weEvil

If you can tell me more about that it would be great. I want to raise performance in p2p/download managers/fasterfox if possible.

I don't have that. My copy is nLited. Would the version tab work okay? Tells you the author, version... etc.

Can you do unattended setup through nLite for SP3? I read that it does not require a serial to install anymore. Only activation.

I've got a solution. Read the nLite manual. You don't know how to use nLite. Yes there are presets. I suggest you start with that and see how it works before you begin messing around with settings. http://www.nliteos.com/guides.html

Best performance for office use? That's an oxymoron. How fast can you type to notice the 'performance' difference? Just use it as-is. Use bootvis to get a faster start up, and disable some services to get some more free ram/cpu. Disabling useless start up, and running programs and defragging using something like O&O Defrag helps too. Better seek/boot/file loading times. http://www.oo-software.com/en/

Then your CD is probably junk. That's what happens when you use copied software, its a hit-or-miss.

If you have working burning software and a working DVD/CD burner then it should be fine. 1. Extract the contents of the CD into a folder. 2. Look for the folder with nLite, go through the slimming steps. If you mess it up, use the presets. Try the 'safe' or 'lite' setting. 3. Finish the slimming process. Then make a BOOTABLE ISO. 4. Burn the ISO using Nero (or equivalent software that you know works for sure!) Suggestion: If you keep messing up, use a rewritable CD. Try a CD, not a DVD. Also, make sure that the other computer can read what you burned. Check the media, and the CD/DVD drive to make sure everything works. Its not nLites's fault if your hardware/burning media is junk.

Good luck keeping that one under $2,000

I notice that nLite has a TCP/IP patch option to change it from the 10 default to 100, 1000, etc.. I read that its good for p2p applications. Does it work? What about things like download managers and such, that use multiple connections.

Let's see: 1. Ubuntu. Easy to use, simple and moderatelly fast. 2. Gentoo. Hard to use, more complex since you have to compile it yourself, the fastest since you can tailor it to your hardware. 3. Sabayon linux. Its made from Gentoo and its really flashy since its got those vista-like hardware rendered effects. Its pretty easy to use, no idea about speed since I only ran it off a live-cd. Those are my faves. And DOS is not dead. Its a very good learning tool. Next thing you know QBaisc is dead.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/071130/w113060A.html The MS Explorer, an adventure travel ship on a 19-day cruise off Antarctica, hit an iceberg on Nov. 23, forcing its 154 passengers and crew into lifeboats in the middle of the night. They waited more than three hours in icy waters until they were rescued by a Norwegian cruise ship. and... ship spill threatens penguins I know its a disaster, but its too ironic? If you don't get the parallel, I'm sure someone will explain it. edit: added link to story.

I found a great google gadget that tells me system information. I have no use for the CPU bar, and it only tells me info about my current hard drive (not both) and I don't need the battery indicator. So its only partly working for me. How do I take it apart and put it back together? I can 'unzip' it using 7-zip but I'd like to reassemble to use it.

I waited well after SP1 was released. I was using 2000 until then. Then I found nLite and I saw there were many more things you can do to XP. What I've used so far: Windows 3.11 + DOS Windows 95 Windows 98SE (not bad, great for use on really old hardware) Windows ME (not impressed, but it was better than 95) Windows 2000 Pro Windows XP + 2003 SP2 (they're the same OS to me with minor changes). Ubuntu 6.06 (XFCE & Gnome variations) and Sabayon Linux, Suse 10.X, Gentoo (I forget which) Vista 32-bit Home Premium In that order. Right now I'm sticking with Server 2003 SP2 and I'll move back to XP when SP3 is released. edit: More OSes added. In color.

So, let´s wait till SP2 comes out for Vista . LOL! That's true. Or better yet, lets wait for the Alky libraries for XP so we can have DirectX 10 on it (the only compelling reason to buy Vista). It comes with a couple of apps that premium doesn't. And a biger price tag. Premium is the better choice so far. Just slipstream it into the DVD and then burn it. Everytime you need a tweaked version, use the burned DVD. No need to slipstream every single time. Do it once, burn it, and then use it over and over. That's what I do with XP, and Server Standard.

No need to wait, every time you buy something new you will see”nicer” things just a month later. It always was like that, and always will e like that. Just buy the things when you are ready for it. Not so. Look how long the nVidia 8800 series have been around. Especially the 8800GTS. I'm willing to bet the new one (65nm, 512mb one) will be around almost as long before it too is replaced or revamped.

3 FPS difference? Not likely. I like to look at a bunch of different sources, or try it for myself before I make an opinion. I've run XP, then Vista on my PC. Official drivers. Big difference. Even in the regular system interface, without the Aero.

No way. There's FoxitPDF The free version is awesome, but for a little bit of cash there's the Pro-Pack which gives you editing features, the text extractor is awesome, and you can put sticky notes and stuff. Its pricy, but it helps keep the regular version free for all. There's also a great app I use. Lite. Its called go2pdf Virtual printer that 'prints' anything to PDF format.

Optimized Firefox Thinderbird for your CPU: Tete Builds And there's no point for FFdshow or any codecs. There is MPlayer: Mulder's Optimized MPlayer

What about XP Pro x64? Its not fair to compare 32-bit XP vs 64-bit Vista. Its not just about usability. Vista makes too many sacrifices. Its slower, its bigger, it takes more ram, its more expensive, its got all this flashy crap by default (with XP you can install your own if you want), and the interface is more complex and annoying. Besides DirextX 10, there is absolutelly no reason to use Vista. What does it do better than XP? Besides DX10, and the pointlessly flashy interface.

I have an older GeForce2 running on a PC somewhere. Its been using the 6x.xx or 7x.xx driver series. Try older drivers if you're having issues. If you don't want to go that far backwards, try the 85.xx series. That worked on mine too. XP SP2.

I'll make some mock ups in Photoshop if you want. Its hard to explain what I'm thinking without a picture, or a model of sorts.

Its here. Its having the same problems the Core2s had when they arrived. BIOS updates to follow. OMG! That seems expensive. If you need a CPU, right away, look at the Q6600. Or if you can wait patiently, let AMD straighten out the Phenom debacle. The new nVidia GeForce 8800GTS will be here at around Christmas time. Its supposed to have a smaller die (like the 8800GT), more & faster memory and a clock speed bump. It will run cooler and use less watts too. That means the fans will run slower and it will be silent! If you can wait a bit for all the goodies to appear, I suggest you do so. nVidia is also coming out with the new nForce chipset series for AMD motherboards too (also Hybrid SLi in early 2008 which uses discrete and integrated graphics together or separately for performance or power savings at the click of a menu). This Christmas/Early 2008 will be very interesting.

If you can, wait for Phenom. The higher end models. If nothing else, it will force Intel to play a pricing war over the middle-low end. That means savings! That and the 8800GTS is getting a refresh. Its going to be cooler, smaller, and a bit faster. Don't know when its going to happen, but you can always use an 8800GT if you can get your hands on one. And if you're hell bent on an Intel, get the Quad instead. Its great for rendering, the duo is better for games (few games use 4 cores, that's why).

So there's various ways to get your hands on SP3. Like a registry key to confuse windows update. Anybody give it a go? Or try to slipstream it into an install? I'd like to update to the latest and greatest.

They are. Its alpha now. http://windows.kde.org/ The KDE-Windows Port We are currently trying to port the KDE-applications to MS Windows. Currently we support only Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows 2003. Vista support is underway. The preferred way of installing KDE apps under windows is the KDE-Installer you can download from here.