Category: hardware

I read on Slashdot earlier about Intel releasing their new BTX form factor.
Anandtech.com has the full story (and pics). In short, the new BTX form factor allows for more efficient cooling of a computer's components. Whether or not this form factor will catch on remains to be seen. Of course, it's not up to you and I, the end user; it's more aimed at component designers and motherboard manufacturers. And with Intel's market-might, it almost goes without saying that the new standard will be accepted by board design teams.

The components that run most hot are situated in-line with the CPU cooling fan airflow, in order to take advantage of the air being moved. This is an interesting step which will cut down on the number of case fans needed in newer systems.

This is just a form factor, mind you, and not a chipset release, don't be looking for any new features or faster speeds. Those follow new chipset designs. BTX will merely allow for designers to build in a new way.

So yesterday, SirMackieman (corey) came to stay with me on his way out to Kyocera Wireless in California. In the middle of the day, while I was at work RoadRunner came to shut off the cable connection that was in Skaven's name, then to hook up my cable.
This didn't happen.

Instead, he shut off my cable and told Corey that he didn't have a work-order to turn me back on. So we were up a certain creek without the proverbial paddle.

Poor Corey sat in my apartment without intarweb access until I got home. After quite a while of agonizing and ranting about TimeWarner and what pricks they are, it dawned on me. Corey was on his laptop. He had wireless. "Fire up your 802.11 card, man!"
Boom. There's a neighbor with a Linksys router wide open, zero security, just asking us to use his connection. So we did.

After dinner, we went to BestBuy, Eric fronted some cash to procure a cheap D-Link PCI wifi card for my PC. (i'll hit ya back e)
I popped in the NIC, after some configuration, we are back online. At least, until the neighbor dude wises up (not likely) or TimeWarner gets on the ball and installs my friggin cable modem.
Fittingly, the day before, Eric and I went driving around and he snapped a couple of cool pics of this marquee on an old theater not far from here. It got pwn3d, much as our neighbor has. (and is!)

Mackieman sez: I can't believe I didn't think of that before you got home. I was like, "doh!"

AnandTech has posted one of their newest reviews of the 64-bit arena. In this review, they take an Athlon64 3500+ (2.2GHz), 1Gb of PC3500, snap in a GeForceFX video card on the newest nForce3 motherboard and give SuSE, RedHat and WindowsXP-64 a whirl.
Surprise, surprise, Linux comes out on top. However, you should check out the individual results of each test to see the quirks and see which of the 2 linux distos comes out on top. Also interesting to note is the hardware intricacies involved in the setup.

append: and if that's not geek enuf for ya, how about a history lesson? ArsTechnica has a nice write-up on the history of the intel Pentium series, and the short-comings and hurdles along the way for the x86-Pentium processor. Good read, you'll learn a little too.

James, N5VOO, hooked me up with a D-Link 802.11 card for my linux laptop, trying to get me up to speed on the whole wireless thing. I'm really diggin' it. I know there are quite a number of wifi access points around town since it is a college town.

Mackieman has had an 802.11 network in his apartment on campus, but I haven't had a card or access point of my own. But, thanks to James, I was surprised with a free D-Link card and an access point to borrow so I can use it at home. I'm quite excited. Expect to see more 802.11 goodness posted on Neodux now. Wireless access will be much more fun now that I'm licensed radio operator and can use this to bump up the power output and get a long range 802.11 network.

Mackieman editz^2: I pitty da fool who edits my edits. Grendel editz: Mackieman sez: My groin tingles with anticipation. ^_^ ew, TMI.

Havoc sez: Good Place for WEP encryption key generation.

For those of you blessed with AMD-based computers, a new BIOS-tweaking HOW-TO has been posted. I originally found the link off of Slashdot.
I'll time the boot process before and after the changes to show if there is any change.

To read the how-to, and find out how to optimally set your system's BIOS, click here.