Let me take a few minutes to talk about the new PC. As you may have read, I recently got a new PC on the last day of 2011. It took a while, but it’s finally here. I brought it home Saturday evening, and spent New Year’s Eve watching Crazy Stupid Love and backing up (and later transferring) my data to the new PC. What’s the verdict so far?

Well, it’s pretty good. I like having a fast, responsive machine. Four CPU cores, 8 GBs of RAM, and a super-fast video card helps, of course. However, I must admit that the whole experience doesn’t feel quite right though. I’m missing a few things.

• I want my new desk. With large tracts of land. I know it is at IKEA, but I just need to get it.
• I want my big 24″ monitor. I’ve narrowed down the future monitor to either the Dell UltraSharp U2412M or Dell UltraSharp U2410 monitors. Both have good review, plenty of ways to adjust them, and I get an employee purchase program discount through work.
• I want a new keyboard and mouse. My long-lived Logitech Cordless Duo MX isn’t compatible with 64-bit Windows 7 . The keyboard is working, but I’ve swapped in a [gasp!] corded Logitech mouse. Not ideal, and it is irking me.
• Our long-lived Epson Perfection 1660 flatbed scanner isn’t compatible with 64-bit Windows 7 either. It’s currently unplugged, awaiting eventual replacement.
• While I’m glad the PC runs cool due to all the fans, the rear exhaust case fan is LOUD. I like a quiet PC, and this sounds like jet engine.

So let’s talk more about the loud case fan. I’ve got four fans in the PC, but the rear fan is the loudest. I considered living with it, but it’s annoying me too much. Way too much. I did some research this morning, and ordered a Noctua case fan that runs quiet (adjustable with 3 different speeds.)  It’s an Austrian product, and a weird brown color, but I don’t care. I want a quiet nexus to my digital life. I ordered from my favorite retailer Amazon.com, and it’ll be here by tomorrow. Egads, they’re fast. Wednesday night, I’ll be replacing the fan, and hoping that this improves the situation.

The new PC, circa 2012

The Noctua NF-S12B case fan: silent but deadly

One the gifts the kids received for Christmas was Cars 2 on blu-ray (and DVD.) In case you recently came out from living under a rock, Cars 2 is the sequel to the 2006 Pixar film Cars. I actually liked the original Cars in a way — it’s very similar to the 1991 film Doc Hollywood starring Michael J. Fox and Julie Warner. Again, FYI in case you were living under a rock in 2006 too. So what’s this sequel about? Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater (who I need in small doses) head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. Where do you go from here? Why, an international espionage, of course! Michael Caine stars as Finn McMissile, a spy car. Lightning McQueen takes a backseat while this becomes nearly two hours of Mater and Larry the Cable Guy. If you like the Mater character, you’re in luck. If, like me, tire of the character quickly, be warned.

I thought this film was “okay.” I’m not a fan of Mater, so after a while, I went off to do the laundry while the kids sat entranced. The Mater character is the star attraction for 106 minutes. The story was okay, but I just didn’t care for all the wacky antics. On the other hand, the video and audio quality of the blu-ray was top-notch. It’s possible that John Lasseter and the rest of the Pixar folks got too involved with the technical detail, and got sidetracked on the quality of the story. So, apart from the story, the animation is crystal clear, eye-catching, and just looks amazing. Regarding the audio, you can never go wrong with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. The fronts were booming, the LFE shook the floor, and the surrounds were very active.

In summary, the story is so-so. If you want to plunk yourself down with the kids and enjoy the visuals and audio, be my guest.

Cars 2 (2011)