The HTPC
Hardware: Custom-built desktop PC
2.1 GHz dual-core AMD Athlon X2 processor (socket AM2+)
ATI Radeon 3200 integrated graphics
2GB RAM
320GB hard drive
Primary use: Web browsing, DVD watching, Flash video streaming (Hulu, etc.)
Notes: This computer is connected to a 1080P HDTV, and uses an AMD 780G motherboard with HDMI out to connect.
The Good: Again, no driver hiccups here. This computer has had problems with this under Windows XP more than once – the first time, the Ethernet connection stopped working inexplicably, next, the warring ATI and Realtek audio drivers were throwing up error messages that made watching DVDs on the system impossible. There were no issues with the hardware – just strange driver conflicts and small problems that persisted under Windows XP.
Installing Windows 7 and the latest ATI drivers actually resolved all of these problems, and the built-in DVD codecs meant it was up and running in virtually no time.
The other nice thing about Windows 7 is that it handles font size scaling much better than did XP. On a 1080P display, the default font sizes aren’t always visible from across the room. When changing the font size in XP, not everything would change consistently, and the operating system would simply look strange, like it wasn’t supposed to look that way (for lack of a better description). Windows 7 is much more uniform in how it applies larger fonts and icons, and (unlike XP) it required no restarts to set up.
The Bad: Still nothing here. Running as well as it has since I built it.
Tune in tomorrow, for the harrowing conclusion!
