Entries categorized 'Hardware'

I find myself using Skype more and more for both conversations with other Skype users or for taking advantage of the SkypeOut service so I can call any landline phone.  I have been using a Logitech ClearChat Pro USB Headset, wired version, for the past 6 months.  Overall the headset worked just fine but I had a nagging issue that I could not do anything about, the cord.  I seem to keep running over the cord and pinning to the floor with my office chair.  This is pretty annoying when I try to move only to have the headset ripped off my head or my head pulled to the side because I ran out of cord.  I do this all the time and it just got plain annoying.

So I decided to look for a wireless headset.  I started digging around Amazon’s website and thought I could find something with Bluetooth that would fit the need but it seems the previous model from Plantronics I had considered was discontinued.   I narrowed my search down to the Logitech ClearChat Wireless USB Headset and the Plantronics .Audio 995 Wireless USB Headset, both priced about the same.

The decision came down to determining what other aspects of my current headset I might change, if I went with Plantronics.  The only other real feature I would change is the size of the earphones, the Plantronics has much larger ones than the Logitech.  The Plantronics also mutes the microphone when it is raised up, another really nice feature.

So, I purchased the Plantronics .Audio 995 Wireless USB Headset from Amazon.com. Beyond the features I mentioned I liked there is also a couple other nice ones like the range, 40’, longer than the Logitech.

Great set of features from the Plantronics web site:

• Dual 40mm speakers deliver full-range stereo sound
• Wireless connection with 40-foot range
• On-ear controls for volume adjustment and controlling tracks on iTunes and Windows Media Player
• Noise-canceling microphone with Fast Mic Mute feature that automatically mutes the sound when the boom is raised
• Easy plug-and-play setup; no software required
• One-year limited warranty

After getting the headset and setting it up on my PC I have to say I made the right decision.  The fit is so much better than the Logitech set I own and the sound quality is great over Skype or listening to anything in iTunes.    Recent conversations over Skype were very clear and seem to be better than the wired set.

The ability to roam around the office is a huge benefit, no more running over wires.  The only real unknown to me at this time is how long I have between charges but I guess I will figure it out.

Finally

This is a great headset and I really love the features in this headset, particularly:

• The range – 40’
• Ease of setup – just plug it in
• Comfort – nice and big for the ears, not tight on the head
• Wireless – enough said

I would recommend these to anyone looking for a wireless headset.

It seems when ordering from Dell, the Dell Mini memory options are limited to 1G RAM.  I understand this is due to some licensing issues with Windows XP and the Dell Mini easily supports 2G of RAM.  I decided to check out my favorites computer parts supplier, NewEgg and found the G.Skill 2G 200-Pin DDR2 PC4200 memory stick for $23.99, including shipping. 

Installation was was pretty much a non-event;

• Remove the battery to remove all power from the system.
• Took out the two screws holding the cover to the underside of the Mini.
• Removed the existing memory stick.
• Install the new G.Skill memory stick.
• Replace the cover on the back of the Mini, reinstalling the (2) screws.
• Reinstall the battery.
• Boot up and verify in the BIOS, by pressing 2 on startup, that the new memory is recognized.

That’s all there is to it.  When booting up into Ubuntu the new memory was recognized, nothing to configure there.

OK, well the title pretty much tells it all, I set out to upgrade my 1 year-old system's processor from an Intel E6600 (Core 2 Duo) to a new Intel Q9300, quad core 45nm processor.  The task is easier said then done.

I ordered the Q9300 from my favorite component reseller, Newegg, and had it my hands in a couple days.  The process fits into the same 775 socket as my previous chip but my motherboard would need a BIOS update to support the new chip, which I did.  My motherboard is a Asus P5W-DH Deluxe which is capable of processor upgrades as long as the CPU is a 775 socket.

The motherboard is probably the most sophisticated and feature-packed motherboards I have ever owned.  It certainly has the most slots and connectors on it.  Anyway, I unpacked the CPU, removed the old one and installed the new one with ease.  I had thought to myself, how can it be this easy?  Well, I spoke too soon.  Right after turning on the system I got the the post screen and right after received an error message stating the CPUID was not recognized.  After much searching around the Asus support site and several other forums such as Anandtech, I was told the 975 chipset does not support the new 45nm chips and I would probably be the first person on the planet to have it working if I could pull it off.

I am not the type to play with hardware for all hours trying to prove I can do something.   I ended up talking to a few people who have the same CPU I have and had it running successfully using motherboards from Abit and in particular the Abit IP35 Pro, which has great support for the 45nm chips.  I was lucky to find a great deal from Newegg.

Once I found out I needed a different motherboard to support my new CPU, I decided to upgrade my RAM from 4G to 8G, order a new video card and install Vista x64 to take advantage of the full 8G of RAM.  The prices of RAM have come down so much that I paid half of what the original 4G cost.

So the order consisted of:

• (4) G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory
• (1) ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
• (1) EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

The video card is real incredible with a huge set of features:

• Chipset Manufacturer: NVIDIA
• Core clock: 500MHz
• Stream Processors: 96
• Memory Clock: 1600 MHz (effective)
• DirectX: DirectX 10
• OpenGL: OpenGL 2.0
• DVI: 2
• TV-Out: HDTV / S-Video O

The video card will be very capable of off-loading some future video processing, Silverlight work or who knows.

I am expecting to get everything setup and going by the weekend which I will post some follow-up to my experience.  I am very anxious to get back up on Vista x64 now that there is iTunes support in iTunes 7.6+.

My current laptop I use most of the day either in my home office or on the road is a Dell Latitude D820. I have had it about a year and half with the exception of the last month or so I have been very happy with it.

The last month the fan has been getting louder and louder to the point I almost bought a new Lenovo Thinkpad T61 but it sounded a bit irrational, clear evidence of how crazy it has been making me. The fan is running at maximum speed most of time and almost screaming.  I was at one of my clients this week and people even commented how loud it was and asking if that annoying sound was my laptop.  Embarrassingly enough, I had to admit that it certain was my laptop.

I started searching the Internet a bit and found others who had the same problem in both the same and different Latitude models.  I also decided to check out the Dell Support Site to see if any problems like this had been reported.  It turns out there is a new BIOS version, A07, which addressed the problem because the quiet mode of the laptop could not be set correctly.  Unfortunately, I already had version A07 of the BIOS installed.

There were a few forum posts I came across that shed some light on the solution; cleaning the fan.  It had never dawned on me that this would be a problem.  One bit of information was on Devshed and made me think a bit about how and where I use my laptop.

My work environment is either the home office or a client and it's never dusty.   I figured it was worth a shot to clean the fan.  I grabbed my trusty can of compressed air and, while the system was still running, blew the air into as many different angles as I could.  I was surprised to see the amount of dust coming out of the fan.

Once I was done the fan took about 2 minutes to slow down and become extremely quiet.  I would never have guessed the solution would be so simple.  One gentleman takes his D600 apart once every 6 months and cleans the fan and heat sink.

I think I will have to start making this as part of my system maintenance routine to keep my fan quiet and my clients happy.