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Vista PC Reviewed: Gateway GT5408 Desktop

This Gateway® GT5408 Desktop is one of three Vista PC’s I worked on shortly after Windows Vista was released. The other two are Gateway® GT5404 Desktop and HP Pavilion Slimline s7700n PC.

Specifications
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E4300 dual-core Processor 64-bit processor with Intel® EM64T Technology (1.80GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache)
Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium
Chipset: Intel® 945G DH Chipset(Viiv™)
Memory: 1024MB dual-channel DDR2 Memory (2 x 512MB), 533MHz (PC4200). Expandable to 4GB (2x2048MB) 667MHz (PC5300)
Video: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with up to 224MB Shared Video Memory – VGA port
Audio: 8-Channel (7.1) High Definition Audio
Hard Drive: 320GB SATA II (7200rpm, 8MB cache)10
Optical Drives: 16x multiformat dual-layer DVD±RW drive
15-in-1 Digital Media Manager™ (Memory Card Reader)
56K ITU V.92 ready fax/modem (RJ-11 port)
Intel® 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port)
6 USB 2.0 Ports (2 in front, 4 in back)
2 IEEE 1394 port “FireWire” (1 in front, 1 in back)
1 Parallel Port, 1 Serial Port
2 PS/2 Ports (Keyboard and Mouse)
5 Audio (Rear): Front/Headphone (Stereo), Rear (Stereo), Center/Sub, Microphone, Line-in/Side (Stereo), plus S/PDIF Optical
2 Audio (Front): Microphone, Front/Headphone (Stereo)
1 PCI-E x16, 1 PCI-E x1, 2 PCI

Out of the box, Gateway GT5408 Desktop is somewhat an adequate performer. It does have an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor for nice performance potential. It comes with 1GB of RAM (2x512MB) and an integrated Intel GMA 950 with up to 224MB shared video memory. That leaves 800MB of RAM to the system. Booting Windows Vista on this PC is a little bit painful. Right of the bat Windows Vista is using 700MB-900MB of RAM and settles around 500MB.

To increase the performance of this computer, consider upgrading the Memory to at least 2GB and/or installing a decent Video Card with minimum of dedicated 128MB of video RAM.

This computer comes with an optical mouse and a USB-powered stereo speaker. The mouse is nice enough to use. The speaker lacks low frequency and sounds terrible when it comes to music.

GT5408 CPUz 01 GT5408 CPUz 02 GT5408 CPUz 03

…….to be updated

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Heaven and Hell Tour 2007: March 16 – Regina, Saskatchewan – Canada

March 16 – Regina, Saskatchewan – Canada

Heaven and Hell

  1. E5150
  2. After All (The Dead)
  3. The Mob Rules
  4. Children of The Sea
  5. Lady Evil
  6. I
  7. Sign of The Southern Cross
  8. Voodoo
  9. The Devil Cried
  10. Vinny Appice Drum Solo
  11. Computer God
  12. Falling Off The Edge of The World
  13. Shadow of The Wind
  14. Die Young
  15. Heaven and Hell
  16. Neon Knights (Encore)

(Thanks to Emile, once again – see comment)
Megadeth (1-hour set)

  1. Sleepwalker
  2. Wake Up Dead
  3. In My Darkest Hour
  4. Kick The Chair
  5. She Wolf
  6. Hangar 18
  7. A Tout Le Monde
  8. Washington Is Next
  9. Symphony of Destruction
  10. Peace Sells
  11. Holy Wars/Mechanix/Punishment Due (encore)

Down

Phil Anselmo is still unable to perform.

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Apple Releases iTunes 7.1.1

Apple updates iTunes again, 11 days after version 7.1 was released.

iTunes 7.1.1 addresses a stability issue and minor compatibility problems in iTunes 7.1.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

In somewhat related news, Apple has also re-released iPod shuffle Reset Utility and renamed it to simply iPod Reset Utility. The utility supports 1st and 2nd generation iPod shuffle. (03.15.2007)

About iPod Reset Utility 1.0 for Windows

Use iPod Reset Utility to restore the following iPod models back to their factory settings, when iTunes is unable to do so:
– iPod shuffle (1st Generation)
– iPod shuffle (2nd Generation)

iPod Reset Utility 1.0 for Mac – 3.4MB
iPod Reset Utility 1.0 for Windows – 2.2MB

If you’re using Windows Vista and iTunes, please read the following Apple knowledgebase:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305042

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South Park: Season 11 Episode 2 – “Cartman Sucks”

This week on South Park:
“Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……..”
Yet another ridiculous South Park episode.

From South Park Studios:

Butters has to go to a special camp where they “pray the gay away.”

As always, Cartman hit this one out of the park. You’ll laugh with Cartman. You’ll laugh at Cartman.

Synopsis from iTunes Store:

“Cartman S***s”

When his “ultimate plan” to embarrass Butters backfires, Cartman struggles to keep his classmates from seeing a compromising photograph. Meanwhile, Butters is sent to a special camp where they “Pray the Gay Away.”

South Park Season 11 on iTunes Store – UNCENSORED

If you are looking for South Park episode, you can get it at iTunes Store instead of downloading it off torrents from site likes mrtwig.net.

Remember downloading TV episodes off torrents is generally frowned upon by the TV networks. It’d be very very very wrong to download South Park episodes off torrent sites.

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Heaven and Hell Tour 2007: March 14 – Calgary, Alberta – Canada

March 14 – Calgary, Alberta – Canada

Brandt Centre

Down will not be performing on Calgary show due to Phil Anselmo’s illness. Megadeth is scheduled to hit the stage on 7:40 pm andplay a 60-minute set.

From Megadeth.com:

Megadeth to start at 7:40 PM tonight in Calgary!
Down is not going to be able to perform again tonight. Phil Anselmo has seen several DRs & is trying to get better but not able to sing again tonight. Therefore, Megadeth’s set will be from 7:40pm – 8:40pm, and not starting at 8:00pm as previously scheduled.

Setlist will be added later.

Heaven and Hell

  1. E5150
  2. After All (The Dead)
  3. The Mob Rules
  4. Children Of The Sea
  5. Lady Evil
  6. Ear In The Wall
  7. I
  8. Sign Of The Southern Cross
  9. Voodoo
  10. The Devil Cried
  11. Drum solo
  12. Computer God
  13. Falling Off The Edge Of The World
  14. Shadow Of The Wind
  15. Die Young
  16. Heaven & Hell
  17. Lonely Is The Word (encore)
  18. Neon Knights (encore)

Megadeth

  1. Sleepwalker
  2. Wake Up Dead
  3. In My Darkest Hour
  4. Kick The Chair
  5. She Wolf
  6. Hangar 18
  7. A Tout Le Monde
  8. Washington Is Next
  9. Symphony of Destruction
  10. Peace Sells
  11. Holy Wars (encore)

Down (unable to perform)

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Nine Inch Nails Releases “Survivalism” Track in GarageBand Format

Following “The Hand That Feed” and “Only”, Nine Inch Nail’s “Survivalism” is released in GarageBand Format. (104MB)

Nine Inch Nail also plan to release every track on “Year Zero” in GarageBand format (and maybe others) gradually for the next few months.

http://www.nin.com/current/

From nin.com:

Surprise! Click here to download the multitrack session for Survivalism in GarageBand* format. No strings attached. Similar to what we did with The Hand That Feed and Only. You now have the ability to reconstruct / deconstruct Survivalism any way you choose. We will soon present the details on where you can upload your own mixes so get to work and have fun with this!

[We plan to release every track on the album this way over the next few months… Keep checking back]

*Mac OS X with GarageBand 3 Required

http://www.nin.com/
http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/

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Microsoft Releases Windows Server 2003 & Windows XP x64 Service Pack 2

In lieu of Patch Tuesday, Microsoft releases Service Pack 2 for 64-bit Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sp2/overview.mspx 

Windows Server 2003 x86 (32-bit) Service Pack 2
WindowsServer2003-KB914961-SP2-x86-ENU.exe – 372.0 MB

Windows Server 2003 x64 (64-bit) and Windows XP x64 (64-bit) Service Pack 2
WindowsServer2003.WindowsXP-KB914961-SP2-x64-ENU.exe – 350.9 MB