Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

fintail

Home computer is a HP Spectre 360 from 2015, Win10, SSD, etc - zero problems at 4 years old. Best laptop I've had, high build quality.

Work uses Lenovo ThinkPads, we get a new one every 3 years, latest one is ~2 years old, Win10, SSD, no issues.

28firefighter said:

I've been lucky that my company issued laptop (a Dell Latitude) has been largely problem free for the last 2.5 years running O365 and Windows 10. I'm due for replacement in the next 6-8 months but am not rushing it since I have not had any problems.

My personal Surface Pro 4 has been a different story - has not played nicely at all with Windows 10.

imidazol97

@fintail
How large is the SSD? What kind of storage do you use it for? Movies? Pictures? Has the size of the SSD been a constraint?

fintail

WA, still one of the better states in this dysfunctional burgeoning idiocracy, Has very clear "keep right" rules

Authorities claim to enforce these rules - with the volume of LLCs I see especially on 405 and 167, I sometimes have doubts, but I trust the WSP more than other brave warrior professions.

And when useless drones challenge them, they lose

Just keep right, people, take the high road, check the ego at the door, and let speeders pass, if they are going fast enough, you'll get the last laugh when they blow through a speed trap. It works in more developed societies.

snakeweasel said:

<

FWIW last time I checked less than ten states had laws requiring traffic to keep right except to pass.

fintail

256 on both, I think. I don't store movies on these machines, so there is still plenty of room - mostly pictures and dashcam videos on the personal machine. If it ever got full, I'd just move the stuff to SD or maybe get a cheap portable HD.

Booting up and shutting down is so much faster with a SSD.

imidazol97 said:

@fintail
How large is the SSD? What kind of storage do you use it for? Movies? Pictures? Has the size been a constraint?

imidazol97

Speaking of Macs. I just heard on the radio that Apple will be refreshing their top line Mac pro desktop which couldn't be expanded internally in its earlier morphology with a new model. This around $8 to $10K but expandable. If expanded fully up to $65000. But it will be "made" in the US mostly.

I was a Mac afficianado through the 90s from Mac Plus to Macintosh whatever. I was the lone holdout using the Mac and drove the naive IT guy nuts because he wanted everything to be PCs.

imidazol97

SiriusXM
I received an email reminder a week ahead, for the first time in all my trial subscriptions.

It does NOT contain the telephone number you are told you have to call to cancel. I did
find a number in the Agreement they linked for the terms of so called "service."

28firefighter

I do not envy the WSP Troopers. They have an impossible task on roads handling traffic far greater than they were ever designed or expected to handle with largely incompetent drivers. I've found them to be courteous and reasonable in my few random encounters with them. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had been pulled over by them.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

SiriusXM
I received an email reminder a week ahead, for the first time in all my trial subscriptions.

It does NOT contain the telephone number you are told you have to call to cancel. I did
find a number in the Agreement they linked for the terms of so called "service."

I love my USB Stick....no longer have to try and outsmart Sirius every few months. And, every song is a good one because I chose it.

suydam

But you don’t get to hear anything different. That’s why I like Sirius even tho I hate their business model. Which my Cable/Internet provider emulates now too.

graphicguy

Those new MacPro machines are and continue to be close to a super computer that fits on a desktop. They are EXTREMELY powerful.

There's talk of restricting their export to certain countries for security reasons.

ab348

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

SiriusXM
I received an email reminder a week ahead, for the first time in all my trial subscriptions.

It does NOT contain the telephone number you are told you have to call to cancel. I did
find a number in the Agreement they linked for the terms of so called "service."

I love my USB Stick....no longer have to try and outsmart Sirius every few months. And, every song is a good one because I chose it.

Same! I never want to have to deal with that miserable company again.

As for the variety, it can be whatever you want it to be. I found with XM I used to listen to only 2 or 3 stations regularly and their playlists were quite small. On a long road trip you would hear the same stuff several times.

PF_Flyer

driver100 said:

My PC works fine:

Heh... I have a functioning C64 at my house!

Also have an Intellivision with the voice module for those games that can TALK!

driver100

suydam said:

But you don’t get to hear anything different. That’s why I like Sirius even tho I hate their business model. Which my Cable/Internet provider emulates now too.

800 songs, 20 songs an hour, 40 hours of music, by the time a song comes around again I am glad to hear it over again.
On the drive to Florida.....which was 9 hours of driving a day for 2 days, I would hear the same song about 3 times a day on Sirius.

By the way, we FLY to Florida on October 23rd this year, the Halloween Party is early this year on Saturday the 26th before Halloween. Did I already post this years costumes? I'll try to remember to do that!

fintail

I agree 100%. They also seem to receive less adulation than other LEOs, while dealing with just as much of a steamy mess. They don't serve in a mental health capacity like most local police have been relegated to in this devolving order, but they still handle a lot of dangerous idiocy. They also seem to give some leeway - you won't get nabbed for going 5 over, for sure.

28firefighter said:

I do not envy the WSP Troopers. They have an impossible task on roads handling traffic far greater than they were ever designed or expected to handle with largely incompetent drivers. I've found them to be courteous and reasonable in my few random encounters with them. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had been pulled over by them.

fintail

After spending 9 days and ~1500 miles in a rental without satellite radio, I am glad to have it back in my own car. I have hundreds of songs I can stream in the car, but have had them for so long that I even have the playlist orders memorized. I use TuneIn for streaming radio, but in areas without service, it is tough. I have 19 presets, some better than others, but I can always find something.

driver100 said:

800 songs, 20 songs an hour, 40 hours of music, by the time a song comes around again I am glad to hear it over again.
On the drive to Florida.....which was 9 hours of driving a day for 2 days, I would hear the same song about 3 times a day on Sirius.

By the way, we FLY to Florida on October 23rd this year, the Halloween Party is early this year on Saturday the 26th before Halloween. Did I already post this years costumes? I'll try to remember to do that!

tjc78

Lol we’ve circled back to XM. I like it just for simplicity... and now that streaming is included I listen all day at and sometimes at home.

Just ordered one of these so I can stream to the home stereo

https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/bluetooth-audio-adapter

Much cheaper on Amazon too!

stickguy

I guess I am just lazy. XM is much easier. And I know there is no chance my wife would ever deal with trying to stream. especially in the old fashioned RDX!

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

My PC works fine:

So does mine;

snakeweasel

Well we got the car, got financing through USAA and dropped off the paperwork for it at the dealership. All we have to do is show up Wednesday evening with insurance, sign some paperwork and drive it home. She is sitting in the dealerships lot with a sold sign on it.

venture

We are going on Wednesday evening so Mrs. Venture can drive an Ascent.

This is more difficult than other times she needed a new car.

explorerx4

@venture,
One of the car mags, C & D I think, has a long term Ascent. They don't like the driver assist pkg.
Might be something you don't want anyway.

28firefighter

Eyesight and the associated nannies are standard on all ascent trims now I’m pretty sure.

explorerx4

I think Eyesight might be different than driver assists. They seemed to be mentioned separately.
Could be wrong.

abacomike

snakeweasel said:

Well we got the car, got financing through USAA and dropped off the paperwork for it at the dealership. All we have to do is show up Wednesday evening with insurance, sign some paperwork and drive it home. She is sitting in the dealerships lot with a sold sign on it.

Congrats, snake. Hope you have long and satisfying ownership experience. 😛

tjc78

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

qbrozen

Even with free satellite in the bimmer, I would get tired of flipping through the dozen stations that even play stuff I like, and often switch to streaming Amazon Music instead.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

Although I work inside, if I want to look outside, I just look up.

This is the view out my work window:



Although sometimes the view out my window is an auction yard in New Jersey.

Where do you live...in a water tower? How can you get a birds eye view?

Those super duty F-250s are really high off the ground.

oldfarmer50

“I noticed that too. It looks like he's putting his farm subsidies to good use. In the past he has denied receiving any government handouts but the pics prove otherwise. He may still deny it and say it's the result of his lucrative Enterprise position but I doubt any of us in here is going to fall for that line. “


I don’t know, with my lucrative 401k plan I’m already a hundredaire. I can afford the good gravel now.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

Well we got the car, got financing through USAA and dropped off the paperwork for it at the dealership. All we have to do is show up Wednesday evening with insurance, sign some paperwork and drive it home. She is sitting in the dealerships lot with a sold sign on it.

I don't think you had to leave Mrs S at the dealership holding a SOLD sign next to the car!
Hope you love your new car...it sounds like a winner.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

Although I work inside, if I want to look outside, I just look up.

This is the view out my work window:



Although sometimes the view out my window is an auction yard in New Jersey.

Where do you live...in a water tower? How can you get a birds eye view?

Those super duty F-250s are really high off the ground.

That explains it!

Beauty!!!!!

snakeweasel

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

nyccarguy

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

Congrats @snakeweasel ! I really like the White with Black interior. Lots of luck and many years of enjoyment to you and your wife!

tjc78

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

Sweet! I like the wheels a lot.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

explorerx4 said:

Although I work inside, if I want to look outside, I just look up.

This is the view out my work window:



Although sometimes the view out my window is an auction yard in New Jersey.

Where do you live...in a water tower? How can you get a birds eye view?

Those super duty F-250s are really high off the ground.

That explains it!

Beauty!!!!!

Anyone can jack up a truck, but it takes a real man to drive this:

roadburner

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

RWD is a big plus for me. Servicing should be fairly easy; oil change every 12 months/10k miles, brake fluid and coolant every 24 months, plugs every 60k, and(optionally) ATF /filter every 60k. The https://www.thebmwminipartstore.com/ and FCP Euro are your friends for filters, plugs, fluids, etc. if your local dealer won't give you a CCA discount.

28firefighter

Congrats, @snakeweasel !

jmonroe1

@Snake, nice car you got for the Mrs. But I can't help wondering how bad you must have been that you felt compelled to buy it for her.

Good luck with it.

jmonroe

stickguy

sharp looking BMW. Not hard to see why the wife fell for it.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

Very nice. Hope she appreciates your effort.

andres3

The CHP Officers I've encountered in more normal social situations have indeed been more human, likable, and better overall people.

As I've said, a CHP Officer pulling someone over on a perfect bright sunny day with little traffic where the speed limit just dropped from 70 to 65 for no legitimate reason so they can generate revenue at 15 over is the kind of scummy human you don't want to have to interact with.

Of course, in CA.... 15 over has become about the median average speed driven during free flowing periods. This means the 85th percentile might be justifying 85 or 90.

But why let an objective standard like the 85th percentile ruin a good money making scheme.

Arbitrary, unjustified, and unsubstantiated subjective speed limits rule the day in California.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

Fabulous looking car. Be sure to get your own license plate holders....unless you like the Autonation pink ones. If you are having plates put on buy chrome ones ahead of time to take with.....if you buy them in their store they will be about $40.

driver100

tjc78 said:

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

Sweet! I like the wheels a lot.

How about the wheels on the F-250?

driver100

roadburner said:

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

RWD is a big plus for me. Servicing should be fairly easy; oil change every 12 months/10k miles, brake fluid and coolant every 24 months, plugs every 60k, and(optionally) ATF /filter every 60k. The https://www.thebmwminipartstore.com/ and FCP Euro are your friends for filters, plugs, fluids, etc. if your local dealer won't give you a CCA discount.

Good advice....one more. Great car, you will probably need snow tires in the winter. My 2008 328 Cabriolet couldn't move in snow with regular tires. Love that car though. BMW does a good job of keeping the design the same, so it always looks like a new car.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

@Snake, nice car you got for the Mrs. But I can't help wondering how bad you must have been that you felt compelled to buy it for her.

Good luck with it.

jmonroe

That is why JMonroe buys his wife a new car every few years......whether she wants one or not!

venture

explorerx4 said:

I think Eyesight might be different than driver assists. They seemed to be mentioned separately.
Could be wrong.

My Legacy has all of them. Some I never use, others are very nice to have, some are a PITA.

venture

snakeweasel said:

tjc78 said:

Congrats !! Snake.
You have a link to the car?

https://www.autonation.com/cars/WBA3V5C5XEP747751?utm_source=3534&utm_medium=1004&utm_campaign=*000001327*used&utm_campaign=deeplink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cars.com

Fancy. Very nice.

driver100

andres3 said:

The CHP Officers I've encountered in more normal social situations have indeed been more human, likable, and better overall people.

Officer gives WWE star Lacy Evans a ticket in Edmonton.

https://youtu.be/1MeA4mZZkjE

Apparently the ticket was real, but the rest was made for publicity.....(35 seconds)

*Lesson: If something is only shown for 30 seconds....assume a lot has been left out.

stickguy

Driver, that is why they are keeping the Sebring. so the nice car can stay in the garage when it is snowy.

tjc78

Be sure to get your own license plate holders....unless you like the Autonation pink ones.

Or just run without them. I always take off the dealers and run naked plates. Looks cleaner that way to me.

imidazol97

@snake
Congratulations on the new car!