So, this is a bit late, but I finally did it. I know I’ve been talking about it and getting mocked about it, but I finally got another computer up and running right next to my other computer.
The last bit I needed was a second monitor. Since the LCD I’d been using before was my old and non-standard SGI flat panel, I ran into a unique problem. The SGI’s always had weird issues with DVI input, but when I bought a new, inexpensive (yet slightly more powerful than the top-of-the-line card I had bought a few years ago) video card, it just refused to work properly at high resolutions. I was planning on just using an old monitor for the second computer, but since my primary monitor wasn’t working with my primary machine, it was time to upgrade.
I ended up getting a Gateway FPD2275W, because I wanted to get something widescreen that also took video in. This also had the added benefit of component in, in addition to the composite, S-Video, VGA and DVI. It’s very nice and does things like picture-in-picture and autoselecting inputs.
The other component I needed for the other computer was a hard drive, so when I was at Fry’s I also bought an inexpensive, small hard drive. But when I put it into the new computer (with the older motherboard), it refused to recognize it…