The "My latest purchase" thread

[KenB]

I wanted a Win8 machine ( to keep up-to-date ) and had a gift voucher that was a year old so I put this towards a new laptop.

 

Acer V3-571

Win8

6GB RAM

Intel i3

HD on-board graphics

 

Not the highest spec in the world but for what I want it is ideal :)

 

My 5 year old laptop is an Acer and I had no problems with this at all ...............probably spoke too soon !!

[Plastic Nev]

Not yet here or fully paid for, but I do have this on order via the local dealer.

 

http://www.iiyama.com/gb_en/products/prolite-t2250mts-1/

 

It may depend on availability so may not finish up with this as the deal is left open ended as to obtaining a touch screen and left it with the guys discretion.

I know him reasonably well, as well as the fact the business itself has a very high reputation for being one of the best in the area.

So hopefully will be this one, but if not available then one that is as good.

 

Nev.

[Vr5fx]

Games;

 

Ruse + DLC

Dishonored

Rage + DLC

 

£27 plus change.

 

Spare battery for my Galaxy S3 £4

 

Windows receiver for Xbox 360 controller £7.50

 

Timber for a DIY shelf £24

 

Post mix £8

[Plastic Nev]

Hum, slight set back, for some strange reason the original touch screen monitor mentioned above will not work well with some aspects of the near screen edge controls in W8, so the guy in the shop is now looking into other makes and models.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

Games;

 

Ruse + DLC

Dishonored

Rage + DLC

 

£27 plus change.

 

Spare battery for my Galaxy S3 £4

 

Windows receiver for Xbox 360 controller £7.50

 

Timber for a DIY shelf £24

 

Post mix £8

 

Would you like to add a Cuddly Toy and a Conveyor Belt to this ?? ( or is this just showing my age ???? :) )

[Plastic Nev]

Nothing to do with computers, but does help to keep sanity while using one, I bought a new one of these for Christmas.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/plasticpig/Falconpipe.jpg

 

Nev.

[KenB]

Nice candle stick Nev :)

[Vr5fx]

Would you like to add a Cuddly Toy and a Conveyor Belt to this ?? ( or is this just showing my age ???? :) )

 

Gaming keyboard for my PC, £12.50 reduced from £55

Mouse for the lady friend £50

Compressed air £10

 

Gave up on my teddy years ago, though a conveyor would be useful.... I'll look into this.

[KenB]

Hi Steve

 

Take a look here:

 

This was prime-time Saturday night TV :)

[Vr5fx]

Full HD cam, for the more exciting things in life. £100

32GB 10 SD card. £15

 

Permanent markers £1

 

 

Tesco tonight, gonna buy me more stuff I don't need.

[Plastic Nev]

Considering the old originally MSN and now Windows live messenger is soon to close, I downloaded and installed Skype via the links Microsoft themselves provide. Bearing in mind that full VOIP is available in excellent quality, I bought this headset and mic at the local Maplin shop-

 

http://www.plantronics.com/uk/search/index.jsp?term=Audio+628&page=1&siteSeachSubmit=

 

Very well made bit of kit for a manufacturer I had never previously heard of.

 

Nev.

[Vr5fx]

Nice one Nev, those look quite nice! I've never heard of them before.

 

I ordered some new speakers (my old 2.1 set lost audio quality as volume and bass was increased)

These arrived yesterday.

 

http://www.trust.com/products/product.aspx?artnr=17963

 

I've never used this manufacturer, to be honest I haven't heard or seen any of their products for years but I went out on the limb because the reviews were good for the price (£50)

 

Wow.... These speakers are awesome! Best set of speakers since my £10 set from Argos about 10 years ago!

Granted they are not the best out there, but they are 10 fold better than my old set.

[KenB]

Glad I don't live next door to you Steve :)

[Vr5fx]

Detached house, I feel sorry for the in-laws-to-be!

 

Good thing the house is empty at the moment. ;)

[Plastic Nev]

A bit middle of the road are "Trust" products, I have had some good stuff and some not so good from them in the past.

As an example, a long time since I bought one of their data transfer cables so I could shift or copy stuff off my XP desktop to my XP laptop shortly after buying it. The cable worked brilliantly and did the job and many times since. However I have an ordinary desktop microphone by Trust and it is very poor quality, flimsy sort of construction and sound recorded is poor.

 

Nev.

[Vr5fx]

A cheap watch for working out. Having to use my phone is a pain. Finding a watch was rather hard, I'm very skinny. So a boys watch it is! --- £15

 

A new clipper, as my last did it's own little spontaneous combustion. :confused: ---- £30

[Armageddon]

£30 for a lighter lol or a hair clipper Steve ? :confused: , Mine include New Tablet , New Maglite LED for work , sold 2 15.6 laptops and got new 17.3 acer i7 job

[Vr5fx]

£30 to set my gorgeous locks on fire... I'm glad it was away from my face when it happened to flame ball.

 

What tablet have you got?

[Armageddon]

Got myself a Acer Iconica Android ICS one

[Vr5fx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLHW78X1XeE

 

My weekend is done. For ever.

[Plastic Nev]

Hum, nearly forgot to mention I have now bought a touch screen, it is the View Sonic TD2220.

 

link here

 

Quite pleased with it so far and still learning how to get the best out of it.

Also making a stand for it as the normal computer desk is too high for the best ergonomic use, once completed and set up I will post a photo.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

You have been hunting for a touch screen for a while Nev - hope you are happy with it :)

[Plastic Nev]

In general it is great, running around this forum for example, a swipe of the finger scrolls the page up or down, handy for the long posts and quicker than using scroll wheel or mouse pointer on scroll bar.

So then, bring out the on screen keyboard and write whatever is required, hide the keyboard when done and tap the post reply box. Job done.

 

Everything is at finger tip control. I still hit the wrong key now and then while writing, (No change there then :D ) but easily corrected as usual by backspace, or shift cursor and delete, whichever is required. The only thing slightly vexing is that to achieve the equivalent of a right click, you hold on the spot for about five to ten seconds, then the right click menu pops up, just the few seconds waiting time till it works is annoying.

 

It is sometimes needed for spell checking and getting the correct spelling of those odd words you aren't sure about.

 

Also for other menu's, especially in some of the software I have where a right click on say a picture in Photofiltre, which brings up the resize tool, normally quicker than digging it out of the normal tool box, but slightly slower due to the wait for it to come up.

Result is that the mouse is sometimes used instead.

 

Mouse and keyboard are sometimes still needed, but certainly a lot less used with the touch screen.

 

I now have a completed stand, just needs a plywood top varnishing, and some black paint on the stand to cover where I welded the modifications.

 

The table or stand is actually a heavily modified wrought iron coffee table, originally glass topped which stood about a foot or so high. The original sides were cut in half to make legs, the original ends used as sides with some bits of the original legs now added to strengthen the frame at the top. The original glass top was toughened glass, it got a light tap on the edge from something hard a long time ago, which terminated it completely by exploding into thousands of little pieces as toughened glass does.

 

Shame I didn't take a picture of the original coffee table frame, but here are some shots of the completed table stand.

 

http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/14/68/69/96/frame_10.jpg

 

http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/14/68/69/96/frame_11.jpg

 

http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/14/68/69/96/frame_12.jpg

 

Angle grinder, hacksaw, some use of my steel cutting bandsaw and a hammer and chisel to get the original frame into the bits I needed, and then the MIG welder to put the bits together again in the new order I wanted.

 

Nev.

[KenB]

That takes me back Nev.

 

I used to teach design-based metalwork when I first went into teaching from industry.

We used to do a lot of scroll work with the kids.

We didn't have the luxury of a MIG welder - we had to braze the joints :)

 

Also we have something in common ..... efflourescence.

 

Look it up :)

[Plastic Nev]

That wall is fairly new and was put up as part of a kitchen extension by my neighbour to replace the boundary wall between his terraced house and mine. That type of efflorescence is common in cheaper brick or sometimes the sand used in the cement mortar. Especially if the sand is recovered sea sand. It is his wall and not my problem, though it does look a mess it will eventually weather away.

 

As for the welding, by the odd bits of slag on some of the original welds the original frame must have been done with the old stick welder, I could have done the same but don't have any good sticks at the moment as those I do have, have been kept in the shed too long and suffered the damp conditions, so are now useless, hence why the MIG was used. I always keep MIG wire in the warm and dry and really should have done so with the various sizes of rod or sticks I have.

 

Nev.