Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with upgrade

The processor cost of upgrading

WhackyparseThis — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:21:49 -0800

Upgrading from OS X 10.4 to 10.6: Does it use more CPU? I have a Mac Mini 1.66GHz that suffers from overheating problems when placed under stress. I'm looking at upgrading for the extra utilities such as Time Machine and Quicktime Pro, but i am concerned that a newer OS may place more pressure on my weakened computer. Does 10.6 run the computer harder than 10.4?

CS4 upgrade confusion makes my wallet cry

Thorzdad — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:42:38 -0800

Is there really a difference between the upgrade and upsell versions of CS4? Now that I finally have an up-to-date system, I need to upgrade my ancient version of CS1 to CS4. Therein lies some confusion...

I see that Amazon offers the CS4 Design Premium suite in both upgrade and upsell versions. Is there really any difference inside the box between the two? The upsell price is pretty darn breathtaking and I'd love to avoid spending the dough if I can. I mean, that $300 is a huge difference for me. The $588 is hard to take as it is, but I really do have to upgrade. I'm making CS1 work for now on my new iMac and SnowLeopard, but let's just say the experience is...touchy...at times.

Rummaging around Amazon I found yet another upsell version for people wanting to upgrade from stand-alone copies of Illustrator or Photoshop. That went for over a grand. Does Adobe actually print several different versions of the install disc for varying upgrades vs. upsells? Or is it the same damn disc and I can go ahead and get the $588 version and upgrade without worry?

iTunes fails to launch in recently upgraded Windows 7

mgarnhum — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:52:59 -0800

Why won't iTunes start after I've upgraded to Windows 7? I've just upgraded to Windows 7 and my iTunes won't launch. I've uninstalled and reinstalled and still no luck.

I have tried to troubleshoot from ITunes and Windows support sites to no avail.

Any suggestions?

The most "bang" for my photography buck.

siclik — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:03:13 -0800

What are some upgrades I can purchase for my Canon EOS 40D that will provide me with the most improved images for the least amount of money? We're expecting a baby this spring and I foresee an increase in the amount of pictures we'll be taking, so I want to make sure we're doing it right.

I don't mind paying for new upgrades (combined, probably up to $1,000). Right now I have only what came with the stock kit (standard body, 28-135mm lens).

Specific recommendations for flashes, lens upgrades, remote controls, etc. would be very much appreciated. For example, I'd assume, for starters, we're going to want a pretty quality portrait lens, right?

Thanks!

Help me find the most computer for my money

miratime — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:41:45 -0800

It's time to buy a new computer. I'm hoping that with the shopping season coming up I'll be able to snag a good deal somewhere. I would prefer to just order the complete package from somewhere, but with enough help I would be willing to purchase individual components and assemble. I need something that will let me game a little and without graphical snags, and something that will continue to perform well for several years. I've been considering this for a while, and after a mostly-successful build a couple of years ago for my husband, it's my turn to get the shiny new toy. I really want this purchase to last and I'm not an upgrade fiend. My current desktop is an old Dell Dimension 2600 which was a refurb when I got it back in 2004, so I can't really judge what current models are like. I would like to get something that will be "good" for a while; I'd rather aim a little higher (within affordability) than get the bare minimum of what will do what I want.

What do I want?

* I want to be able to play a couple of different MMOs (World of Warcraft and The Secret World) and The Sims 3 with max graphics settings and no problems multitasking in Firefox, running a music player (iTunes), etc.

My husband's computer already does this and it's a couple of years old; Intel quad core processor and 4GB of RAM, I believe. TSW isn't out yet but they've said that they want it to be accessible to players with laptops when it comes out, and even if that's a couple of years down the road I’m assuming that means that they don't intend to make it the most graphically-complex game ever or anything. I don't play first-person-shooters or any other type of game other than the ones listed (MMOs, I guess?) but if the games I do play look blocky, get low framerates, lag during play, or take forever to load, I find myself losing interest and right quick. Right now I'm running a 19" LCD but it is not widescreen; a monitor upgrade will go on the wishlist after the system is purchased.

* I want Windows 7. If it's some sort of deal from somewhere that's trying to clear out older models that still have XP/Vista, I need to be able to upgrade (though I've heard that this is a more complicated route).

* I want to spend up to $800-$900. Less is better but I don't have a very good idea of what that can get me. I'd like to be able to go another five years with this system without it being hopelessly outdated a year from now and trodding along until I can afford another new system for the next four years or more. Is this even a reasonable price range for my expectations? If it isn't, what compromises could I make to keep the system in this price range?

* I would like a smaller tower if possible but this is by no means a necessity. My current tower is plenty large and I have the space for it. However, if I can take advantage of the trend of technology shrinking as it becomes more advanced, I certainly wouldn't' t mind accommodating something smaller.

I know that there are new Core i5 and i7 processors that are getting a some attention, but I'm completely lost when it comes to judging which are good for what and comparing them to older models which may or may not perform better, be more affordable, or give more value for the price.

I'm willing to buy from either HP or Dell, but am leery of trusting the big box manufacturers to make something truly stable and long-lasting; the only reason I am considering these companies is because I do receive a company discount at these vendors. The HP discount varies but seems to be from about 20%-25% while the Dell discount is only about 7%-9%.

I'm also willing to go through Newegg, TigerDirect, or similar and purchase individual parts (or bundles, which I've seen a few of lately), but I don't feel confident about building the system myself. I can install the most basic of components (RAM, etc.) but don't trust myself to not blow up the power supply or something if I tried to DIY the whole thing. I've seen many sites lately referring to this guide, but being a complete novice I have no idea how accurate or helpful it might be to a true newbie. If MeFi thinks the guide is all right I might be willing to take a few steps in the build-your-own direction.

I was also hoping that my fellow Pittsburgh MeFites might be able to make recommendations for people who would be willing to put a build together, and give me an idea of how much that might cost if I went that route.

Is it a good time to be making a commitment to a new system? It feels like Windows 7 should be a factor, but I'm worried that as soon as I commit to one thing there will be something else that completely eclipses it on the horizon, or some huge price drop that makes me want to plant my face into my keyboard, but I think this might happen regardless of when I buy.

I know there are some folks on here who like to help create custom builds, so I'm hoping for your help, MeFi. I know I've asked a lot of questions, but any and all help is appreciated

Memory upgrade for Intel Xeon Mac Pro?

austinlee — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:12:17 -0800

Memory upgrade for Intel Xeon Mac Pro? I bought the base mac pro a few months ago planning to up the memory right away. When I went to do this I got confused by a few websites that warned about using only certain kinds of memory and in certain groups. Can someone tell me what they think is the best way without spending more than necessary?

The computer is a 2.66 Quad-Core Intel Xeon with 3 GB 1066 MHz DDR3.

Thanks!

Hope me the legitament phone filter

shoebox — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:01:26 -0800

Help me choose a legit new cellphone that's on the market now that can meet all of my 21st century needs and demands. My trusty old cellphone recently met with the business end of cutting edge Swedish furniture design (phone in pocket; bumped into table). Higher powers have recognized that a phone is essential for them to keep tabs on me - so they in their great wisdom have decided to fully subsidize my replacement and left the details up to me. However, I really have not been keeping up with current technology. That is where I need you, hive mind.

My budget is ~$500 CDN, although the less spent the better. I don't mind if it goes over, but nothing too ridiculous. The plan is to basically get a phone second hand/off ebay/the black market/whatever and stick in my current Rogers SIM card. However, I don't have a data plan (on family plan right now) and don't plan to get one, so I suppose a smartphone would be out of the question.

A few other things to consider:

Wifi capability would be excellent. I am almost always in a multi-bar zone and would like to put it to good use.

Must have a decent music player (and expandable storage). I was thinking of getting a new mp3 player to replace my old zen micro from eons past, but now that cellphones can do virtually everything, this seems like a good way to kill two birds with one hand-held device.

A decent camera would be nice (same reason as above).

FM Radio. For when my music gets monotonous.

Bluetooth would be cool.

Must be black. I can live with blue or dark gray.

Most importantly, I plan to take care of this phone and need to last a long time, so something that wont be obsolete in at least a few years or so would be preferable.

I need help upgrading my windows OS 6.1 to 6.5

omaralarifi — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:38:18 -0800

I want to upgrade my HTC Touch HD GSM Windows OS from 6.1 to 6.5. What is 1.56.OliNex simple comprehensive English? what is the difference between upgrading through HSPL and USPL? I don't really know the meaning and the difference between HSPL and USPL, and which one is recommended and less risky? I went to xda-developers.com and couldn't comprehend there well.

Snow Leopard upgrade

Science! — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:01:05 -0800

Does the $29.99 upgrade version of Apple's OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard come with iLife and iWork 09 like the box set, or will it update older versions of iLife and iWork to the 09 version? I own a macbook running 10.5 and I want to buy the $29.99 update, but I'd really like to also update iLife and iWork. I have the iLife apps that came with my macbook, and I bought iWork 08. Will the upgrade version of Snow Leopard update these apps or do I have to spring for the box set?

A link to an article or store site detailing this would be appreciated.

Upgrading to Win-7 - Help me

jameslavelle3 — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:22:24 -0800

Can I buy the "upgrade" version of Windows 7 if I am also upgrading my hard drive at the same time? I have a purchased OEM version Vista Ultimate (x86) on my desktop right now and I want to upgrade to Windows 7 Professional (x64); however, I also want to upgrade my hard drive at the same time to a solid-state drive. Can I get the upgrade version of win-7, and if so how would the installation work on a new hard drive? Or do I need the buy the full version?

Apple third-party repair shops in the Bay Area?

NucleophilicAttack — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:17:40 -0800

What's the Bay Area equivalent of TekServe? More specifically, looking for competent and honest Apple upgrade and repair shops that will work on machines that are out of Applecare, and which will do aftermarket upgrades (e.g. new hard drives, etc.)

Bonus: close to Palo Alto.

Find me better database software.

ricochet biscuit — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:01:03 -0800

I have to compile a database for work to track about 300 separate data trends, but Access isn't cutting it. Suggestions for the next step up? Bear in mind, I am not really a computer guy. I subcontracted this out to a programmer type who undertook to build the database but soon discovered that Access cannot handle more than 256 items in a table. All his solutions are pretty kludgy and he suggests looking for a more robust database program, but I have no idea where to begin. Cost is a factor in puchasing new software: I work for a not-for-profit and have pretty much used up most my 2009 budget for this project. Any suggestions? How many dollars am I looking at for SQL server?

Catching Up on WPMU

pzarquon — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:53:51 -0800

I want to upgrade a WPMU (WordPress Multi-User) install from 1.3.3 (a year old) to 2.8.3 (the current release). Can I just upload and configure 2.8.3 and run the included upgrade.php script, or do I need to "step through" each release, upgrading each time (1.3.3 to 1.5.1, then 1.5.1 to 2.6, 2.6 to 2.7, and 2.7 to 2.8.2)? The Upgrading WPMU page retains the instructions for upgrading each major release, and links to the archive of past versions, so it looks like I need to perform four or more separate upgrades. On the other hand, it's a publicly-editable Codex, and it's not uncommon for old information to stick around.

I'm hoping that each new version of WPMU has an upgrade.php process that can cumulatively update elements as needed from older versions, rather than just the previous release.

Anyone have experience with this? Note that WPMU 1.3.3 is actually WordPress 2.3.3, and as of WPMU 2.6 the version numbers line up, so I hope I'm not as lost in the mists of antiquity as it looks!

Upgrading from Act! v10 to v11... worth it?

tomble — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:00:27 -0800

Upgrading from Act! v10 to Act! v11... Worth it? I need to buy another license for Act! (contacts management software). Version 10 is kind of slow, but very good as far as functionality.

I am considering whether I buy another copy of the old version

or

Buy a copy of the new version and upgrade my v10 software.

If you have done such an upgrade, was there a noticeable difference in performance? I am not interested in integration with Office, just in the speed of the software.

Upgrade a old Jailbroken iPhone 3G

armoir from antproof case — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:21:15 -0800

I'm so unhip, my Jailbroken iPhone 3G is at ver. 2.1 . Unsure how best to make it shiny and cool again. My iPhone 3G has been running the jailbroken 2.1 firmware, as a result of the one and only jailbreak I've done. I don't understand the internals of the process well, let alone the dependencies. Being both a salty, weathered professional in technology, and an utter control-freak, I'm a bit hesitant to just go ahead with some of the instructions I've seen online. Hence, I'm reaching out to the hive mind.

When recently I found that the Facebook app for iPhone won't run on 2.1, I realized I finally have to take the step of continuing with the jailbreaking process. So I'd like to upgrade to 2.2.1, or heck maybe even 3.0. However I haven't found much info out there related to upgrading from such an "old" firmware version.

I've downloaded QuickPwn 2.2.5-2, along with firmware version "iPhone1,2_2.2.1_5H11_Restore.ipsw" and am ready to give it a go .... once I've gotten some reassurance that I'm not jumping too quickly :-)

Subquestion 1: Are there any caveats (esp. related to loss of data - contacts, calendar, etc.) for upgrading from 2.1 directly to 2.2.1 or 3.0, i.e. skipping 2.2 or any other intermediate version? (Note, I am not concerned about the baseband-upgrade caveat; I've no intention of ever unlocking my iphone.)

Subquestion 2: What's the role of iTunes in all this? I'm running 8.0.0.xx ; one document I found indicated that 8.2 is necessary, but another said that this would "break" jailbreaking. (Note, I'm running iTunes on Windows, not Mac.)

Subquestion 3: Does the jailbreaking process require that I first upgrade to the non-jailbroken version of firmware (using iTunes) and *then* install the jailbroken version? Or can I just upgrade from jailbroken-version-2.1 to jailbroken-version-2.2.1_or_3.0 ?

Subquestion 4: Is my understanding correct that, after I've successfully upgraded the iPhone to whichever-version of firmware, that iTunes is then to be used to do a restore of all my data back onto the phone?

Thanks in advance for your help,
Old Wussy Geezer

Fun and games

murtagh — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:11:28 -0800

New to gaming. Please help me with upgrading my system (PC) with gaming in mind. Also looking for game recommendations. I have a PC with the following configuration:

- AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3600+ (2.01 GHz)
- 1GB DDR2 RAM
- Realtek HD Audio
- MSI motherboard with onboard video card: NVIDIA GeForce 6150 (128MB video RAM)

I've recently started playing video games. I've played the Prince of Persia series of games, which I enjoyed immensely, especially The Two Thrones. I've also played Cricket 2007 (EA Sports) and Tomb Raider: Anniversary.

I'm really enjoying playing games, but it seems like most new games require a higher end system, especially with regards to the video card. What would be the best way go about upgrading my system with gaming in mind (nothing too expensive)? I would really appreciate any advice. Recommendations for specific video cards are welcome.

Also, in the meantime, what games can I play that will work well with the configuration I've mentioned?

Best practice for an upgrade to Jaunty Jackalope?

zenja72 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:17:14 -0800

I need to help my friend upgrade from Intrepid Ibex to Jaunty Jackalope. I'd appreciate any tips or advice for doing this. What's the best backup tool to use, and how do I restore from the backup if things go wrong? I'm thinking something like Time Machine would be nice, but I can do command line stuff, too. Any other best practice tips for the upgrade itself? Thanks so much in advance.

Upgrading a neglected Mac computer.

wiretap — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:02:11 -0800

Upgrading Mac OS X 10.2 to at least 10.3 on a dual boot machine. I bought a dual boot mac (os 9.2 and os x 10.2) in the earlier part of this decade, and never bothered to do any upgrades as the years went on.

Now I'm finding reasons to restart my previous graphic design career but 10.2 is so out of date that I'm having trouble using some websites (netflix streaming requires at least 10.3) or playing games (WoW requires at least 10.3), or even upgrading to the latest version of Firefox (!!?).

I have little experience with upgrading computers, so I have a couple questions about upgrading:

1. How do I upgrade JUST the 10.2 "section" (sorry, I don't know the technical term) of my mac? I'm imagining that I'll plop a 10.3 disc in and it'll install over both OS's.

2. Will 10.3 still work with 9.2 (classic mode)? I'd like to keep 9.2 due to some ancient software that works only in 9.2.

Also, could I upgrade to an OS higher than 10.3 or would I need at least 10.3 to move to 10.4 to move to 10.5 etc?

What happens to iPhone apps on upgrade?

perrce — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:38:13 -0800

If I upgrade my iPhone, can I move my App Store apps to the new phone? With all the recent talk of a new iPhone model coming out this summer, it got me wondering what would happen to all the apps that I've bought through the App Store. Can they be re-downloaded for free on to the new phone? Can I work some magic with iTunes? Or do I lose them all and have to buy them all over again?

RAM upgrade backwards-compatibility

DB Cooper — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:40:20 -0800

Is DDR2 PC2-6400 memory backwards-compatible with a laptop that uses DDR2 PC2-5300? The brick & mortar store has 200 pin PC2-6400 in stock and for the same price as their out-of-stock 200 pin PC2-5300 selection. FWIW, I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop.

Can I rebuild it? Better than it was before? Better, stronger, faster?

jammy — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:54:17 -0800

iMacFilter: Upgrade or find something new? That is the question. But, as is often the case, there's a bit more... I have an iMac G5, 1.8 GHz PowerPC, 512 MB, OS 10.3.9 - capacity is 72GB, currently 8GB available. As you might expect, it runs a bit slowly, especially when multiple programs are running. Lately too, the fan has been running high, wheezing in a manner reminiscent of my even older car.

I'm hoping to use some upcoming time off from my job to improve my computer and web skills. Besides making my understandings of basic web design more systematic I'm going to begin looking into things like Content Management Systems (specifically Drupal). Maybe also start wading into Wordpress as well.

So, can I upgrade this old machine, enable it to deal with the new stuff I'm going to be throwing at it? And if so, what's best for the money? Add more memory, update the OS, upgrade the drive, get an extra drive to use in some clever way, some go-faster racing stripes?

Or should I sell/donate/use as a backup drive and bite the bullet and buy something newer? If so, what would be a wise choice? I have read in the news of folks buying models at the wrong time - how do you know when a given model isn't about to be outmoded? My pockets aren't all that deep (& mostly have lint in them) so stretching the dollar is what I'm looking for in terms of options.

Please note: I'm sure there are good options in the PC realm but I want to stick with Mac for now so I'm not having to learn too many new things at once. Also, my knowledge of computers and the web is still somewhat patchwork so beginner-ese is always appreciated.

(I did see this question and it provided some information but I'm hoping for a bit more specifics...)

MacBook HDD size upgrade to increase speed and overall performance?

cosmic osmo — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:22:42 -0800

Will upgrading the size (but not RPM or cache size) of my laptop's hard drive increase performance? I have a MacBook with this hard drive currently inside of it (320 GB, 7200RPM, 16MB cache). I am thinking about upgrading to this one (500 GB, 7200RPM, 16MB cache).

I'm trying to find a way to speed up my MacBook. I have a large (~150 GB) iTunes library and as it has grown I have been getting a lot of spinning beach balls, mostly only affecting iTunes itself (i.e., Safari will be responsive but the cursor will change to a beach ball when hovering over the iTunes window behind it), but it's started happening with other apps, too. I generally have about 30 GB of the actual 300 GB of my hard drive space available, if that's relevant, and I have a few external hard drives already, so I'm not looking to upgrade my storage space, only the speed of my computer.

Will upgrading only the size of the hard drive (and not RPM or cache size of the drive) boost performance? Failing that, is there something else I can do? (My RAM is already maxed out, running the latest software updates, etc.)

Help me pimp my laptop?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:17:30 -0800

Dell has started to suck. I've owned several, both notebook and desktop, over the past 10 or so years. Now, after buying two power cords for my lemony Inspiron 1720 in less than 2 years, I'm going local. So what are some suggestions for beefing my machine up? Asking anon because I'd prefer to not parade my ignorance here.

The PC is less than two years old, but in addition to buying a (third) power cord, what are good ways to turbo my computer? I'm not a gamer, but I teach and travel pretty widely, and I'm thinking of upgrading from 2 gigs to 4, and 250 RAM to maybe 700? I have Vista, so I have less speed and ease of use than I did with the Windows 95. I want lots of ample storage, and blink-of-an-eye speed. I'll be in Asia, so the Internet connection I'll tap into will be blazing. I am, obviously, clueless. Do I need an external hard drive? Am I barking up the wrong tree here?
And finally, in the Baltimore area, about what can I expect to shell out monetarily for this? Is $350 to optimistic? Or overkill?

Dell Inspiron 1720 w/ Vista. I'm sure I'm leaving some vital info out, so ask away (fatbackncollards@gmail.com), and be amused at my inability to articulate a coherent reply.

Minimum PC specs for playing HD video files?

wastelands — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:08:07 -0800

What are the minimum specs for a PC to play HD video files smoothly? I need to replace my ancient P4 2.8 GHz (w/onboard video) for several reasons, including that it chokes on some 720p videos during high action/movement scenes. Would your basic ~$480 Dell handle smooth playback of high def video files (.mkv, .avi) on VLC media player? Could I run other apps in the background (browser, IM, etc.) without input or video stutters and lag?

For example something like this:

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 (3MB L2, 2.8GHz, 1066FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium Edition SP1
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 2DIMMs
500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache
Integrated Intel® GMA X4500HD Graphics

Or do I need more power?

PSP Fireware Upgrade w custom firmware

Admira — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:26:03 -0800

PSP n00b Filter: How to upgrade the firmware of a PSP that has custom firmware? I bought a PSP from a friend of a friend - its homebrew enabled, which as something to do with ridge racer being in the UMD slot. Its on firmware version 3.40 OE-A. I bought FIFA 09 recently and discovered that I need newer firmware.

I'm a bit scared up upgrading and losing the homebrew capabilities, which I use to play Nethack.

So my questions are - how do I upgrade? Can I go straight from 3.40 OE-A to 5.00 M33? Or do I need to go from 3.40 OE-A to 3.52 M33-4 and then to 5.00 M33? Will these even work without Pandoras battery (which I'm guessing I don't have...)

As you can see, I'm a bit confused by the variety of ways of enabling homebrew - so I'm not sure the methods I see online will work for me.

Thanks for your help!