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I've read histories of computer development..operating systems & GUIs.. a lot of neat ideas thru the years. Quite interesting, especially that 'gooey' stuff (get it?), & and your enormous 8 1/2 inch floppy!  WOW! I'd like to see THAT!
In maybe the early 1970s, before I was 10, I remember my dad pointing to a building at the university he worked at and said, "In that building are computers (or "is a computer"? Must've been a huge thing!) that scientists can use to communicate with other scientists all over the world." I think it was called the computer building. Big 2 story square brick thing.
He was referring, of course, to the internet. I was really into radios, electronics, science & stuff as a kid. What are your memories?
I only got my first computer maybe 3-4 years ago. It was an nice IBM 600e laptop & WIN98se which was a bit 'souped up' & I got running really well. Also had an old IBM Aptiva WIN95a machine. I messed with it some but it was limited by a slow Intel processor with no internal cache & the OS itself.
I'm now on an $350.00 new WINxp home(though I wanted professional), AMD Semperon 3400+ 2.01 GHz 384 MB RAM (label here says 256 KB cache, but I hate labels!). 512 MB DDR SDRAM (what does DDR mean? Hard disk?). And dial up at 46.6 KB per second (saves $$$). Doesn't have DVD RW but I can add it when i want.
I did take a basic programming class in high school. I wrote a program to put words in alphabetical order. I entered car names to test it with since that was my newest interest then (I'd just gotten my first Capri) & it worked first time! I'd like to learn more programming, that's the most interesting to me!
I also dig photography, tho now I'm digital. Your avatar, is it a fire?
Nice to meet you. Glad you're here.
I'm new here too. let's be friends! TeddyBear ::-)
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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>384 MB RAM (label here says 256 KB cache, but I hate labels!). 512 MB DDR SDRAM (what does DDR mean? Hard disk?
Both of those can't be right. It has 512MB of RAM but 384 MB RAM? "DDR SDRAM" (the technology) and just "RAM" (the shortened form) are the same thing!
>what does DDR mean? Hard disk?
Double data rate. It just means its technology is twice the speed of RAM that came before it. But as they are always bringing out new technologies, it doesn't mean its twice as fast as anything else on the market.
>And dial up at 46.6 KB per second (saves $$$).
If you've got a fast computer you'll see a huge benefit if you can get broadband. Computers of that speed can display web pages in hundredths of a second -- but it's all lost if it takes ten seconds to download a file. If you can't get broadband, my commiserations. 
David
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yeah, advert label on computer says 512 mb ram, but system properties indicates 384!
did i get ripped off? They'd have to make it right since it's advertised!
384+256 L2 cache = 640.. that's not it...I'm confused  ??
I'm used to having screen shot capabilities on my old laptop but haven't remembered where it all is on this xp. Drat! I'd send you the pic.
I had broadband when I needed it for business. Emailed lots of pics. It costs about $45.00 a month here which is more than i want to pay now. Dial up is only $15. Dial up accelerator helps too. hardley anything takes even 5 seconds to load. most are 'instant'
I may only earn $200-$300 a week. Not sure. need to figure out accounting software... maybe in my spare time! hahaha. It pays so much better to get an education first. i am as intelligent as college grads & know how to do more than they, but earning potential is limited compared...
I don't complain, but encourage you to keep at it! Life's a do-it-to-yourelf project!
I don't download much video or music yet & "free download manager" handles multiple, interrupted & other download issues fine. Video quality is poor but amount to little of my usage.
I'm a more aural guy, preferring to keep busy while I listen to whatever. Too hyper to sit & stare. It doesn't pay me anything either.
When my business gets going better I may get broadband. i heard there should be newer & much cheaper broadband here soon. You may have it there..
Have a nice day David,
Teddy.
P.S. I used to type all capitals 'till posters on forums complained, so now I'm still gaining proficient with the shift key.
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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The cache is 256 kB, not MB -- so that's actually only a quarter of a MB. And cache memory is part of the processor, not the main system memory.
It sounds like you've been ripped off, to be honest...
David
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Thanks Deeej
I shall get it straightened out.. never fear!
Teddy!;-D
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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pimple
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: March 2006
Messages: 375
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Greetings Teddy-
When I was at the U, they ran the whole 55,000 kid campus with less then my laptop, punch cards and telex tape were the only storage methods. Dropping a box of cards could ruin an entire terms' work! And was used as an excuse, the college version of 'the dog ate my homework.
My first computer was a Northstar with 16k of ram. Programing on that may have been where I grew fond of 'concise' - the big machines have allowed for a lot of sloppy code in with all the bells and whistles!
My first Capri was a '72 yellow 4 speed 4 banger imported from Ford Germany. It cost 2600.00 new.
The avitar is an exploding star. In another former life I was part of a small gallery selling my photos, but my real job started to cut into the available time. Still have the darkroom equipment. (Wanna buy it?) I have a work related digital, but if you're gonna blow it up big; it still needs to be film - but they are getting close!
Regards-
S.R.
Joy Peace and Tranquility
Joyceility
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pimple
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: March 2006
Messages: 375
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Tried to send a photo but it didn't show.
S
Joy Peace and Tranquility
Joyceility
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My friend, there are a lot of reasons the system shows the properties of the available RAM. You also have a certain amount of Ram that is being shared with the video card and may share RAM with your audio card (actually to be technicly correct they are both part of the mother board). Because the mommory is shared it will decrease the available RAM for programs to run and will slow them down cause the machine will be busy swapping info on the hard drive.
Kep and eye out for sales on memory, at lest try and pick up another 512 Megs at a good price. Hope this helps
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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See if this Helps!!!!
WINxp home(though I wanted professional)--Operating System.
AMD Semperon 3400+ 2.01 GHz 384 MB RAM (label here says 256 KB cache, but I hate labels!)--Processor Chipset
512 MB DDR SDRAM (what does DDR mean? Hard disk?)--System RAM.
And dial up at 46.6 KB per second (saves $$$)--Speed of installed Modem.
Don
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Brian:
>You also have a certain amount of Ram that is being shared with the video card and may share RAM with your audio card (actually to be technicly correct they are both part of the mother board).
Mm, I did consider that. I don't think I've heard of audio cards sucking up main memory before, but video cards sometimes do -- though the reason I didn't mention it was that if the video card is taking a whole 128 MB it is absolute madness! You're losing a whole quarter of your memory on a crummy video card (built-in, shared memory video cards are usually rubbish). Unless you're playing very graphics-intensive games, 32 MB of video memory is ample (and for word processing, as little as 8 MB would serve 99.9% of purposes).
Good point, though, Brian -- if the sonofabitch crummy built-in graphics card is sucking up a whole 128 MB, you may be able to turn it down to 32 MB or so inside the computer's BIOS setup screen -- the lowest level configuration menu on the system, usually available by pressing F1 or Delete just after you turn the thing on. Be sure you know what you're doing before you change anything, though, otherwise you can theoretically fry your system.
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Thanx y'all. I Think arrowhead's post cleared it up. The chipset itself has 384mb ram with total system ram @ 512mb. it has a 160 gigabyte ata hard drive. It looked like it would be enough to read & write dvds, i just need to add DVDrw someday...
Man, deeej you've some nice pics on your site. I've looked at three now. Yeah, my dial up take a few seconds to load 'em, but I have that much patience..HAHA
Simon, i meant to tell you I remember those old computer punch cards you used to use. My dad would bring a few used ones home for whatever reason. So I saw & handled them. He had to look after the first of the xerox photocopy machines too. We'd go there on weekends when the library was closed & make copies of our hands, faces & stuff.
We'd ride the book carts thru the isle bounce superballs down the emergency exit stairwells 9 stories! and ride the elevators up & down. I'd forgotten about all that old stuff! You know, despit my dad being a bit of a jerk when he was younger, he still did the best he knew how. I love him & remind him how much he means to us 4 'boys' How much we appreciate him.
how about those microfiche machines? I liked Henry ford & edison, etc. A copy of Automobile Quarterly that I bought told that Henry Ford got idea for engine on his first car from an American Machinist article dated about 1890something. So Dad & I went down to the periodicals section & pulled the microfiche & printed a photocopy of the articles of the engine henry copied for his first car. It was an extremely efficient engine which used no coling system & the cylinder heat was employed to vaporis(z)e the gasoline (petrol). I still have the copy of the article Henry Ford used to build the engine for his first car, "the quadricyle".
Boring huh? WAKE UP!!!
I'd like to find a copy of the old Ulead iPhoto express software I used on my win98. It is so much easier to use than the new ulead photo express 6 or whatever. I miss the keboard shortcuts i used in past W/ old iphoto express (they sold iPhoto name to apple, now use "photo express" name).You know another thing that is hard for me to get used to is this blamed mouse! I learned on an IBM laptop w/that wierd trackpoint clitoris looking thing! it's so easy..I could run that computer with one hand. This mess here takes both hands which i guess maybe better because less chance for the carps in the tunnel syndrome!!!
i like the keyboard shortcuts & could navigate fine w/ one hand. Now right hand does right click, left hand hits shortcut key.. I didn't know how good i had it. But i opted for a new machine tho I looked @ 2 yr old IBM laptop w/winxppro & 40 gb hd for $445.
I was wondering whats up wit this system ram on my machine! could there be some hidden somewhere else? is there another dialoG that tells whole story, did I get ripped off? This is a new "emachines".
Oh I know EEEEEEEEEEwWWWW!!! YUCKYYYY! yeah, but the cow company... what's their name.. geeze, i'm drawing a blank.........GATEWAY, tHAT'S IT! gATEWAY BOUGHT THEM SO, WHO KNOWS... THEY COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE COULD THEY??? tIME WILL TELL....
(you eVER hAD yOUR cAPS LOCK gET sTUCK oN??? iT fORKS wITH yER mIND, eSPECIALLY aFTER YOUR sECOND 24 oz cAN oF 5.9% dINNER!!)
Sorry guyz, Im gittin nutz here. gittin nutz! OOh, No! not that way! Man, what perverted mindz!! I guess itz time to kwit typin' kause my spellin' goin' south! Ax brian about the south! the south, It sux!!
You know, Y'all bein' a BAD influence on me & I got just ONE person to blame, ME! But I do love you all & hope to meet you all one day. Thanks for being my friends!!
Hey it's bedtime for this boy & I promise I won't get up in the middle of the night & start reading place of safety posts.. I promise! "Cross my heart & hope to die!!"
I can't be working sleepy again tomorrow, New stuff to do I've never done before. Gotta do a good impersonation of an accomplished tradesman . Need to get online now & figure hoe to fix bathroom tile where backer board has been eroded by water from leaking tub faucet. Y'all are a business deduction, did you know that? Make you feel cheap doesn't it??? Just a write off. Like a one night stand or a hotel room.
Hey, butt, I appreciate y"all. If y'all don't get scared off by my wierdness, then you're the best bunch of guyz in the world!!!
The smileys aren't showing up on my 'compose' window, so I hit 'em ten times to make shure they appear. Also quit worrying about spelling, kause,hell, i kan;t spel anyway! I luv Y'all guyz! Teddy
 ) ) 
Do I need a blog for this sort of crap? I hope not.
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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>The chipset itself has 384mb ram with total system ram @ 512mb.
Er, sorry?
No chipset has built-in RAM, I'm afraid, Teddy. I think arrowhead1 missed out an explanation on the 384 MB bit. AMD Sempron 3400+ 2.01 GHz is indeed the processor chip, but 384 MB has nothing to do with either the processor or any other chipset.
There's still a problem somewhere. If possible, I'd speak to the person who sold it to you. Ask them why the system properties tells you there is only 384 MB, if it was marketed as having 512 MB. If there's a simple answer (and there probably is -- as Brian said, it could be something to do with the video memory), they'll tell you. If they can't tell you, get a refund or a replacement. In the UK it would be an obvious breach of the Trade Descriptions Act.
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Hey Brian! did you have a good day?? i sound like your mother, don't I??
I appreciate your post to help me. I checked my mommeries & they're fine, thank you: (quote:)"Because the mommory is shared..." Oh! you meant memories?? I got it. but that's what I'd wondered about. If there was some more memory hidden in another location.
wow! these posts realy need a spel checkr, dont they??
Hey, I luv y'all. thanx for helpin' me out.
Go post yer stuff, I've got to do research for work again.
My email shows at least 30 messages fromthis forum.. I wish i couls read 'em all now. Y'al are fun & interestin both. i hope you all are doing fine & your families too.
I'm tired, dirty & hungry. hat's my profile!
I may try an old IBM keyboard on this piece of crap computer. I don'rt remember so many missed keystrokes on that old win95 desktop as thiis new junk. I bet this ragged keybosrd cost them about 57 cents to buy each! I've got a free one that's ugly but feels better! & yo know the feeel is aaalll thaaattt maatteerzz! yeah!::-) Feelin good, enjoyin' life. Come trip with me on this thing called life!
Tired teddy..
P.S. Take all above with a grain of salt. I'm showin' my arse & am not responsible for what I do.. Legal Disclaimer #1994540
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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HI GUYZ! I meant to tell you the response on my 'missing' RAM. you were both right aparently. Follows is reply from manufacturer: tahx again guys, & for being a friend to me.. TB
Hello Ted,
Thank you for contacting eMachines.
I can see that you are receiving misinformation details about the memory
installed on your system.
I understand your concern and it I can relate to the confisuion you are
experiencing.
In regard to your concern, please be informed that you are experiencing
this due to the missing memory allotment that lost in the System
Properties is been taken by the onboard video card installed in your
system.
To further assist you, please be informed that you can view the total
memory installed in your system by going in the BIOS. With this, use
the steps provided in your motherboard manual to enter the BIOS setup.
In addition, you may view the total memory installed in the Advanced
CMOS setup window.
I hope this information properly address your concern.
Please reply to this message if you require further assistance with this
issue. If your reply is received while I am out of the office, to
ensure a speedy resolution, your issue will be handled by one of my
colleagues.
Sincerely,
Caleb
(END OF THEIR RESPONSE)
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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Not a very useful message, really -- obviously a reply that tries to get you to go away rather than actually helping you, and one with some rather dodgy grammar and spelling into the bargain.
I assume you have had a look in the BIOS to make sure that the RAM does all add up?
David
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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And all thanks to the Indian help desk......
Amerika.. What a kuntry.... Ohi
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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My laptop has varying amounts of RAM depending on how you look for it. Right click "My computer" and select "Properties" and yiou see the RAM less the video memory allocation that the system grabs
Click start/all programs/accessories/system tools/system information and look in system summary and you get the total that is installed
Another example of standard user interface from M$oft
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Hi Handyman,
I know that in win2000 you can right click on my computer and it will tell you your windows code and what kind of cpu you have on your computer along with the amount of ram on your computer. It will be in mb and will seem to be a bit larger than the installed ram you think you have. Mine reads I have 1,047,344kb or ram which is really 1gig. Now if you use some program to show how much ram is there you could find it shows only what is available for programs. If you have built-in video and not a seperate card, that amount will be smaller by perhaps 64mb or 128mb or even 256mb depending on the video.
The computer makers are very good at telling you that you have more than you really have in your computer. For instance every hard drive manufacturer tells you a hard drive is, say 80 gigs when that is the UNFORMATTED capacity and is never what you can actually have once it is formatted. So when you format this thing so it is useable, you will find it is perhaps 74gig or even less depending on the system you did it with.
I will show you what a drive on my system shows in a text file I can copy into here. This is for a 60 gig hard drive and notice that it is really only about 55 gig when all is said and done.
Drive C:
Description Local Fixed Disk
Compressed False
File System NTFS
Size 55.89 GB (60,011,610,112 bytes)
Free Space 10.70 GB (11,494,047,744 bytes)
Volume Name Quantum 60
Volume Serial Number C0A60D01
Partition Disk #0, Partition #0
Partition Size 55.89 GB (60,011,610,624 bytes)
Starting Offset 32256 bytes
Drive Description Disk drive
Drive Manufacturer (Standard disk drives)
Drive Model WDC WD600BB-32CCB0
You will find a lot of things like this in the computer world and I am sure it is the same everywhere in the world.
Btw if you have a hard drive installed in some older computers your system bios may not allow you to access the entire drive and a 80 gig may end up as only a 32gig drive.
Oh and as far as memory in your computer, look at this example:
Total Physical Memory 1,047,344 KB
Available Physical Memory 738,664 KB
Total Virtual Memory 2,778,428 KB
Available Virtual Memory 2,189,028 KB
Page File Space 1,731,084 KB
Page File C:\\pagefile.sys
Virtual memory is a memory used by windows which is derived form using part of your hard drive memory.
Hope this helps
Ken
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You all love us, ADMIT IT!!!
You're just jealous, & it's showing!!!
We can't help if we got the greatest place over here..
tell ya what we may even invite you over for a party here sometime if you'll try to be a little nicer!!
don't know wassup wit my smilies..ain't workin!
BTW you can't kopy the amurrrican wayo talkin', so ya jus' might as well GIVE UP!! We won anyway..Sour grapes!!
Yer Amurrican brudder, the carpunter ova' heyere. I gotta learn ya' english, son.
Bye, Teddy Bear
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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thanks timmy, i did this & it all adds up. It's been a while since i played in the bios & I've never done it on this winxp machine.. your post helped me confirm what the company's email told me.
i bought this system in hopes of using it with a dvd burner someday, so the choice of larger memory etc. it was same size as some of those that came with the dvd burner.
Still unsure about differences of 'inbuilt' (our American "built in" (see i know some across the pond English)) video cards & external, er should I say separate?? not really external like my USB harddrive.. So what's up with that?? A better card to be had not tied into factory motherboard?? Makes sense.
gotta go..teddy
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Why yes, by George! (was that geo. washington, King George, or Boy George??)
Yea, but he's been hanging around you whiney brits so long he's beginning to sound like you! ha ha ha (joking!! just joking!! come on now!!)
Yes, I seem to remember he lives in the state my parents came from the place that's HI in the middle & round on the ends!
'Scuse me, my bust!
Teddy Bear
Life's a trip * Friends help you through * Adventure on life!
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Guest
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On fire! |
Registered: March 2012
Messages: 2344
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KEN
THANKS FOR THE REFRESHER.. i'D HEARD MOST OF THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST ONCE ..i'M STILL FAIRLY NEW WITH PLAYING AMONG THE INTERNALS OF a computer.
durn caps lock & my big fingers!! it's hell on a guitar too!
see ya, teddyBear
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>THANKS FOR THE REFRESHER.. i'D HEARD MOST OF THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST ONCE ..i'M STILL FAIRLY NEW WITH PLAYING AMONG THE INTERNALS OF a computer.
Sounds like you're still fairly new with playing among the externals too.
Sorry, Ted -- no offence intended. But you might want to retype things like that in future. It looks like shouting, so it's considered rather rude.
Deeej
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