Build Advice Advice on new build, starting with motherboard manufacturer, for touchscreens, floppy disks, which Windows version ?

[Richard1234]

Hi,

I have built a few PCs over the years, I built this one around 2010, and because its becoming a bit obsolete, time to build a new one with a complete overhaul, in the past I would recycle components, but this time I think I need to upgrade most things. I will only recycle the loudspeakers, mouse and keyboard.

the motherboard is the startpoint for building a PC, and this one's is by Gigabyte and is ATX.

I would firstly like advice as to which motherboard manufacturer, eg ones with more or better early startup facilities, eg ability to boot from USB drives. I also want ancient floppy disk support, because I have dabbled with writing software on floppy disks which boot directly without operating system. I dont know if all ATX's support the ancient floppy drives. Also a manufacturer whose motherboards are reliable.

this Gigabyte one has been good but after 13 years of use, the USB seems to sometimes malfunction for the wireless USB dongle, I think the USB support on the motherboard is somehow worn out. And eg hard drives attached to the USB hub attached to the machine will vanish.

I would also like legacy support for PS/2 mouse and keyboard, ie PS/2 sockets at the back for mouse and keyboard. Basically I want as much legacy hardware support as possible, as I have programmed PS2 mouse and keyboard directly for my floppy booting software. I know USB can emulate legacy, but I would like the legacy hardware directly.

Some months ago I bought a laptop with touchscreen and windows 11. I dont know if one can buy touchscreen monitors for PCs? Also can windows 10 support such, or does it have to be windows 11. As I would need to buy Windows also. I have some spare licensed copies of Windows 10 not yet installed, bought so they can be used when windows 10 is no longer supported.

Then advice on tower cases for the system, I would like a transparent one where I can see everything inside the machine without having to open up. But I would like one also which uses old school slotting, my existing one has nonstandard plastic things, which I find very confusing, and some have broken. I would like as many bays as possible, eg I have lots of SATA drives.

any advice on specific such tower cases, and specific UK vendors who sell these, I dont know if I am allowed to ask such advice on this forum. I found PC World no use for tower cases, and had problems finding anything any good on ebay.

with my existing machine, I found the expansion slots a bit cramped, where the graphics card is too near the slot I use for the USB3 adapter, I dont know if this is a limit of the ATX specification, or if it is a manufacturer design limitation. it would be nice if there were more space between the sockets.

This existing system, has various bare wire USB sockets on the motherboard, which I found a bit confusing to connect up, I would prefer proper USB sockets on the motherboard accessible at the back. But maybe all have this problem?

I think I would like DV-I and hdmi support, with my existing machine, its hdmi doesnt do audio, I dont know if newer machines have integrated audio into the hdmi, and what to look for to get hdmi with audio. that way I could record a session on the machine for say Youtube. I dont know if this is a graphics card question rather than a motherboard question, and if a graphics card question, advice on which graphics cards.


it is lots of questions, and the central question is which motherboard manufacturer, and the constraints of both ancient hardware eg floppies and ps/2 but also modern hardware eg touchscreens, which might constrain which version of windows or the graphics card etc.

with my touchscreen laptop, I found the early startup controls a bit limited, and it doesnt allow enough time for the external USB bluray drive to get ready to boot say Linux mint, I had to configure the hubs a certain way before I could get that to boot, which is a limitation of the early startup.

anyway, many thanks for any advice
Richard

 

[35below0]

There is another type of screen. OLED, or Optical Organic LED. "Better" than VA or IPS, but the prices are eyewatering. Salty water mostly.
Their one downside is one we haven't seen since the CRT days. Screen burn-in. Though i haven't owned one so i can't say if the fear is unfounded or real.

Here is one example:
LG 27GR95QE-B - https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/27gr95qe-b

26.5" seems like it would be too small for you. Larger and pricier models exist.

Personal bias note - I am partial to VA panels. The contrast is important to me, and i am not too bothered about the screen appearing washed out at an angle. I mostly sit in front of it. Some models have very good color accuracy so the only thing IPS does better is keeping the picture consistent when viewing from an angle or above/below.
I also do not like backlights "bleeding" onto the screen. More expensive models usually fix this but some affordable monitors also have very little backlight bleed.

Take the time to scrutinize your monitor choice. Afterall, you will be looking at it a lot.

 

[helper800]

There is another type of screen. OLED, or Optical LED. "Better" than VA or IPS, but the prices are eyewatering. Salty water mostly.
Their one downside is one we haven't seen since the CRT days. Screen burn-in. Though i haven't owned one so i can't say if the fear is unfounded or real.

Here is one example:
LG 27GR95QE-B - https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/27gr95qe-b

26.5" seems like it would be too small for you. Larger and pricier models exist.

Personal bias note - I am partial to VA panels. The contrast is important to me, and i am not too bothered about the screen appearing washed out at an angle. I mostly sit in front of it. Some models have very good color accuracy so the only thing IPS does better is keeping the picture consistent when viewing from an angle or above/below.
I also do not like backlights "bleeding" onto the screen. More expensive models usually fix this but some affordable monitors also have very little backlight bleed.

Take the time to scrutinize your monitor choice. Afterall, you will be looking at it a lot.

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode, not Optical, just so that everyone is clear.

 

[35below0]

Sorry about the screwup. I've edited the post above.

And sorry about being so rude and not including some musical takes.
I do like electronic music too. Trance and Psytrance are nice. Sometimes i open psyradio to play in the background. Warehouse disco is more my jam though. Even if it's mostly died out by now.

Here's a set by John Acquaviva called Loops (or the tour was called that): https://www.mixesdb.com/w/1998_-_John_Acquaviva_@_Aquarius,_Zagreb
Goodness knows how many records are in there. Nicely put together though.

I also like metal. Vinnie Moore's The Maze is one of my favorite albums. The thinking machine sounds like it just stepped out of Doom.

I'm sure i have more takes but this is off-topic enough.

 

[Aeacus]

looking at that, what would you say I had bought?

doesnt look like 96GB even though it is. that's why I cancelled it.

Yes, the naming of the RAM kit is wrong and it should change based on what capacity kit you choose.

but why not USB type A to DP or HDMI?

There is no video signal in USB type-A. Meaning you can't directly display an image from a device like a PC through USB type-A. That's why.

your explanation has decided the matter for me! it will need to be VA, if it has 3000:1 contrast ratio, the 1000:1 of the other 2 systems is a deal breaker! if they were 2500:1 or something then maybe not.

Most VA panels have 3000:1 contrast ratio. Some high-end VA panels can have the contrast ratio as high as 5000:1 or 6000:1.

Contrast ratio ranges for different panel types:
TN- 600:1 to 1200:1
IPS - 700:1 to 1500:1
VA - 2500:1 to 6000:1
OLED - 100.000:1 (aka inf:1)
QLED - 1.000.000:1 to 1.500.000:1 (aka inf:1)

There is another type of screen. OLED, or Optical Organic LED. "Better" than VA or IPS, but the prices are eyewatering.

Besides OLED, there's also QLED (Quantum Dot LED). Both try to be the newest iterations of panel design and while both have some positive qualities over TN, IPS and VA, their main disadvantage is price. So, for most PC users, QLED and OLED displays are out of the question. Also, QLED and OLED are mainly in the TV segment. Sure, there are some monitors with QLED or OLED panels, but again, those are very expensive.

Further reading between the QLED and OLED: https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/qled-vs-oled/

 

[Richard1234]

There is another type of screen. OLED, or Optical Organic LED. "Better" than VA or IPS, but the prices are eyewatering. Salty water mostly.
Their one downside is one we haven't seen since the CRT days. Screen burn-in. Though i haven't owned one so i can't say if the fear is unfounded or real.

Here is one example:
LG 27GR95QE-B - https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/lg/27gr95qe-b

26.5" seems like it would be too small for you. Larger and pricier models exist.

23" is probably the smallest I'd use, I think my current monitor is 27"

but the burn in is the deal breaker here, because I mostly have a desktop environment on screen, which would burn in.

Personal bias note - I am partial to VA panels. The contrast is important to me, and i am not too bothered about the screen appearing washed out at an angle. I mostly sit in front of it. Some models have very good color accuracy so the only thing IPS does better is keeping the picture consistent when viewing from an angle or above/below.
I also do not like backlights "bleeding" onto the screen. More expensive models usually fix this but some affordable monitors also have very little backlight bleed.

Take the time to scrutinize your monitor choice. Afterall, you will be looking at it a lot.

I'll pay a premium for a monitor, but for the moment I will use this unsatisfactory one.

And sorry about being so rude and not including some musical takes.
I do like electronic music too. Trance and Psytrance are nice. Sometimes i open psyradio to play in the background. Warehouse disco is more my jam though. Even if it's mostly died out by now.

you have run into the inevitable problem, that each scene eventually becomes "old fashioned"!

I'd recommend perusing music genres of different eras, best MO is to get an album, and then listen to the entire album a few times. I did that in the 1985 era for 1970s onwards eras. that way you can evaluate by quality rather than fashion.

 

[Richard1234]

Yes, the naming of the RAM kit is wrong and it should change based on what capacity kit you choose.

that glitch has delayed the memory arriving till Wednesday.

with yesterday's deliveries, amazon said "arrive by 10pm", so I waited in all day, and then it arrived at 654pm, I needed to go shopping, but had to stay at home.

a DPD courier one said arrive 430pm to 530pm, which arrived at 510pm.

yesterday many items arrived, but I havent unboxed them yet because lack of time, rescheduled todays deliveries to Wednesday when the final other items arrive, that way I could then go shopping, as was running out of various food items.

today in the morning the M.2 drive arrived by signed for postage, ("special delivery"), I wont open any boxes until everything has arrived, and then open them in installation order, just in case any problem.

Sunday the 4060 graphics card will arrive, and some USB3 extenders,

Wednesday the PSU (delivery by DPD) and mobo (delivery by DHL), both rescheduled from today, and then also the memory, and the 16 foot vid cable. I had to pay a premium otherwise the vid cable would arrive a week later!

There is no video signal in USB type-A. Meaning you can't directly display an image from a device like a PC through USB type-A. That's why.

ok, I didnt realise there was this subtlety! so usb3 type A is a subset of usb3 type C?

any other things type A cannot do?

Most VA panels have 3000:1 contrast ratio. Some high-end VA panels can have the contrast ratio as high as 5000:1 or 6000:1.

could you give some recommendations for some at different contrast ratios, lets say for 27" max, as I dont have the space on this table for bigger screen. lets say 23" to 27" max, in the past I found 24" to be good, but 27" maybe is better. disregard the price initially, just so I can understand what kind of money we are talking about.

I may pay a premium to get a max contrast one, thus could you give for the top contrast disregard price initially just go for max all round quality, then if the prices too high I would go lower down the spectrum,
with recommendations for different sizes from 23" upwards for the max contrast ones. I'd only go for more than 27" if the screen extends upwards, rather than sideways, as its mostly for things like webpages, documents, editting photos on Photoshops, where potentially I could have say 2 pages left to right, and maybe 2 pages vertically. eg 4 pages on display, 2 x 2.

I use the monitor placed at maybe 22" from my eyes. my left eye is slightly short sighted, my right eye slightly long sighted, between maybe 24" to 32" distance, both my eyes are in focus, where I can use the computer without glasses. at 22" without glasses I rely on my left eye.

Contrast ratio ranges for different panel types:
TN- 600:1 to 1200:1
IPS - 700:1 to 1500:1
VA - 2500:1 to 6000:1

just for VA, if you could give some recommendations disregarding price, with different sizes for the top contrast, and with say 1 recommendation for a selection of other contrasts, say 27" max, but down to 23" would do, preferably not below 24".

OLED - 100.000:1 (aka inf:1)
QLED - 1.000.000:1 to 1.500.000:1 (aka inf:1)


Besides OLED, there's also QLED (Quantum Dot LED). Both try to be the newest iterations of panel design and while both have some positive qualities over TN, IPS and VA, their main disadvantage is price. So, for most PC users, QLED and OLED displays are out of the question. Also, QLED and OLED are mainly in the TV segment. Sure, there are some monitors with QLED or OLED panels, but again, those are very expensive.

Further reading between the QLED and OLED: https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/qled-vs-oled/

off topic from here, but have you listened to OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)? they did some excellent "cold" slow rate of change music, eg Joan of Arc:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyl9enDp8Ls


they were mainly early 1980s,

souvenir was another iconic song of theirs in that era:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDIYOiQUi2s


their most famous song was Enola Gaye, which is the name of the american plane which dropped the hiroshima and nagasaki atom bombs, the lyrics are about that bombing

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8JcZNOb1c&t=1m16s


I went to a concert of theirs in the early 1980s, I have only been to two pop concerts, that and Pink Floyd approx 1995 at Earl's court, London.

 

[Aeacus]

ok, I didnt realise there was this subtlety! so usb3 type A is a subset of usb3 type C?

Not quite.

	USB-A	USB-B	USB-C
Availability	Excellent	Okay	Great
Reversibility	No	No	Yes
Power Delivery	Yes	Sometimes	Yes
Data Transfer	Yes	Yes	Yes
Video Display	No	No	Yes
Host Connection	Yes	No	Yes

E.g my CyberPower UPS has USB-B female port as data port, while it uses USB-B male to USB-A male to connect to the PC.

any other things type A cannot do?

There are, some;

USB-A is the most common type of connection, and you likely use it the most. The main advantage of these connections is data transfer, and it's what you'll connect your hard drives and memory sticks to. You can also connect your peripherals like keyboards and mice, and having extra ports on your monitor frees up ports on your PC, which is great if you need to connect many devices.

Another advantage of USB-A is that it offers power delivery. Although limited, it's enough power to charge smaller devices like your phone.

The main disadvantage of USB-A is that it isn't reversible, and you can only plug it in one way. It doesn't act as a video port, either. This means you can't directly display an image from a device like a laptop through USB-A. However, remember that this is different than transferring video files, which you can still do with a USB-A port, but that's part of the benefits of data transfer.

Source + further reading about USB type-A, type-B and type-C: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/learn/usb-a-vs-usb-c

could you give some recommendations for some at different contrast ratios, lets say for 27" max

Tall order for me to find them all, but some examples of good 27", 1440p (2K) monitors would be;
10.000.000:1, QLED, 170 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CBQB61TJ/
1.500.000:1, OLED, 240 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BRYJQP4Z/
4500:1, VA, 180 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CNRPGQBG Note: used price!
4000:1, VA, 165 Hz, - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08DLC9HBG
3000:1, VA, 165 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B095C3341T/

Normal VA panel monitors, in sizes of 27" and 3000:1 contrast ratio, cost up to 300 quid.
These 5 should suffice, for now.

off topic from here, but have you listened to OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)? they did some excellent "cold" slow rate of change music, eg Joan of Arc:

their most famous song was Enola Gaye, which is the name of the american plane which dropped the hiroshima and nagasaki atom bombs, the lyrics are about that bombing

I only like one OMD song; Enola Gay. Especially the Sash! remix;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZCIanisFeg


But original is also nice.

Thing is, when i listen music, i don't listen it by artist, instead, i listen it by genre. So, i like many songs/tracks but only often that single song/track from that artist.
There are few artists from whom i do like more than 10 songs. Some of those are: Astral Projection, Romolo Di Prisco, Floorfilla. E.g;

Astral Projection - Into the void:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js8mhVrB8CA


Also great tracks are: Aqua Line Spirit, The Prophecy, Searching for UFOs, Nilaya, Mahadeva.

Rom (Romolo) Di Prisco is old school creator, loved his creation since 1998.

Romolo Di Prisco - Vulpecula 707:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMJHbu_uZXc


Also great tracks are: Aquila 303, Gamma Velorum, Quantum singularity, Romulus 3, Cykloid, Main Menu.

Floorfilla is EDM genre (Electronic Dance Music) that i've liked for decades now.

Floorfilla - Kosmiklove:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeJt0zjLKJg


Also great tracks are: Sister Golden Hair, Anthem #4, Anthem #2, Cyberdream, Le Delire.

But as of late, i listen DI.FM (Digitally Imported Internet Radio) and namely either Epic Trance channel or Classic Trance channel (i have 2 year paid subscription, so i can listen all www.di.fm radio channels, since i can't live without Trance music in my life). DI.FM is the go-to place if you want to listen electronic music. There are plenty of channels, for almost all and any preference. Like Downtempo, Ambient, Chillout, Hardstyle, EDM, House, Trance, heck even Classic Euro Dance and Oldschool Rave to name the few.

 

[35below0]

23" is probably the smallest I'd use, I think my current monitor is 27"

but the burn in is the deal breaker here, because I mostly have a desktop environment on screen, which would burn in.

The only time i have ever seen burn in was on a cheap CRT manufactured in the late 80s. Burn in is real. It's kind of interesting just to see it. However, i have seen far more dead pixels on LCDs, esp. cheaper ones and there is nothing anyone can do about that.

When it comes to burn in, there are steps we can take to minimize risk. OLEDs may have software and hardware features that can help prevent problems.
This is why i say that without actual experience i cannot tell if the problem is overhyped or not. So don't be too quick to call it a deal breaker. It may be, but it may never affect you at all. OLEDs do have amazing specs.

Not trying to twist your arm or anything, just saying that i don't trust this fear of burn in so much. SSDs can fail catastrophically but that doesn't stop people from using them, even cheap ones.
The bigger deal breaker is probably the price if you have to shell out four figures for a good OLED monitor.

For heavy desktop use, dealing with the taskbar would be important because that is one part of the UI that doesn't move or change color. Maybe something like Start 11, which allows start menu and taskbar customization.


When i was building a new PC two months ago, i couldn't justify the expense of an OLED. Truth is the VA is good enough for me and i can live without OLEDs superior features. The OLED would be a *want* purchase, not a *need* one.
I need a good PSU and will not try to save any money there. Same is true of some other components, although price differences there are smaller than between monitors.

I ended up quite happy with my purchase (Dell 3222DGM) and feel i have done decent research before buying. So i hope the same will be true for you too.

 

[Aeacus]

When it comes to burn in, there are steps we can take to minimize risk. OLEDs may have software and hardware features that can help prevent problems.
This is why i say that without actual experience i cannot tell if the problem is overhyped or not. So don't be too quick to call it a deal breaker. It may be, but it may never affect you at all. OLEDs do have amazing specs.

It has been tested in-depth. Just need to use Google a bit.
Test data + results: https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/permanent-image-retention-burn-in-lcd-oled

In this 2 year continuous test, thee panel type TVs were tested: OLED, VA and IPS. After the test concluded, burn-in on OLED is very bad. IPS lost it's brightness and color gamut (image is dull), while VA looks as good as new to me. But that you can also read/see from the test data i linked.

So, burn-in on OLED is very much a thing and a serious one.

For heavy desktop use, dealing with the taskbar would be important because that is one part of the UI that doesn't move or change color.

Jumping through hoops or pampering the OLED panel, for it not to get as severe burn-in, isn't something one should be doing on a daily basis. It is just lackluster engineering that went into creation of OLED.

If technology is bad then it is bad. End user should not go out of their way to mitigate the flaws of an OLED. It's the job of the engineers who made the OLED (unsure why they made such a poor job at this).

 

[35below0]

If technology is bad then it is bad. End user should not go out of their way to mitigate the flaws of an OLED. It's the job of the engineers who made the OLED (unsure why they made such a poor job at this).

Maybe it's just new and these are teething problems. Or management. Always a safe bet to blame management.

Hiding the taskbar is not a difficult thing to do, if it helps.

It has been tested in-depth. Just need to use Google a bit.
Test data + results: https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/permanent-image-retention-burn-in-lcd-oled

In this 2 year continuous test, thee panel type TVs were tested: OLED, VA and IPS. After the test concluded, burn-in on OLED is very bad. IPS lost it's brightness and color gamut (image is dull), while VA looks as good as new to me. But that you can also read/see from the test data i linked.

So, burn-in on OLED is very much a thing and a serious one.

That sounds very serious, but looking into that test it's unclear to me how much a desktop screen would be affected, esp. a 27" screen or a newer model.

Because the test is for TVs, and because the duration and nature of the test was designed to make burn in happen, i'm not convinced it's realistic in real life use of a monitor. Even though a 5.5 hour loop does a decent job of mixing static and moving content, it is still a loop. And the test lasted 2 years.

The question i have is this:

Can i expect to get good value for money and enjoy a long enough lifespan of an OLED screen, before burn in becomes such that i need to look for a new monitor?

It's not whether burn in can or is likely to happen. It's whether or not it will have an impact.
I don't expect every device/component to last forever. Just long enough to be reasonable (or preferably a lot longer than that).

 

[Aeacus]

I don't expect every device/component to last forever. Just long enough to be reasonable (or preferably a lot longer than that).

If you factor in planned obsolescence, then as long as the device has warranty. In EU, that's 2 years. In other parts of the world, it is usually less that that. E.g 6 months to 1 year in USA. Could be 2 years too.

While i expect the monitor to last easy 10 years, if not more. Heck, my 17" CRT monitor lasted me 14 years. My 23" Topview monitor (cheap end btw) has been in use 11+ years and still works (sure, it's TN panel and 60 Hz). My current VA panel monitor has been in use for 5 years and no issues either.

If you look at that data i linked, you can see OLED burn-in started to show itself as little as 6 weeks mark. With 20 hours per day usage, that's 140 hours per week, whereby burn-in stated to show after 840 work hours. At 10 week mark, or 1400 work hours, burn in is so severe that it will get into the way of normal usage of a monitor.

So, if an OLED gets severe burn-in in as little as 10 weeks by being in use 20/7, then i'd estimate that for my use case (~16h per day), OLED would have severe burn-in within 12.5 weeks (or ~3 months).
That's terrible reliability, no matter what other bells and whistles it may have. Also, it doesn't cost peanuts either for it's reliability to be justified. On the contrary, it costs top dollar.

With this, OLED can't be suggested to anyone due to the burn-in issue it has (and also has been proven too). So, i'd either get VA panel or when i have more money to spend, then Quantum Dot LED (QLED), since latter doesn't have that burn-in issue as OLED has it. QLED panels use completely different technology in them, whereby burn-in is impossible.

 

[Richard1234]

Not quite.

	USB-A	USB-B	USB-C
Availability	Excellent	Okay	Great
Reversibility	No	No	Yes
Power Delivery	Yes	Sometimes	Yes
Data Transfer	Yes	Yes	Yes
Video Display	No	No	Yes
Host Connection	Yes	No	Yes

E.g my CyberPower UPS has USB-B female port as data port, while it uses USB-B male to USB-A male to connect to the PC.


There are, some;


Source + further reading about USB type-A, type-B and type-C: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/learn/usb-a-vs-usb-c

ok, I think I wont forget about these subtleties now. I will need to think carefully before deciding which socket to use for what. I wish to minimise plugging and unplugging of sockets at expensive equipment, because these things wear out. I have had so many HDMI cables wear out and so many USB2 hubs wear out, that I now understand the problem.

Tall order for me to find them all, but some examples of good 27", 1440p (2K) monitors would be;
10.000.000:1, QLED, 170 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CBQB61TJ/
1.500.000:1, OLED, 240 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BRYJQP4Z/
4500:1, VA, 180 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CNRPGQBG Note: used price!
4000:1, VA, 165 Hz, - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08DLC9HBG
3000:1, VA, 165 Hz - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B095C3341T/

is the 4500:1 the highest you can find of VA?

for me money is always relative, and is about ratios, so whether something is expensive or not isnt about the absolute amount eg £100 is unacceptably expensive for a cinema ticket, but is very cheap for a car.

this is the ratio with the going prices. another kind of ratio is the ratio relative to the full system. eg the price of some new brake pads relative to the price of the entire car.

I try to always use money efficiently, and will refuse to spend £100 on the one item because it is inefficient, but wont hesitate to spend £500 on another thing because efficient.

I also try to avoid false economies, where you pay less, but over the totality of the system and time you spend more.

I havent checked recently, but the affordable monitors are maybe less than £150. as regards stands, if the monitor conforms to some standard, possibly called VESA, I forget, (VESA is the protocol I was using to directly program graphics without OS so I might have gotten my wires crossed) you can buy your own stand, I did that with the 50" Panasonic, where the supplied stand was rubbish, and I bought a stand where you can swivel left and right, and up and down, and lower or elevate the entirety. major work to move to the new stand. ie the inbuilt stand isnt necessarily a deal breaker where many have rubbish inbuilt stands.

where you talk of OLED, I remember years ago Samsung mobiles having something I think called AMOLED, what is that?

Normal VA panel monitors, in sizes of 27" and 3000:1 contrast ratio, cost up to 300 quid.
These 5 should suffice, for now.

I would spend that amount of money on a monitor, provided it is good. I dont want to spend 300 on some rubbish like the monitor I use at the moment!

rest of this posting is off topic:

I only like one OMD song; Enola Gay. Especially the Sash! remix;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZCIanisFeg

the remix is better than the original, is that by OMD, or is it an externally arranged remix?

if external, did they obtain original source material from OMD?

by having the original singer, that gives it some authenticity, and the narrative of Enola Gaye is better presented.

I think OMD did remixes of various of their tracks, a lot of groups in the vinyl era did extended versions, you might try researching remixes of their different songs. My brother had an extended version of one in that era, which I think has less lyrics, possibly a "dance mix", something like that, or an "instrumental mix".

I actually began experimenting with composing my own music in recent weeks, as I have always been intrigued by composition. I have composed 3 tracks so far, which I preserve by whistling the music, as I cant sing the range of notes, and my music playing ability is rudimentary. here is the best track so far:

www.directemails.info/tom/audio.3gpp

from doing this, I have gained insights into music and music composition.

with a piece of music, most of it is 2 phenomena: repetition, and variation.

beyond that an important phenomenon is a countercurrent, where it goes in quite a different direction, yet at some level is the same idea, where its like a reply to the earlier tune.

but arriving at the stuff to repeat is difficult. once obtained, to vary is also difficult. most ideas dont work. ie its easy to vary, but it will usually sound bad. or it will sound bland, or it will be some pre-existing music.

blandness is a major problem, eg you can take a tune, then change an octave, or change some notes, but really its the same idea, which is then blandness. it has to change in a way which is a "development". if you change an octave, you then need to change something else, where its like that is saying "what you are saying is correct, but ....".

for me for some music to be good you need to be able to whistle or sing the underlying music. when you do this, it will probably be a bit different, but the component tunes will be correct. all music at some level is thematic, where you can express the theme differently, where its the "same" music, yet also different.

I think people have become obsessed with music as a precisely defined composition, when in fact it is more like a shopping trip to a specific supermarket for food, where each time you buy the same stuff, from the same zones, but the specific steps and quantities are different each time, and you might have different constraints, eg lack of time.

similarly with poetry, if you try to memorise some, some weeks later you might misremember some of the filler words, where its the same meaning and sounds equally good, could even sound better.

when composing, the note by note specifics can in fact be varied somewhat, if I rewhistle the tune, it will often come out a bit different, and sometimes better than the original, where I will then try to record that as an improved version.

I do it entirely by ear, I dont use any software or technology except to record the work.

whenever I try recording it, it never comes out as well as when I dont record!

the human brain is designed to make mistakes, because some mistakes are BETTER than what was intended, and that is how you can improve your abilities and skills.

this is a danger with the electronic path, that it fixes too much permanently and doesnt allow the subconscious to rework the music.

I think when the main definining tunes and their variations are formed, you can do different versions of the same underlying tune, like the above remix of Enola Gaye, but I havent experimented with that aspect yet.

you could also rejig the music to different genres, eg reggae, trance, disco, heavy metal, punk, etc. but you'd need to learn the genre first, and then re-express it in the genre.

the stars on 45 medleys of classical music, hooked on classics, rejigged classical music to a pop music beat, I wasnt keen on those:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPJV7fcWlns


that mainly seems to be an overlaying of a constant drum beat on classical music. but its a good collection of defining tunes of many classical pieces. I heard many pieces of classical music for the first time from that medley.

in the early 1980s there was a great version of a classical piece in the pop charts called toccata:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b74mhEXmaE


if you are wondering why I keep referencing early 1980s, its because the pop scene ended with the advent of CDs around 1985, before CDs pop music was THE centre of popular culture in the UK, with the BBCs "top of the pops" something which the entire country watched, which was based on the vinyl 45rpm charts, with record stores everywhere, eg Our Price records, Virgin records, etc. This is where Donna Summers songs were so radical, because they were major change right at the centre of culture. Today only HMV remains, and it temporarily went bankrupt, and is mostly DVDs and retro vinyl albums. the pop stars were superstars. pop does continue on but is now a fringe activity. in those days there were just 4 TV channels in the UK, and not much on during the week, where Top of the Pops was the top program on Thursdays. today there could easily be 100 channels, but this has caused culture to fragment.

a film with really great hits is "Tommy" by the WHO,

https://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Blu-ray-Roger-Daltrey/dp/B003LSTL5S

which also has Elton John's big hit "pinball wizard", where he wears the ginormous bovver boots and glasses that became an iconic image of that era!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL53EUbHazo


it has many other famous stars, a star studded cast.

it even has Jack Nicholson in the film, I think as a doctor!

to really appreciate music, you need to switch off the video, and just listen to the music.


at the moment I am just experimenting with the tunes and focussing on the defining tune. I am not using any pre-existing concepts of music composition, just inventing my own from scratch. if I tried studying it, I'd just get quagmired in someone else's theories.

Bach's fugues experiment with a lot of variations, eg Bach Fugue in G minor:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdCuA7SbzaM


that also has parallel playings of the same music. but there is a main underlying defining tune that you could whistle. so you could do a distilled defining underlying piece.

I think he overdoes the variations and parallelism! having different instruments is better parallelism, eg guitar + drums + vocals is a proven MO.

But original is also nice.

Thing is, when i listen music, i don't listen it by artist, instead, i listen it by genre. So, i like many songs/tracks but only often that single song/track from that artist.
There are few artists from whom i do like more than 10 songs. Some of those are: Astral Projection, Romolo Di Prisco, Floorfilla. E.g;

Astral Projection - Into the void:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js8mhVrB8CA


Also great tracks are: Aqua Line Spirit, The Prophecy, Searching for UFOs, Nilaya, Mahadeva.

Rom (Romolo) Di Prisco is old school creator, loved his creation since 1998.

Romolo Di Prisco - Vulpecula 707:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMJHbu_uZXc


Also great tracks are: Aquila 303, Gamma Velorum, Quantum singularity, Romulus 3, Cykloid, Main Menu.

Floorfilla is EDM genre (Electronic Dance Music) that i've liked for decades now.

Floorfilla - Kosmiklove:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeJt0zjLKJg

those tracks are good, from trying to compose, I can tell you that the last one "Kosmiklove" is superb defining melody,

where the repetition and variations also are very skilled


the challenge I set myself, and which has always intrigued me is the composition of tunes.

where that track electronically transforms the voice, that reminds me of ELO's diary of Horace Wimp:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9BGHReWoIY


I think that was either 1979 or 1980. ELO were already well established by them, the hit I remember of theirs from 1976 or 1977 was "living thing":

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvBOZCrJsAI


from experimenting, music composition is basically a "production process", where you gradually build up the piece. that ELO Horace Wimp piece has many parallel developments to the piece, but you still need an underlying tune, which with say that piece is the main lyrics. eg "then the voice from above, said, Horace Wimp, this is your life, ....". Each aspect of the production is a different skill, and ultimately you have to learn by experimenting and also studying the works of others.

by trying to compose, I can x-ray a piece better, as I dont get distracted by the production but by the inner music.

with pop groups, they often have jamming sessions, where each player does their own thing to the main tune, and they keep experimenting, where the music evolves.

they often will jam without any piece in mind, just playing to whatever the others are playing, till they hit an idea with traction, which then gradually evolves, and the composition is done collectively.

with Abba, the composition was mainly by Ulvaeus, where he was using the other 3 as instruments for his ideas.

I am kind of doing solo jamming, where eventually I may then try jamming with headphones to a recording of myself playing a track, eg improvise by drumming on the table, record that, combine with the audacity software, etc.

as 1 person, I have to work on one track at a time, and I dont really want to work with others, as that would be too involved, as its just a hobby.

Also great tracks are: Sister Golden Hair, Anthem #4, Anthem #2, Cyberdream, Le Delire.

But as of late, i listen DI.FM (Digitally Imported Internet Radio) and namely either Epic Trance channel or Classic Trance channel (i have 2 year paid subscription, so i can listen all www.di.fm radio channels, since i can't live without Trance music in my life).

I think this is compulsive behaviour! if you keep listening to any better genre of music or other stuff, it becomes compulsive!

as the decades go by, you will end up where I am, where all the genres of music I like are now ancient history,

and the young people will refer to it as "dad music"!

thus it can pay to explore other genres, just as an insurance policy, and to be able to talk about music to anyone.

DI.FM is the go-to place if you want to listen electronic music. There are plenty of channels, for almost all and any preference. Like Downtempo, Ambient, Chillout, Hardstyle, EDM, House, Trance, heck even Classic Euro Dance and Oldschool Rave to name the few.

the success of pop music does depend on radio stations, because you need to hear most songs a few times before you accept them. a few are instant hits, but many are acquired tastes.

in the 1984 to 1986 era I listened to a lot of diverse albums, because access to a record library from 1985 onwards and many songs on first hearing I wasnt sure about, but on relistening a few times I became obsessed with. once you reach 1987 I was too busy with my studies to follow music, and by 1988 I was dabbling with computers, namely the Commodore Amiga 500, and now was too busy playing video games to even think about music! eventually the video games were causing a problem for my postgraduate studies, and I had to mostly quit video games, otherwise I would be playing till 2am and struggle with the 9am lectures the next day!

one group which reminds me a bit of some of the music you like is "magic fly", eg this one is very iconic:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZavwtJxmqJI


I have an album of theirs, and its thematic music like various you have mentioned.

 

[35below0]

... Heck, my 17" CRT monitor lasted me 14 years. My 23" Topview monitor (cheap end btw) has been in use 11+ years and still works (sure, it's TN panel and 60 Hz). My current VA panel monitor has been in use for 5 years and no issues either...

This brought a smile. Reminded me of my own long lasting 17" monitor. A crazily well made Vision Master Pro 400 by Iiyama from 97-98. It wasn't the best monitor but i remember it getting great reviews and recommendations for value at the time.
It was still working in 2021 when i finally threw it away when i moved. And the colors and contrast were still amazing. Easily superior to two newer VA monitors i bought.

As for the OLED debate, i agree with the cost being very high but would not call burn in reliability, but rather consider it part of the price. That price is justified by having superior everything though. Contrast, on-angle washout, backlight bleed, blah blah. The problem of burn in damages the value equation, it does not destroy it outright.

It seems that an OLED screen is for someone who can afford the luxury, because a VA or IPS can satisfy most needs. Or someone who wont keep using an old monitor for as long as 6-7 years. (higher end GPUs will be replaced in less time and cost about the same)

Again, the price is high not because of bells & whistles but because the screen looks better and has punchier colors and miles better contrast without backlight bleed. There are very few things an IPS or VA panel will do equaly as well and almost none they will do better.

If the end user can use it long enough to get their money's worth before needing to look for a new screen, then the monitor is a good choice regardless of it's actual price.

 

[Aeacus]

is the 4500:1 the highest you can find of VA?

Pretty much, since there is no good search function to search monitors based on their contrast ratio. I need to check the contrast ratio from monitor official specs + validate it from reputable review, IF there is a reputable review to be read in the first place.

The 4500:1 i linked above is AOC Gaming Q27G3XMN,
where official specs say it has 4000:1, link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/2ebc34c1
but reputable review says it has 4508:1 native and 9613:1 with local dimming, review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/aoc/q27g3xmn

The AOC Q27G3XMN has an excellent contrast ratio. Its VA panel delivers an already-high native contrast ratio, and it gets better thanks to its full-array local dimming feature. This means it displays deep blacks next to bright highlights in dark rooms.

Did find another monitor as well: Gigabyte G27QC,
where official specs say it has 4000:1, link: https://www.gigabyte.com/Monitor/GS27QC/sp#sp
but reputable review says it has 4961:1 native but no local dimming, review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/gigabyte/gs27qc
amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-G27QC-Curved-Adaptive-Monitor/dp/B08ZJR7B3S

The Gigabyte GS27QC has an excellent contrast ratio. It displays deep blacks next to bright highlights, but it doesn't have a local dimming feature to further improve it.

So, there's that. Main issue is, that many monitors doesn't have reputable review for me to validate the contrast ratio manufacturer says it to be. E.g the 4000:1 i linked above, ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD, doesn't have reputable review of it and i can't tell for sure if it is 4000:1, more than 4000:1 or less than 4000:1. But for sure it has 2500:1 or more, since it's VA panel monitor.

Of course, contrast ratio alone isn't everything. If you were to compare the AOC and Gigabyte i linked here, you'll see that Gigabyte is far worse monitor.
In-depth comparison between the two, link: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/tool...-gs27qc/41611/41721?usage=3623&threshold=0.10

I havent checked recently, but the affordable monitors are maybe less than £150. as regards stands, if the monitor conforms to some standard, possibly called VESA, I forget, (VESA is the protocol I was using to directly program graphics without OS so I might have gotten my wires crossed) you can buy your own stand, I did that with the 50" Panasonic, where the supplied stand was rubbish, and I bought a stand where you can swivel left and right, and up and down, and lower or elevate the entirety. major work to move to the new stand. ie the inbuilt stand isnt necessarily a deal breaker where many have rubbish inbuilt stands.

When it comes to monitor stands, VESA is the universal mount stand. It can be either 75x75, 100x100 or 120x120. At least, those bracket sizes are used in most monitors. TVs may have bigger VESA bracket size. Btw, the 100x100 means it supports 100mm x 100mm bracket.

I too find monitors that use VESA bracket great, since user can then replace the default stand with any other stand they desire, within the VESA mounting bracket ecosystem. Far better than being stuck with the proprietary stand that you can't replace/upgrade.

where you talk of OLED, I remember years ago Samsung mobiles having something I think called AMOLED, what is that?

AMOLED is variation of OLED, used mainly in portable devices (e.g smart phones).

AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) is a type of OLED display device technology. OLED describes a specific type of thin-film-display technology in which organic compounds form the electroluminescent material, and active matrix refers to the technology behind the addressing of pixels.

AMOLED displays can provide higher refresh rates than passive-matrix,[not specific enough to verify] often have response times less than a millisecond, and they consume significantly less power. This advantage makes active-matrix OLEDs well-suited for portable electronics, where power consumption is critical to battery life.

Flagship smartphones sold in 2020 and 2021 used a Super AMOLED. Super AMOLED displays, such as the one on the Samsung Galaxy S21+ / S21 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra have often been compared to IPS LCDs, found in phones such as the Xiaomi Mi 10T, Huawei Nova 5T, and Samsung Galaxy A20e. For example, according to ABI Research, the AMOLED display found in the Motorola Moto X draws just 92 mA during bright conditions and 68 mA while dim. On the other hand, compared with the IPS, the yield rate of AMOLED is low; the cost is also higher.

"Super AMOLED" is a marketing term created by Samsung for an AMOLED display with an integrated touch screen digitizer: the layer that detects touch is integrated into the display, rather than overlaid on top of it and cannot be separated from the display itself. The display technology itself is not improved. According to Samsung, Super AMOLED reflects one-fifth as much sunlight as the first generation AMOLED. The generic term for this technology is One Glass Solution (OGS).

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMOLED

E.g my Samsung Galaxy A52S 5G smart phone uses Super AMOLED display panel. 120Hz, 800 nits brightness, 1080x2400 reso.

I would spend that amount of money on a monitor, provided it is good. I dont want to spend 300 on some rubbish like the monitor I use at the moment!

To know if the monitor (or CPU, or PSU, or MoBo) is good or not: read reputable review.
I linked some reputable reviews above. Happy reading.

It seems that an OLED screen is for someone who can afford the luxury, because a VA or IPS can satisfy most needs. Or someone who wont keep using an old monitor for as long as 6-7 years.

Luxury isn't defined only by high price. Instead, luxury is defined by high craftsmanship and reliability, which brings the price up.
For example, take a simple table, e.g IKEA (or Walmart) and compare it to custom made carpenter table. Sure, factory mass produced table is far cheaper, but won't last long either, despite how pretty the paint it has on. But carpenter crafted table will last you for a lifetime, especially if it is made out of full oak. And it also costs accordingly. - This is what i consider luxury.

OLED has fundamental flaw, due to which, it can't be considered as luxury. Quantum Dot LED is as pricey as OLED is, yet it doesn't have burn-in or other flaws of OLED.
In the end of the day, it's up to every person if they like to dish out 1-2K every few years for their OLED or buy QLED and use it for 6-10 years. I, personally, don't see any value in OLED.

the remix is better than the original, is that by OMD, or is it an externally arranged remix?

if external, did they obtain original source material from OMD?

by having the original singer, that gives it some authenticity, and the narrative of Enola Gaye is better presented.

It is legit.

In 1998, David Guetta & Joachim Garraud and Sash! made remixed versions of the song for the intended second disc of The OMD Singles. The second disc was dropped, and eventually only the Sash! remix appeared on The OMD Remixes EPs.

Sash! remix is represented on both the vinyl and CD version of OMD Remixes album. So, it is official remix.
Link: https://www.discogs.com/master/65800-Orchestral-Manoeuvres-In-The-Dark-The-OMD-Remixes

I actually began experimenting with composing my own music in recent weeks, as I have always been intrigued by composition. I have composed 3 tracks so far, which I preserve by whistling the music, as I cant sing the range of notes, and my music playing ability is rudimentary. here is the best track so far:

www.directemails.info/tom/audio.3gpp

Got security warning on that link. Better to upload it to somewhere where it can be listened online.

As of music production - been there, done that. One of my hobbies is remixing some of the songs into the versions i like to listen them, making them better for me and me alone. So, over the past decade, i've created plethora of such remixes from different songs/tracks. Some megamixes too. Have even made a bit of contract work for others, but on very limited basis.

I heard many pieces of classical music for the first time from that medley.

I've heard the classical pieces in their original form 1st. Heard that pop version 1st time in my life. Also, surprising that you haven't heard the classical pieces 1st on original form, but instead from the pop remix. IMO, pop remix of classical pieces is almost sac-religion. I'd keep the classical pieces as they are, in classical format. Or at most, played on piano.

E.g one of the classical pieces i really like is Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (1st movement);

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbTVZMJ9Z2I


Though, playing other genres with symphony orchestra, other than classical pieces, is actually quite interesting. For example;

De-facto trance anthem anyone should know: Darude - Sandstorm;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6120QOlsfU


And now, the same trance anthem played by symphony orchestra (live concert);

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9r597vJbSQ


Quite an interesting take on trance anthem.
Or this one, played on two acoustic guitars;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6c1T9gCoBM


This i what i love about trance, it isn't only digital (electronic) music, it can be played just fine by symphony orchestra or even on acoustic guitar.

those tracks are good, from trying to compose, I can tell you that the last one "Kosmiklove" is superb defining melody,

"Floorfilla - Kosmiklove" is one of my all time most favorite EDM tracks. Even so much so, that i've ripped it into the ring tone of my phone and part of the Kosmiklove has been my ringtone for the past ~10 years or so. (The melody starting from 0:49 to 1:30 in the vid is my ringtone.)

one group which reminds me a bit of some of the music you like is "magic fly", eg this one is very iconic:

Magic Fly is good. Old school trance. Others similar and good, include;
Koto - Visitors;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOh4B7zPx70


BT - Flaming June;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfCc56njC7U

 

[Richard1234]

Maybe it's just new and these are teething problems. Or management. Always a safe bet to blame management.

Hiding the taskbar is not a difficult thing to do, if it helps.


That sounds very serious, but looking into that test it's unclear to me how much a desktop screen would be affected, esp. a 27" screen or a newer model.

Because the test is for TVs, and because the duration and nature of the test was designed to make burn in happen, i'm not convinced it's realistic in real life use of a monitor. Even though a 5.5 hour loop does a decent job of mixing static and moving content, it is still a loop. And the test lasted 2 years.

The question i have is this:

Can i expect to get good value for money and enjoy a long enough lifespan of an OLED screen, before burn in becomes such that i need to look for a new monitor?

It's not whether burn in can or is likely to happen. It's whether or not it will have an impact.
I don't expect every device/component to last forever. Just long enough to be reasonable (or preferably a lot longer than that).

probably to just go for OLED for tvs or for games where the screen imagery ongoingly changes.

years ago John Lewis had a ginormous width tv which I think was OLED, which was really impressive.

if the prices are very high, then may be best to test run with a second hand one of as small a size as possible or at least as cheap as possible. or enquire with a seller whether there is burn in and if they say no, whether you can have a refund if it does burn in.

my task bar is dark, but it does have app icons on it. and my desktops tend to be photos, although my HP laptop has a black background.

in the CRT days, people had screensaver software, which would run if no activity for too long. but the problem is when you are actively using your desktop, eg editting a text document, say for an hour, that could cause burn in, which of course also applies to CRT's and wasnt too major a problem in those days.

 

[Richard1234]

photos of the PC components that have arrived so far:

http://www.directemails.info/tom/components.jpg

with the dark rock, there was an extra item outside the box which I cannot identify:

http://www.directemails.info/tom/component1.jpg
http://www.directemails.info/tom/component2.jpg

also do you know what kind of socket this is for my camera and dashcam USB cables?:

http://www.directemails.info/tom/socket4.jpg

at least one further component has arrived but to an amazon locker, and I am waiting for another delivery to those amazon lockers tomorrow before collecting both.

Pretty much, since there is no good search function to search monitors based on their contrast ratio. I need to check the contrast ratio from monitor official specs + validate it from reputable review, IF there is a reputable review to be read in the first place.

The 4500:1 i linked above is AOC Gaming Q27G3XMN,
where official specs say it has 4000:1, link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/2ebc34c1
but reputable review says it has 4508:1 native and 9613:1 with local dimming, review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/aoc/q27g3xmn


Did find another monitor as well: Gigabyte G27QC,
where official specs say it has 4000:1, link: https://www.gigabyte.com/Monitor/GS27QC/sp#sp
but reputable review says it has 4961:1 native but no local dimming, review: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/gigabyte/gs27qc
amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-G27QC-Curved-Adaptive-Monitor/dp/B08ZJR7B3S


So, there's that. Main issue is, that many monitors doesn't have reputable review for me to validate the contrast ratio manufacturer says it to be. E.g the 4000:1 i linked above, ViewSonic VX2718-2KPC-MHD, doesn't have reputable review of it and i can't tell for sure if it is 4000:1, more than 4000:1 or less than 4000:1. But for sure it has 2500:1 or more, since it's VA panel monitor.

Of course, contrast ratio alone isn't everything. If you were to compare the AOC and Gigabyte i linked here, you'll see that Gigabyte is far worse monitor.
In-depth comparison between the two, link: https://www.rtings.com/monitor/tool...-gs27qc/41611/41721?usage=3623&threshold=0.10

I am not convinced by the curved monitor idea. with an ordinary lens, you have focal planes, where a flat non curved plane focusses to a plane. a curved surface wont all be in focus.

now I dont know what happens with the retina, the eye is curved, so I dont know if it is different from camera lenses. but I get the impression that if you look at a flat plane perpendicular to the line of sight, that it is all simultaneously in focus. but in any case with a curved monitor, even if it is all in focus simultaneously, that would only work if your eye was at the right distance. thus it is likely to be worse than a flat plane for all other distances. because we often see flat surfaces, I think our brains are geared to flat surfaces.

the AOC looks like it might be flat, but the Viewsonic and Gigabyte look like they might be curved.

so far I have only used flat monitors, and find them fine, so I probably will keep to flat ones.

could you give recommendations say for 27" flat screens, or the nearest smaller size to 27"?

if the screen is curved, but my eye isnt at the centre of curvature, I think it will stress me out. same way the Apple exploding windows really get on my nerves!

When it comes to monitor stands, VESA is the universal mount stand. It can be either 75x75, 100x100 or 120x120. At least, those bracket sizes are used in most monitors. TVs may have bigger VESA bracket size. Btw, the 100x100 means it supports 100mm x 100mm bracket.

I had to get a heavy duty one, as the 50" TV is seriously heavy, this one is industrial strength, with heavy flat wide based to cope with the heavy monitor.

my 50" TV is unremarkable EXCEPT it is active 3D, entirely for the latter criterion I bought it! not for contrast, or resolution etc.

viewing it with active 3D glasses is magic!

I too find monitors that use VESA bracket great, since user can then replace the default stand with any other stand they desire, within the VESA mounting bracket ecosystem. Far better than being stuck with the proprietary stand that you can't replace/upgrade.

it means you can disregard the supplied stand being rubbish.

AMOLED is variation of OLED, used mainly in portable devices (e.g smart phones).




Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMOLED

E.g my Samsung Galaxy A52S 5G smart phone uses Super AMOLED display panel. 120Hz, 800 nits brightness, 1080x2400 reso.

any sign of burn in with that?

I am planning to get an upper end Samsung, but probably not topmost end because of the extortionate prices, but not got round to this. I really like my old Samsung Galaxy Note 4, only criticism is the batteries run out of charge too quickly.

To know if the monitor (or CPU, or PSU, or MoBo) is good or not: read reputable review.
I linked some reputable reviews above. Happy reading.

I got talked into the current monitor by slick salesman at PCWorld!

Luxury isn't defined only by high price. Instead, luxury is defined by high craftsmanship and reliability, which brings the price up.
For example, take a simple table, e.g IKEA (or Walmart) and compare it to custom made carpenter table. Sure, factory mass produced table is far cheaper, but won't last long either, despite how pretty the paint it has on. But carpenter crafted table will last you for a lifetime, especially if it is made out of full oak. And it also costs accordingly. - This is what i consider luxury.

its the craftsmanship and material. luxury is firstly about quality including durability, and then aesthetics.

the high price is just that they have you cornered!

but you can get at a low price eg second hand, or if someone needs cash in a hurry.

I got a luxury bathroom "vanity unit" ie the unit with the sink and cupboards, at a huge discount because it was an ex display model, with corian top and oak cupboards, either varnished or oiled, its not clear, no paint.

the cost of the entire unit was less than the cost of just the corian top if you bought from the catalogue.

the entire unit cost £699, I think just the corian top normally retails for something like £1500!

for my bathtub I got carronite, where this is both strong and insulating. the insulation means the water remains hot for the entire bath. but with an ordinary bathtub, the water soon cools down and you have to keep topping up with new hot water. the strength of carronite means the bath edge doesnt sag, which means the sealant remains perfect. with ordinary tubs, the edge sags under the weight of the water, and the sealant tears! the did both a carronite and non carronite version of the same tub. carronite is so strong you can stand a lorry on 4 carronite tubs!



cheaper items are often a false economy, if you always go for quality, you'll generally end up paying less than people who buy cheapest possible.

at the bathroom shop, they had 2 identical looking taps, but one was much more expensive. I asked why, they said the expensive one has a 10 year guarantee, the cheap one 5 year. I said: so what? they said: the one has the 10 year guarantee because they expect it to last 10 years, and similarly the 5 year.

the 5 year one was thus a false economy, because just the cost of getting a plumber after 5 years will be more than the price difference!

from experience of buying luxury items, you need to carefully assess the decision, its a mistake to go for the topmost end of luxury without good reason. in particular you shouldnt go for luxuries you wont use.

eg I wont ever go to a 5 star hotel, because 5 star just means they have all kinds of luxuries which I wont use, instead I prefer self catering, where if I want a luxury meal I go to a restaurant in town. but what I usually do is just buy fridge sandwiches from a supermarket.

in fact you can usually just go to an external 5 star hotel if you want the 5 star food.

OLED has fundamental flaw, due to which, it can't be considered as luxury. Quantum Dot LED is as pricey as OLED is, yet it doesn't have burn-in or other flaws of OLED.
In the end of the day, it's up to every person if they like to dish out 1-2K every few years for their OLED or buy QLED and use it for 6-10 years. I, personally, don't see any value in OLED.

the seriously high price makes it a risky decision.

the rest of this posting is off topic.

It is legit.

Sash! remix is represented on both the vinyl and CD version of OMD Remixes album. So, it is official remix.
Link: https://www.discogs.com/master/65800-Orchestral-Manoeuvres-In-The-Dark-The-OMD-Remixes


Got security warning on that link. Better to upload it to somewhere where it can be listened online.

its probably because its a strange audio format, I have redone it as a .wav which maybe will work better:

www.directemails.info/tom/audio.wav

actually whistling that, I struggle to whistle the higher notes!

As of music production - been there, done that. One of my hobbies is remixing some of the songs into the versions i like to listen them, making them better for me and me alone. So, over the past decade, i've created plethora of such remixes from different songs/tracks. Some megamixes too. Have even made a bit of contract work for others, but on very limited basis.



I've heard the classical pieces in their original form 1st. Heard that pop version 1st time in my life. Also, surprising that you haven't heard the classical pieces 1st on original form,

that's coz I never learnt any musical instrument as a kid, and my education in Britain and Germany was all modern era, modern maths, modern languages, no musical instruments. music lessons if any were just fooling around, there wasnt a syllabus.

eg I learnt russian and german, modern languages, no latin or greek, and with maths we learnt eg about matrices and eigenvectors, and not the classical geometry. I taught myself some of the old fashioned maths, but at uni they no longer teach the old fashioned maths, its all things like topology eg concepts such as compactness, algebra eg that a matrix M satisfies the equation |M - xI| = 0, Galois theory, symmetry groups, etc.

I asked one of the lecturers why they dont teach the old fashioned stuff, he said they werent progressing and they had to move on.

this is the problem with classical music, that it stopped progressing more than 100 years ago. I heard that Mozart's works were so good that nobody could outdo them, and they had to move on to something else, otherwise they would be stuck in Mozart's shadow for all eternity!

our school did teach latin, but only if you had already been doing latin, I hadnt been doing any languages, not even english! we were never taught english grammar at any school I ever went to. where the language options were german or french AND russian or british constitution (about how the british political system works). as a kid you arent interested in politics, so russian was the only option.

there was no classical music at any school I ever went to, they have removed this from "modern" syllabuses. now if you go to a school like Eton, they teach the old fashioned stuff.

the main radio stations also dont play classical music. the BBC does have a station which plays classical music, eg BBC Radio 3, and I think there was an FM station Classic FM. but the modern young people of Britain even in my era, where my earliest proper memories are maybe 1970, DO NOT LISTEN TO CLASSIC MUSIC EVER!

it is regarded as retrogressive and stuffy. in my era as a teenager if you liked classical music or wore old fashioned clothes you were called a "fogey", its a derogatory word. at our school and at uni there were a few fogeys around! where they would fit in nicely in 1900!

in my frank opinion, a lot of the 1970s pop music was far better than all the classical music ever! I think Abba's music is better than ALL classical music, whether it be Bach, Beethoven, Mozart. the classical composers would do music for big orchestras, but those are very burdensome to perform. and they are overworked. that Bach Fugue is seriously complicated, but it doesnt add much to the underlying tune and the variations are difficult to remember. its a good underlying tune.

I much prefer the freshness of pop music. I gave that link for the Bach Fugue, but I'd much rather listen to say the Bay City Rollers song "I only want to be with you":

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGD27WgtKhI


I think that's a nicer tune than the Bach Fugue, its a feel-good tune.

or say Annie Lennoxes song "there must be an angel", that beats Bach + Mozart + Beethoven hands down!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuwyPssjJc8


or her song "a whiter shade of pale"

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyOatVYq0mM


this is the great thing about the 1970s, they removed all the old fashioned stuff, and it was an era of colour and freshness, with everything new and modern. it was actually fresher than now. Now is technically better, but the 1970s had a freshness that no other decade has, where they maxxed the colours of everything and maxxed the cultural experimentation, where there were so many genre free groups.

there is a great film called "the french lieutenant's woman", with Streep and Jeremy Irons in it. in the film they are filming a piece set in maybe the 1700s, where everything is stuffy social etiquette like with Jane Austen. but after hours they are in the 1970s, and the same actors have a different real life drama, and its all colours and modern. its a great juxtaposition of stuffy old fashioned 1700s drama with the fresh 1970s drama of the same people! the fresh air of modernity. I feel I am very lucky to have grown up in the 1970s, it really was the best decade ever.

there are 2 kinds of schools, those which like traditions, and modern ones. Our school was outright modern, eg no uniform, and science focussed, with 2 teachers for each science, with fully equipped classrooms for each teacher for their science. also fully equipped for modern languages, but only an ordinary classroom for latin. they had a modern languages block for the modern languages, with language laboratories for language practice, dual cassette booths with sound proofing and headphones, where the teacher could listen in on any student.

I went to a german primary school for one term when I was about 6, and they taught mengenlehre, which is set theory, ie Venn diagrams kind of stuff. the textbooks were all modern with colour pictures of cartoon people etc. the lessons were all super modern, everything bright colours and fresh. we had a class trip to see the film Pippi Langstrumpf, and another class trip to visit a street market where we all bought sweets! modern education! in Britain, the psychologists have really dissected the education of kids, and state schools are in fact the best, where its all based on fun. A friend of mine married a woman who did a degree in teaching primary school, and she would have her textbooks flung around the room, I read some and they were fascinating where I was left in no doubt they have sussed out optimal primary education. secondary school is more problematic as its trickier for psychologists to dissect.

but instead from the pop remix. IMO, pop remix of classical pieces is almost sac-religion. I'd keep the classical pieces as they are, in classical format. Or at most, played on piano.

I think "hooked on classics" is a bit crass, but you can potentially do good pop versions of classical music.

from experimenting with composing, the most important thing is the tune. the different genres are just different vehicles for expressing the same tunes.

with your trance music, its to feed and vary the tune more gradually, but to have rapid notes.

ie its a fast tempo, but the actual tune progression is slow. fast tempo creates more excitement, the slower tune creates ambience. its like someone firing a machine gun, but changing direction very gradually.

E.g one of the classical pieces i really like is Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (1st movement);

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbTVZMJ9Z2I

there is no doubt it is good, but is it better than moonlight serenade by Glenn Miller?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ws6DdrDtyo


the classical composers really are just the pop stars of the 1700s!

in 1986 I began to move from pop radio to easy listening, I think BBC Radio 2, where they'd play things like Glenn Miller, and eg things like hits by the carpenters, eg:

I'm on top of the world:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUMAmI5YcBQ


I deliberately gave that audio only so you can focus on the sound,

another one I like is Frank Mills music box dancer:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4sSAEGkhdM


BBC Radio 1 is the modern pop music.

Though, playing other genres with symphony orchestra, other than classical pieces, is actually quite interesting. For example;

De-facto trance anthem anyone should know: Darude - Sandstorm;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6120QOlsfU


And now, the same trance anthem played by symphony orchestra (live concert);

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9r597vJbSQ


Quite an interesting take on trance anthem.
Or this one, played on two acoustic guitars;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6c1T9gCoBM


This i what i love about trance, it isn't only digital (electronic) music, it can be played just fine by symphony orchestra or even on acoustic guitar.

you can do any tune in any genre, but it requires talent and time to do it tastefully. so in practice most never get done properly.

if a symphony orchestra will do it, because of the commitment involved, they will only do it if it is done tastefully. you'd have to create scores for all the instruments, and this is beyond the scope of most people including most musicians. this is where the pop music jamming MO is more efficient, as each musician can just jam along to the music till they get a nice sound, as compared to religiously following some score.

with the easy listening radio station, they would sometimes do pop songs by orchestras, possibly the BBC symphony orchestra would do certain pop songs, and these would be done well. I think orchestras such as the BBC sometimes do things like film scores and themes for TV programs.

"Floorfilla - Kosmiklove" is one of my all time most favorite EDM tracks. Even so much so, that i've ripped it into the ring tone of my phone and part of the Kosmiklove has been my ringtone for the past ~10 years or so. (The melody starting from 0:49 to 1:30 in the vid is my ringtone.)


Magic Fly is good. Old school trance.

the Magic Fly one is often used as a background for non music things,

Others similar and good, include;
Koto - Visitors;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOh4B7zPx70


BT - Flaming June;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfCc56njC7U

 

[DSzymborski]

this is the problem with classical music, that it stopped progressing more than 100 years ago.

Wait, what?

 

[35below0]

I am not convinced by the curved monitor idea. with an ordinary lens, you have focal planes, where a flat non curved plane focusses to a plane. a curved surface wont all be in focus.
...
if the screen is curved, but my eye isnt at the centre of curvature, I think it will stress me out. same way the Apple exploding windows really get on my nerves!

...


cheaper items are often a false economy, if you always go for quality, you'll generally end up paying less than people who buy cheapest possible.
...
from experience of buying luxury items, you need to carefully assess the decision, its a mistake to go for the topmost end of luxury without good reason. in particular you shouldnt go for luxuries you wont use.

It's in the eye of the beholder. They say the first bite of a meal is with the eye. So if it looks like crap, it probably wont taste nice.
Something similar happens with curved panels. In use, there is little perceptible difference. If it's true that curved panels reduce eye strain by keeping the corner distances of large screens at roughly the same length as the center or wherever the user focuses, then i have to say i haven't felt it. Doesn't mean it's not there.

Flat or curved, it's used exactly the same way, and other specs and characteristics are important.
Maybe extremly curved monitors are better for immersion when looked at close up.


Agreed about cheap items being a false economy. He who buys cheap, buys twice.
When it comes to computer components or peripherals, it is an advantage to buy quality because it will not become outclassed by new generations so quickly. That's in addition to the usual suspects like reliability, warranty, better performance, etc.

The other side of the coin is that top end prices do not guarantee top quality, and i again agree it is not enough to just "buy the best one". Reviews and advice are very important as is a better understanding of how a quality item works and how it fits into your life/work.
Whether it's a turntable, monitor, phone or even ethernet cables, if it is an important purchase it's best to know what you're buying and spend only as much as is necesasary. Even if it's a lot. Especially if it's a lot of money, actually.

Something else to consider is where to try and make savings when picking PC parts.
There's very little saving to be found if nickle and diming RAM modules, PSUs, SSDs or CPU coolers. On the other hand, GPUs, CPUs and motherboards can vary in price dramaticaly. If i don't need many NVMe slots or a dozen USB ports, RGB, ultrafast ethernet, etc i can buy a cheaper model motherboard that still has the same chipset and basic characteristics. That would save me two or three times what i could save if i cherry picked CPU coolers and NVMes for example.


As for the generational change in music styles mentioned further up, part of the phenomenon is kids not liking, and rebeling against the rubbish older fossils were into. Young people do grow up and aren't into partying and drugs anymore. The ones that still are... well, the less said the better.
House music was popular around the millenium. It mixed disco beats and grooves with a harder, snappier electronic beat. People danced to it but then danced themselves out and got tired of it. Electronic music kept shape changing, styles and moods swinging in and out.

Wait, what?

Classical music hasn't stopped progressing, it stopped getting better. Or it changed for the worse.

It is true that after Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, classical music turned to a new style. This was the result of the next generation being unable to improve upon the old. Happens often in evolution of human culture. The new guys can't stay in the existing league so they start their own.

Evolution is not simply progress, there is also regress. Evolution is change over time, nothing more.
It's a matter of taste whether the Classical or Romantic periods produced better music. It's hard to be objective. But romantism was generally crap in every way so it's probably that.

As for why i think the new kids couldn't improve on their seniors? It was hard. It took a genius to do better and there wasn't one, or if there was, they could not develop or were not discovered.
Bach's works were improved upon by his successors, but those men rank among the greatest composers. As does Bach himself. At some point it becomes nigh-on-impossible to do better. It's no shame not to be able to outdo genius.

Beethoven had one foot in the Classical period and the other in the Romantic. He was a genious though and he understood that more than just drama was needed to make a piece good. His violin concerto should bring your soul to it's knees. That's hard to even get close to, let alone outdo.

Then again, audiences did get carried away with "drama", and most probably do not care for the intricacies of Classical works. Mozart himself wrote to his father about the need to keep balance between a piece that is so finely detailed and challenging that only highly skilled musicians can perform it or appreciate it, and one that is so simple that every audience will approve and enjoy but will not challenge the skill of composer or performer.
That hasn't changed to this day, has it?

 

[Aeacus]

with the dark rock, there was an extra item outside the box which I cannot identify:

http://www.directemails.info/tom/component1.jpg
http://www.directemails.info/tom/component2.jpg

That's tube of thermal paste, that you need to apply to CPU IHS, before you mount the CPU cooler on top of the CPU. Small pea sized amount of thermal paste in the middle will do.

Speaking of assembly, i take that you have some know-how on how to do it? Or should i wrote it out? (Did think that eventually, i might need to guide you through the assembly process as well.)

also do you know what kind of socket this is for my camera and dashcam USB cables?:

http://www.directemails.info/tom/socket4.jpg

Mini-USB.

I am not convinced by the curved monitor idea. with an ordinary lens, you have focal planes, where a flat non curved plane focusses to a plane. a curved surface wont all be in focus.

now I dont know what happens with the retina, the eye is curved, so I dont know if it is different from camera lenses. but I get the impression that if you look at a flat plane perpendicular to the line of sight, that it is all simultaneously in focus. but in any case with a curved monitor, even if it is all in focus simultaneously, that would only work if your eye was at the right distance. thus it is likely to be worse than a flat plane for all other distances. because we often see flat surfaces, I think our brains are geared to flat surfaces.

Curved monitor is actually easier to read, since the monitor curvature follows the curvature of your eyeball.

Now, i've also used flat monitors for most of my time, but the VA panel i'm currently using, has 1500R curvature. Right off the bat, it's strange to look at it since one isn't used to it. But after some time (few weeks maybe), one can get used to curved monitors.
Another thing that curved monitor has offered for me, besides easier to read, is far greater immersion in video games. I know that you don't play any 3D games, but same also applies when you watch a movie. The monitor curvature gives a small 3D effect.
If i were to look my missus'es flat monitor, then looking it is so strange, since to my eye, the monitor bulges out in the middle and it is so taxing on my eye to look at flat panel monitor.

Here's further reading about curved monitor's pros and cons,
link: https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/articles/hardware/pros-and-cons-curved-monitors.html

could you give recommendations say for 27" flat screens, or the nearest smaller size to 27"?

The AOC Gaming Q27G3XMN i linked above is a flat screen, and good one as well.

For other options, pcpp: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product...e&r=256001440&D=75000,540000&V=750075,1000100
I filtered the results a bit, to narrow the results down. All monitors are 27", flat, VA panel, 1440p (2K) and with VESA mount.

any sign of burn in with that?

Have had it for ~3 years and none so far. Then again, my weekly screen time on my smart phone is ~9min per day. Most of the times, i have display turned off to save battery. I'm not the one who is glued to their smart phone. For internet access, i have my desktop PC. Smart phone, to me, is just making calls, sending SMS/MMS and it also acts as a portable camera, so i can take good pics/vids of my doggo.

I am planning to get an upper end Samsung, but probably not topmost end because of the extortionate prices, but not got round to this. I really like my old Samsung Galaxy Note 4, only criticism is the batteries run out of charge too quickly.

All-in-all, there are 3 classes with smart phones;
low-end - great for a child, costs up to €250. E.g Samsung Galaxy A25.
mid-range - great for most people, costs up to €500-€600. My Samsung Galaxy A52S 5G is mid-range. So is my missus'es Samsung Galaxy A54.
high-end - cream of the crop, costs easy €1000, up to €1500 or so. E.g Samsung Galaxy S24.

Nowadays, you need to compare smart phones as you compare different CPUs or GPUs. So much stuff is built into those. Best is to use comparison sites, like GSMArena,
comparison between current Samsung smart phones, low-, mid- and high-end,
link: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?&idPhone2=12070&idPhone1=12555&idPhone3=12771

I got talked into the current monitor by slick salesman at PCWorld!

None of the salesmen have ever talked me into anything, since when i go to shopping, i know what i'm getting and i'm there only for that. I don't care what spiel salesman has or "how good the price is".

its probably because its a strange audio format, I have redone it as a .wav which maybe will work better:

www.directemails.info/tom/audio.wav

It is not because the obscure audio format, but the fact that it is direct download from unknown site, which my MalwareBytes Premium Browser Guard has a beef with. And personally, knowing what i know about cyber security, i'm not keen on downloading files from unknown source either.

Like i said, best to upload it somewhere where one can listen in online. Heck, upload it to Youtube, set the video as Unlisted or Private and pop the link via PM (or here).

Now is technically better, but the 1970s had a freshness that no other decade has, where they maxxed the colours of everything and maxxed the cultural experimentation, where there were so many genre free groups.

I don't listen nor like current pop music. But the music back in '80s is what i do like. Back then, each music track had some story to tell. Today, it's just repeating a word or sentence, without any essence or "soul".

Speaking of musical soul, something that i also like:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKG0SqhSJic


Lyrics/chorus are spot on.

there is no doubt it is good, but is it better than moonlight serenade by Glenn Miller?

Sounds like i'm back in the '30s. Namely, i'm back playing Mafia PC game that takes place in '30s, player is mobster and whole game has similar in-game audio/music tracks. That song isn't my cup of tea, unless playing era correct game where i'm immersed into.

I think orchestras such as the BBC sometimes do things like film scores and themes for TV programs.

Yes. And it gives quite a bit of bragging rights if soundtrack (movie or PC game), has been made by symphonic orchestra.

E.g one game that comes into my mind is: Ori and the Blind Forest;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeVFrt7BUyw


2nd game in the series; Ori and the Will of the Wisps, has the same great soundtrack.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGJvfAunm98


Superb soundtrack. Really rare to see for a PC game, especially for a small indie studio.

 

[35below0]

That's tube of thermal paste, that you need to apply to CPU IHS, before you mount the CPU cooler on top of the CPU. Small pea sized amount of thermal paste in the middle will do.

The amount should be small. It's a mistake to use too much thermal paste. I do have a question though. Is it always one pea sized blob of paste? Or is that just a general recommendation?

The cooler manufacturer may have instructions on how to apply paste and how much to use. For example i followed instructions to place four small dots in the corners, no larger than 2mm in diameter, and one bigger in the center. Approx. 3-4mm.

Not that it mattered 'cause i screwed up when fitting the tower cooler and had to remove it before placing it correctly.
They may as well have instructed me to "smear some paste like a caveman then shove cooler somewhere in the case, wherever there's room. Secure by headbutting a few times."

 

[DSzymborski]

Evolution is not simply progress, there is also regress. Evolution is change over time, nothing more.
It's a matter of taste whether the Classical or Romantic periods produced better music. It's hard to be objective. But romantism was generally crap in every way so it's probably that.

in my frank opinion, a lot of the 1970s pop music was far better than all the classical music ever! I think Abba's music is better than ALL classical music, whether it be Bach, Beethoven, Mozart. the classical composers would do music for big orchestras, but those are very burdensome to perform. and they are overworked. that Bach Fugue is seriously complicated, but it doesnt add much to the underlying tune and the variations are difficult to remember. its a good underlying tune.

 

[Richard1234]

It's in the eye of the beholder. They say the first bite of a meal is with the eye. So if it looks like crap, it probably wont taste nice.
Something similar happens with curved panels. In use, there is little perceptible difference. If it's true that curved panels reduce eye strain by keeping the corner distances of large screens at roughly the same length as the center or wherever the user focuses, then i have to say i haven't felt it. Doesn't mean it's not there.

Flat or curved, it's used exactly the same way, and other specs and characteristics are important.
Maybe extremly curved monitors are better for immersion when looked at close up.

if it was a ginormous one for a game or 3D, the immersive aspect could be good.

I am thinking of going for flat panel only, because I'd be gambling on a specific radius for curved panel.

I think we expect surfaces to be flat, eg walls, ceilings, floors. where our eyes will process flat more efficiently. huts have curved walls, but the only time I have lived in a hut was in tourist chalet huts in wildlife reserves in africa.

as regards the contrast ratios, the thing is, will the very high contrast ratios only happen with very high brightness? because very bright screens are strenuous to watch whether my desktop or tv. my question is how much contrast at low brightnesses. ie there is relative contrast and absolute contrast.

light does fade colours with books and magazines etc. I collect comics, and if you leave them in direct light even room light, the colours gradually fade and the paper discolours, very gradually with time they fall apart.

leds emit white light, where green and red calculator digits are because they put tinted plastic above the leds, so the colour leds must be from tinting, but the light of the led will then gradually fade the tint.

I would say the higher the brightness control, the worse the fading will be.

with things kept in shop windows too long, you'll see they fade, and shop fronts also gradually fade.

uv is the worst for fading, where it gradually bleaches things.

Agreed about cheap items being a false economy. He who buys cheap, buys twice.

that's a good saying, worth framing!

When it comes to computer components or peripherals, it is an advantage to buy quality because it will not become outclassed by new generations so quickly. That's in addition to the usual suspects like reliability, warranty, better performance, etc.

The other side of the coin is that top end prices do not guarantee top quality,

there is also the problem of diminishing returns, where it can take a lot of money to get a small improvement. even from the user side, if you keep increasing memory, a point is reached where you cant utilise it. where you might be getting big increases of memory, but not big increases of usage.

and i again agree it is not enough to just "buy the best one". Reviews and advice are very important as is a better understanding of how a quality item works and how it fits into your life/work.
Whether it's a turntable, monitor, phone or even ethernet cables, if it is an important purchase it's best to know what you're buying and spend only as much as is necesasary. Even if it's a lot. Especially if it's a lot of money, actually.

Something else to consider is where to try and make savings when picking PC parts.
There's very little saving to be found if nickle and diming RAM modules, PSUs, SSDs or CPU coolers. On the other hand, GPUs, CPUs and motherboards can vary in price dramaticaly. If i don't need many NVMe slots or a dozen USB ports, RGB, ultrafast ethernet, etc i can buy a cheaper model motherboard that still has the same chipset and basic characteristics. That would save me two or three times what i could save if i cherry picked CPU coolers and NVMes for example.

this is the thing of keeping an eye on the totality, there's no point worrying about a £10 saving if the totality costs £3000. but an extra £2000 for a graphics card for a £3000 system needs to be scrutinised, I have opted for the £300 graphics card in this circumstance. best to explore what that is about first!

As for the generational change in music styles mentioned further up, part of the phenomenon is kids not liking, and rebeling against the rubbish older fossils were into. Young people do grow up and aren't into partying and drugs anymore. The ones that still are... well, the less said the better.

I now judge music by the inner melody and tune. some heavy metal music has nice melody, in which case its good. I filter out the genre, and try to discern the underlying tune.

in my era, various teenagers were into heavy metal. I never understood the allure, but I had been overseas from the latter 1977 till summer 1979. in recent times I was watching early 1979 and 1978 top of the pops and then saw there was a lot of heavy metal. so it was a fad of a specific time window, which some latched onto and kept following.

rock & roll was an era I didnt experience, and I think that expanded out because of Elvis.

in my era, rock & roll did continue eg shaking stevens, eg green door, and probably showaddy waddy was rock & roll, and some miscellaneous groups.

House music was popular around the millenium. It mixed disco beats and grooves with a harder, snappier electronic beat. People danced to it but then danced themselves out and got tired of it. Electronic music kept shape changing, styles and moods swinging in and out.

I never followed that scene, but I think it or its forerunners were emerging maybe 1985. I think to some extent its to provide the ambience at gigs for certain kinds of drugs. basically to put people in the mood for certain drugs, eg speed and ecstasy.

music eras to some extent can be categorised by drugs, eg the WHO are probably LSD, and some music is marijuana.

Classical music hasn't stopped progressing, it stopped getting better. Or it changed for the worse.

It is true that after Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, classical music turned to a new style. This was the result of the next generation being unable to improve upon the old. Happens often in evolution of human culture. The new guys can't stay in the existing league so they start their own.

Evolution is not simply progress, there is also regress. Evolution is change over time, nothing more.
It's a matter of taste whether the Classical or Romantic periods produced better music. It's hard to be objective. But romantism was generally crap in every way so it's probably that.

I think the classical music started to become overengineered. eg that Bach Fugue in g minor is overengineered. you literally have to trek to and book a church to play it, and that extra complexity doesnt really add to the tune.

the big orchestras also are overengineered, as its way too much for the mind to comprehend or discern the different instruments.

as you go from solo, eg solo guitarist, or singer without instruments, and then add successive instruments, a point is reached where you can no longer comprehend all the instruments. at this point onwards, the mind is overloaded and thus goes with some form of average, which is interesting, but nothing is gained by going too far beyond the overload point.

pop groups have it right with say 1 or 2 main singers, a few backing singers, maybe 1 or 2 guitarists, bass guitarist, drumkit, maybe synthesizer, maybe some wind instruments. going much beyond that doesnt add to the experience, and becomes logistically problematic as you have to organise more people for a jamming session or gig. where people want to do their own things.

As for why i think the new kids couldn't improve on their seniors? It was hard. It took a genius to do better and there wasn't one, or if there was, they could not develop or were not discovered.
Bach's works were improved upon by his successors, but those men rank among the greatest composers. As does Bach himself. At some point it becomes nigh-on-impossible to do better. It's no shame not to be able to outdo genius.

Beethoven had one foot in the Classical period and the other in the Romantic. He was a genious though and he understood that more than just drama was needed to make a piece good. His violin concerto should bring your soul to it's knees. That's hard to even get close to, let alone outdo.

the pieces done for fewer instruments are a good idea, eg for a string quartet,

the amount of work composing for a huge orchestra would be better utilised composing more pieces with fewer instruments.

I find a lot of the time in some classical pieces very bland, it is kind of filla,

pop music has it right where a typical pop song is some 3 minutes. this then enables a top of the pop show to maybe play 8 pieces. you then get more entertainment.

whereas if you have to sit for 30 minutes to listen to a piece of music, most people just dont have that much time, at best they can only appreciate a few pieces.

I am generally opposed to the teaching at school of art, music and sport, as these are all entertainment, and this is a specialised and high risk career path, as there is only space for a few at the top. these things should be optional, for those who want to do it as an involved hobby or as a profession.

my secondary school did take this approach, where PE focussed on athletics rather than sport, we only played maybe 3 sport matches in PE lessons in my 5 years there. I did do basketball as an option in a few summers. we had a few art lessons in 1 term, and also metalwork and woodwork. but these were just for 1 term. parents could opt for their kids to learn a specific lesson, which then cost extra money, and tutors for each instrument would teach at the school.

Then again, audiences did get carried away with "drama", and most probably do not care for the intricacies of Classical works. Mozart himself wrote to his father about the need to keep balance between a piece that is so finely detailed and challenging that only highly skilled musicians can perform it or appreciate it, and one that is so simple that every audience will approve and enjoy but will not challenge the skill of composer or performer.That hasn't changed to this day, has it?

the dramas also could be overextended, and the opera singing incomprehensible, often in a different language!

this is where cinema ongoingly evolved into a better format.

even films now are becoming obsolete, where multipart dramas now are much better entertainment.

can be 8 part, 6 part, 4 part, 3 part, 2 part. I prefer 6 part or less, 4 part is probably optimal.

beyond 6 part it becomes too much of a commitment to follow, and I dont like neverending stories, eg some dramas which go on forever like a soap opera.

some really superb multipart dramas:

the widow, this is a south african production, really lucid story, set mostly in Congo, but also the UK and Holland:
https://www.amazon.com/The-Survivors/dp/B0875ZQPWF/

and Angela Black:
https://www.amazon.com/Episode-2/dp/B0C6BPV1ZY/

both these also get the key thing right of a memorable title! that's a problem with some of the classical music pieces, that the titles are unmemorable eg "Fugue in G minor", well that is highly ambiguous!

and Beethoven's 5th or is it 9th, the guy might have talent at tunes, but not at titles!

with dramas, the better ones get the names of characters memorable, and also each character looks totally different and the roles totally different. worse dramas have confusable characters, where say 2 characters are so similar one isnt sure which one did what. or can have too many characters, or too many subplots.

also a better drama has more exotic locations, eg plush buildings, and also some scenes outdoors. The Bond films innovated a lot with the exotic locations and means of transport, eg speed boats flying into the air and bursting into flames etc.

this doesnt add to the story, but creates some visual excitement. most important thing of all of course is the story. is there an interesting story? either interesting ideas explored or an interesting plot.

I liked the Hart to Hart series, first 2 seasons, as they were full of colour, action, interesting plots and ideas, later seasons deteriorated, but eventually picked up. in one story, for card gambling, insiders have special glasses to read on screens what the other players cards are! Max gets a pair of the glasses.

there was a fascinating idea film called "extraction", a B movie, where this guy via technology navigates the memory of this other guy to solve a crime. he finds some things in the memory are identical bland images, these are placeholders for anything the guy cant remember. with time and MO the guy does start remembering, and the placeholders get replaced by actual memories. there are many productions called extraction, it is this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Extraction-DVD/dp/B00979K9J2

 

[35below0]

if it was a ginormous one for a game or 3D, the immersive aspect could be good.

I am thinking of going for flat panel only, because I'd be gambling on a specific radius for curved panel.

I think we expect surfaces to be flat, eg walls, ceilings, floors. where our eyes will process flat more efficiently. huts have curved walls, but the only time I have lived in a hut was in tourist chalet huts in wildlife reserves in africa.

First time i bought a curved panel it was because "that was the one in the store i could afford", and i had a PC with no monitor. I had just moved. So...

Like you i was wary but... i just kinda got used to it. Once it's perfectly normal to see the curved screen on a desk it just becomes a matter of using it like any other monitor.
You would have to take that risk.

Me? I later bought a new monitor and i wanted a curved one. It won me over. Not for immersion but just because it works for me. It was a 32" screen so having curvature would actually matter more than, say 24".

this is the thing of keeping an eye on the totality, there's no point worrying about a £10 saving if the totality costs £3000. but an extra £2000 for a graphics card for a £3000 system needs to be scrutinised, I have opted for the £300 graphics card in this circumstance. best to explore what that is about first!

Spot on. That's a big chunk of total cost and definetly worth scrutinizing.

For myself, i don't even think i needed a GPU. But i've had an internal graphics only machine in the past, and there were times i would have liked a dedicated graphics card. I figured i'd buy one eventually, but never got around to it until compatible ones became obsolete or rare
So this time round i bought one.

Deciding between an i7 and i5 CPU is also an area where money can be saved, unless you know for sure you need the extra power of the i7 and will use it.

I think the classical music started to become overengineered. eg that Bach Fugue in g minor is overengineered. you literally have to trek to and book a church to play it, and that extra complexity doesnt really add to the tune.

the big orchestras also are overengineered, as its way too much for the mind to comprehend or discern the different instruments.

as you go from solo, eg solo guitarist, or singer without instruments, and then add successive instruments, a point is reached where you can no longer comprehend all the instruments. at this point onwards, the mind is overloaded and thus goes with some form of average, which is interesting, but nothing is gained by going too far beyond the overload point.

pop groups have it right with say 1 or 2 main singers, a few backing singers, maybe 1 or 2 guitarists, bass guitarist, drumkit, maybe synthesizer, maybe some wind instruments. going much beyond that doesnt add to the experience, and becomes logistically problematic as you have to organise more people for a jamming session or gig. where people want to do their own things.

I mean, Bach kinda worked with electric guitars and amps he had. Which he didn't so he went to church and played the organ.
His inspiration lead him to compose the best music for the thing, and the result is rather nice.

What you refer to as the overload point is something that is set differently for everyone. That is why some people enjoy the engineering behind classical works. Some just pretend to enjoy it to appear more clever and sophisticated but that's their business. To others it's just too much crap going on all at once. Or too flashy, with all the fast notes and such.

I mentioned above how Mozart was very well aware of the need to strike the balance between simple and aproachable, but music that anyone with half an ear could compose, and works that required a lot more effort to complete, but would risk being too difficult for many to follow and enjoy.
I believe he also had the temerity to quote his era version of the "butts in seats" principle.

The overengineering is useless and grandiose posturing. Happens when the composer runs out of talent.
If there is one criticism that can be leveled at Mozart, it's that his themes were usually very simple and basic. And that some of his works were bubblegum. They were, and he ate as a result.
But the themes of his finest works, while simple were used as building blocks of something bigger. Particularly his concertos where a theme and another one or two sub-themes would play out in different configurations between the soloist and the orchestra.

And on the subject of simple themes, Beethoven won that bet definitively and decisively. The opening of the 5th is a few of the simplest and dumbest notes anyone can play. But what they lead to, and where they go, that takes effort to create.

You can gauge your own point of overload and possibly expand it. Try listening to Mozart's piano concerto 21 -

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgY0QcUjtYE

Pay attention to the interplay between the soloist and the orchestra. Sometimes they will step on each others toes. Also see if you can identify the simple pieces Mozart used to build the whole thing together.


Do you have any examples of what you call bland and filler classical music? Because i do agree a lot of it is no good at all.
I like ABBA and Bruce Springsteen. But i would not put them in the same league as classical masters, much less above. And i could and do sometimes listen to classical music for hours. 45-50 minutes is not too much if you're taken in. If you're bored, then 10 minutes is too long.

Just to be clear i do not blame you for having a different tolerance to drawn out complexity. If you don't feel any joy and you find nothing worth listening to, that's that.

I am generally opposed to the teaching at school of art, music and sport, as these are all entertainment, and this is a specialised and high risk career path, as there is only space for a few at the top. these things should be optional, for those who want to do it as an involved hobby or as a profession.

I could not disagree more. If only more schools spent time teaching children instead of putting them on a career path. 90% of education is throwing education away and rewarding efforts that lead to getting a higher paid job.

Playing the piano is useless. So is having a patio or a pool.
Being able to hunt or raise livestock is actualy useful but most wouldn't even consider it.
Being able to dance is just as attractive if not more than a fat wallet.

It's really getting philosophical now, but we're all spending most of our lives learning just how to treat each other and how to relate and fit into a free society. No wonder so many yearn for slavery or for the world to be nuked so it can start over. There is so much we don't know we don't know.

Not everyone needs to be able to play the piano to the level where they can earn a living doing it, but it's nice to actualy be able to play the thing. Wish my school offered me the chance.


Finally, and to finish on a bright note. Classical works did have names when they were new. Some of them stuck, some were dropped.
Mozart composed one he called Lick my asshole.
He did, don't blame me.


PS This was a damn interesting discussion two pages ago, and it's getting worse.

 

[Aeacus]

Is it always one pea sized blob of paste? Or is that just a general recommendation?

It's general.

Actual amount and method of application depends on the paste used.
Namely, actual amount of thermal paste may vary on the size of CPU IHS. E.g Threadripper CPU IHS is far bigger than e.g R5 5600, so, a touch more thermal paste for Threadripper.

But since the CPU core is located in the middle of the IHS, small pea in the middle would suffice. And if you do not use thermal paste that is electrically conductive, putting a bit more doesn't hurt it, since excess is squeezed out by CPU cooler. But if thermal paste is electrically conductive (especially when using liquid metal), you have to be very careful in application. Since when excess squeezes out to MoBo, it can short circuit the MoBo.

Some further reading about different application methods,
link: https://koolingmonster.com/insights...l-paste-pattern-actual-performance-comparison

The cooler manufacturer may have instructions on how to apply paste and how much to use. For example i followed instructions to place four small dots in the corners, no larger than 2mm in diameter, and one bigger in the center. Approx. 3-4mm.

This can depend on the CPU cooler mounting mechanism. If the mounting (securing) is with 2 screws on opposite side or has push-in pins, a line or X on the CPU would work better than small pea in the middle (better spread on IHS). But when CPU cooler has 4 mounting screws on each corner, securing the CPU cooler down in X pattern works well with small pea in the middle.

Ideally, it would be best if thermal paste is pre-applied to the cooler. Some AIOs have it pre-applied, e.g Corsair. But on the flip side, pre-applied thermal paste may not be as good in terms of thermal conductivity than manual applied paste, like Arctic Cooling MX-4 or MX-5.

I think we expect surfaces to be flat, eg walls, ceilings, floors. where our eyes will process flat more efficiently.

Surfaces are flat because it's easier to build a cube than a sphere.

Human eyeball is round (curved) and FOV is cone shaped, thus, curved display is better than flat one.

But i digress.

Future of monitor (and TV) design is quite blissful, namely, bendable panel. Like this Corsair Xeneon Flex;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRr-wDmpgA0


Which is actually great idea. You can use it as flat panel if you like, or you can adjust the curvature by yourself, based on your personal preferences. For that Corsair panel, up to 800R. This flexibility is far better than buying fixed curvature monitor and be stuck with whatever curvature it has.

There's also bendable panel TV, LG OLED Flex;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMnSg1NjvDs

as regards the contrast ratios, the thing is, will the very high contrast ratios only happen with very high brightness?

No.

I linked the AOC vs Gigabyte comparison above. AOC can do 4500:1 while Gigabyte can do 4900:1. One would assume that Gigabyte panel has far higher brightness levels since it has better contrast ratio, but this isn't so. Gigabyte can do 250 nits of brightness while AOC can do 1000 nits of brightness. So, AOC is essentially 4x times brighter than Gigabyte, but has less contrast ratio.

Static contrast ratio is the luminosity ratio comparing the brightest and darkest shade the system is capable of producing simultaneously at any instant of time, while dynamic contrast ratio is the luminosity ratio comparing the brightest and darkest shade the system is capable of producing over time (while the picture is moving). Moving from a system that displays a static motionless image to a system that displays a dynamic, changing picture slightly complicates the definition of the contrast ratio, due to the need to take into account the extra temporal dimension to the measuring process.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_ratio

 

[Richard1234]

That's tube of thermal paste, that you need to apply to CPU IHS, before you mount the CPU cooler on top of the CPU. Small pea sized amount of thermal paste in the middle will do.

Speaking of assembly, i take that you have some know-how on how to do it? Or should i wrote it out? (Did think that eventually, i might need to guide you through the assembly process as well.)

yes, I'll ask you once all the components have arrived and I am ready to start the installation. I wont do anything without confirming with you as a lot can go wrong, and a lot of money will be up in smoke if I make some mistakes.

maybe explain about the thermal paste when I get to that stage of the installation.


I just now fetched the 4060 graphics card, and the 10 USB 3 extenders:

http://www.directemails.info/tom/gfx.jpg

those were 2 different amazon orders to amazon lockers, I got 2 different notifications with different pin numbers, but both were in the same locker!

I couldnt find any USB3 A to A short cables with the link you gave:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/pag...are-gb-5525790583279862000-21&geniuslink=true

so with that one I found one which had the right speed and looked alright

I think the PSU will arrive tomorrow, I rescheduled that to Wednesday, then DPD told me they tried to deliver without luck on Friday, when I had rescheduled to a different day. they'll return to sender if they dont deliver it successfully Monday.

Wednesday various different deliveries for the PC, probably mobo, memory and vid cable, where I will have to wait around all day, so I will work on the installation on a different day, as I need to be fresh in mind to work on this. the stuff will probably all arrive in the evening, but I have to wait around all day in case it arrives earlier.

Mini-USB.


Curved monitor is actually easier to read, since the monitor curvature follows the curvature of your eyeball.

Now, i've also used flat monitors for most of my time, but the VA panel i'm currently using, has 1500R curvature. Right off the bat, it's strange to look at it since one isn't used to it. But after some time (few weeks maybe), one can get used to curved monitors.
Another thing that curved monitor has offered for me, besides easier to read, is far greater immersion in video games. I know that you don't play any 3D games, but same also applies when you watch a movie. The monitor curvature gives a small 3D effect.
If i were to look my missus'es flat monitor, then looking it is so strange, since to my eye, the monitor bulges out in the middle and it is so taxing on my eye to look at flat panel monitor.

this is the elasticity of perception, your brain has compensated for the curved monitor, to flatten the perception, then when you look at the other monitor it overcompensates!

so to some extent it doesnt matter, as your brain will mitigate.

eg with lower quality sound radio, at first you notice the lower quality, but eventually it sounds fine, as your brain compensates.

or eg say you drive on a 30mph road, and now go to 50mph, that seems fast, then you go to a 70mph road, and that seems fast, after an hour of driving you now leave via a 50mph road, and that seems so slow, and then to a 30mph road, and that is almost walking speed.

your brain compensates for the speed perception, where eventually all speeds feel the same. its only when you change speed up that a speed seems fast, and when you change speed down, it seems too slow.
but when the speed is constant, eventually its always the same.

I started watching a lot of american news on Youtube in 2019, and eventually I got used to the american accents, where my brain filtered out the accent where it now sounded like british english. standard british english, what is sometimes called BBC english, is english without accent. all other forms of english are with accent and generally have a smaller gamut of vowels, eg american english has fewer vowels than british english, for which I have discerned 11 different clean vowels ie non diphthongs, with standard british english, the following vowel sounds are all different:

hat
hut
hot
put
hoot
heat
hit
hem
her
harp
hawk

but with say australian, new zealand and south african english, various become the same. some forms of american english are very similar to british english, mainly just the r is more emphasised.

german doesnt have the a sound of hat, germans will say keptin rather than captain. the a sound of german is more like the u of hut. try reading that list, if any 2 vowels sound the same then its not standard english. many regions of Britain are not standard english.

but after many months when I now watched british tv, the accents all sounded wrong because my brain was subtracting too much!

Here's further reading about curved monitor's pros and cons,
link: https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/articles/hardware/pros-and-cons-curved-monitors.html


The AOC Gaming Q27G3XMN i linked above is a flat screen, and good one as well.

For other options, pcpp: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product...e&r=256001440&D=75000,540000&V=750075,1000100
I filtered the results a bit, to narrow the results down. All monitors are 27", flat, VA panel, 1440p (2K) and with VESA mount.

many are out of stock, so I may delay on this. I think I will go for a flat screen, because your comment about your missuses screen looking curved says you are overcompensating. its like when I went on a ferry from Harwich to Rotterday, when I got off the boat, the ground was swaying! my brain was overcompensating for the swaying of the ferry!

a cylindrical screen where you stand in the middle of the cylinder could be interesting as an immersive experience! but something like that will probably easily cost £4000, AND I wouldnt have anywhere to keep it!

Have had it for ~3 years and none so far. Then again, my weekly screen time on my smart phone is ~9min per day. Most of the times, i have display turned off to save battery. I'm not the one who is glued to their smart phone. For internet access, i have my desktop PC. Smart phone, to me, is just making calls, sending SMS/MMS and it also acts as a portable camera, so i can take good pics/vids of my doggo.

Google Maps is also really useful. eg say I am at one shopping precinct, and it is 550pm, and I want to get to a shop at the other side of town, will it still be open?

with Google Maps, I can find the opening times, and then use the Google Maps satnav to estimate when I would arrive, and if that would allow say 20 minutes till the shop closes, I'll go.

I revisited my old uni town for the first time in more than 20 years last October. nowhere to park the car, as all places were resident only. I then winged it till I found a 24 hour car park, with reasonable fees per day. I now had to walk back to the basic hotel, more like a hostel. and I used Google Maps with voice commands. As a student I either walked or used a bicycle, and with a car its a totally different town, I didnt know how to get back without Google Maps.

All-in-all, there are 3 classes with smart phones;
low-end - great for a child, costs up to €250. E.g Samsung Galaxy A25.
mid-range - great for most people, costs up to €500-€600. My Samsung Galaxy A52S 5G is mid-range. So is my missus'es Samsung Galaxy A54.
high-end - cream of the crop, costs easy €1000, up to €1500 or so. E.g Samsung Galaxy S24.

probably I will go for midrange, but I know someone with a Samsung which was maybe £120 several years ago, and I think its good enough, so I might go low end. but the upper end of low end!

Nowadays, you need to compare smart phones as you compare different CPUs or GPUs. So much stuff is built into those. Best is to use comparison sites, like GSMArena,
comparison between current Samsung smart phones, low-, mid- and high-end,
link: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?&idPhone2=12070&idPhone1=12555&idPhone3=12771

I have archived the link to study when I work on getting a new phone.

None of the salesmen have ever talked me into anything, since when i go to shopping, i know what i'm getting and i'm there only for that. I don't care what spiel salesman has or "how good the price is".

the thing is that PCWorld has MBA students working there as part of their MBA immersion in business, and these guys are more sophisticated than normal salespeople, where its easier to get talked into something.

It is not because the obscure audio format, but the fact that it is direct download from unknown site, which my MalwareBytes Premium Browser Guard has a beef with. And personally, knowing what i know about cyber security, i'm not keen on downloading files from unknown source either.

but it doesnt have a problem with viewing or downloading jpegs from my website!

Like i said, best to upload it somewhere where one can listen in online. Heck, upload it to Youtube, set the video as Unlisted or Private and pop the link via PM (or here).

I have to think about this, is there any audio format that Malware bytes isnt paranoid about, eg it accepts .jpg for images. I can convert the audio file to other formats with Audacity.

a virus checker ought to just virus check standard data formats, eg with audio, to just check it has the right structure, then whatever data is just dumb data. viruses only occur when you jump structure delineations.

the data of an audio file is just an audio graph, its only if some software loaded an audio file data and tried to execute that as a program, but no proper program would do that, a proper program respects structures.

thus if checked to have the proper internal metalevel structure, it can only cause a problem if you already have a virus on the system which changes the status of data, namely audio data becomes program code.

I don't listen nor like current pop music. But the music back in '80s is what i do like. Back then, each music track had some story to tell. Today, it's just repeating a word or sentence, without any essence or "soul".

1975 to 1985 I would say is the best era of pop. after 1985, there continue to be good songs, but pop is becoming a fringe thing. the trance and rave etc music is now music not to watch, but as a background for taking drugs. but up to 1985, it is something you can sit and listen to the same way you might watch a film.

it can still be good, but the money and fame of the era up to 1985 has gone. I would say Bob Geldof's band aid is the turning point. the reason it has gone is 45 rpm vinyl was what made the scene so hot, where THE thing all young people did was buy their favourite hits whilst in the charts, and people were defined by the music they liked in the charts. but the emergence of CDs, meant now music was now more album based, which is too complicated for fashion. albums are always very complicated phenomena. they can have great tracks, but you have to invest time getting to know the album, and its no longer central culture, but a fringe activity.

ultimately even if someone is talented, they also need to work at a piece for it to become good, and this does need some inspiration. many people eventually run out of steam, or they ongoingly gradually change their MO and eventually lose the magic. with groups such as the rolling stones, eventually they just keep doing gigs of their stuff from long ago. they did recently release some new work, but they have lost the "joy of youth".

Speaking of musical soul, something that i also like:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKG0SqhSJic


Lyrics/chorus are spot on.

that's an example where the lyrics are good, but the tune itself is clichéd.

Sounds like i'm back in the '30s. Namely, i'm back playing Mafia PC game that takes place in '30s, player is mobster and whole game has similar in-game audio/music tracks. That song isn't my cup of tea, unless playing era correct game where i'm immersed into.

its a different genre, it is a bit dreamlike. people tend to bond with whatever they experienced first which will generally what they experienced as kids. I experienced this kind of music mainly in 1986 from BBC Radio 2, when I was 20!

people will generally like the music of the eras from when they were 10 till 20. after 10 years of listening to music, they are getting a bit fatigued, and prefer some more of the stuff they already like!

in fact for me my formative years for music appreciation were exactly this, from 1976 to 1986, from the age of 10 till the age of 20!

Yes. And it gives quite a bit of bragging rights if soundtrack (movie or PC game), has been made by symphonic orchestra.

E.g one game that comes into my mind is: Ori and the Blind Forest;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeVFrt7BUyw


2nd game in the series; Ori and the Will of the Wisps, has the same great soundtrack.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGJvfAunm98


Superb soundtrack. Really rare to see for a PC game, especially for a small indie studio.

like with the computer configuration, computer game music is a "component" of the game, and film music is a "component" of the film.

in bygone decades, some pop songs were also the theme songs of films, eg Whitney Houston's song for the film the bodyguard. I think the german pop song "rock me Amadeus" was in the film about Amadeus Mozart:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVikZ8Oe_XA