People buy overpowered computers

[Hobie-wan]

I'm honestly baffled at how incompetent some people tend to be with google.

I assume you mean the people with 10 toolbars in their browser taking up half the screen that type "google.com" into one of those search boxes, then click the link where it found it to go to google, then type "ilovepie.com" into google, search for that, then click the link for ilovepie.com as opposed to just having typed that into the address bar or bookmarking it even though they go to the site every day? Or do you mean the people that say they've been googling something for 20 minutes and "can't find anything" so you help them, type something in, and find exactly what they were looking for in the first 5 results?

I totally agree with the OP. So many people buy a new PC just because they think they need one or are lured by the shiny new stuff on TV or in the store. Or they let their machine get filled with crap because they don't pay attention or don't know any better and don't care. I think a lot of people that can afford to have the same mentality with cars. I'm surprised how many people lease then for just a few years and then get something new again. I keep vehicles until issues start piling up and make it unpractical to keep or keep repairing them. *shrug*

[racketboy]

People like this subsidize the rest of us. I have no problem with this.

Very true.
Same goes for the people that buy new release games for $60 a pop.

[avrame]

Okay, I agree that over 60% of the people that buy powerful laptops don't need it, but heck, if I'm buying something, might as well buy something that I won't have to upgrade for a while

For me, my bare essential is that I can play SC2 on it, but lately, I have been favoring portablity rather than power. But what do you think about people that buy Mac's then? I'm plenty sure you are happy with your netbook, but what about the people who pay $1.5k for a Macbook Air?

[Hatta]

what about the people who pay $1.5k for a Macbook Air?

If you're not technically capable of running Linux or BSD, $1500 is a small price to pay to avoid Windows.

[racketboy]

what about the people who pay $1.5k for a Macbook Air?

If you're not technically capable of running Linux or BSD, $1500 is a small price to pay to avoid Windows.

Macbook Airs are a lot cheaper now and probably one of the best ultra portables right now. I'd consider one if it had a pointing stick. I just stick with Thinkpads like I have for 15 years.

[aaron]

[Hatta]

I'd consider one if it had a pointing stick. I just stick with Thinkpads like I have for 15 years.

I know, right? The clit mouse is the best thing ever for general purpose pointing. Crap for games, but for general computer use it's great. You never have to move your hands from home row. It really sucks that Lenovo doesn't include the clit on their cheaper IdeaPad line. I wish I had known about the Unicomp keyboard with the trackpoint before I got my Das Keyboard. That would have won me over for sure.

It's really funny seeing all these soccer moms, etc, who run crazy fast computers hooked up to a piece of shit keyboard. Then you get people like me who actually know a thing or two, and spend more on the keyboard than the CPU. Keyboard, PSU, and case, these are the most important parts of a computer. To use the venerable car analogy, all the horsepower in the world isn't going to help you if you drop the engine in a Geo.

[racketboy]

I'd consider one if it had a pointing stick. I just stick with Thinkpads like I have for 15 years.

I know, right? The clit mouse is the best thing ever for general purpose pointing. Crap for games, but for general computer use it's great. You never have to move your hands from home row. It really sucks that Lenovo doesn't include the clit on their cheaper IdeaPad line. I wish I had known about the Unicomp keyboard with the trackpoint before I got my Das Keyboard. That would have won me over for sure.

It's really funny seeing all these soccer moms, etc, who run crazy fast computers hooked up to a piece of shit keyboard. Then you get people like me who actually know a thing or two, and spend more on the keyboard than the CPU. Keyboard, PSU, and case, these are the most important parts of a computer. To use the venerable car analogy, all the horsepower in the world isn't going to help you if you drop the engine in a Geo.

And monitors (for desktops)
It's all about what you touch and look at, IMO.

[Bikeage]

I assume you mean the people with 10 toolbars in their browser taking up half the screen that type "google.com" into one of those search boxes, then click the link where it found it to go to google, then type "ilovepie.com" into google, search for that, then click the link for ilovepie.com as opposed to just having typed that into the address bar or bookmarking it even though they go to the site every day? Or do you mean the people that say they've been googling something for 20 minutes and "can't find anything" so you help them, type something in, and find exactly what they were looking for in the first 5 results?

That shit drives me nuts, especially on friends and co workers pc's my age or younger who have used computers our entire lives. And on none of these peoples pc's is anything vitally important or non replaceable stored, so when I tell them that poking around and exploring programs and such is the best way to learn, they always say their scared of messing something up. Then I get the crazy look when I tell them that short of physically damaging it practically anything they "mess up" is reversible.

[aaron]

It's much easier to find and utilize correctly the clit on a thinkpad than anywhere else known to man, apparently.