New Monitor

[CharlesinGA]

Earlier, back in the summer, my Win 7 desktop quit, something happened that sounded like a gunshot in the room. It was loud. In any case, the computer would not start up again. The monitor was fine, and I limped along with my Win 7 laptop for a while and finally bought a new Dell desktop at Costco...... which means I got stuck with Windows 11 (what a horrible operating system) anyhow, one thing that Win 11 does, is that it makes it very easy to do split screens. Open a program or the browser or whatever. In the upper right corner is the X that closes that window. To the left of the X is a box, that is the box that expands or reduces the window pane. In Win 11, if you hover your cursor over that box (don't click it) you get a small box that opens up with all the possibilities of where you might want that window pane to go on your screen. Its split screen, but much more. Its called Snap Layouts

THIS seems to explain the whole process fairly well, but its not useful unless you have a large enough monitor. I have been using a 22 inch Samsung (yes it still worked after the computer quit, oh, and the hard drive was fine too, I copied it all over to the new computer)

My 22 inch monitor allowed for splitting the screen in half and still being able to see it, but I saw a new CURVED screen, 35 inch wide LG monitor at Costco the other day, so........... I bought it. ($279 I think) and I find that it makes assembling posts on this forum, or doing almost anything, easier, I can have a word processor, browser, and what ever else I need, open at once, moving from one program to another simply by sliding the cursor across the screen. No more opening, minimizing, opening something else.............

Now, the rest of you may already be in the modern age, but this finally gets me out of the stone age. We had dual monitor computers at work that the lead mechanics utilized with ease, maintenance manuals on one, email on another, etc, but I am just finally getting there.

What is great however is that I can open Google Maps (not the browser version but rather a dedicated app on the desktop) and I get the FULL 35 x 13 or so inches of screen full of map. Its huge and makes planning a trip or searching for possible routes, super easy.

Jus had to brag how impressed I am with this.

Charles

 

[DonTom]

Windows 11 (what a horrible operating system)

IMO, Win 11 is a great OS. And I can even use it to view my security cameras in the IE mode, as I often did on my RV trip. I was checking both of my houses inside and out every few days with Win11 while I was on my RV trip.

I have yet to find anything that Win11 cannot do that the earlier OSs can do. But it does some things a little differently than the older OSes.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

We had dual monitor computers

I have three large monitors on my main Reno computer, but only two here in Auburn. Two often come in very handy at times.

Three, very rarely, but it can and does happen.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[John From Detroit]

I have a sneaking suspuscion your old computer had a bug.. of the insect type. no well fried. and a blown fuse..

 

[SeilerBird]

In Win 11, if you hover your cursor over that box (don't click it) you get a small box that opens up with all the possibilities of where you might want that window pane to go on your screen. Its split screen, but much more. Its called Snap Layouts

Windows is trying hard to recapture the browser war it lost. They copy everything Chrome does. Chrome has had the split windows for years.

 

[TheBar]

I've been running Win 11 on two home computers for 3 years in January. I've been a programmer since 1984 and the most stable version was Windows NT. It could run for 3 months without a reboot. Internally Win 11 is more like the previous version than any release since then. And isn't a total failure like Win 8 or Vista.

The Win 11 Home version installed on most new computers is way too restrictive. But the Pro version upgrade is free this time. It has a lot of useful Win 10 features hidden. I've had to make more manual registry entry changes than ever before. My main complaint is some features are flat gone.

My first install was on an Intel 8th gen CPU and it is really slow with Win 11. But Gen 8 is the slowest CPU allowed to run Win 11. My second is a Gen 12 and Win 11 runs fast on it.

 

[Skookum]

The curved screens are nice. 35 is a great size.

I run dual 27" Dell IPS 4k LED monitors off my MacBook at home. My company issues dual 24" monitors for my work laptop.

On the road, I've struggled for space and ease of setup/teardown. I was using an old monitor to run with my laptop, and switching between the laptop and large, old monitor is just clunky (different color, resolution, font sizes, etc). I do a lot of analysis and application building so ease of side-by-side comparison and easy transition between screens is really important.

My answer for our big road trip this year is I bought a 14" Dell FHD portable monitor that exactly matches my work laptop. It's also a great match for my MacBook. No extra power cord, just plugs in with HDMI or USB-C. It stows in a soft sleeve next to my laptop.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I too think Windows 11 is pretty darn good, but it has to be a stunning culture shock coming from Windows 7.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Back when AutoCAD came on floppies it had a feature where you could add a 2nd monitor, all it did was serve as a command screen (since most things were done with text commands - 'pline', etc). Then you could devote your 14" VGA monitor to the drawing. I still have the first LCD monitor I bought, pushing 25 years old at this point. It fits perfectly inside my rolltop desk and it's good enough for the work I do there. Other PC's have contemporary 9:16 format HDMI displays and I have a couple of the curved ones, but can't say they're any better than a flat one. Even when working on my laptop I'll plug in a 2nd monitor if one's around, just makes things so much easier to navigate. At work I run 5 screens and 2 computers. One of the screens is oriented vertically (for document display) plugged into both computers and I can select which one it displays from the input control. You'd think that would get confusing after a while but it works out very well. All it takes is a short session running a single screen computer, having to minimize or adjust window sizes and "swim around" to realize just how accustomed you get to multiple monitors.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[jymbee]

I saw a new CURVED screen, 35 inch wide LG monitor at Costco the other day, so........... I bought it.
Charles

 

[gwinger]

Good chance a capacitor blew in the power supply or on the motherboard. Would be very obvious on the motherboard. You would have to remove the power supply cover to see inside. Power supply's are still available for older computers. Actually pretty inexpensive. I have two Win7 machines that I replaced the power supply's
in.

 

[DonTom]

Good chance a capacitor blew in the power supply or on the motherboard.

And a good chance the capacitor blew because of a shorted diode that put AC on the polarized electrolytic capacitor.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tulecreeper]

Earlier, back in the summer, my Win 7 desktop quit, something happened that sounded like a gunshot in the room. It was loud. In any case, the computer would not start up again.



Charles

That was your Win7 OS putting itself out of its misery. I am really old school and hate it when they come out with a new OS, but once I got this new 'puter with Win 11 and fiddled with it for a week I kind of like it. If this one lasts me as long as my last one, I won't be buying another PC until next decade.

 

[CharlesinGA]

I've been running Win 11 on two home computers for 3 years in January. I've been a programmer since 1984 and the most stable version was Windows NT. It could run for 3 months without a reboot. Internally Win 11 is more like the previous version than any release since then. And isn't a total failure like Win 8 or Vista.

The Win 11 Home version installed on most new computers is way too restrictive. But the Pro version upgrade is free this time. It has a lot of useful Win 10 features hidden. I've had to make more manual registry entry changes than ever before. My main complaint is some features are flat gone.

My first install was on an Intel 8th gen CPU and it is really slow with Win 11. But Gen 8 is the slowest CPU allowed to run Win 11. My second is a Gen 12 and Win 11 runs fast on it.

I may have to look into the upgrade. You are correct, they seem to have simplified it. You can no longer move the taskbar to the sides or top, its at the bottom and as Henry Ford said about Model T's, you can have it any color you want, as long as it is black. File Manager is horrible, nothing like the one on Win 7 and apparently everyone feels that way, from my doing Google searches. I tried one replacement file manager, it was OK but not great, will try a couple more.

I bought the Office 2021 Pro package (unrestricted, lifetime license) for about $30 from Stack Social who I have dealt with before. Previously I had bought Office 2010 for the laptop and 2013 for the old desktop for $19 on a deal MS had with my employer.

I too think Windows 11 is pretty darn good, but it has to be a stunning culture shock coming from Windows 7.

The "culture shock" was how many little things, short cuts and such have been eliminated, probably to lighten up the code. The company I retired from (second largest airline in the US) is still running Windows 7, and paying MS for continuing support. That says something.

One of the things I DON'T like is having to log into MS to use it. I had Win 7 set up so it just started up and ran, no log in, ever, for anything.

Good chance a capacitor blew in the power supply or on the motherboard. Would be very obvious on the motherboard. You would have to remove the power supply cover to see inside. Power supply's are still available for older computers. Actually pretty inexpensive. I have two Win7 machines that I replaced the power supply's
in.

Yep, installed a brand new HP power supply, no luck. I'm going to look into a motherboard as they appear to be cheap on Ebay for this model.

Charles

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Mark,

A little off the subject but I was the first user of AutoCad version 1.1a on a portable computer in the 70s.

I used a Compaq portable. Looked like a sewing machine with a fold down keyboard.

I had to fiddle with it to get it to work with one of the few techs at AutoCad.

A 10 meg hard drive was $1,000.

 

[HueyPilotVN]

I also use at least two monitors at home.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Mark,

A little off the subject but I was the first user of AutoCad version 1.1a on a portable computer in the 70s.

I used a Compaq portable. Looked like a sewing machine with a fold down keyboard.

I had to fiddle with it to get it to work with one of the few techs at AutoCad.

A 10 meg hard drive was $1,000.

1980's. The IBM PC was introduced in 1981 and the Compaq in 1982. The keyboard was the cover to the case.

Later in the 80's Mitsubishi made a PC clone with the V20 (or was it V30) chip. Sperry marketed the computer with their name on it, and an upstart, Leading Edge, also marketed it. Later Leading edge suddenly canceled the contract with Mitsubishi and bought computers from Daewoo in Korea. Mitsubishi took Leading Edge to court and they had to accept the machines that had been manufactured for them. Leading Edge dumped them on a guy in Miami who ran an ad in USA Today "Giant Export Order Canceled!" and I bought a 240k, dual 360 floppies, green screen with Leading Edge word processor (which was a very good program) and Nutshell flat file database (also a very good program) for a mere $1000, so I bought one. Later I added a 30 meg HD on a card.

Computers never got cheaper, they just became more powerful for the same money.

Charles

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Myst Have been the early 80s.

Since my stroke I have trouble with remembering dates and with typing.

 

[8Muddypaws]

I had a Dell laptop do that pop thing. I found power traces on the motherboard literally blasted away. Not worth repairing. Now I have a 12 year old HP that works just fine.

i bought a large Samsung curved monitor at a garage sale a few years ago. $150. It allowed me to have a Mac on one side and Windows on the other, or any other combination I wanted. Now it's hooked up to my digital audio workstation because I needed lots of room and dual monitors took too much desk. I've thought about getting a 43" one and mounting it on the wall but I think that would bother my eyes.

 

[CharlesinGA]

OK, did a little searching, Apparently to get Win 11 Pro free you have to have had Win 10 Pro. Even the microsoft support site says that. So Back to Stack Social and found Win 11 Pro for $22 (retail is $199), paid, got the activation code, went thru some frustrating issues with password suddenly not working, but now it shows Win 11 Pro as activated after a reboot.

Charles