Testing new theories on Windows 8

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vtailor
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Testing new theories on Windows 8

Post by vtailor »

I am testing the theory that 1024x768 is a "good" resolution for Windows 8 on the fit-pc2 z530. This is a re-installation in which I managed to adjust the monitor for 4:3 aspect ratio, rather than 16:9, which is the default. The upshot is that the plain vesa driver naturally looks terrifically good, and you can do things like stream amazon.com video on the Internet Explorer with pre-installed flash in "full screen". But you get noticeably better streaming results with the latest Intel EMGD driver set to 1024x768. Remembering that Microsoft is also "upgrading" its Windows 7 Internet Explorer to handle the "latest" flash 11.5, and that many web sites will soon be demanding that you upgrade flash to this version, even in Linux.

Of course, I am also using the latest Realtek sound driver set to rear speakers quadrophonic mode so that my analog computer speakers make sound. If this trend continues, I will switch my desktop speakers left from right so as to point my ears at the correct sound sources. More when I know more. Don't give up the fit-pc2 line quite yet.

vtailor
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: Testing new theories on Windows 8

Post by vtailor »

The main problem with Windows 8 is that there is so much background going on all the Time. When you log in, you see an array of "apps" including the traditional desktop. Many of these apps are animated, and, guess what, they take up CPU percentage and wifi or ethernet bandwidth. If you RIGHT CLICK after selecting, but not starting, an app, you will see something at the bottom of the screen that tells you that the app can be turned off. I have been doing this so that the images stop changing, thereby lowering CPU usage. Somewhere in the background lurks a forgotten and not essential app waiting to be disabled this way. When I find it, maybe Windows 8 will run like Windows XP in speed.

Amazon still refuses to stream videos to anything except Internet Explorer, which has an older flash plugin number (11.3) than the other browsers (11.5). I think that's strange. Do you think that's strange?

Again, I get lipsync and full motion in Linux (so far), while Internet Explorer gets some lipsync and very choppy motion on the z530.

Oh, by the way, the very latest EMGD gma 500 driver from Intel shows streaking the same way that a newer Linux kernel shows streaking. And, I repeat, 1920x1024 is not an optimum resolution for streaming video efficiently.

vtailor
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: Testing new theories on Windows 8

Post by vtailor »

I decided to try the "safe resolution" mode trick to install the Compulab IEMGD graphics driver for Windows 7 on my Windows 8 system, in Windows 7 mode. It worked. After several restarts, I am now running my fit-pc2i z530 in the beloved 1360x768 resolution that is so much more efficient.

vtailor
Posts: 229
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: Testing new theories on Windows 8

Post by vtailor »

Not a good place to reply to GabrielH on the matter of installing Windows 7 using a pendrive, but here goes: My latest (third, fourth, fifth?) z510 fit pc2 can't execute the diskpart program, and doesn't know about the bootsect program. I mean, the administrator command prompt freezes when you type diskpart<Enter>.

I know that these programs "work", because I got them to work on one of my Windows 8 system administrator command prompt windows. However, the resulting pendrive Windows 7 installer gets into a loop where it comes back to the initial startup every Time it restarts the computer. I think this is a flaw in Windows.

There is also the devil in your description of the algorithm, involving transferring to D:\BOOT and copying the entire contents into the "root directory". As far as I know, DOS copy command is not recursive, and diskcopy only works for two "floppies" of the same type. Unless there is a long-forgotten DOS command that does the correct version of copying, you need to say that, after installing 'bootsect ....' you use the graphics copy to copy all the directories on the DVD onto the E: removable drive.

Which, in my case, does not work.

Cheifetz, I am sure there was a family by that name in Boston long ago. I may have known one of your close relatives.

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