Should I build my own computer?

Agreed @Hodapp, and besides, if you have an older computer (and maybe the one your using now?) find a nice Unix distro thats easy and simple (I suggest Ubuntu, because its quite easy and supportive, and blender easily runs in it) and build a small server farm. Like Hodapp said, your not a professional yet, so don't waste all your money. And besides, soon your gonna have holograms floating around you that you can manipulate, or maybe even THIS!

I have a question, Mindfield, do you have a Unix dualboot on there?

 

Nah, but I do have an Ubuntu LiveCD should I ever need it. Linux is okay; I've mucked around with a few distros in VMs out of curiosity. It's come a long way since the days of X-Windows, but like the Mac (if to a greater degree), there's still a lot of more advanced stuff you need the command line for, and that (plus software support) is one of the big things that keep it from being mainstream: When it works it's pretty cool if you don't mind being limited in your choice of software, but if something goes wrong, or you need to do something that isn't supported by your distro (installing certain drivers, for example) things can get a little hairy and definitely not for the novice. I think it's got a ways to go before it's truly ready for mainstream. OSX is finally starting to get there, but it's still got a long road, too.

 

True, do you dual screen? Or just KVM? I used to KVM, but now I synergy with my ubuntu and my xp. Personally I love linux because my brother like legit knows how to f up an awesome computer *PORN* and so it had 300+ trojans. It took an hour to load up. So, we erased everything, and put linux on it. We dont really NEED it, but I keep all the old computers and turn the house into a render farm.

Is it possible to transfer programs over an external hard ddrive from an old computer to a new one?

 

I use a DVI KVM to switch between Mac and PC; works awesomely. I don't have enough room on my desk for full dual screen; my primary monitor is 23" so it eats up a fair bit of desk space.

Yeah, I've had to work on people's computers that were absolutely crammed with viruses, spyware, dialers, you name it. Not always due to porn, either. (Well, if I found a dialer I knew damn well what they were up to.) It's just astounding how badly people can load down their computer with every piece of crapware known to man.

If you mean programs that are already installed ... well, yes and no. You can do it if you create a mirror using something like Norton Ghost, but that copies everything, viruses and all. There's no way to selectively copy installed programs from one computer to another and have them still work, as (assuming a Windows system) programs tend to install certain files in a lot of different places, as well as create a bunch of registry keys, and there's nothing that I know of that can monitor program installs to snoop on everything they do in order to be able to back it up and transfer it to another computer in a working state.

 

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

 

Depends on your perspective; his brother's gay.

 

Yeah, my XP has a 22" monitor, with a 15" on the side for Ubuntu.

Excuse my ignornace, but whats a dialer?

Darn, I have adobe CS4 (LEGAL!) on my computer, but im getting a laptop, and want like photoshop and illustrator there. could I download it from adobe.com and use the same key? also, what about transferring music? i know nothing about file transfers

 

It was a joke, bro.

Don't get worked up about it, it means nothing.

Also, I think it's sig worthy, IMO...

 

WEll, I dunno if they're used anymore in this day of broadband, but back in the days where modems were the primary means of connecting to the net, dialers were these things that would dial into some remote porn ISP in the ass-end of nowhere and would charge your phone bill ridiculous amounts to use the site. They were scams of course, posing as a means to get exclusive access to some porn site or another; users were never told they'd be charged obscene amounts to use it. Dunno if they're still used; it's been years since I did PC tech work as a day job.

You can download the demos and and use the same keys to unlock the full versions, but the Adobe apps require activation to prevent them from being used on more than one computer at a time, so you'll probably have to call Adobe to re-activate on the new system.

 

Oh, ahah so a scam? Ouch! Do you security system rccomendations?

Alright, But what if the key was like a commercial key? like i got the disk and key from my friend's mom, who had it from her company

 

Then yeah, I'm probably like your brother. I tend to sell most of my old parts when I upgrade to new things, but I do have a box or two full of old computer junk, cables, etc. Plus I have a toolbox with case screws, motherboard risers, brackets, and so on, because every now and then I get family, or friends of family, or friends of mine, who need their crap fixed, and as happens with nerds like me, I'm the de facto free IT guru they run to when "there's this thing on my screen that won't go away and my computer is beeping."

 

Not beyond the usual recommendation of installing some antivirus software that doesn't suck and stop going to those crapware-laden sites. (They never do the latter though, because once they learn about AV software they think it's a free pass to visit the nastiest sites they can find because the AV will make them invincible. Yes, I'm cynical. I worked PC tech. It crushes your soul.)

Depends. Did she buy a volume license? If so you're probably fine and it may not need activation. (I dunno, mine's the store-bought single license, so I dunno how Adobe handles volume license discs.) If it does require activation she may need to be the one to call in to reactivate it on your system. Otherwise if it's a single license the activation may not work as it'll detect another copy (hers) already activated.

Unless Adobe does allow installation on multiple computers. I've never actually tried, but it doesn't seem like the sort of thing Adobe would do.

 

Ah, I wanted AVG, but it ate some of my songs and art on my old computer, so I used Kaspersky, then stopped paying for it....

Alright, why not give it a shot?

Now if only you could help me choose a laptop

 

I've been working at my summer job learning about computers and how to fix them/ get them to go fast etc. One anti-virus that is decent, free and doesn't slow the crap out of your computer is Microsoft Security Essentials. As long as you don't install those extra things they try to push on you in windows updates. As long as you don't do anything stupid, that's more than enough.

EDIT: Actually it even detected a virus that Mcafee (paid) didn't find.