[ale] Building computers

[William Bagwell]

On Tuesday 11 August 2020, David Jackson via Ale wrote:
> Okay, yeah.  Now I get it.  I remember buying a Dell once, and it was
> really weird.  I think at the time I was Mr. Mom and struggling to keep up
> with an infant, so I just bought something that was on sale. 

"Yeah, 220, 221. Whatever it takes." Best line in the whole movie! This makes 
the third time I have managed to use this joke in all these years;-)

As to Dell and why every one hates it: This thread *almost* inspired me to 
build a computer for the first time in over 12 years. OS is that old and the 
computer might be as much as two years older. Have a much newer computer and 
hate it. Hate every possible aspect of it. 

Let me back up and explain why it's a Dell. About four years ago wife needed 
a new computer. (Sadly not a Linux user...) Wanted to get one of the last of 
the '7s' before they were no longer available so we went to closest place 
that resembles a computer store (Staples) and bought one for ~$400. Came 
with malware pre-installed. Will spare the details but none of her previous 
computers nor the replacement refurb from Microcenter (also a Dell) ever had 
the problems this one did.

So, it became my new computer. Pain to install Linux (Magiea, old box is 
still Mandriva) only partially due to it being years since I had installed 
anything new. Immediately gave up any notions of dual booting (not that I 
needed too, just wanted the experience to help others) as it will let you 
think you have succeeded then trample all over the boot loader the first 
time you boot back to the evil OS.

Hated the case. So, I bought a build case. Tight on money at the time so not 
the one I really wanted... Now have plenty of room and front USB ports which 
my old one lacks, but still not happy with it. BTW, changing a case is 
almost as much work as building one without the satisfaction of being able 
to say you built your computer.

Could go on however this thread also educated me to the real reason I hate 
it. Bloated web browsers! Yes, I'm a tab junkie. Keep a bunch of forums open 
at all times. Worked great on the old box, slow as molasses in winter on the 
newer one. Been moving my daily reads one by one to the new box this year as 
they fall like dominos on the old one. SSL, "No cypher overlap"...

Current plan is to upgrade the newer box since it too is end of life and 
start researching browsers and how to un-bloat at least one if possible.
-- 
William