I guess it relates to the thread that spawned this one but I recently had to purchase a "new" VHS video.
I've had one for years so I can convert people's wedding video's etc into computer files or burn them to DVDs and when it packed up I had to replace it.
I ended up getting a very snazzy one, which was probably originally sold for around £500, for a whopping £12 off eBay.
Bargain.
A 35mm FILM camera - not used now, for obvious reasons.
Can you still get film for such things easily? On the internet i suppose, but i've not seen any in the main stores for ages.
A 35mm FILM camera - not used now, for obvious reasons.
Can you still get film for such things easily? On the internet i suppose, but i've not seen any in the main stores for ages.
How many people still have PC towers, apart from hardcore PC gamers?
I'm definitely in the minority of people I know, as nearly everyone else I know has laptops and netbooks. Some only ever use tablets and their phones for the internet.
If you want a computer for fixed home-use only, the standard tower offers numerous advantages over a laptop:
1) cheaper for the same system hardware
2) bigger and usually better display, which can also be better positioned on your desk compared with the laptop display (displays generally last many years, so you could save money and use an old one which is still probably better than the laptop's)
3) much better keyboard than a laptop
4) proper mouse (though you'll probably want to invest in a good quality mouse anyway, or when the included one fails after a month or two)
5) cheaper and more flexible for upgrades such as larger or faster (perhaps SSD) hard-drives, as well as memory
6) add or upgrade other internal components
7) much easier and cheaper to repair should something fail
If you are going to have two computers, one of which you take with you, it makes much more sense for the home computer to be a tower because of all those advantages. The only disadvantage is for those with limited space who don't have room for it, but you'd have to be living somewhere very small for there not to be room for it under a desk (preferably not sitting directly on a carpet).
I can't get on with trackpads at all So I picked up half a dozen optical wheel mice at my local discount shop the other day, £2.99 each! Cheap Chinese-made shit...but I've been using one now for two years with no probs, that means I've got a decade's supply on the shelf!
I too prefer CRT tellys and monitors...especially the latter for any photo work. The ONLY problems for me are the sheer weight and size of t'buggers in the screen sizes I want!:p
I don't like laptops, much prefer desktops, I can do everything I need to meself to repair them or upgrade them, or build from scratch.
I drive a 59 plate car and it is still going strong.
Still got a Playstation 2, one of the original 'fat' ones which is still working after 12 years, and outlived it's PS3 succesor by several years. I turn it on now and again when I feel nostalgic.
That reminds me, there's a fully working Sega Dreamcast in the spare room along with some games. I should get it boxed up and stick it on Ebay. There's also some vintage 80s computers, including a Toshiba MSX, a Spectrum +2 and an Amstrad CPC with colour monitor, and all still work and have a collection of games each. They never really get used these days, just sit on boxes or on shelves and get dragged out very occasionally for a bit of retro gaming.
We've got an 11 year old TV in our bedroom, which was my husband's mom and dads. Even remember going to fetch it and wondering if it would fit in my car back then (I had a Fiesta so you can guess how big it is!!)
We've also got a CD/radio in the kitchen, I like to listen to my CD's when cooking, and my husband likes to listen to the sport, we have got a DAB radio, but the CD/radio sounds much better. I've got an old MP3 player from about 7/8 years ago, which I downloaded loads of songs on but now never use and we have got a DVD recorder/player in our living room which doesn't record any more (and it was a real faff to try to record anything) but plays DVD's fine.
We've got an 11 year old TV in our bedroom, which was my husband's mom and dads. Even remember going to fetch it and wondering if it would fit in my car back then (I had a Fiesta so you can guess how big it is!!)
We've also got a CD/radio in the kitchen, I like to listen to my CD's when cooking, and my husband likes to listen to the sport, we have got a DAB radio, but the CD/radio sounds much better. I've got an old MP3 player from about 7/8 years ago, which I downloaded loads of songs on but now never use and we have got a DVD recorder/player in our living room which doesn't record any more (and it was a real faff to try to record anything) but plays DVD's fine.
Someone upthread mentioned having one, a Liteon.
Unfortunately that's a common problem with Liteon recorders. Although they were generally well built, and the hard disc models are still going strong on the hard disc side, the DVD drives they used were very poor quality and are prone to failure.
It IS possible to revive them to fully working, but it requires specific models of DVD burners no longer made, but they do sometimes come up on Ebay. I've got a list of what ones are known to work perfectly, so am keeping an Eye on Ebay. Someone else managed to get theirs fully working again by transplanting the laser mechanism from a modern Liteon DVD burner into the DVD burner used in the recorder, but that's a bit of a faff, is a bit difficult to do and it only works, again, with specific models of new DVD burners.
Mine also has custom firmware (the software that drives the machine) that allows me to replace the inbuilt 160Gb drive with a 500Gb one, but I haven't got round to it yet.
Talking of obsolete or old technology, one of my friends has a Philips Digital Compact Cassette recorder. He bought it on Ebay for £50, along with ten blank tapes. I have to admit the sound quality is absolutely superb, better than minidisc. But minidisc is just more convenient and easy to use. He now has around 50 odd blank tapes, as he seems to keep buying them when they appear on Ebay. He now also has a second recorder that has been cleaned up, reconditioned and stored in case his main unit fails. Now that's a bit obsessive
Unfortunately that's a common problem with Liteon recorders. Although they were generally well built, and the hard disc models are still going strong on the hard disc side, the DVD drives they used were very poor quality and are prone to failure.
It IS possible to revive them to fully working, but it requires specific models of DVD burners no longer made, but they do sometimes come up on Ebay. I've got a list of what ones are known to work perfectly, so am keeping an Eye on Ebay. Someone else managed to get theirs fully working again by transplanting the laser mechanism from a modern Liteon DVD burner into the DVD burner used in the recorder, but that's a bit of a faff, is a bit difficult to do and it only works, again, with specific models of new DVD burners.
Mine also has custom firmware (the software that drives the machine) that allows me to replace the inbuilt 160Gb drive with a 500Gb one, but I haven't got round to it yet.
Talking of obsolete or old technology, one of my friends has a Philips Digital Compact Cassette recorder. He bought it on Ebay for £50, along with ten blank tapes. I have to admit the sound quality is absolutely superb, better than minidisc. But minidisc is just more convenient and easy to use. He now has around 50 odd blank tapes, as he seems to keep buying them when they appear on Ebay. He now also has a second recorder that has been cleaned up, reconditioned and stored in case his main unit fails. Now that's a bit obsessive
I have a Liteon DVD recorder, total piece of junk. Its clock slows down 2-3 minutes per month because it is designed for the North American market and works on 60Hz electrical frequency to keep the clock signal, so over here in Europe it slows down rapidly. Picture quality is shocking, everything is soft focus on live TV. DVD playback is fine. I should never have bought this, or returned it when I got it, but I was kidding myself it was fine because I had a PVR whilst everyone else had a video recorder.
I've a video recorder I can't bear to part with, although I've discarded loads of videos. And I threw out all my cassette tapes last year, though now I'm regretting it.
Comments
I've had one for years so I can convert people's wedding video's etc into computer files or burn them to DVDs and when it packed up I had to replace it.
I ended up getting a very snazzy one, which was probably originally sold for around £500, for a whopping £12 off eBay.
Bargain.
Quoting myself, but it is an agp one. But we are just going completely upgrade it anyway.
Can you still get film for such things easily? On the internet i suppose, but i've not seen any in the main stores for ages.
jessops stock 35mm film and possibly boots.
Futurestyle! :cool:
Still running OSX 10.4 so can't update any software and even simple things like browsing DS is slower than it used to be on dial-up.
If you want a computer for fixed home-use only, the standard tower offers numerous advantages over a laptop:
1) cheaper for the same system hardware
2) bigger and usually better display, which can also be better positioned on your desk compared with the laptop display (displays generally last many years, so you could save money and use an old one which is still probably better than the laptop's)
3) much better keyboard than a laptop
4) proper mouse (though you'll probably want to invest in a good quality mouse anyway, or when the included one fails after a month or two)
5) cheaper and more flexible for upgrades such as larger or faster (perhaps SSD) hard-drives, as well as memory
6) add or upgrade other internal components
7) much easier and cheaper to repair should something fail
If you are going to have two computers, one of which you take with you, it makes much more sense for the home computer to be a tower because of all those advantages. The only disadvantage is for those with limited space who don't have room for it, but you'd have to be living somewhere very small for there not to be room for it under a desk (preferably not sitting directly on a carpet).
Mini disc player
Fountain pen that you fill from a bottle
Doesn't everyone?
Some people don't. My mouse broke the other month and it was murder using the pad.
scart everything AV in me bedroom is SD and scart
i have a VCR but to be honest mainly use it for the clock
desktop windows xp pc does all me ripping downloading etc infact just upgraded it graphics card and monitor £1 each
I too prefer CRT tellys and monitors...especially the latter for any photo work. The ONLY problems for me are the sheer weight and size of t'buggers in the screen sizes I want!:p
I don't like laptops, much prefer desktops, I can do everything I need to meself to repair them or upgrade them, or build from scratch.
They stopped making PS2 January 2013.
It's not that old ;D
I had an iPhone 4S & 5, got rid as they were they were underused. Sort of like owning a Range Rover, but never taking it off-road.
Now I use a standard Nokia phone. It's unlocked and has a talking alarm clock.....get in!
We've also got a CD/radio in the kitchen, I like to listen to my CD's when cooking, and my husband likes to listen to the sport, we have got a DAB radio, but the CD/radio sounds much better. I've got an old MP3 player from about 7/8 years ago, which I downloaded loads of songs on but now never use and we have got a DVD recorder/player in our living room which doesn't record any more (and it was a real faff to try to record anything) but plays DVD's fine.
Someone upthread mentioned having one, a Liteon.
Hahaha
Unfortunately that's a common problem with Liteon recorders. Although they were generally well built, and the hard disc models are still going strong on the hard disc side, the DVD drives they used were very poor quality and are prone to failure.
It IS possible to revive them to fully working, but it requires specific models of DVD burners no longer made, but they do sometimes come up on Ebay. I've got a list of what ones are known to work perfectly, so am keeping an Eye on Ebay. Someone else managed to get theirs fully working again by transplanting the laser mechanism from a modern Liteon DVD burner into the DVD burner used in the recorder, but that's a bit of a faff, is a bit difficult to do and it only works, again, with specific models of new DVD burners.
Mine also has custom firmware (the software that drives the machine) that allows me to replace the inbuilt 160Gb drive with a 500Gb one, but I haven't got round to it yet.
Talking of obsolete or old technology, one of my friends has a Philips Digital Compact Cassette recorder. He bought it on Ebay for £50, along with ten blank tapes. I have to admit the sound quality is absolutely superb, better than minidisc. But minidisc is just more convenient and easy to use. He now has around 50 odd blank tapes, as he seems to keep buying them when they appear on Ebay. He now also has a second recorder that has been cleaned up, reconditioned and stored in case his main unit fails. Now that's a bit obsessive
I have a Liteon DVD recorder, total piece of junk. Its clock slows down 2-3 minutes per month because it is designed for the North American market and works on 60Hz electrical frequency to keep the clock signal, so over here in Europe it slows down rapidly. Picture quality is shocking, everything is soft focus on live TV. DVD playback is fine. I should never have bought this, or returned it when I got it, but I was kidding myself it was fine because I had a PVR whilst everyone else had a video recorder.