So how long has it been since I got my Zareason machine? I'm not even
sure; judging by my old posts, it's been a couple months, but what's
that mean in terms of how I FEEL, hmmm? I've already had my ups and
downs with it, some of which have been herein chronicled, but I think
it's time for an over all assessment. Not quite my final opinion, but a
more mature view than before. Based on my needs and wants, I can safely
categorize this into three parts:
1.) Media. The ever-present trial of Linux. From the start, media
recording and playback was a challenge on this machine, due to the
Nvidia graphics and sound cards installed. They proved an impossible
combination to satisfy until I switched to Ubuntu 10.04. Either
graphics or sound or DVD playback crapped out on some level with all the
distros, and even with Ubuntu, which seems to have gotten everything
else right, DVDs are still problematic. And I'm still fighting with
that external sound card. Games, on the other hand, have been a
pleasure. The 3D graphic support (proprietary drivers) is excellent for
what I've messed around with.
2.) Speed. It's not blazing, but it's a damn sight better than what I
had before. Even Open Office starts up within a second or three. I'm
not used to modern computing, and though it's not high-end stuff, it's
good stuff.
3.) Reliability. Summed up: it's a decent piece of new hardware. Most
of the other machines I've used in the last couple of years have been
hand-me-downs or thrift store specials. Nothing wrong with those
things, of course -- they were certainly the right price, and it helps
the environment to keep computers out of the landfill, and whatever
other touchy-feely blather you want to add. But because they were not
top shelf hardware to start with, because they were old, and because
hardware fails when it gets old, I could never really trust them. It's
nice to have something that feels like it will be around for a while.
And so...? I guess I like this machine. It was more expensive than,
maybe, it ought to have been, but I paid extra for that sweet knowledge
that it is a Linux machine, NOT a re-purposed Windows box. This
sentiment could change tomorrow, and it does tend to waiver a bit
whenever there are problems, but for now, as I write this, that's the
final word. For now. Until it's not.
