Learned'd VIII: Less Bewbs, Same Nonsense

[Kompresshun]

The Mustang would probably be a solid car, but I don't think i'd trade the LS for it because Mustangs are a dime a dozen. Even with the '09 motor, it's not really anything special. '09 was still the 4.6L V8 and only makes 300hp stock. That's sounds like decent power, but it's still not a very impressive number for a Mustang.

Then moving on past that, i'd be concerned about how well the swap was done. I'm funny about buying stuff that someone else has swapped a motor into, or extensively modified unless they have really good documentation or had a reputable shop do the work. Most of the time you're going to run into problems with stuff like that and it's a royal pain in the arse to fix when it does go wrong.

Don't get me wrong though - I love Mustangs and have owned three myself, but this one throws up a bunch of red flags. That and you're LS is just plain sexy looking. I wouldn't trade that thing off for a POS Mustang in any situation.

[WDRacing]

Agreed, +1 and all that.

Mustangs are always fun cars to drive and not very much money to modify. $2000 gets you a reliable remote mount turbo system and another 100whp.

With that said, the same turbo kit could go on your LS. I'm biased towards the land yachts and, to me, a Mustang GT is no replacement for a LS400. Unless yours is becoming unreliable or has a boatload of miles.

[TurboSauce]

Thanks for the advice, the Seller of the mustang was looking for cash atop the trade and I don't think that's really worth it, especially with a rebuilt title. I like how it looks but at the same time i could easily turn into a pain in the ar$e.
So far i'm keeping the ls my plans so far are:
drilled slotted rotors,
different wheels,
darker tint,
timing belt + water pump,
window visors,
badgeless grill,
redoing the body trim,
a manual transmission swap and just general maintenance.
now it's basically saving and waiting.

the only down to my lexus at this point is 240k miles but that's relatively nothing for the motor *crosses fingers*
I don't know it's a really great car and part of me loves the fact that i can literally just hop in and go without any worries, then part of me wishes it were manual, smaller, and lighter. with the same general power (or a little more )

[AZ89two4Tsx]

I like how the darker tint comes before the timing belt and water pump. lol.

I need to get rid of my Maxima. Among backing into a pole, my friend driving my car into the carport with a bike on the roof rack (dented roof) and other shenanigans, she's turned into a real beater. 166K and going strong with a long daily commute, but it sure is ugly as hell doing it. Still burns up ricers though. I dusted off an FR-S the other day. I was as surprised as he was.

[sx moneypit]

Mornin' folks!!

[Bubba1]

Good morning! I just fired up the ol' Z from its winter hibernation. Only a few weeks 'til the beginning of track season. Woo hoo!

[RicerX]

Yay track time!

Morning all!

[Kompresshun]

The Miata has gotten very little hibernation this winter. The weather here probably hasn't been near as bad as there though. I don't drive it in the snow at all anyways, so if I had to deal with more snow it would likely stay inside more.

It was 65 here Sunday though and it was a great day to go cruise around. I took a 75 mile loop through some backroads Sunday afternoon and enjoyed every minute.

I'll be glad to get some track time in the Miata. I have very little track time under my belt in general, so i'm excited to finally have something that I can get out there with again.

[TurboSauce]

I like how the darker tint comes before the timing belt and water pump. lol.

The list wasn't in order.
:p

[elwesso]

Good morning! I just fired up the ol' Z from its winter hibernation. Only a few weeks 'til the beginning of track season. Woo hoo!

I am starting to think about waking up my BMW from hibernation fairly soon, I have a whole list of maintenance this year.

Joel have you ever driven on road America? The Honda guys are having a track event this year up there, I'm thinking about going up. At all interested?

[Bubba1]

Joel have you ever driven on road America? The Honda guys are having a track event this year up there, I'm thinking about going up. At all interested?

Nope. Haven't been there yet. I'd certainly love to try Road America but the distance (1,000 miles each way) is a bit too much for me to do, at least this season.

[Hijacker]

Morning fellas!

[Dattebayo]

Morning!

I'm trying out a bunch of Linux desktops on my laptop right now since windows continues to get malware and viruses a lot here lately... I've been on Mint 16 Cinnamon for a couple of days now and sorta like it. Anyone have much experience with it?

[elwesso]

What version of windows are you using? I've been using windows 7, and I have very little issues with malware and viruses. MUCH less than windows XP, and I probably use the computer about the same and for the same things.

[Kompresshun]

Windows 7 has always been fairly solid, compared to other versions but i've always had great luck out of Linux when i've run it. I usually dual boot though, so I can easily flip over to Windows if needed and don't get stuck with Linux.

Personally, I usually always run Ubuntu. It has some nice visual features and is a little more feature rich. It's always been very solid for me.

[Dattebayo]

I was running windows 7, but all the stuff I do with my laptop exposes it more to different systems. I had both malware and virus protection and it still wouldn't keep up.

Ubuntu has a cheesy interface IMO. SO do most of them, I may have to switch to arch and be a complete geek or something, cause I'm liking it more and more. Hell, downloading a new feature is like writing simple English on the command line. Sudo commands rock.

[Dattebayo]

I take it back, I may have to go Fedora. I'm liking the customization of the KDM version... I just can't get the live USB to allow me to install it?

[MinisterofDOOM]

Ubuntu has a cheesy interface IMO. SO do most of them, I may have to switch to arch and be a complete geek or something, cause I'm liking it more and more. Hell, downloading a new feature is like writing simple English on the command line. Sudo commands rock.

Unity is certainly divisive and controversial. But you can improve it dramatically with some tools. Install Unity Tweak Tool and Ubuntu Tweak and you'll be set.
The thing that I really LOVE about Ubuntu's desktop is the Super key and quick-search. It's really, Mac-like effective at finding files, programs, features, etc. Far better than Windows' terrible search function. It learns well and does a good job of recommending the app I want first, and then possible alternatives in addition. Adding scopes makes it even more useful (basic calculator functions just by hitting the Super key and typing in the search box).
You can always switch to a different desktop environment, too. And there's Kubuntu and Xubuntu and a billion other distros with Ubuntu's software support but the desktop of your choice.

Nothing wrong with any of those distros, though. I like Mint and Arch and Fedora. Fedora's a little "cold" for home use (it's one of the more heavily "enterprise-oriented" distros) but still great and super stable.

My preference for Ubuntu is mainly software-based. Most of the stuff I want to do with my computer is best-supported on Ubuntu (or, in turn, Mint or another fork). Steam, Desura, etc.

Here's a screenie of my current Ubuntu setup:

[frapjap]

Is there anyone left here who still dabbles in home electronics?

Since we've cut cable, I'm using my home audio speakers less and less since neither my xbox nor the tv have component audio out to make them compatible with my receiver. After a year of griping and being frustrated, I've finally been able to accept that I need a new receiver with HDMI capability in order to make use of my speakers while watching tv and movies again.

What can you guys recommend keeping an eye out for under $100-$200? I don't need bluetooth capability, wifi, fancy s*** I'll never use, etc. It certainly does not have to be new- used is okay. 5 years ago top model is alright with me. However, I would like a solid, reliable, reputable receiver that has decent sound reproduction. I would prefer analog controls on the face as an option, but I know that these are going the way of the dinosaur and most receivers now are all based off the remote control. My current speaker set up is 2 book shelf, 2 big boxes, and one sub.

Very open to suggestions because google searching is frustrating when you really don't know what you're looking for in regards to the new standard of products out there. If I didn't provide enough information, tell me and I'll give you more specifics. Thanks guys, sorry for being a noob.

[Kompresshun]

Ray, i've got a nice Sony 5.1 Surround Sound system I could hook you up with for a decent price. I think it's around 800w and it sounds pretty awesome. I put it in the office when we bought the new TV, but I think i'm going to upgrade to a new one. It has a DVD player built in and a really nice sub. It has enough power to shake the room if you crank it up enough.

The only thing wrong with it is that it doesn't have a remote, but i've always used a universal remote with no issue. Let me double check it this evening, but I believe it should work for what you're looking to do just fine.

The only reason I want to upgrade is i'm tired of wires being everywhere and having to deal with a mess every time I move something around. I'm going to switch over to a higher end wireless sound bar setup and call it a day.

[sx moneypit]

Mornin' gentlemen!
Check this out Ray.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158STDH740 ... DH740.html

[frapjap]

How the hell do you adjust the bass/treble/mids, various powers of output, and which speaker channels you want to run on a receiver like that?
If you turn it off completely (unplug it), do you lose your settings; assuming you can customize them? We have one of those "smart" power strip that completely turns off power to your accessories when you're not using them.

Chris, I'm interested but don't really need the speakers. I'm guessing that you're likely not interested in breaking up the set.

[Kompresshun]

You adjust it in the settings on it. They also usually have presets for that to already programmed. I pretty just leave ours on Dolby 5.1 and don't mess with it, but it can be adjusted within the settings pretty easily.

If you're wanting a true all manual unit, then you're going to have a hard time finding that.

[Dattebayo]

Edit: Sorry, I'm having some reading issues.

[Dattebayo]

Unity is certainly divisive and controversial. But you can improve it dramatically with some tools. Install Unity Tweak Tool and Ubuntu Tweak and you'll be set.
The thing that I really LOVE about Ubuntu's desktop is the Super key and quick-search. It's really, Mac-like effective at finding files, programs, features, etc. Far better than Windows' terrible search function. It learns well and does a good job of recommending the app I want first, and then possible alternatives in addition. Adding scopes makes it even more useful (basic calculator functions just by hitting the Super key and typing in the search box).
You can always switch to a different desktop environment, too. And there's Kubuntu and Xubuntu and a billion other distros with Ubuntu's software support but the desktop of your choice.

Nothing wrong with any of those distros, though. I like Mint and Arch and Fedora. Fedora's a little "cold" for home use (it's one of the more heavily "enterprise-oriented" distros) but still great and super stable.

My preference for Ubuntu is mainly software-based. Most of the stuff I want to do with my computer is best-supported on Ubuntu (or, in turn, Mint or another fork). Steam, Desura, etc.

Here's a screenie of my current Ubuntu setup:

I have Mint installed now, and I like it, but it crashes every time I hook up an extra HDMI monitor to it and switch resolution. Since it doubles as a HTPC and does a lot of presentations for work, I need that to stop happening. I also need the ability to have mirrored displays with different resolution, and Mint doesn't offer that in it's current form, so I really need a patch or something else that works.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I had similar problems back on Ubuntu 12.04. Multi-monitor acted weird. Haven't had issues with it since 12.10 though.

[sx moneypit]

Mornin' peoples!!

[Dattebayo]

I have 12.04 on there now and it's giving me serious problems with my video card. I have a Radeon HD 4550 and am apparently not the only one with issues regarding that...

Do you have a link for 12.10?

[MinisterofDOOM]

You should be able to use the built-in Software updater (Super/Windows key, then type "update") to upgrade automatically. Just need to tell it to look for OS updates by clicking settings and going to the updates tab and telling it to notify of all new versions. If that doesn't work, open a terminal and do $sudo do-release-upgrade.
If all else fails, go here and download the 13.10 Live CD ISO and install from scratch. That's what I did, actually. I had been running 12.10 in a WUBI install (installs it within your Windows NTFS filesystem) but when it came time to move to 13.10 I decided to do it right.

Current version is is 13.10 and I'd highly recommend going with it. A lot of improvements from 12.10. 14.04 is in alpha now and MIGHT prompt for an upgrade, but I'd hold off until official release on a DD machine.

Prior to 12.10 I had a lot of video card issues, too (basically the same ones you're having). Multi-monitor wouldn't work right on my card, either.
The core problem is that drivers for ATI cards are notoriously unreliable under linux. I have a Radeon 6870 myself. I eventually did find an open-source driver (NOT the official AMD/ATI driver) that worked with 12.04, but I don't remember how/where I found it. Probably just google.

Fortunately. 13.10 comes with a very stable open source driver enabled by default for my card. I'm assuming you'll see the same in the case of your 4550. But if you DO have problems, you can open the software updater click "settings" and then go to the "additional drivers" tab. It'll probably list a few options, and I'd go for the NON-proprietary option.

[Dattebayo]

Good show, the 13.10 works much better, but it's still cheesy IMO. And I had to do some manual tweaking in the config files to turn on the HDMI, for some reason they left the quotes blank in the grub file and I had to add the line in for my card... updated it and bam, sound and video no problem. Still, I don't like this version much comared to Mint. It's just more stable is all. I may go to a gnome desktop instead... Also, Teamviewer doesn't work for it unless I get an older version of bash, and more things, etc etc that I need for work. It's a known issue and unfortunately that's how we're set up so I can't just go an switch to another program. SO I still have to keep windows around. I really wish I could send them packing already...

Now I can see why nobody uses linux, it's a pain in the goddamn a** all the time and the learning curve is a f*cking square.

By the way, there is a 14.x version out now, it's called "trusty"