Ya never get too old to do something STOOPID!!!!

Here I set, all in a funk!!! I hates stupid people, especially when its me!! About 2 weeks before Christmas, I came to the conclusion that I could no longer live with my 6 year old Hewlett Packard computer. Even with periodic maintainance and a good anti virus, it had become so slow that I found I was waiting for it with just about every command input from my 3D design software. This is not the way to work!!! So---since Future Shop is just up the hill from my place, away I went to buy a new 'puter. I bought the biggest, fiercest computer they had in the store, with a Q6600 dual core processor, a 3 gig DDR2 memory, and a 500 gig SATA hard disc.---an Acer. And since they were on sale, I bought a 24" LCD monitor. By the time I got out of the store, I had spent about $1600.00, which is a fairly big investment for me.----Now for the fun part.---All the new "over the shelf" desktop computers are only available with Vista operating system. I spent half a day loading my software, and WOW!!---Was it ever impressive----Kinda. But it didn't work quite right. So---I call my Solidworks tech help people. Wouldn't you know it---they don't support the version of Vista thats on my new computer. I will have to get the operating system upgraded from Vista Home to Vista Ultimate.---and Oh, Yeah---the reason I'm getting a double image sometimes is not because I'm getting old----Its because I will have to also buy a high end video card to support the 3D. I have fought with this sucker for 8 weeks now, and finally the day before yesterday, I couldn't stand it any longer, so I took it to my friendly neighbourhood computer shop to get said upgrades and video card. Yesterday, I get a phone call telling me that this omputer can not be upgraded without a new motherboard and a bigger power supply, and, and , and. And all this new stuff won't fit into the existing case.
This morning, after collaboration with my Solidworks tech people, I ordered ANOTHER COMPUTER, custom built to support Solidworks, with the right operating system, (XP Professional) and the right video card. It looks like I'm going to have a spare computer now, if I can't sell this one to somebody who doesn't need to run engineering software.
And to think---If I'd just talked to my tech people first, 8 weeks ago!!! Oh, STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!:CRY: :CRY: :CRY:

I've made worse mistakes. One cost me over a hundred grand.

....but she's long gone (and it was worth every penny). :-)

Denny--Its amazing how little I know about computers. I may be a whiz in the 3D design end of things, and know my way around machinery very well, but when it comes to computers, I use email and Word and a very limited ammount of Exel, and my engineering software, and thats it. This entire fiasco was my fault for not going to get the right information first. Shame on me!!!---If one of my kids did this, I would tear a strip off them a yard wide.

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Originally Posted by DennyW

Boy, I hear that. All I remember is I ended up with an old 67 chevy 6 cyl truck, out of the deal. :LOL: But, my mind was finally at ease for a change. :LOL: :LOL:

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I did better than you.........a '68 Chevy truck........AND my tools! LOL!

Part of the issue is that when I first started messin' with computers 11 years ago, most of the "over the shelf" computers were upgradeable. And the Solidworks software was no-wheres near as complex as it is now. Computers have come down a lot in price, because they are now made with the cheapest of cheap components for mass marketing. And as a result of that they are no longer upgradeable.---Meanwhile, Solidworks has became more and more sophisticated untill it will barely run on an "off the shelf" PC. I should have been paying more attention.

That sounds like something i would do!!I have a bad problem of buying things, just to get home a realize it is not capable of what i need. I bought a miller welding machine from a pawn shop, just too find out its input is 460v only. Its been in the shed for 4 years now, 350 bucks wasted!!Hope the new puter works better for you.

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Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

I've made worse mistakes. One cost me over a hundred grand.

....but she's long gone (and it was worth every penny). :-)

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I've been down that road too, but it was long enough ago (25 years) that I've gotten over the hurt feelings and financial loss. Now I just deal with the problems that I seem to create for myself.:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

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Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

That sounds like something i would do!!I have a bad problem of buying things, just to get home a realize it is not capable of what i need. I bought a miller welding machine from a pawn shop, just too find out its input is 460v only. Its been in the shed for 4 years now, 350 bucks wasted!!Hope the new puter works better for you.

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Sounds like that computer will wash the dishes, and do yard work! I don't see why it wouldn't have a "welding function". :-)

On a positive and hotroddy note, I fired up the RPU today, just to let it charge the battery a bit. I let it run for aout 20 minutes, then shut it off to wait for spring. Yes!!!! come on, spring!!!

The computer shop yanked your crank.. you may not have an AGP video card slot on the computer, but you can get a 3D graphics accelerated video card to fit a standard PCI slot, for about $50 but the onboard video should be 3D Accelerated, ATI Radeon is what ACER uses for that, if you have an ATI Radeon sticker on the case, you have a driver issue with Vista ( common problem ).. go to control panal, and then go to system and then device manager, check to see if there is issues with the graphics card, a yellow ! will be next to any drivers/ devices with issues . I happen to know that ACER uses generic
parts, so there generally the most upgradable of the off the shelf computers, and all off the shelf computers still have a few PCI slots for upgradability.

If you do have driver issues, call Acer, there probably going to be no help at first ( the help desk is what this is, and they try to resolve your problem w/o getting a tech which never works), but create a ticket so they have record of your issue, ask for a ticket number, do what they say, when it doesn't work call them back, give them your ticket number and ask to have the ticket escalated, and get a tech to give you the correct answer. I have an ACER Aspire 3100 laptop w/ Vista basic, I have had 3 driver issues, because vista changes drivers, and lots of times, makes them not work.

We use Solidworks 3d at work, I get the 2nd seat, because the all the computers at work, use the Vista, except the Dell with XP, which has Solidworks & MasterCad and the other uses Weber systems, So I get the spare, :3dSMILE: I know how to use the MasterCad, but I have never used the Solidworks yet. I have 2 Dells side by side at home, <---- look to my left, any time I'm on, and you can see my wife! :3dSMILE: :HMMM: . She reads everything, She IS my Spell check! :cool:

Pat

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Originally Posted by DennyW

The only problem I see with that Matt, is that for that much money, it should have already been setup, and the buyer shouldn't have to do anything to make it work. (leg work to fix it). :(

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Nope, should be set up 100%. but with Vista, this is what you get to work with:( .. it's one reason on why I use Ubuntu linux almost exclusivly now, no problems at all... Drivers for my DVD drive on my vista laptop just went south... AGAIN. If I had $150 for a new hard drive, I would install a new drive in it, and install Ubuntu on it.. this laptop is only warranted w/ vista so i cant just wipe the drive

I learned years ago that to keep my wife happy I always bought her an "off the shelf" system, one of those that come with a 3 year warranty and a free tech support number. Has always worked out well as she is a software guru, not a hardware geek. For myself, I always build my own, mainly cause I am pickey about what's inside. I don't care about functional warranties or tech support. I like doing the geeky things myself like over-clocking cpu's and using liquid cooling to keep the touchy stuff cool.

As for Vista, I have a copy sitting on the shelf next to the computer. I don't see it leaving it's resting place any time soon. Matter of fact MS will have a new O/S to replace Vista in the near future, so I seen no point in making myself miserable by installing Vista, over XP Pro. Same thing goes for my MS Office 2007 Pro, until some good SP's come along, it will sit on the shelf next to Vista.

Makes for happiness all around.:LOL:

A guy at work bought a new computer with Vista in it, he took it home, hooked it up, turned it on and it went nuts, and then the blue screen of death!, he took it back, and they told him he can't hook it to cable net, untill it's up and running, because it immediately started to up date and screwed it up! :eek: They gave him a new one. ;)

We tried one computer for the 2 of us, that didn't last to long, we have had our own for yrs, they are equal size Dells, up untill these, my dad use to build all his own also, but he is, in his mid 80's and just bought a new lathe and table saw. I just took his chain saw away from him! he thinks he can still climb trees!

Pat

We run SW. The latest box we bought my designer runs Vista Pro 64 bit compatible. Twin processors, 8GB ram, 500 GIG 15 krpm Raid 1 drives, and cost about $3500 w/o the monitors.

Similar to your experiences, SW does no yet work right with Vista 64 bit. They are working the problems. We have no choice; the sizes of some of our models requires a SOA 32 bit box 30 minutes to just open and they are unstable after that.

Stick with it; soon you will be up and smokin' SW ..............

Kitz

I'm with Denny, I build my own.
I just built one this spring when I went back to school.
1000w power supply, 8 gig of dual channel RAM (still have room for 4 more gig), AMD X64 6000+ dual core, twin Nvidia Quardro 1400 video cards. Two 500 gig SATA hard drive, 11 cooling fans-including processor and vid cards. Was thinking about water cooling until the head egghead reassured me that "they hardly leak that much more, kinda sorta". Oh yeah, a HDTV DVR card for those nights when Survivor is on and I can't get the wife to give up the remote. Also picked up a 22" LCD.
Running XP Pro, wouldn't be caught dead with that chrome polished turd called Vista.
Total $2,300
Would run over 5 thousand if I went with one of the branded manufacturers.

Being 'puter illiterate as I am, I have a slightly different selection system when I get a new one.... I go to WalMart, pick out the prettiest girl, and tell her how much money I want to spend.... I must resemble their Grandfather or something, very pleased with the 'puter she picked out for me!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

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Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

That sounds like something i would do!!I have a bad problem of buying things, just to get home a realize it is not capable of what i need. I bought a miller welding machine from a pawn shop, just too find out its input is 460v only. Its been in the shed for 4 years now, 350 bucks wasted!!Hope the new puter works better for you.

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Do you have the manual for the welder?

You may want to talk to Miller to see if the incoming wiring can be swapped around on the terminal board so it would run on 240v.

Unless it's a three phase device, and if so there are ways around that.

Most times, electric motors, 2 HP and down, in common use - small lathes, 12" or so swing, mills etc. - can have the wiring swapped around so they'll run on 120v or 240v.

Usually there's a printed schematic inside the switch or electric box where the incoming line wiring terminates that shows what goes where.

If . . . the welder wiring can be swapped around so as to operate at a different voltage you should be able to find the info on the back of the welder or on a terminal box as noted.

In any event, I'd give Miller a call and try to talk to a tech.

An update---My new custom built computer, made specifically by Dell to run solidworks arrived 3 days ago. After a half day of loading up software, I am very pleased with it. I had then put XP professional on it as an operating system, and after 2 months of going slightly crazy running Vista, its like coming home to an old friend. Now, if I can just sell my "other" new computer, I'll be in good shape.---Brian My eyes are kinda fried right now---I just completed a 3 week contract today, designing roller presses and automatic infeed tables to manufacture jigsaw puzzles, and on adding them up, I find that I have created 125 engineering drawings in 120 hours.

Time to take a break, hope the weather cooperates for you.

WooHoo!!!! I just sold the computer with Vista on it for $675.00 cash thru the local "buy and sell" weekly paper. That, in reality, is about 66% of what the cpu cost me. I kept the killer monitor, mouse, and keyboard that came with it.