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View Full Version : Windows XP First impression Revisited


Rick
10-19-2003, 05:02 PM
A Couple of years ago now I started a thread about my first impressions of the Then new Windows XP
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=413&highlight=first+impression

Well it’s been almost 2 years and I haven’t seen much to change to my mind about it

In fact One of the Largest shortcomings of it still bothers me
That being the lack of IRQ support for LTP ports

It is the same shortcoming In win2K

The Usb 2 support is now a little more stable
After 2 years I was able to install and get a usb 2 pci card to work correctly
So Much so that I have moved my Old reliable deskjet 970c to the usb port
Set it to network share and it works perfectly
Including the error messages..
Something that only worked about half the time on the LPT1 port under XP

The Dual Monitor support has always worked well.
But I don’t use a game card. ( Matrox G400 ) It took me awhile to replace the old 17 inch monitor I had installed as the second display.
I can say with 2 nineteen inch displays that It is the best way to go ..

The only things I have found that are a little hard to adjust to are the monitor brightness difference
and the flat screen on one and the old curved screen on the other


One small item.
It has nothing to do with windows.
It’s more on the hardware side

When are they going to stop putting the AGP slot so close to the number one pci slot?
If you install any agp card that requires a cooling fan of any size you loose that first pci slot

A few companies have stuck that worthless modem slot next to the agp..

Unfortunately this Asus M/B doesn’t have that little bugger
So I loose the use of one of my High speed pci slots

In affect reducing the number of cards I can put in my system
As of today I have NO Slots available
I have one empty ( Next to AGP Card) But can’t use it because of clearances

sleddog
10-19-2003, 08:10 PM
Originally posted by Rick
One small item.
It has nothing to do with windows.
It’s more on the hardware side

When are they going to stop putting the AGP slot so close to the number one pci slot?
If you install any agp card that requires a cooling fan of any size you loose that first pci slot

Wouldn't be an issue if AGP videocard manufacturers would climb out of the 1980s and put the circuitry and processor on the opposite side of the card. Then there'd be lots of room for a cooling fan drawing heat away from the videocard to the top of case, so it would work with the laws of nature and your case's airflow pattern.

Rick
10-19-2003, 08:45 PM
Some are in fact placing memory on the other side of the card

But in My case that would be even worse

You see the 2nd CPU in my system sits directly above the AGP slot and the heat-sink air flow hits the back side of the Video Card

mjc
10-19-2003, 09:21 PM
Ummmm.......yeah, Rick, I remember that problem.

It is one I wish I had.....:D

Rick
10-19-2003, 09:48 PM
MJC You may in fact have it some day

When I upgrade this system next time I’ll need to get rid of this head ache somewhere :)