The Super Helpful Little Things Forum

[vexion]

Well, like right now, I have an HD 4850 with two DVI ports and no DisplayPort. So natively I can run dual monitors but not a nice, three-monitor Eyefinity surround-setup.

But if I upgraded to, say, this, with one HDMI, one DisplayPort, and two DVI, and I had three DVI monitors, how do I Eyefinity-it-up? You connect two monitors to DVI and one to active DisplayPort (with the USB power), and it makes magic happen? Or what?

[hithere]

So I was wondering, as an obsessive 0L who's already run through all of the most-loved "law school success" guides and noted the common advice, does anyone have any particular favorite little tricks? I'm talking Lifehacker-style stuff, like slicing the bindings off of casebooks and putting them in three-ring binders, or using twistable crayons instead of highlighters, because they don't bleed.

What's your personal little trick? It doesn't have to be integral to law school success, or even academic. Just the quick hacks no one would think about, and other people go, "Oh, that's neat!" (Or, "Oh, you're a twistable-crayon douchebag...")

Learn to write well and fast.

[Matthies]

Well, like right now, I have an HD 4850 with two DVI ports and no DisplayPort. So natively I can run dual monitors but not a nice, three-monitor Eyefinity surround-setup.

But if I upgraded to, say, this, with one HDMI, one DisplayPort, and two DVI, and I had three DVI monitors, how do I Eyefinity-it-up? You connect two monitors to DVI and one to active DisplayPort (with the USB power), and it makes magic happen? Or what?

Yea, I think that's how it works. I'm just runing the 30 inch of my main, then a 24 inch off my laptop, but I think with efinity you can run all 3 from one GPU.

[Matthies]

here is there website on it --LinkRemoved--

[vexion]

And that's how I spent $1,000 of my law school loans on computer parts, Mom and Dad!

(Every time I get into a thread like this, I come out wanting a new video card, and a couple monitors. And, well, if you give a mouse a high-wattage, 1700 gigaflop cookie, he's going to want a new PSU. And another hard drive, since I've filled up my 750gb. Or maybe just a home file server......)

[Matthies]

And that's how I spent $1,000 of my law school loans on computer parts, Mom and Dad!

(Every time I get into a thread like this, I come out wanting a new video card, and a couple monitors. And, well, if you give a mouse a high-wattage, 1700 gigaflop cookie, he's going to want a new PSU. And another hard drive, since I've filled up my 750gb. Or maybe just a home file server......)

Hehe, my system 3.2ghz I-7 liquid cooled, the dual 5870s, 16 gigs ram, dual 256gig SSDs, 1.5 TB HDD, then a windows home severa, an HTPC, a dell admamo, a dell xps 13, an MPB and a netbook around here sompleace, oh ant 12TBs of HDDs

(my tech addition is part of the reason i went to LS part-time and worked, too feed my need for goodies)

[beef wellington]

<--- will be using the door desk in the fall. thanks for posting that

[vexion]

And that's how I spent $1,000 of my law school loans on computer parts, Mom and Dad!

(Every time I get into a thread like this, I come out wanting a new video card, and a couple monitors. And, well, if you give a mouse a high-wattage, 1700 gigaflop cookie, he's going to want a new PSU. And another hard drive, since I've filled up my 750gb. Or maybe just a home file server......)

Hehe, my system 3.2ghz I-7 liquid cooled, the dual 5870s, 16 gigs ram, dual 256gig SSDs, 1.5 TB HDD, then a windows home severa, an HTPC, a dell admamo, a dell xps 13, an MPB and a netbook around here sompleace, oh ant 12TBs of HDDs

(my tech addition is part of the reason i went to LS part-time and worked, too feed my need for goodies)

So, what did you do for a living? I mean, that is a killer setup. Those Adamos are beautiful. I'm very envious.

/and couldn't you combine the HTPC and the server? And what do you need four laptops for? >_>

[atlantalaw]

<--- will be using the door desk in the fall. thanks for posting that

my mom redid part of our counters so i just took that instead of the door. anything large would work. and preferably wooden.

[vexion]

PS, on chairs? I got this at Staples. Probably the best computer chair I've ever owned. It's highly a matter of personal preference though. I like how the max recline is juuust so, so it stays reclined instead of trying to spring back forward on me.

[zeth006]

PS, on chairs? I got this at Staples. Probably the best computer chair I've ever owned. It's highly a matter of personal preference though. I like how the max recline is juuust so, so it stays reclined instead of trying to spring back forward on me.

A bit on the pricier end. I'm going to have to Craigslist an office chair and hope/pray it's not on its last legs even after I see it in person.

[malfurion]

PS, on chairs? I got this at Staples. Probably the best computer chair I've ever owned. It's highly a matter of personal preference though. I like how the max recline is juuust so, so it stays reclined instead of trying to spring back forward on me.

I've got that same chair and have been happy with it too. I've had it probably going on 2 years now, so it's starting to peel a bit and my cat has scratched up the sides, but it's still super comfy.

Wow I just noticed that the link has it for $350, I think I paid less than $200. Wait till they put it on sale again.
edit: just checked and I paid $249 in Feb. '09, free shipping, yay for never deleting emails

[Matthies]

And that's how I spent $1,000 of my law school loans on computer parts, Mom and Dad!

(Every time I get into a thread like this, I come out wanting a new video card, and a couple monitors. And, well, if you give a mouse a high-wattage, 1700 gigaflop cookie, he's going to want a new PSU. And another hard drive, since I've filled up my 750gb. Or maybe just a home file server......)

Hehe, my system 3.2ghz I-7 liquid cooled, the dual 5870s, 16 gigs ram, dual 256gig SSDs, 1.5 TB HDD, then a windows home severa, an HTPC, a dell admamo, a dell xps 13, an MPB and a netbook around here sompleace, oh ant 12TBs of HDDs

(my tech addition is part of the reason i went to LS part-time and worked, too feed my need for goodies)

So, what did you do for a living? I mean, that is a killer setup. Those Adamos are beautiful. I'm very envious.

/and couldn't you combine the HTPC and the server? And what do you need four laptops for? >_>

I was/am a slumlord, then from 2L on I clerked for frims now i do contract work for lawyers, so i work out of my home. Home sever is Ok, but streaming BDs eats up a ton of bandwith and sever is upstairs, TV downstairs. So I have like 6TB in sever and six TB in HTPC, and about 4Tb of DVDs and BDs burned in then use Media browser --LinkRemoved-- for the HTPC. The XPS 13 is a dedicated ripper and torrent machine, the admo is my work computer as is the MPB when i do stuff for lawyers who use Mac. The netwbook is a decicated firewall/proxy sever

here is the HTPC setup, but I'm going to build a new one here in a few weeks, just picked up one of those new AMD six cores gonna put it in ATX case that looks like a reciver

[vexion]

here is the HTPC setup, but I'm going to build a new one here in a few weeks, just picked up one of those new AMD six cores gonna put it in ATX case that looks like a reciver

And a Viera. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

[Matthies]

here is the HTPC setup, but I'm going to build a new one here in a few weeks, just picked up one of those new AMD six cores gonna put it in ATX case that looks like a reciver

And a Viera. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

This is the case for the next build, but gonna take some time for me afford all the parts i want to put in, main thing I want to get rid of all the extranl drives, this case will hold six x 2Tb each

--ImageRemoved--

[thesealocust]

oops

[philosoraptor]

ITT we are jealous of Matthies' shiny, shiny toys.

[Matthies]

ITT we are jealous of Matthies' shiny, shiny toys.

how about ITT we donate money to pay off Matthies debts

[justbluemyself]

Since you guys are way more technologically savvy than me, can someone point me in the direction of a decent monitor, or a company that makes decent, fairly inexpensive monitors? I'm not looking for anything particularly cool or shiny or beautiful, just something to make my top-law-schools.com a bit easier. I have a (old) MacBook, if that makes a difference. Thanks!

[philosoraptor]

Since you guys are way more technologically savvy than me, can someone point me in the direction of a decent monitor, or a company that makes decent, fairly inexpensive monitors? I'm not looking for anything particularly cool or shiny or beautiful, just something to make my top-law-schools.com a bit easier. I have a (old) MacBook, if that makes a difference. Thanks!

Newegg usually has some pretty good deals, especially if you wait for the specials. As others have mentioned, if you have a Mac, you'll probably need an adapter as well.

[merichard87]

here is the HTPC setup, but I'm going to build a new one here in a few weeks, just picked up one of those new AMD six cores gonna put it in ATX case that looks like a reciver

And a Viera. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

This is the case for the next build, but gonna take some time for me afford all the parts i want to put in, main thing I want to get rid of all the extranl drives, this case will hold six x 2Tb each

--ImageRemoved--

What is this and what does it do? I'm intrigued by its shiny sexiness.

[Matthies]

here is the HTPC setup, but I'm going to build a new one here in a few weeks, just picked up one of those new AMD six cores gonna put it in ATX case that looks like a reciver

And a Viera. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.

This is the case for the next build, but gonna take some time for me afford all the parts i want to put in, main thing I want to get rid of all the extranl drives, this case will hold six x 2Tb each

--ImageRemoved--

What is this and what does it do? I'm intrigued by its shiny sexiness.

bascilly its an HTPC (Home Theator PC) case. ATX form factor (big mother baord so lots of extras) that allows you to build an HTPC that does not look like a big tower sitting next to your A/V equitment, if you look in the pick on my current HTPC you can see that, when done, this will go on my rack and not stand out like a big ass PC tower would.

[Matthies]

Since you guys are way more technologically savvy than me, can someone point me in the direction of a decent monitor, or a company that makes decent, fairly inexpensive monitors? I'm not looking for anything particularly cool or shiny or beautiful, just something to make my top-law-schools.com a bit easier. I have a (old) MacBook, if that makes a difference. Thanks!

Newegg usually has some pretty good deals, especially if you wait for the specials. As others have mentioned, if you have a Mac, you'll probably need an adapter as well.

I agree with Newegg suggestion, but also check amazon, and compusa online. Best thing to do is find a montoirt with good reviews, then use google shop to price out the best price. I like Dell monitors, but they are not cheap. I know people who like Samsung as well. Stay away from bands you never heard of unless you are ok with replacing it every few years.

[Chupavida]

.

[Slimpee]

Newegg is the sh*t.

Also, for tech neophytes (like myself) a dual monitor setup is easy to setup and pretty sweet.

Step 1. Buy laptop (or PC/video card) and make sure it has some sort of external video port (S-video, DVI, RCA, i dunno what all exists). As the salesperson or just look at the spec sheet.

Step 2. Buy a monitor with appropriate cable or get a converter. My work setup uses the laptop screen and a 21" Samsung monitor (cheap and pretty sweet) which uses a std. monitor plug (whatever it's called)

Step 3. Connect monitor to comp

Step 4. Change video settings to "extended desktop" (or clone I guess). In XP you can do this by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop background, "Graphics Options"--->"Output to"--->"Extended Desktop"--->"Monitor & Notebook". Make sure that your preferred monitor is listed as the No. 1 or "primary" monitor. I'm not sure about the process for Vista but in either OS you can access the same menu through your Display Settings tab in the Control Panel. You may have to go "Advanced" in order to access your video card's output settings. Your comp may be different, however.

Step 5. Adjust both monitor's resolution until you get a setting you like (ie not blurry or stretched or whatever). In XP right-click on desktop as before--->"Graphics Options"--->"Graphics Properties"--->"Devices". You can adjust from there...or, again, you can access from the "Display" area in the Control Panel. Again, your comp may be different.

Voila. You can now have cute cat videos playing on one screen while you work on your outline on the other! Be the envy of your study group!

Oh, and get a wireless keyboard and mouse. These are fantastic.