Probably those allegedly watching you from within the walls. /conspiracy theory

OP is installling Start8 on Win 8 to get the "look" of XP for his users - He is not installing XP

How is this a troll comment? If you're going to change the OS, there's a cost to training staff and to install the OS. Also, those PC's likely have a Windows license already, so the estimated costs are likely all IT services to restore all the machines.

Yes, at the time I read a couple of articles and blogs suggesting to run the Netbook at 1024x768 at the expense of text clairity... I was not prepared to sacrifice text.

As for the drivers on the HP... The ATI Mobility 200M (on a v5015ca). Up until the time I walked away from Windows 8, the video card only had Vista drivers on AMD's site. HP only offered the old drivers, and Windows 8 and its assortment of drivers would not allow the video to exceed 1024 x768. I tried using other AMD drivers, other resolutions, like 1152 x864, and 1280 x960 but text was too blurry. I tried installing the vista drivers, but they did not take too well displaying several error messages at login every time.

I'm sure other options are now available NOW if you want to argue about it. I probably can find a better solution to get it running NOW, but not last fall. I'm not paying full OEM price or more for Windows 8 on these particular machines.

Too bad Microsoft didn't support the lower resolutions in the first place. An older HP laptop I had tested with a native 1280x800 screen never left 1024x768 when I first installed Win 8. It ran stable, but without proper video drivers it wasn't worth even the discount. I would have even tolerated Metro, replacing Win 7 starter on my netbook but its resolution of 1024x600 was also not supported.

The HP did well with Gnome/Ubuntu instead.

In my circle of friends, no one had purchased Windows 8 during the discount offer. Either the older equipment or the screen resolutions were not supported. It's a little late now.

At higher bit rates I'm not bothered by lossy compression. I can be bothered by the results at lower bit rates and if I am aware how the track is supposed to sound.

Back in early 2000, I ripped much of my earlier collection using 224 kbps ABR. I was a big Maximum PC reader, and one of their multimedia issues recommended using VBR for MP3 encoding. Not understanding too much about encoding, I used ABR for compatibility, and "stereo" as I found "joint stereo" butchered cassette rips. I played these tracks mostly through my PC & laptop so I didn't notice any issues. I used CD's on my main system anyways and never used headphones.

When I purchased a Grado headset for a new (and first) iPod, I found differences in many of my CD rips. This bothered me to no end. For example, Thievery Corporation albums had distorted flaws in echo decay, and highs were harsh. Strings in some classical music seemed butchered while piano had detectable warbliness. High hats seemed wrong in my rock recordings. Choral music vocals sounded harsh. Similar experience when iTunes finally came to Canada, I bought a couple of Iggy Pop tracks. They were aac's encoded at 128kbps. The tracks were clean but the guitars and cymbals were so harsh, I had to stop listening after only a short while. Once I bought the "New Values" album on CD, I didn't experience the fatigue with the same tracks.

Most of the issues mentioned above dropped with properly set command line in Lame with significantly higher bit rates. I do notice a difference. Once I set up a media server all the old rips had to go. I re-ripped my collection. I notice very minor differences with Lame V0 tracks, and 320 kbps CBR, compared to CD's but they don't prevent me from enjoying the music. If I buy tracks from eMusic, ignorance to the original recording is bliss. At their low prices and with tracks ripped mostly with Lame V0 to V2, I can also accept the cost/quality trade off.

I have a couple of DVD-A and SACD discs. Aside from a slightly better sound stage, I would probably fail an A/B comparison test. Either my 40 year old hearing or my equipment would fail me. If I'm being charged iTunes prices, I would still opt for the CD or FLAC equivalent for my music, and hope sound engineers trend back to recording quality.

- - All ramps are legally required to be of a sufficient length for any properly maintained car to reach merging speed.

- That is the most vague, made up shit I have every heard on /.

No kidding! The dynamic it misses is the behavior of the traffic.

In my area it is pretty common to find merging circles with a 30 km/h (~19mph) to 50 km/h (~31mph) speed limit with short merge lanes. I agree, one can accelerate through the merge circles...but you're not going to achieve much acceleration until you hit the straightaways. An earlier poster stated he held back until space developed - that works until you have a slow timid driver in front of you. You may be accelerating from 60 to 85 km/h or more with 1/3 or less of your merge lane left, and traffic backed up from the slow driver.

I don't have issue using 4-cyl. or even underpowered cars, but given the option I would opt for the extra power and the larger engine every time.

Lithium is better at treating the "manic" side of bipolar disorder (manic depression) as it is a mood stabilizer.

When treating depression (unipolar disorder) Lithium is also prescribed to enhance other antidepressants, so he is more than half right.

Fantastically funny photo! Way to go! LOL

I would imagine Microsoft are likely using a much larger error package, like "Microsoft Dynamics".

Here, you can post your errors and they'll go unnoticed for some time until some manager decides to read their reports.

http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics/default.mspx

"Now why the hell does a friggin' game need admin rights, you ask?..."

      "Users are to blame to put up with it and accept that they're "forced" to use admin privs to run programs. "

In my opinion, "Blame the user" is not part of the problem. The user wants their email, web and apps to work. The user on the most part does not have the required knowledge to understand what they're "forced" to put up with. They rely on administrators or nerds like us to provide the advice they need to help complete their tasks. We're left contending with the flaws to resolve problems that may have no clear resolution... the switch to "admin" gets thrown on as a result.

Is it the users fault? They didn't design the software. Is it the admins fault? The admin shouldn't have given admin capabilities to the user, but again, they didn't design the software either. If the problems remain unresolved by the developer despite the negative feedback, from here, I will agree with your "third party software" blame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_Y6231uAmo&NR=1

(No, Rickrolling)

Read Coryking's post in "Ed Gruberman's" voice...then give him a "Boot to the head"!

Agreed.

Amazon.com: First gift arrived within two days, second arrived within a week. Amazon.ca delivered my third gift in three days. Shop for what's in stock and everything goes pretty smooth.

It's too bad the audio cassette devices at Thinkgeek do not (appear to) have Dolby B & C decoding. Transcribing tapes recorded with B & C noise reduction to wav, without the decoding will sound like crap (especially Dolby C)

One might as well buy a used cassette deck, and use analog hookups to your PC.

"I can't help but wonder who'd care enough about this topic to be writing serious thoughtful comments on it on christmas eve!..."
"...the point is that even I am not spending christmas eve thinking about the next 2.6.28 release notes"

My comment is relative to the AC post above (as I replied to that posting).

"Not all Linux users are Christians, you know. I know several devoutly pagan Linux advocates, and quite a few Jewish ones" ...thanks, I guess, ... Not sure why you feel you must this out since I am referencing one comment.