Totally agree on Amazing Grace. Loved the movie. :)

I gave myself an early Christmas gift this year and bumped up my system memory to 4 gig (2x2g sticks) from 2 gig -- but that was the easy part. I upgraded Vista 32bit to Vista 64bit in order to utilize all four gigs of memory (32 bit will only see ~3 gigs). All my devices/periphrals worked except -- the iPhone.

So FYI, at this time you can't sync the iPhone with itunes on Vista 64. Itunes will tell you to uninstall and install 64 bit itunes. However, there isn't a 64 bit windows itunes yet. s-o-l for now on that I guess.

I just bought something I had to add to this list!...;) Even if you aren't in the market for a monitor--and especially if you are--if you've got an extra $600 you can part with this Xmas then you do *not* want to avoid looking at this:

HannsG - 27.5" Widescreen Flat-Panel TFT-LCD Monitor
Model: HG-281DJB --$599 at Best Buys (no I'm not partial to BB's--it's just that it's the only place I've seen them in my neck of the woods...;))

I originally bought the monitor off the shelf at BB because of the convenient no-questions-asked return policy sans restocking fee--I simply couldn't believe that a 27.5" viewable area TFT active matrix with a genuine 3ms response time, a .309 dot pitch with HDMI capability capable of 1900x1200 could possibly sell for only $599, so I had my doubts when I brought it home and was taking no chances on a hassle-free return. Forget that! Wow. It blew me away and I've run through a lot of monitors in 22 years. The Samsung 226BW it replaced is going with me to the office where it will be suitably retired for spread sheets and word processing...;)

The output of this thing is simply drop-dead gorgeous--not one dead pixel, and the color fidelity is simply the deepest and fullest I've ever seen on a flat-screen LCD. I really do *believe* the 3ms claim, btw. Honestly, I now see what I've been missing in terms of the old eye balls. Whew. I really, really did not know 3d games could look like this. Talk about immersive, for me this monitor has completely revised my future expectations in this department. IE, if they aren't this good they won't measure up from now on.

I'm guessing, but I think that some of this goodness may stem from the fact that the monitor doesn't provide the standard DVI input we're used to. Instead, all you get digitally is an HDMI input---*but*....this monitor ships with its own DVI-to-HDMI adaptor cord that plugs right into the DVI on my HD3870 and into the HDMI connector on the monitor (the HD3870 ships with a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, which I'd imagine would work just as well with a quality HDMI cable, but since this custom cable is included with the monitor and the IQ is spectacular I've seen no reason to try that approach.) Of course, there's an obligatory VGA connector input provided as well, and a couple of other adapters included with the monitor, but I think you'd be missing a lot by using them with this monitor. The DVI-to HDMI cable provided works wonderfully well, and I think the extra bandwidth supported by the cabling scheme must be what makes at least *some* of the difference between this monitor's output and my 226bw's DVI-to_DVI connection.

It's kind of strange, on paper the monitor's specs don't look as good as some smaller, more expense monitors look on paper-- the HG's contrast is 800:1, but the candle power is very good. I had to lower the brightness to 40 (out of 100) and lower the contrast to 70 (out of 100) but the resulting image is quite simply the best I have ever seen bar none. Not only is this monitor a keeper, it's the best buy for the money I've seen this year. If I was giving out a "monitor of the year" award this baby would get it, hands down, pretty much regardless of what the competition costs, I might add--which is *a lot* more in some cases.

If you're in the market for a monitor this year then please do yourself a favor and check it out. Merry Christmas!...;)

Question about the memory upgrade. I understand that to make "full" use of more than 2gb of memory you need the 64bit version of Windows but Cyril indicates he's going ahead with the extra even without it.

So does this mean that sometimes the extra memory comes in handy and isn't a total waste?

LOL

i love the survivor pic!

If you're looking for a console for your mother, go with a Wii. For real gamers, however, an Xbox 360 should be under the tree.

Booooo! Come closer so I can whack you with my wiimote and nunchuk. :)

I see I'm not the only one who's been lusting after the Toshiba Portege R500.

So that's why even with just 3.25GB, and if you run enough apps at the same time it is still a worthy upgrade.

Details here:
http://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=51827

Edit: oops, first time falling victim to the new reply system. Meant as a reply to #41

I'm getting a t61p that will hopefully be here before Christmas, although it looks like it might not get here till after.

I've modded the religion thread to off-topic. Change your options if you can't see it and care to. Take it to the R&P forum if you'd like to continue, please.

I'm hoping for a sony SZ 680 this year.

Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

is that a joke? sounds like a cut and paste job from every other diet testimony i've bothered to skim.

yuck.
my solution to all overweight. take a 3 month vacation to Kuala Randau, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia and live at a tribal persons home.
you will return thinner... possibly lifeless.. but definitely thinner.

I'll second the vote for the ATI 3870, it has a duel slot, a 512MB buffer, it's near the magic 200 dollar mark, is frugal with power needs, and its not that much slower than a 8800GT.

However, a 14 or 15 inch laptop is on the top of my list. With the duel core processors the norm and running cooler, integrated graphics not nearly as bad as they used to be, and prices down below a grand, laptops are looking more practical now.

Please tell me this was a static-free stocking! Arg! This is like fingernails screeching on a chalkboard to me to see this card in a nice woolly stocking.

-LS

Who the hell brought all the friggin grinchs into this Christmas Gift Guide?
WTF?

I think the Orange Box is a must have for any gamer, even if you arent a FPS lover.

Playing a medic or engineer is a lot of fun, as is Portal.

Good call Diss.

dont realy understand, i make my wish list and some one will send it for me :P
seriusly, is only a wish list or i can have chance to get any of the items?

American McGee's Alice Soundtrack

I'll dig it (the game) out and play tonight!
Its music and graphics are good.