Experiences with non-techies

[Principis]

3 minutes ago, wkdpaul said:

A few pages back I mentioned how one of my friend has "negative deductive reasoning", and here is another example I forgot about;

 

Calls me because he's not getting any video output.

Goes on complaining about Windows and how he can't update drivers since he's not getting a video output.

After a few questions I realize he's not getting ANY video output.

So I point to the fact that Windows drivers had nothing to do with him not getting video out when in the BIOS ...

He didn't get it ...

 

I fixed it by telling him to reset the CMOS. Even after that he was still blaming Windows ...

*sigh*

Some people can't be saved...

 

[Space Reptile]

5 minutes ago, wkdpaul said:

~snip~

be happy hes not splurging money on scammers who abuse his lackluster knowledge "tech support"

[themctipers]

On Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 1:00 PM, Hameck said:

I got one for ya.

 

I work at a computer store that does a lot of PC repair. One of our regulars, an older lady, uses an Apple cinema display with her Windows PC. She tells us that her PC no longer comes up on the Apple cinema. We take it in and find out that the adapter that goes from the HDMI on her video card to whatever proprietary bullcrap Apple uses as display input, has gone bad. Now it turns out that the company that made these adapters has gone out of business (I believe they were forced out by none other than Apple), so, the adapter no longer exists for anything lower than $100.

 

When we inform her, she tells us that "You promised me that you could fix it!" and "Why would you make a promise you can't keep!" When we tell her, for the umpteenth time, that the adapter is no longer produced, she gets very angry and proceeds to accuse us of "Cheating people out of their money!" and "Running a false business!" My boss (I felt sorry that he had to deal with this woman) offers to trade a Shimian monitor for her cinema display. Shimian is a Korean company that provided the screens for Apple's cinema displays, and the monitor he's offering has almost the exact same screen in it. She shuts his offer down and hangs up angrily.

 

A couple days later, she comes into the store with her freaking lawyer!!! She keeps accusing him of being a fraud, and she still does not understand that the adapter pretty much doesn't exist anymore. Finally, the owner just tells her to leave the store.

 

The whole exchange made me realize that PC repair techs take a lot of crap from non-techies.

Yeah... Good thing the ones in my Area charge a fuck ton for basic stuff. making bank I suppose

23 hours ago, Bleedingyamato said:

It's because eBay sellers are a strange breed of person that runs at turtle speed...

Also sometines full of themselves in that too many sellers think they can set prices at bill gates levels and somehow that's reasonable.  Especially if sellers have older sealed items.  "PAY ME THIIIIS MUCH MONEY CAUSE BS REASONS.  I CAN'T SELL IT FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN WAY TOO MUCH.  DERP DERP."  Of course they could set a reasonable price for things but they CHOOSE not to.  Why do people think buyers are stupid and don't realize the seller is being a greedy bastard?  ?

 

 

Also lots of eBay sellers in an effort to make piles of money sell things they know nothing about.  I've seen more than one clearly non-techie seller listing a computer with a description along the lines of "it works but I know nothing about it.  I think it's a Windows."  ?  (Paraphrased for comedic effect.)

I have a Pentium MMX 233mhz *and* it still has its sealing, however the box and the cpu has been opened. 

21 hours ago, Bleedingyamato said:

Don't be too mean to the poor souls unfortunate enough to work for Best Buy.  lol

 

It's not their fault Best Buy sucks and doesn't train them or hire people who know about what they're selling.  ?

 

Nature finds a way?  ?

 

Does RAM even generate any heat?  Or enough to actually matter?

 

I was pretty sure those fancy oversized colored heatspreaders/heatsinks were mainly to appeal to people who want colored things.  ?

 

Or am I mistaken?  Idk for sure.  ?

 

 

 

That could work.  Without checking it's hard to say for sure.  But if it's rare and not made anymore then sellers might be price gouging and why he said the adapter can't be found for less than about $100.   

 

That's the same as wifi though right?  Just a different name for it?

 

From my limited browsing on my local Craigslist it seems people selling on there are just as greedy as eBay.  Or at least they can be,

Ram does generate lots of heat, especially the higher clocked ones. 

17 hours ago, Bleedingyamato said:

Thank you for clarifying that.

That's annoying...  My iPad has been having issues on and off lately too.  Sometines it'll take forever to load web pages or won't load them at all.  Idk what the cause is. I've had to do a reset by holding the power + home buttons or simply closing the Safari app.  A few times I've tried clearing website data but that seemed to erase my open internet pages so I don't like doing that.

 

Have you considered getting new and better wifi router?

IOS 10.whatever?  Those versions have been having lots of bugs. Best to stay on 9.3.5.. Wait apple has just closed the signing on that. Oh well.. 

15 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Yeah that's a more reasonable price

 

Canada, eh?  Land of the $400 RX 480... :sobs:

Stop stealing my quote! 

[matrix07012]

14 hours ago, Space Reptile said:

you can only SLI GT 545 and GT 555 Cards , those are the only GT Cards you can SLI in my experience

(outside the 6/7/8/9000 Cards)

 

edit , 5 Minute Research told me GT120 and GT 440 can also be sli´d

It would be fun to do a stupid build like G3258, a good Z97 mobo and GT cards SLI, all watercooled and overclock.

[NunoLava1998]

tech stores probably call this "quality"

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2699 V4 2.2GHz 22-Core OEM/Tray Processor  ($4422.93 @ Newegg) 
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2699 V4 2.2GHz 22-Core OEM/Tray Processor  ($4422.93 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 40.6 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($169.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 40.6 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($169.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Asus Z10PE-D8 WS SSI EEB Dual-CPU LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($536.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Crucial 128GB (4 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($1071.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($47.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 5450 1GB Video Card  ($17.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Primo White ATX Full Tower Case  ($226.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Thortech Thunderbolt 1200W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($243.60 @ Amazon) 
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($48.88 @ OutletPC) 
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($59.89 @ OutletPC) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: LG BH16NS55.AUAR10B Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($118.40 @ Amazon) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Full 32/64-bit  ($82.99 @ My Choice Software) 
Speakers: Yamaha HS7 95W 2ch Speakers  ($1049.97 @ Amazon) 
Total: $12721.49
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-20 16:32 EDT-0400

[TheRandomness]

16 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

tech stores probably call this "quality"

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2699 V4 2.2GHz 22-Core OEM/Tray Processor  ($4422.93 @ Newegg) 
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2699 V4 2.2GHz 22-Core OEM/Tray Processor  ($4422.93 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 40.6 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($169.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Riing RGB 360 40.6 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($169.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard: Asus Z10PE-D8 WS SSI EEB Dual-CPU LGA2011-3 Motherboard  ($536.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory: Crucial 128GB (4 x 32GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($1071.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: A-Data Premier SP550 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($47.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 5450 1GB Video Card  ($17.98 @ Newegg) 
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Primo White ATX Full Tower Case  ($226.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: Thortech Thunderbolt 1200W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($243.60 @ Amazon) 
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($48.88 @ OutletPC) 
Optical Drive: Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($59.89 @ OutletPC) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-14 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive: LG BH16NS55.AUAR10B Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($118.40 @ Amazon) 
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Full 32/64-bit  ($82.99 @ My Choice Software) 
Speakers: Yamaha HS7 95W 2ch Speakers  ($1049.97 @ Amazon) 
Total: $12721.49
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-10-20 16:32 EDT-0400

We don't need these posts at all.

[flowalex]

Today one of my college professors asked me to try to connect his fitbit with his phone during class.  Couldn't get it to work sadly

 

Edited October 21, 2016 by flowalex
Spelling

[vanished]

omg, the second picture in this page...

 

https://www.amazon.ca/VIGICA-ColorCross-Virtual-Cardboard-Smartphone/dp/B01ET0LUBY/ref=sr_1_99?ie=UTF8&qid=1477019852&sr=8-99&keywords=vr headset&tag=linustechti06-20

 

phone VR... shows 3rd person view of crysis... gg 

[WkdPaul]

23 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

omg, the second picture in this page...

 

https://www.amazon.ca/VIGICA-ColorCross-Virtual-Cardboard-Smartphone/dp/B01ET0LUBY/ref=sr_1_99?ie=UTF8&qid=1477019852&sr=8-99&keywords=vr headset&tag=linustechti06-20

 

phone VR... shows 3rd person view of crysis... gg 

That's nothing ... What about the dices, they really come with the 3D glasses???

[vanished]

Just now, wkdpaul said:

That's nothing ... What about the dices, they really come with the 3D glasses???

 yeah I think so... not sure why those are thrown in.  And so tame too... they could have at least had interesting stuff on them 

[pcnoob99]

10 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

omg, the second picture in this page...

 

https://www.amazon.ca/VIGICA-ColorCross-Virtual-Cardboard-Smartphone/dp/B01ET0LUBY/ref=sr_1_99?ie=UTF8&qid=1477019852&sr=8-99&keywords=vr headset&tag=linustechti06-20

 

phone VR... shows 3rd person view of crysis... gg 

[Space Reptile]

[vanished]

7 minutes ago, Space Reptile said:

 

There's another one about snapping after too many coworkers used 2-space tabs instead of 4-space tabs.  Totally understandable, I would have let him go if I had the option

[NunoLava1998]

https://wolfylava.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/websites-evolution/

why did i do this cringe

WARNING: when i think of it i already want to throw myself off Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench (20 km in total lmao)

[BingoFishy]

6 hours ago, NunoLava1998 said:

https://wolfylava.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/websites-evolution/

why did i do this cringe

WARNING: when i think of it i already want to throw myself off Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench (20 km in total lmao)

I just... can't... even...

 

Newgrounds, Mojang websites, and google are the only websites?

[/dev/God/Haruhi]

I don't know how much this qualifies for a non-techie experience. My brother tends to ask me about what to do with his computer, to immediately after, do whatever he wants even if it is the most ridiculous thing ever. The last one was one that validates certain point that everyone should know by now: "El-cheapo power supplies will do more harm than good" He asked me about what he should change first, the power supply, a 25 euros sketchy one, or the monitor, a CRT one. And yes CRT, we do have that bad luck that things tend to break 2 or 3 at a time, so back then we redirected the cash to the graphics card and left the monitor for a later date by reusing something that we had lying around.

 

You may have already guessed what I logically suggested, and what he picked. And as such he bought the monitor. But that was not the bad, he is entitled to choose. The bad was how he tried to pass the "non-techie" flag and pass the blame to my mother by just stating that he did asked for the PSU, but my mother did otherwise. For context my mother for tech follows everything I say since I am 95% on the spot and I keep things running smoothly. What he did not keep was his dignity after I demonstrated how ridiculous his "explanation" was. Fun one, but at the same time makes me realize I would probably suck dealing with customers.

 

Fast forwarding, one day Zeus decided to visit our house and asked where the idiot was. "At the end to the left" We've got a jackpot and some nice crispy fried components! The mobo fried, and the CPU to an extent while that little bastard of a PSU still lived. At least I should be thankful that it didn't burst in flames. That meant that I had to diagnose and fix it with as little cash as possible, which was tricky all in itself, since after changing the mobo, the new one posted all right with 1 DIMM, but failed using 2 DIMMs, no matter the configuration. All RAM modules worked fine in my system, so RAM was fine. That ended with having to downgrade my PC to 2x2GB and upgrading his by1x8Gb 

 

Fortunately I did put some safeguards ahead of time, where if I do have to fix something, at least I don't have someone looking over my shoulder constantly overlooking me like I am going to break it, and I get compensated if I lose time fixing a problem that has arisen due to idiocy.  YAY, 3 HURRAH FOR NON TECHIE FAMILIES AND PEOPLE NEEDING TO BELIEVE IT'S OWN BS! At least I hope that it brings you some laughs on how surreal it seems 

[NunoLava1998]

28 minutes ago, BingoFishy said:

I just... can't... even...

 

Newgrounds, Mojang websites, and google are the only websites?

i didn't even mention google

"world wide web" it's not even a website it's the internet lmao

[DocSwag]

12 minutes ago, NunoLava1998 said:

i didn't even mention google

"world wide web" it's not even a website it's the internet lmao

Quote

Then google came up in September 1998

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

16 minutes ago, /dev/God/Haruhi said:

-snipidy snip-

So you're sure the PSU was the problem here though? Not the motherboard or a rando power surge?

 

Anyhow, if it was his fault for being stupid why the heck would you have to give  him some of your RAM so that in the end you have less ram than him? What the hell?

[themctipers]

7 hours ago, NunoLava1998 said:

https://wolfylava.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/websites-evolution/

why did i do this cringe

WARNING: when i think of it i already want to throw myself off Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench (20 km in total lmao)

Oh God. 

[/dev/God/Haruhi]

19 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

So you're sure the PSU was the problem here though? Not the motherboard or a rando power surge?

 

Anyhow, if it was his fault for being stupid why the heck would you have to give  him some of your RAM so that in the end you have less ram than him? What the hell?

The old graphics card seemed to die in the same manner, coupled that the PSU seemed sketchy and smelled "funny" to say the least so it was a bit of a no brainer. And as for why give him the RAM? I did have two options, either not do it, and let him have a 2Gb PC with a decent sized swap in the SSD, and both my mother and myself hear him, or fix it, and not hear him. So I chose the later. Between half the RAM and keep my mind safe and sound I do prefer keeping my mind safe and sound, thank you very munch. For my side I saw it as a an opportunity for a bit of a challenge, since I was used to 8Gb (usually used all of it), so it was a "will I be able to do fine with half if needed, being usually a power user?"  which was interesting in all of itself.

[themctipers]

ok i finally found my screencap of this

(he was talking about desktops, about 12 days ago.)

[paddy-stone]

On 20/10/2016 at 5:41 AM, Space Reptile said:

but they are useless , my sempron 2650 (the lowest end amd you can buy , a 15$ new chip , dual core . 1.5 ghz apu) has better graphics , by 50% (280 vs 180 pm scores)

Not useless, especially if you need HDMI out for your server

 

I haven't got that exact one, but an el-cheapo card none-the-less. Needed a low profile card for as above, but also for sound.. I wouldn't normally have bothered, but it's just easier to have that card go to my second HDMI connection on my ultrawide monitor than to have to dig out a monitor with VGA connection every time I wanted to change something on my server that couldn't be changed via networking.

[Space Reptile]

34 minutes ago, paddy-stone said:

Not useless, especially if you need HDMI out for your serve

true, i use a 5450 for testing mobos, it has VGA DVI and HDMI 

[NunoLava1998]

"1 MB of RAM? Only a supercomputer has that!"

lmao

[m2234323]

2 hours ago, NunoLava1998 said:

"1 MB of RAM? Only a supercomputer has that!"

lmao

wow that is one old game