Getting down to it, I basically just plugged it in and it was auto-detected by Windows XP, and lit up right away. As far as looks go, it’s pretty sleek. I was more interested in overall comfort though, and this keyboard seems to be delivering me plenty of comfort with the wrist wrest at the bottom. I type A LOT so comfort is pretty important. I didn’t want any ergonomic keyboard, I’m too used to the “regular” keyboard layout to bother with anything fancy. The keys feel pretty nice and responsive. Another thing that’s nice is it blends really well with the rest of my desktop. My computer case (the Antec 900) glows blue pretty heavily, the other color being black. My mouse is black, my mousepad is black, my LCD screens are black, my speakers are black, so yea it blends really well with the rest of my desktop. The only thing that doesn’t blend is my mouse which glows green, for some reason I didn’t get a blue glowing mouse.

Enough about that though, doesn’t really relate to the product itself The illumination isn’t 100% the same over all the keys, but it’s good enough. I never look at the keys anyway, since I know exactly where pretty much every single key is anyway. I just wanted illumination because it looked cool Oh yea, and when I’m typing it doesn’t make a ton of noise, my last keyboard made much more noise when I typed.

If you’re just looking around for a nice regular keyboard that feels nice and looks sleek, this might be your keyboard

You can check it out at Amazon here.

2. Get help if you need it. Use forums! If you have an issue with something, why not make use of forums? They are free support. Generally there is a forum for every niche in the technology realm.

3. Read books. If you are studying a particular device, and trying to make a technical modification there are probably books available for it. An example would be Xbox modification.

4. Use your imagination. If you want to make a device do something it’s not intended for, find out if it’s possible. Chances are if it’s possible someone has already done it.

5. Stick to it. The old saying applies. “If at first you don’t succeed try, try, and try again.”

Some people may not realize that the Internet is FULL of information that you sometimes have to dig for. I mentioned a few times that FORUMS are probably the most wealthy in free knowledge on advanced, specific subjects. Don’t forget blogs though, they have also been useful for me when I’m dealing with specific issues. This blog was primarily started to *hopefully* provide easier access to some information that I have dugg up from forums.

There are three main components of an electronic cigarette. There is the cartridge, which contains a solution of mostly nicotine and water. Then there is the atomizer, which creates the vapor you inhale. The last component is the battery, which also contains the LED at the end.

When I first heard about these I asked a few questions. Why don’t more people use them if they work so well? The answer I found: Not many people know about them, there is very little advertising. Cigarette manufacturers certainly don’t want you to know about them, you’ll stop buying their product. There also may be something with the government, they want to continue to receive tax dollars from all the cigarette purchases. (Not sure about this one, just something I have read)

I am very pleased to tell you that smoking from an electronic cigarette almost perfectly simulates real smoking. I am simply amazed. The only real difference you will notice with this particular model, is that it takes quite a bit more inhaling to get a good “hit” compared to a regular cigarette. This could probably be remedied by trying out different models, I’m sure some produce tons of vapor, and almost perfectly emulate a cigarette.

The amount of time a cartridge lasts is kind of disappointing, I popped one in at 4PM and by 8:30PM it was done. However, I have purchased  60mL e-liquid that should get here fairly quick. I may have to rely on analogs for a little while till it gets here. Battery life seems decent enough, it’s still going strong after 4 and a half hours of use. I will update with a more full review of this particular e-cig once I’ve used it longer. Expect me to be trying out a few other models and listing the reviews here as well.

Do I think this will become a big hit in the near future with smokers everywhere? Yes I do. How can you go wrong with something that feels and tastes just like a cigarette? One exception! There is no other chemicals to harm you. No more tar, no more staining your teeth, the walls, no more smelling up the entire room when you smoke, and no more mess with ashes. How can you go wrong? My mind is made up, I’m going for the switch.

Remember, most do not advise that you use electronic cigarettes to try and quit. They are too similar to real cigarettes. I know it might sound like I am marketing or something, but I’m not. This is the truth.

Anyway, if you’re a smoker, and feel the need to switch to something healthier, I would say electronic cigarettes are going to be your best bet.

If you’re thinking of switching, you might also want to check out http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ They seem to have the largest e-cigarette community

You can buy the DSE-901  here.

(Click to enlarge)

2X2GB OCZ Reaper ram sticks

Logitech G11 Gaming Keyboard (Or similar.. Mines worn out.. )

Samsung SH-S223F CD/DVD Drive

That’s really about it. Feel free to give me suggestions on other Ram, Keyboards, or CD/DVD Drives. These items aren’t set, it’s just generally what I’m looking for with my christmas money. Some people have been pestering me about getting an Xbox 360, I still don’t want one, and I’m not sure about getting one just because other people want me to. I’m a PC Gamer, live with it. (Though if I got one, I would most certainly mod the heck out of it, that’s the most fun I ever get out of consoles.)

Images taken from newegg.com.

The regular optical mouse

Yes, you can game with a regular optical mouse. These mice have a DPI rating in the 600-800 range. I find that this is not responsive enough. The difference in DPI can mean getting a frag or being fragged. I personally like gaming mice for everyday tasks as well, as it makes moving across the screen much quicker.

The Saitek Gm3200 Gaming Mouse

This mouse is a very good mouse, with a very high DPI. There is something wrong with it, however. The mouse is too bulky. It doesn’t have very good aesthetics either, but that’s not what I care about, personally. The high sensitivity (3200DPI) really isn’t needed for games, either. Despite the fact that the weights can be customized, I never really found a need for doing that. After using it for a very short period, the scroll wheel stopped working correctly. I’m not saying this is a bad mouse, it is actually far superior to a regular optical mouse, it just has some flaws. This leads us to our third mouse.

The Razer Diamondback Gaming Mouse

I also purchased this from woot.com, and I have had NO issues with it. It is perfect, exactly what I was looking for from the Saitek GM3200, but didn’t receive. It has a fair sensitivity at 1600DPI, which I find is about perfect for gaming and everyday tasks. The scroll wheel is very comfortable, and very responsive. I use the scroll wheel often, so this is important to me. The size of this mouse is also very good. I feel my hand fits nicely with this mouse. In all honesty, I can say that the Razer Diamondback is the best mouse I’ve had. Even if you are not a gamer, consider this mouse, because it is just… Awesome.

Prebuilt PCs have these issues:

• No choice of OS, it’s already installed (and included in the price)
• Hardware is cheap wherever possible, this includes the power supply, the cooling system, and the motherboard.
• Upgrades are difficult, most of the time they must be done through the manufacturer, power supplies are weak, so upgrading any one component might cause an instability.
• Generally, there are not many options for tweaking in the Bios.
• The cases are cheap, they provide very bad cooling.

Now a homebuilt PC has no issues, so long as the right components are purchased.

• Choice of OS whether this be Linux, Windows, or Hackintosh
• Complete control of what goes into the PC.
• Upgrades are easy, almost anything on Newegg will work on your PC, so  long as it’s supported by your motherboard (which you picked out yourself)
• Many tweaks are located in the Bios, so long as you selected a decent motherboard.
• Assembling your own PC may actually be cheaper than the pre-built PCs.
• Home built PCs are generally more stable.
• You can use some older components on newer builds.
• Fixing hardware related problems is much easier.

My first PC, which I built when I was about 11 years old, had a lot of crap components and was very similar to a pre-built PC. It took me awhile to find the quality components I really wanted.

This is where computer enthusiast forums come in handy. If you visit extremeoverclocking.com or XtremeSystems.org they will be happy to help you select the right components. There are stickies noting the better hardware out there. I could also help you with a build if you want, just post in the forums.

I had many issues with powersupplies failing on me until I spent the money for a Corsair 520HX, and I haven’t had an issue since. My PC is rock solid even overclocked, I have no problems leaving it on for days, and it still be completely responsive. Prime95 is also a great test to see if your PC is running stable, my guess is that most pre-built PCs would really struggle with that kind of program.

Using websites like Slickdeals.net or similar is also a great way to save money on your build, you just have to watch for deals on good components. If I would have bought everything from my build directly from Newegg.com I would have spent $200 more than I did being thrifty on my last build. I say it’s completely worth it, but it’s up to you to see if you want to put the time into it.

Since I’ve talked about dual screens, and my computer specifications I’ve mentioned this monitor. This monitor is MUCH better than my older 19″ viewsonic LCD. It is crisper, clearer, brighter, and bigger. It was a nice deal too at only $132, thanks slickdeals.net . No dead pixels, 1680×1050 resolution, which is about perfect for my videocard, the HD4850. Clarity is hard to explain, the colors just look more vibrant, more real. It looks better than my old CRT. Of course it is still TFT, so it’s not the greatest, but it still looks great in my opinion.

I bought these speakers some time back. I have never been more satisified with a speaker set to be honest. These things literally ROCK. I can hear details I could not hear on my Bose SoundDock for the iPod.  I do not recommend Bose, after using these speakers, they outperform the $300 system Bose offers for computers. These only cost $60-100 depending on where you get them.

Are they loud enough?

Do you want your ears to bleed? These speakers could probably do that for you. They are loud, I have never had to go past 40-50%, and at that volume I’m bothering the neighbors. Not only are they loud, but clarity continues no matter what volume you set them at.

Gaming?

Gaming with these speakers is nothing but spectacular. Having the floor shake when a grenade is thrown at you is just awesome, that’s all that can describe the feeling.

For $60, I can’t recommend them enough. Seriously, go get them you won’t be disappointed. That’s the price you’d pay for a console game these days.