The more times you fail the more you have to try to accomplish something so it gets engraved in your brain. When you figure things out first try, you easily forget how you accomplish it. For example about 1.5 years ago I set up a dual booting lab of iMacs. Booting both OS X and WinXP Pro. Myself and a co-worker set up a netboot server that had automated shell scripts to split the client HD into two partitions, load OS X on the primary and load Win XP on the secondary. It worked first time no problems (which is rare to have no problems), with the exception of something we forgot to update in the image. We pushed out that update remotely later on. So, when I had to set up the netboot install sets again I totally forgot how to do it, because I only had to do it once. I had to figure out again how to do it, and this time I wrote it down.
On a personal level I started off as a gamer back in windows 3.11 playing the original warcraft right before windows 95 came out. I wanted to play my friends online via direct modem connection. So, I learned all the AT commands for the modem and it just went from there. I then got an IT job while I was in college (at age 18) and ended up just staying in the IT field permanently.
Most people get confused on what they want and what they are talking about. It seems like everyone wants all these features, when in my experience simplicity really is best. Would you rather have something be simple and easy to and quick to use, or would you rather hunt around in that application for 15 minutes trying to find that hidden feature?
In technology there is always a million ways to accomplish the same thing, but in troubleshooting problems with technology if you don't keep things simple it may take you a long time to figure out how to fix things. Which is why it is important to keep things simple. For example, if something at my work breaks or crashes I can generally tell exactly what the problem is usually with in 30 minutes of discovering the problem. That is because we keep things simple.
Books and the internet are great places to learn, but ultimately experience is best. I learn the most from actually using the product, and also, ironically you learn more from failure. The more times you fail the more you have to try to accomplish something so it gets engraved in your brain. When you figure things out first try, you easily forget how you accomplish it. For example about 1.5 years ago I set up a dual booting lab of iMacs. Booting both OS X and WinXP Pro. Myself and a co-worker set up a netboot server that had automated shell scripts to split the client HD into two partitions, load OS X on the primary and load Win XP on the secondary. It worked first time no problems (which is rare to have no problems), with the exception of something we forgot to update in the image. We pushed out that update remotely later on. So, when I had to set up the netboot install sets again I totally forgot how to do it, because I only had to do it once. I had to figure out again how to do it, and this time I wrote it down.
lovely?
Active Member
hmm my first experience was with two of the earliest celerons (cant remember their speed anymroe, but its the kind where the plastic is black and thick, and the chip is huge... (made in '98)
but after i played with and consequently broke those, i built the rig in my sig and have been happy with it up untill a few months ago, when i could really tell that i was out of date.
but after i played with and consequently broke those, i built the rig in my sig and have been happy with it up untill a few months ago, when i could really tell that i was out of date.
shadowbt
New Member
Haha I think I'm maybe the guy who wanted to build my computer and who knows nothing about the pieces
Considering the date the thread was posted.I bought my first computer ( HP pentium 133 with 128 ram, 1.2 gig hdd) and I hated it. I tried to upgrade it with more ram (sucssefully) then tried to upgrade other parts only to find I couldn't because it was so propriatary.
So I did some research and bought all the parts to build my 2nd system, a P 166 with a 2 gig HDD and 512k ram. It ran so much better and was cheaper than the HP I had bought. I never looked back.
I just learned by reading on the internet and by doing.
So I did some research and bought all the parts to build my 2nd system, a P 166 with a 2 gig HDD and 512k ram. It ran so much better and was cheaper than the HP I had bought. I never looked back.
I just learned by reading on the internet and by doing.