Getting Better

Sailor Steve · 12-23-14, 10:20 AM

Best Christmas, Part Two:

I haven't played any Silent Hunter games in quite some time. My computer is almost ten years old, puchased right when SH3 came out. It was more than adequate to run the game, even with some of the supermods. The problem was that I've been working on my own Ship Names mod for SH3 Commander, and my PC won't run the Merchant Fleet Mod, so I've been unable to see the fruits of my labor. That led me to stop working on the Ship Names close to two years ago, and to stop playing SH3 altogether.

Well, Santa paid me a visit yesterday with a brand new laptop PC! It's a very nice Lenovo with 8 gigs of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive and a bunch of bells and wistles.

The bad news is that I have zero experience with laptops, zero experience with Windows 8.1 and zero experience with...well, actually I do have experience with learning new things and this will just take some time.

Even with the fairly large 15.6" screen my old eyes can't see the cursor, so I have to take my glasses off and lean real close. Really??? It has an HDMI port, so it will plug into my big 28" monitor.

I already hate the touchpad. Really??? My USB wireless mouse will work with it.

My old PC has eight USB ports. At this point only four of them work, but I have an adapter that makes four out of one. It's always fun to plug in a new peripheral and get a message saying "This device will run faster if plugged into a USB 2.0 port." Oh. That would be nice if my computer had one. Well, the new PC has one 2.0 port and two 3.0 ports! No more waiting for my external hard drive to talk to the computer!

My first project is to find the missing hardware and put the side-tables onto my computer desk, so the laptop can sit in a corner and not be in the way of the monitor. Then, once my keyboard and mouse are hooked up, I'll spend a few days configuring it the way I want. The last step will be to install SH3 and get it modded up the way I like it, including the MFM and Diving Duck's Interiors mod, and maybe on New Year's Day I'll start playing again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!!!

STEED · 12-23-14, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Well, Santa paid me a visit yesterday with a brand new laptop PC! It's a very nice Lenovo with 8 gigs of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive and a bunch of bells and wistles.

The bad news is that I have zero experience with Windows 8.1

My Desktop is a Lenovo, smaller less noise than my old WinXP as for Win8.1 get a book on it and turn off all those apps feeding info back is my advice.

Have a good time Steve.

Eichhörnchen · 12-23-14, 10:28 AM

Have fun, mate. It's always a thrill to find stuff actually working properly on your pc.

Jimbuna · 12-23-14, 10:57 AM

Merry Christmas Steve and enjoy yersel this year

eddie · 12-23-14, 02:21 PM

Steve, my father got a new laptop with Win 8 and we found out(after he couldn't deal with Win 8) that you can turn off the Win 8 look, and switch it to a classic Xp or Win 7 look. So the main screen will have the same features as XP on it. Not sure how you do that though.

StdDev · 12-23-14, 02:38 PM

Steve... just thought I'd let you know.. it is pronounced "Windows Hate"

kraznyi_oktjabr · 12-23-14, 03:49 PM

Just reminder, that you can change cursor size and type from Control Panel. UI text size can also be changed if required.

Merry Christmas!

Red October1984 · 12-23-14, 04:04 PM

Hey hey!

Merry Christmas Steve...really glad to hear you're doing better this year.

u crank · 12-23-14, 04:18 PM

Hi Steve, glad to see you got your pension problems straightened out. Must be a load off your mind.

Three weeks ago my old HP laptop died. I got an Acer Aspire 15. 8 gigs of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive and i5 processor. Course it's got Win 8.1 but I'm getting use to it. I don't use that stupid start page much just run things from my desktop. Compared to my old machine this thing is a hot rod. Haven't gotten around to setting up SH3 yet as this thing doesn't have a DVD drive. I'll be getting a digital download but am looking forward to MFM and other stuff I could never use.

Merry Christmas.

12-23-14, 10:20 AM	#1
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Best Christmas, Part Two: I haven't played any Silent Hunter games in quite some time. My computer is almost ten years old, puchased right when SH3 came out. It was more than adequate to run the game, even with some of the supermods. The problem was that I've been working on my own Ship Names mod for SH3 Commander, and my PC won't run the Merchant Fleet Mod, so I've been unable to see the fruits of my labor. That led me to stop working on the Ship Names close to two years ago, and to stop playing SH3 altogether. Well, Santa paid me a visit yesterday with a brand new laptop PC! It's a very nice Lenovo with 8 gigs of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive and a bunch of bells and wistles. The bad news is that I have zero experience with laptops, zero experience with Windows 8.1 and zero experience with...well, actually I do have experience with learning new things and this will just take some time. Even with the fairly large 15.6" screen my old eyes can't see the cursor, so I have to take my glasses off and lean real close. Really??? It has an HDMI port, so it will plug into my big 28" monitor. I already hate the touchpad. Really??? My USB wireless mouse will work with it. My old PC has eight USB ports. At this point only four of them work, but I have an adapter that makes four out of one. It's always fun to plug in a new peripheral and get a message saying "This device will run faster if plugged into a USB 2.0 port." Oh. That would be nice if my computer had one. Well, the new PC has one 2.0 port and two 3.0 ports! No more waiting for my external hard drive to talk to the computer! My first project is to find the missing hardware and put the side-tables onto my computer desk, so the laptop can sit in a corner and not be in the way of the monitor. Then, once my keyboard and mouse are hooked up, I'll spend a few days configuring it the way I want. The last step will be to install SH3 and get it modded up the way I like it, including the MFM and Diving Duck's Interiors mod, and maybe on New Year's Day I'll start playing again. MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!!! __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

12-23-14, 10:57 AM	#4
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,552 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Merry Christmas Steve and enjoy yersel this year __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

12-23-14, 02:21 PM	#5
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	Steve, my father got a new laptop with Win 8 and we found out(after he couldn't deal with Win 8) that you can turn off the Win 8 look, and switch it to a classic Xp or Win 7 look. So the main screen will have the same features as XP on it. Not sure how you do that though. __________________ Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I'm kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me. Al Capone

12-23-14, 03:49 PM	#7
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Just reminder, that you can change cursor size and type from Control Panel. UI text size can also be changed if required. Merry Christmas! __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

12-23-14, 04:04 PM	#8
Red October1984 Airplane Nerd Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 6,243 Downloads: 115 Uploads: 0	Hey hey! Merry Christmas Steve...really glad to hear you're doing better this year. __________________

12-23-14, 10:28 AM	#3
Eichhörnchen Starte das Auto Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: The Fens Posts: 17,399 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Have fun, mate. It's always a thrill to find stuff actually working properly on your pc.

12-23-14, 02:38 PM	#6
StdDev Legend of the Sea Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: the Great Wet North Posts: 635 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Steve... just thought I'd let you know.. it is pronounced "Windows Hate"

12-23-14, 04:18 PM	#9
u crank Old enough to know better Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Prince Edward Island Posts: 11,745 Downloads: 136 Uploads: 0	Hi Steve, glad to see you got your pension problems straightened out. Must be a load off your mind. Three weeks ago my old HP laptop died. I got an Acer Aspire 15. 8 gigs of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive and i5 processor. Course it's got Win 8.1 but I'm getting use to it. I don't use that stupid start page much just run things from my desktop. Compared to my old machine this thing is a hot rod. Haven't gotten around to setting up SH3 yet as this thing doesn't have a DVD drive. I'll be getting a digital download but am looking forward to MFM and other stuff I could never use. Merry Christmas. __________________ “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” ― Arthur C. Clarke