Download.com and large files

I love free things, especially when it comes to gaming. However, the price paid for this free gaming is the wait to download. Usually if you have a good, strong connection to a good, strong server, downloading these files can usually be done in less than an hour (depending on size, of course). However, even with the best connection, one always has to deal with horrible servers with horrible rates. One of these horrible server holes is owned by CNet and goes by the name of Download.com.


Of course, everyone loves Download.com because of all the free things they can get on there legally. Actually, the web site is pretty nice for downloading some accessories that you'd rather not pay for. One thing that is extremely irritating about the site, however, is the piss-awful download rates. The fastest rate I recall seeing something download off Download.com is around 50kbps. I guess 50 isn't so bad, but for humongous files, it's suicide.

For example, I am currently downloading Hero Online from the Japan mirror. I guess that means the server that I'm downloading from is located around the world or something, but I'm not too sure. I am getting around 250kb/s, which is pretty fair for my connection. On the other side of the world, Download.com, a site owned by a multi-million dollar corporation, wanted me to wait to download a 600MB file at 32kb/s. I'm sorry, maybe I'm an impatient douche bag, but that's too God-damned slow. If this was a torrent, I'd be more understanding, but for an FTP download? Come on, that's horse shit! If your site is an FTP download based site, then you should at least get better servers or enough bandwidth to handle it!

So I guess what I've learned from downloading Hero is that how big a corporation is and how much money they can afford to spend on technology is inversely proportional to the quality of the equipment they use. *shrug*

lol 2008 (a bit late)

So I've started my second semester at GVLTEC, so far shit is going okay with that. Also I bought a new computer because my old computer was basically on USB Hub life support and was too small and slow for what I needed. This computer is awesome because it runs SL, Portal, and not to mention, Windows Vista like buttah. The entire machine (sans-upgrades) cost me under $500 too. Now it's time for some specs.

• Operating system: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
• Processor: AMD 2.6 GHz Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 5000+
  
• Memory: 3072MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
  
• Total memory slots: 4 DIMM
  
• Maximum memory expansion Expandable to 4GB
  
• Graphics Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE (replaced by PNY Nvidia Geforce 8500)
  
• PCI expansion 2 PCI slots (1 available), 1 PCI-E x16 slot (available), 1 PCI-E x1 slot (available)
  
• Hard disk drive(s): 400GB 7200RPM (Will, hopefully, be accompanied by a 1TB drive sometime soon :>)
  
• Primary CD/DVD drive: SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology
  
• Communications: 10/100Base-T network interface
  
• Sound card: High Definition Audio
  
• Speakers: 8-speaker configurable
  
• Front-side bus (processor dependent): 2000MT/s System Bus
  
• I/O ports: 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 FireWire (IEEE 1394) port, 1 Microphone/Headphone (I'm probably going to get a FireWire card when needed.)

[ Copypasta'd from woot.com. Plagiarism is bad, kids.]

Pretty sweet huh? The only thing it lacks is the power supply, which is 300W (horrible). The power supply can be upgraded, though.

I got tired of using meebo for AIM, so I installed AIM 6 the other day. Installing that pile of shit was the biggest mistake I have ever made. It's -- extremely -- bloaty and gives even my 3GHZ and my 3GB a tiny bit of trouble with some other programs. It also makes ZoneAlarm pop up with security messages asking for permission to let AOL access the internet. It does this to automatically take me to my home page. I've tried turning this off and it doesn't work. Trust me, I've tried and it keeps doing it. If you haven't figured out already, this annoys the hell out of me and fills me with rage. I have a GMail homepage, AOL ; I don't need your chintzy web page with my friends' statuses crapflooding my browser! Luckily I have come to my senses and have downgraded to AIM 4.9, which isn't near as bad and suprisingly runs fine on Vista, despite the fact that it was finished in 2001. If you hate AIM 6, Triton, Trillian, ect., then you can get versions 6 and previous here.