Mungler Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 I can't believe any of the reviews in any of the trade mags and so thought I would throw it out to the PWF massive - incidentally, is it just me or are all the trade mags turning into sponsored sales brochures - I mean, when was the last time anyone saw a bad review of anything in any of the guns mags? So, as it says on the tin. 1. what's the best electronic ear defenders with the slimest profile; and, 2. what's the best PC package for under £500 (I was going to go Dell, but one or two people I know have bought Dell recently, found their PC's broke quickly and then had all manner of aggro getting it sorted. Cheer ears. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 Mungler, I am not a fan of ear muffs as I use plugs but the best ones I have seen around are Deben ones. I think LB had some on in kent. PC packages I have no idea other than Staples are doing some very good deals at the moment. I bought an Emachines Intel centrino 3.06processor (I think) with keyboard mouse etc) for £279 No screen but they are very cheap as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham M Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 My lad bought one of those E-machines, (I think it was a 201 or something like it). Bought it from PC world last year and it cost £289 with a monitor. Pretty good really although I though that the fan was a bit on the loud side. G.M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 I can't believe any of the reviews in any of the trade mags and so thought I would throw it out to the PWF massive - incidentally, is it just me or are all the trade mags turning into sponsored sales brochures - I mean, when was the last time anyone saw a bad review of anything in any of the guns mags? M I know what you mean. Look at the Improve your shoot article in Sporting Shooter, i am so fed up of the Mitsubishi L 200 plug every month ( i mean land rovers are the one to have anyway ) that most time i dont even bother reading it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 PC's recently have changed a bit, it used to be that if you bought a PC off the shelf you had no room for expansion so in 2 yrs time when it needs more hard disc a new graphics card, more memory etc... you cant add it and would have to get a new machine. This meant that building your own PC (to allow for expansion) made sense. However recently the prices of assembled PC's has comedown so significantly that it is not worth homebuilding because you cannot get the components as cheap as dell etc.. can. They have also upped the quality of the components in the PC's I got my latest machine from currys. I went in looking for a new hard disc for my old machine, and they had a sale on, i looked through the restored machines (where one comes back with a fault and is fixed but customer has already claimed replacement) My machine (which is reasonably well spec'd.... i wont bore you) was reduced from £480ish new price to £280, the hard disc i had come to pick up was going to cost me £80 and was smaller than hte one in the machine i ended up buying. The only problems with my machine so far have been: fan is so powerful it sucks your trousers to the side of the machine, mouse gave up after 4 months, cost £18 for a replacement, one key missing on keyboard... stolen off another keyboard now, and no screen was included in the package. (got a used flat screen from my dads work for £15), it also came with no drivers installed. Took maybe 45mins to get all of them. Pretty much as long as you buy a machine with recognised makes inside it and a good warrenty you will do well, they are good about replacing/fixing under warrenty as the machines are actually worth very little to them. As for ear deffenders, the deben ones are very slim. Peltor are supposed to be very good although look quite bulky. I also understand Blaser make some which cut out after the shot to allow you to hear the hit when shooting in the field (very cool idea) In ear ear deffenders are hte way to go, dont buy the valve ones they dont work very well and wind renders you effectively deaf (ironic really) Have an ask around your local ground, see what people like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 PC`s.......not a clue, Ear defs.......I would have said Deben,but the old style(no longer avail.) was terrific absolutely bomb proof.I still have mine as a spare pair,but as there are no spares the foam pads are all split etc. The latest Debens are badly made,the on/off ***** fall off,the foam over the microphone wears off quick and the plastic over the foam ear cups splits quicker than the old ones ever did(£6 replacements).These faults aren`t just my own BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crowstopper Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 For ear defenders try the Peltor ones, they are good quality and work a treat. As for Pc's look on http://www.dixons.co.uk/ i just got my new pc from them cheaper then i could have built it lol. When buying a pc remember that the new windows (Vista) is out soon so sometime in the future you may want install it. So try and find a PC which meets the requirements of Vista otherwise in a few years when everyone else is on Vista you will have to fork out to upgrade your computer to be able to handle it. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/ to see the requirements you need to run it. The other thing you could do is wait till it comes out for home users and buy it ready installed on a pc then you know you will not need to upgrade for years (comes out January i believe). I am sure i will now get a load of comments about how you should get a Mac or use linux and sure they are good but just face facts the majority of programs are windows based so its best to go with windows. Crow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 I would also suggest you take a visit to Staples, they have some very good offers on high spec machines at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 Comps, no idea but I would go for in-ear sound suppressors if not debens are good and have yet to fail me. LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted November 5, 2006 Report Share Posted November 5, 2006 Dell for computers, have had this lappy for 16 months, not had a problem with it yet. Deben slimline ones for ear protection, just don't leave them on the ground and accidentally step on them like I did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Ears: peltor sport-tac Comp: Tell me more about what you want for your £500 (do you need a printer etc), what you want to do with it and how often you would be happy replacing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 I have absolutely no interest in computers so won't even comment Ear defenders, do a search on here for the offer that a magazine was doing a a short while back, I got a pair of electronic slimline debens for 60-70 quid or so, they are normally over 90 - and they are great. EDIT: found the link: http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...l=ear+defenders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quist Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Peltor for 'yers Dabs for 'puters http://www.dabs.com/ I've been using them for a few years. If you know what you want, they take some beating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted November 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Just bought some Peltor Tactical 6s ear defenders - they were the slimmest looking ones out there. I couldn't find any of the "square" flat looking Deben ones (which now must be a discontinued). Quite why the manufacturers make them so bulky and bulbous I don't know - whilst I have no desire to look like I have just stepped out of the 70's with my brand new first set of stereo headphones, the bulky round headphones get in the way. I might hold fire on the PC - there is never a good time to buy into new technology, but I will have a rethink if the new Microsoft OS is round the corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 I would wait until Vista ships and get the new hardware and software combined, having said that most 'decent' manufacturers will upgrade any PC they sell in the next month or so for nothing from XP -> Vista, if they are claiming it is Vista ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Having been in the IT game since before windows, and knowing the ****storm that is any new microsoft release I wouldn't wait around for vista really. There is a spec which will be good, buy something that beats that by loads and it will work just fine. I suppose it depends on how desperate you are for a new PC, if you can wait 6 months+ then do so, if you need one now just make sure you have vista in mind. In my experience you need to wait at least 6 months for M$ to get their act together and issue a load of patches before its worth upgrading. Not bashing them without reason, they did it with 3,3.1/3WFW/95/95osr2/98/Me/2000/2000server/2003/XP so they have form, I suppose they could get this one right, but I doubt it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Having been in the IT game since before windows, That's some confession Pin! When people ask me how long I have been doing this these days I just lie in case they think I got into for the money and can't get out I am saying no more than I have worked on, and fixed I might add, a computer that needed paper tape fed into it to boot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 My very first unix support role was for the DSS at the time up in Longbenton, and I too was responsible for systems which required small cards in which holes had been punched Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinker Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 PC`s.......not a clue, Ear defs.......I would have said Deben,but the old style(no longer avail.) was terrific absolutely bomb proof.I still have mine as a spare pair,but as there are no spares the foam pads are all split etc.The latest Debens are badly made,the on/off ***** fall off,the foam over the microphone wears off quick and the plastic over the foam ear cups splits quicker than the old ones ever did(£6 replacements).These faults aren`t just my own BTW. same thing happened to mine deben sent me new on/off ***** after a bit of an argument (they wanted me to return them at my expence) and the foam thingy is now falling to bits ,they are less than a year old, that said they do have probably the best profile out of all that are availabe. plinker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darebear Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 wow.... how old is pin? OMG....... daddy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham M Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Nip along to you local builders supplies and see if they have any Peltor ear muffs. G.M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 wow.... how old is pin? OMG....... daddy? !!!! I'm not that old, just been working a long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 wow.... how old is pin? OMG....... daddy? Younger than you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darebear Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 wow, he isnt is he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Yes, by a year, but he started work when he was 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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