Oh, the BLOAT! New PCs are so slow!

  • Thread starter Thread starter yep
  • Start date Start date
Y

yep

I haven't bought a ready-made computer in years. I either build them new or
rebuild old ones. I put Win98SE or WinXP on them, Word, Nero, PSP, Power
DVD, AVG, etc. They always run nice and zippy.

Well, I finally got a factory fresh Dell Inspiron, Celeron 2.3GHz with
256MBs. WHAT A DOG!!! SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW. It runs about as fast as an old DELL
Latitude PII 400 with 128MBs that I put WinXP on.

So I disabled a load of software crap on startup with msconfig. Then I
disabled most of the WinXP crap using the Performance tab. Tweak UI speeded
up the menus. The touchpad was set too slow and too heavy, fixed that. All
of this vastly increased the speed. But only reformatting and installing
WinXP from scratch made this thing run like a 2.3GHz machine with 256MBs
should, almost.

I can only assume that Dell (and probably other vendors) load up their new
PCs with demo software for a fee. Then there are the delays BUILT IN to
Windows. Perhaps they are trying to avoid tech support calls from newbies.

Anyway, Dell should pay me a few bucks and I'd fix all their dogs for them.
It ain't hard.
 
My Dimension 4500 ran as fast as lightning from the first minute. Still
does. I noticed no "software crap" on my computer.

Tom Swift
 
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| I haven't bought a ready-made computer in years. I either build them new or
| rebuild old ones. I put Win98SE or WinXP on them, Word, Nero, PSP, Power
| DVD, AVG, etc. They always run nice and zippy.
|
| Well, I finally got a factory fresh Dell Inspiron, Celeron 2.3GHz with
| 256MBs. WHAT A DOG!!! SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW. It runs about as fast as an old DELL
| Latitude PII 400 with 128MBs that I put WinXP on.
|
| So I disabled a load of software crap on startup with msconfig. Then I
| disabled most of the WinXP crap using the Performance tab. Tweak UI speeded
| up the menus. The touchpad was set too slow and too heavy, fixed that. All
| of this vastly increased the speed. But only reformatting and installing
| WinXP from scratch made this thing run like a 2.3GHz machine with 256MBs
| should, almost.
|
| I can only assume that Dell (and probably other vendors) load up their new
| PCs with demo software for a fee. Then there are the delays BUILT IN to
| Windows. Perhaps they are trying to avoid tech support calls from newbies.
|
| Anyway, Dell should pay me a few bucks and I'd fix all their dogs for them.
| It ain't hard.
 
Oh, you're just going to love my killfile. It's filled with posters who have
single digit IQs, just like you...PLONK.

Tom Swift
 
Tom said:
My Dimension 4500 ran as fast as lightning from the first minute.
Still does. I noticed no "software crap" on my computer.
Click to expand...

maybe i'm getting to used to linux/bsd, but i find it annoying when "the
basics" are served by crippleware designed to make me buy an upgrade. sure
it is nice to get demos, but it is kind of a disservice when they are part
of thw workflow. clicking on a standard filetype shouldn't get me a dialog
that says "you are starting a 30 day evaluation".

but i realize this is (mostly) a peeve. those guys probably help subsidize
the dell price, and i can choose myself to download real free software, or
buy a real program.

.... but i'm still tempted to call it "'oftware crap'on my computer."
 
yep said:
I can only assume that Dell (and probably other vendors) load up their new
PCs with demo software for a fee. Then there are the delays BUILT IN to
Windows.
Click to expand...

Well, yeah.
 
Lefty said:
maybe i'm getting to used to linux/bsd, but i find it annoying when "the
basics" are served by crippleware designed to make me buy an upgrade. sure
it is nice to get demos, but it is kind of a disservice when they are part
of thw workflow. clicking on a standard filetype shouldn't get me a dialog
that says "you are starting a 30 day evaluation".
Click to expand...

Well, yeah. That's one reason I started building my own.
 
Go to Start | Run | type "msconfig" | Startup tab
Uncheck everything but what you really want to run at startup (usually
nothing but anti-virus, use AVG, NOT NORTON)

Then go to Control Panel | System | Advanced | Performance Settings | Adjust
for best Performance. Put a check only on the last feature, Use Visual
Styles (if you still want the pretty blue colors).

Download Tweak UI http://snipurl.com/3jyn
Set mouse/menu speed to the first mark. Get rid of balloons on Taskbar.

Fast, Fast , Fast!
 
yep said:
Well, I finally got a factory fresh Dell Inspiron, Celeron 2.3GHz with
256MBs. WHAT A DOG!!! SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW. It runs about as fast as an old DELL
Latitude PII 400 with 128MBs that I put WinXP on.
Click to expand...

This appears to be an Inspiron 1100 which has shared video memory -- you
don't get 256MB program memory which is really the minimum to run
smoothly with WinXP. So I'm not surprised that it runs as slow as
probably a better line of Latitude with 128MB. Processor hardly matters
in this case.
 
yep said:
Less ****ing bots, less bloat. Michael Dell is an old joo fart.
Click to expand...
Ya know, I was with ya, until you made the above remark. You just blew
any hint of credibility on your part.
 
Check www.blackviper.com for which services you can turn off
in XP, you can go from the 40 or so that load by default to
a 1/2 dozen (6) and that will run a lot faster.



| Go to Start | Run | type "msconfig" | Startup tab
| Uncheck everything but what you really want to run at
startup (usually
| nothing but anti-virus, use AVG, NOT NORTON)
|
| Then go to Control Panel | System | Advanced | Performance
Settings | Adjust
| for best Performance. Put a check only on the last
feature, Use Visual
| Styles (if you still want the pretty blue colors).
|
| Download Tweak UI http://snipurl.com/3jyn
| Set mouse/menu speed to the first mark. Get rid of
balloons on Taskbar.
|
| Fast, Fast , Fast!
|
|
message
| | > My Dimension 4500 ran as fast as lightning from the
first minute. Still
| > does. I noticed no "software crap" on my computer.
| >
| > Tom Swift
| >
| >
| > > I haven't bought a ready-made computer in years. I
either build them new
| > or
| > > rebuild old ones. I put Win98SE or WinXP on them,
Word, Nero, PSP, Power
| > > DVD, AVG, etc. They always run nice and zippy.
| > >
| > > Well, I finally got a factory fresh Dell Inspiron,
Celeron 2.3GHz with
| > > 256MBs. WHAT A DOG!!! SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW. It runs about
as fast as an old
| > DELL
| > > Latitude PII 400 with 128MBs that I put WinXP on.
| > >
| > > So I disabled a load of software crap on startup with
msconfig. Then I
| > > disabled most of the WinXP crap using the Performance
tab. Tweak UI
| > speeded
| > > up the menus. The touchpad was set too slow and too
heavy, fixed that.
| All
| > > of this vastly increased the speed. But only
reformatting and installing
| > > WinXP from scratch made this thing run like a 2.3GHz
machine with 256MBs
| > > should, almost.
| > >
| > > I can only assume that Dell (and probably other
vendors) load up their
| new
| > > PCs with demo software for a fee. Then there are the
delays BUILT IN to
| > > Windows. Perhaps they are trying to avoid tech support
calls from
| newbies.
| > >
| > > Anyway, Dell should pay me a few bucks and I'd fix all
their dogs for
| > them.
| > > It ain't hard.
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > >
| > >
| >
| >
|
|
|
 
Tom Almy said:
This appears to be an Inspiron 1100 which has shared video memory -- you
don't get 256MB program memory which is really the minimum to run
smoothly with WinXP. So I'm not surprised that it runs as slow as
probably a better line of Latitude with 128MB. Processor hardly matters
in this case.
Click to expand...
Yeap , 256mb is rather light, add another 256mb stick of ram at least
 
Conor said:
Also check out www.litepc.com
Click to expand...

Go in to Task Manager and look at the total CPU used by each process. In
my case the Services used very little. Maybe the poster can tell us what
he means by "...will run a lot faster".
 
yep said:
I haven't bought a ready-made computer in years. I either build them new or
rebuild old ones. I put Win98SE or WinXP on them, Word, Nero, PSP, Power
DVD, AVG, etc. They always run nice and zippy.

Well, I finally got a factory fresh Dell Inspiron, Celeron 2.3GHz with
256MBs. WHAT A DOG!!! SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW. It runs about as fast as an old DELL
Latitude PII 400 with 128MBs that I put WinXP on.
Click to expand...

<snip>

Wipe it, reinstall, and enjoy the difference.
 
Tom said:
This appears to be an Inspiron 1100 which has shared video memory -- you
don't get 256MB program memory which is really the minimum to run
smoothly with WinXP. So I'm not surprised that it runs as slow as
probably a better line of Latitude with 128MB. Processor hardly matters
in this case.
Click to expand...

Good point.
 
There are a few other elements to the equation also.

Laptop hard drives are slow.... 4200 RPM in the Inspiron...7200RPM in your
typical home built desktop. Also, you'll typically have a bit more memory
and a faster video card in your desktop.

As you noted, all of the software startup junk should go but also be aware
that the biggest slowdown of them all is the Window Updates! If you do a
clean install, notice how fast windows starts up, how fast Internet explorer
starts. Then do you windows update and watch your computer startup and IE
startup slow to a crawl.

-Tim
 
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