is it just me...?

[kooftspc11]

or have hardware manufacturers completely resigned from the concept of making new shit?

[clocker]

Can you think of a compelling reason they should?

I guess it would be easy to blame the recession but in reality, I think the potential of current PC hardware already so far outstrips the needs of the masses that a slump was inevitable no matter the economy.

[kooftspc11]

Can you think of a compelling reason they should?

I guess it would be easy to blame the recession but in reality, I think the potential of current PC hardware already so far outstrips the needs of the masses that a slump was inevitable no matter the economy.

duh that's exactly what i said

90% of people have finally began accepting that all they do is browse with their pc. the whole "minimal" configuration is selling, surprisingly. i see more and more of these damn netbooks everywhere i go. it's just a crappy pc with a small screen.

how many netbooks do you carry in your pocket (at any given time) clocker?

[clocker]

I have no netbooks, laptops, Palms, Pres, iPods...hell, I don't even have a cell phone.

I'm a Luddite with a watercooled PC, go figure.

[peat moss]

Clocker your a hardware nut . if not for computers you would find another passion your love of cars for example . Wait till 64 bit becomes the standard then things will take off again , games , software etc.

[Cabalo]

yes, totally agree with peat.
Eventually the 64bits Win7 will be the responsible for mainstreaming 64bits applications and gaming. And then, push things to new limits.

on another tone, glad photoshop cs4 comes bundled with a 64bits version.

[clocker]

Clocker your a hardware nut . if not for computers you would find another passion your love of cars for example .

Yes, I admit it, I am.

You should see the lengths I go to in the junkyard and the restrictions I self-impose on my projects.

Two examples from this very morning...
-For some reason, I'm on a steering wheel kick,trying to find a good looking OEM wheel for my RX (naturally, this doesn't mean a wheel specifically made for the car- oh no, that would be too easy- I'm talking retrofitting a wheel from say, an Acura, onto my car).
This is not as easy as one might imagine but I've tried a number of wheels in the past few weeks and live in hope.

Today I found a likely (in fact, sterling) candidate that not only looked good but was also in excellent shape and of course, it refused to come off.
The more it refused to budge, the more determined I was to snag it.

I finally built a steering wheel puller from parts culled from surrounding hulks and it popped right off.
It's on my car right now.
If I decide to keep it, all it'll need is a custom piece to operate the turn signal canceller...no big deal.

-The second story is the stuff of junkyard legend.
For nearly a year now I've been obsessed with relocating my idiot light cluster because it occupies prime real estate on the top of the dash...space much better suited for my aftermarket gauge package.
This is a fairly common mod for the RX crowd but they typically just ditch the idiot light cluster in the process...way too easy.

I wanted to move the cluster and this would entail somehow extending the wiring that connects to it.
Not a big deal if the dash was out and you didn't mind hacking the harness up.
My dash is in (and staying that way!) and I can't reach the harness to work on it, so what I needed to do was make an extender cable that would plug into the stock harness and then plug into the cluster.
Doesn't sound that hard, does it?

Well, the thing about automotive wiring is that 90% of the time you have the plug on the harness and the mating receptacle is part of the component it goes to.
So I needed to find a female plug that duplicated the plug on the back of the cluster assembly.

About 9 months ago I pulled the male plug from a junk harness I found and have carried it in my toolbox, occasionally trying to match it up.
No luck.

This morning, while searching for a totally unrelated part ( cupholders! a whole 'nother story) I happened to glance at the underside of the steering column in the Suburu I was raping and Jeezus Gawd!, I found the connector!
Matched it up with my male end and it fit perfectly.
I can't really express how happy this made me.

So, today I scored a steering wheel, a cupholder assembly, a small cubby (with door) and the long sought wiring connectors and spend a grand total of $10, plus tax.

That's why I love junkyards.
And yes, I'm a hardware nut.

[j2k4]

Clocker your a hardware nut . if not for computers you would find another passion your love of cars for example .

Yes, I admit it, I am.

You should see the lengths I go to in the junkyard and the restrictions I self-impose on my projects.

Two examples from this very morning...
-For some reason, I'm on a steering wheel kick,trying to find a good looking OEM wheel for my RX (naturally, this doesn't mean a wheel specifically made for the car- oh no, that would be too easy- I'm talking retrofitting a wheel from say, an Acura, onto my car).
This is not as easy as one might imagine but I've tried a number of wheels in the past few weeks and live in hope.

Today I found a likely (in fact, sterling) candidate that not only looked good but was also in excellent shape and of course, it refused to come off.
The more it refused to budge, the more determined I was to snag it.

I finally built a steering wheel puller from parts culled from surrounding hulks and it popped right off.
It's on my car right now.
If I decide to keep it, all it'll need is a custom piece to operate the turn signal canceller...no big deal.

-The second story is the stuff of junkyard legend.
For nearly a year now I've been obsessed with relocating my idiot light cluster because it occupies prime real estate on the top of the dash...space much better suited for my aftermarket gauge package.
This is a fairly common mod for the RX crowd but they typically just ditch the idiot light cluster in the process...way too easy.

I wanted to move the cluster and this would entail somehow extending the wiring that connects to it.
Not a big deal if the dash was out and you didn't mind hacking the harness up.
My dash is in (and staying that way!) and I can't reach the harness to work on it, so what I needed to do was make an extender cable that would plug into the stock harness and then plug into the cluster.
Doesn't sound that hard, does it?

Well, the thing about automotive wiring is that 90% of the time you have the plug on the harness and the mating receptacle is part of the component it goes to.
So I needed to find a female plug that duplicated the plug on the back of the cluster assembly.

About 9 months ago I pulled the male plug from a junk harness I found and have carried it in my toolbox, occasionally trying to match it up.
No luck.

This morning, while searching for a totally unrelated part ( cupholders! a whole 'nother story) I happened to glance at the underside of the steering column in the Suburu I was raping and Jeezus Gawd!, I found the connector!
Matched it up with my male end and it fit perfectly.
I can't really express how happy this made me.

So, today I scored a steering wheel, a cupholder assembly, a small cubby (with door) and the long sought wiring connectors and spend a grand total of $10, plus tax.

That's why I love junkyards.
And yes, I'm a hardware nut.

'S the best way to ameliorate your recent, um, loss.

Can you think of a compelling reason they should?

I guess it would be easy to blame the recession but in reality, I think the potential of current PC hardware already so far outstrips the needs of the masses that a slump was inevitable no matter the economy.

duh that's exactly what i said

Exactly?

Surely you joust.

[clocker]

[QUOTE=j2k4;3246729]

'S the best way to ameliorate your recent, um, loss.

It is therapy.

My hardware supply is mostly replenished and promises to be even better than before.
Rubber bits and electrical will come next.

The departed "hard parts" will take longer- and be more expensive.

Life goes on.

[j2k4]

Aye.