Ian Morris
Ian Morris loves televisions so much he's been banned from wedding chapels in Las Vegas for trying to marry them. When he's not romancing technology, he can be found watching American TV. Ian likes roast potatoes, but he doesn't like digital rights management.
Friday 2 November 2007, 9:21am
Is this the worst PC in the world?
I'd like to introduce you to the source of nearly all my work-related stress. Meet my HP desktop PC. I don't know where this machine came from, but I'd estimate it dates from the early 1980s. It certainly has about the same level of processing power as something from the decade of Lycra and big hair.
On this PC is installed a copy of Windows XP. An operating system that I use at home, and really like. But here at the office it's much like being repeatedly punched in the testicles. After a short period of time, it becomes painful and annoying. When I first started working here, the damn thing only had 512MB of memory, but IT took pity on me and bumped it up to 1GB. Did it make a difference? Yes, but the whole thing is still as slow as a two-legged horse climbing a well-oiled and very steep hill.
So, what am I going to do about it? I'm not really sure. There's every chance I might get so annoyed with it that I end up throwing it down the nearest staircase. Of course, that might get me the sack. But I'm almost tempted to say the satisfaction would be worth going on the dole.
A more sensible idea is probably to install Ubuntu on this machine, but somehow I don't think IT will be keen on that...
Comments on this post
See if you can put a Geforce 8800 Ultra in it.!!!
Posted by W Malik on Sat 10 November, 2007 9:43 AM
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I've got exactly that PC under my desk and got fed up with the poor performance. Funny you should mention Ubuntu as that's exactly what I replaced Windows XP SP2 with. The difference was remarkable!
Posted by Chris Norris on Mon 12 November, 2007 9:54 PM
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Ha! I knew it wasn't just me that hated this computer :D W Malik, good plan but it lacks: a) A PSU capable of powering an 8800 and b) doesn't have a PCI-E socket. Thanks for the replies guys, love reading them.
Posted by Ian Morris (cnet.co.uk) on Tue 13 November, 2007 10:43 AM
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Install XP Lite to make this machine run considerably faster. I do this on all the old machines I work on. litepc.com
Posted by Anonymous on Mon 26 November, 2007 1:58 PM
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Dear god, I knew the name sounded familiar, and then the creepy thing happened. The picture wouldn't load right away, because this computer, and our network, is slow. I happened to glance with anger at the computer so poorly placed in my elbow room.... and realized it's the same computer that was in the picture that finally loaded. Our district just stocked a few labs with those things. It's like tying your ankle to a tractor during a drought and laying down on the rocky ground.
Posted by Bill P. on Mon 26 November, 2007 4:14 PM
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Install a new hard drive and then reinstall XP. Should be pretty fast after that. If that still doesn't please you, stick a Pentium D in there.
Posted by Brian S. on Mon 10 December, 2007 8:29 PM
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Articles by Ian Morris
BBC: We may do 1080p on Freeview HD
Crave We've been trying to find out which format BBC HD would use on Freeview for some time now -- we were surprised to learn the service could use 1080p
Philips Cinema 21:9 (56PFL9954H/12)
Review If you're a movie lover with deep pockets, the Philips Cinema 21:9 is unlikely to disappoint, offering a truly immersive way to enjoy films shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio in the comfort of your couch. Its great picture quality and fantastic audio are also complemented by a lovely design and plenty of features
Runco LED projectors Q-750i and Q-750d: Almost certainly excellent, but costly
Crave We love video projectors for watching movies, but the problem is those lamps, which don't generally last very long and cost loads to replace. Now Runco thinks it has a solution, albeit a pricey one
BBC HD on Freeview: Rolling out across UK in 2010
Crave The BBC today announces which regions will get HD services on Freeview. Manchester and most of London will be the first, going live on 2 December
Boxee announces Boxee Box for the ultimate media experience
Crave We've always loved Boxee, but what it's lacked is some dedicated hardware to make it simple for us to have in our home cinema -- that's changed with the announcement of the Boxee Box
Head of BBC HD says 'reducing bit rate has no impact on picture quality'
Crave In an extraordinary interview with Points of View, the head of BBC HD says there's no evidence that reducing the bit rate has a negative impact on picture quality. Sadly, science disagrees
Smart phone OS showdown: iPhone vs Android vs Palm Pre
Photo Hardware's one thing, but the most important part of a smart phone is the operating system running the show, so we compared what powers the iPhone, the HTC Hero and the Palm Pre
BBC banned from using DRM on Freeview HD
Crave The BBC proposed a form of DRM on its HD service some time ago, and was roundly criticised for the move. Now it appears Ofcom isn't up for any copy protection either
