Button-Down Kinda Life

When you think about it, one of the main reasons our economy has never improved or reached its true potential (aside from corruption and bad business practices), is the inherent difficulties in communication and transportation through our islands. I’ve always thought that we would have been more successful if we were one landmass, where governance would be easier. The most obvious example of this is the war in Mindanao. Few of us living here in Metro Manila have a clue about the real situation in Mindanao, and frankly, do most of us care?

The Philippines, at times, feels more like a disjointed alliance of small territories rather than an island nation. Governors rule these territories like fiefs, observing no law but their own. Provinces seem extremely underdeveloped as well. People seem to know little about other provinces or regions. Even with the advent of inter-island transportation and communication, the earlier limitations on these left a lasting impression on the political and economic landscape. Maybe it’s time to think of the Philippines as a single nation.

I haven’t wrote here in a long time, but I guess this time is as fine as any.

I’ve recently bought a new pc, replacing my 4-year old one, which even when brand new, was lower end at best. Now, let me say that I can get obsessive-compulsive when purchasing things with my own money. Oh, I don’t have a problem with using other people’s cash to buy stuff, but when it  comes to my own dough, I’d spend days and weeks finding the best deal, or getting the most out of my money. Persnickety or downright obsessive?

Anyway, this new pc is one hell of a machine, can run games like Fallout 3 and Call of Duty at max settings without any problems. The 22-inch monitor is an improvement over my old 17-inch CRT, LCD flaws notwithstanding. More importantly, it’s FAST, and actually makes using my pc fun again. Hell, even my crappy connection seems to be faster.

In the process, I learned much about pc hardware and peripherals. I spend a lot of time combing over reviews of certain hardware. For example, did you know that a generic PSU is never recommended, and you will be lucky to get half of it’s stated power? I learned the difference between a G31 and a P45 motherboard, and the difference between a 32-bit and 64-bit operating system. How about Nvidia’s confusing naming scheme? No problem!

Tipidpc.com is a well known site for buying pc parts, both old and new. And it’s a fascinating site, to be sure. Here you have a plethora of computer enthusiasts - from the newbie computer buyer, to the chronic upgrader, and even whole pc shops. You can get amazing deals here (I bought my video card and monitor here for way cheaper than what another shop would normally sell), and you can find rare components and peripherals.

So there you have it, my Flavor of the Month right now - PC hardware!