Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

outback165

Thanks for the advice re XP and memory. Also going to look up the adaware and spybot things I read about to deal with these pop ups and crashing explorer windows.

For those in Jersey - lovin' the "heat wave", huh?

Pete.

jlemole

Surfboard's waxed and ready to go!

Jon

fibber2

It is nice out, but not that nice! Still have a foot or so of snow in my yard.

Steve

ateixeira

I've had my top down for the 2nd day in a row. First time in a looooong time, though. The Miata had been stuck for more than a week!

-juice

goneskiian

Wow! Lot’s of catching up to do. I had to start a message in Word to keep track of all the news!

Loosh – Congrats to you and Kirsten!

Bob, Elm, Mike, Serge and Jim – Happy belated birthdays! I thought I was the baby of this bunch. Now I know of at least two younger than I (Colin and Mike).

Mike (again) – Congrats on the pending nuptials.

Patti - Cogratulations on your son's engagement. One of my fondest memories from my wedding last year (OK, December 2002) was how my Mom was just beaming the whole time. ;-)

That Onion article on road rage powered cars had me ROTFLMAO! What a great read!

Juice - Early purchasers? Yes, that would be me. As soon as that GT Wagon hits the lot it’ll be mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Ooops sorry thought I was a seagull for a minute there. ;-)

Steve – Hope your Father recovers quickly!

XP upgrade - Been thinking about doing that myself but we've only got 64mb on this laptop and I know 128 is the MINIMUM for XP. I'd really like to get a new desktop PC or a new Mac. As much as remember liking the Mac in college I fear I've grown too acustomed to the Windoze OS.

-Ian

c_hunter

As much as remember liking the Mac in college I fear I've grown too acustomed to the Windoze OS.

Well you probably used the classic Mac OS in college, and OS X is a completely different ballgame. So, what you remember liking is not the same anymore (it's about a zillion times better now). That could be a plus or a minus depending on your background. On the plus side OS X is very powerful and stable, and is very compatible with Windows and easier for Windows users to adapt to. I guess you might want to consider the whole package in making the decision. I know several Windows users who got lured in by PowerBooks and have never looked back. In fact, the last conference I went to, PowerBooks outnumbered Windows laptops by a large margin, which was interesting to see.

If you're in the market for an upgrade, drop by an Apple Store and talk to one of their staff -- zero pressure, and they are happy to let you poke around with the hardware and software all you want.

Craig

twrx

OS-X on the mac is easier than ever. In fact in OS-X some of the things you may be used to in Windoze appear. The dock is much like the task bar. Window arrangements can be set to display in the kind of heirarchy you may be used to in Windoze. Of course there are some Windoze features that you can't get wih OS-X. There are not the 5000+ viruses that Windoze has. In fact none have been written for OS-X. Same too for crashes of the OS. You rarely have that in OS-X. Is is a perfect OS? No there is no such thing. But in two years of its use and using 10.1, 10.2 and now 10.3 it is the best I have ever used. It was not buggy in 10.1 as many have claimed and each new version gets better in terms of its features. 10.3 is actualy an improvement over 10.2 in ways I discover all of the time.

As to a laptop I just got one of the new iBook G4 models last month. Reasonable price ($1099) and in addition to great features (combo drive, airport extreme, iApps and small size and weight) it just feels right. I replaced my original tangerine iBook with it and the keyboard, trackpad and small size just make it really nice to use. (as I type this on my 2001 iMac!)

Turn away from the Dark Side!

TWRX

subearu

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287729491

You have to be a member, it's free, yadda yadda yadda.

These are from yesterday's trip to the show. Finally found a watermark that worked, although I wish the camera's date stamp would have come out better.

I think these are all the Subaru ones. Each pic is large in pixel size, but small in file size (<200kb each), didn't want to strain the dial-up crowd.

If only I could do the uploading from work ;-)

-Brian

stever

Can I just tag on to what Goneskiian said?

I run Panther remotely and XP Pro locally and much prefer XP. Different strokes.

Next project is to hook the scanner back up so I can link my pic of my Outback next to the 4WD Only sign from last summer :-)

Steve, Host

fibber2

My dad is out of the hospital and feeling much better. Now his ribcage only hurts when he laughs, moves, breaths, etc... ;-)

Steve

bat1161

Steve-
    Glad to hear your dad is home. At least it is warm for the next few days, which should make him comfortable.

Mark

ateixeira

Not sure which, but one of these is...

Mine!

I cracked a rib a few years back (snow sledding), most painful injury I've ever had. Hairline crack so they missed it on the X-rays originally. Went home in severe pain, my friends teasing me about my non-injury. Only the next day did the doctor call and say they found the crack.

Can't do much besides let it heal by itself, though.

Papa Bear: pic #4, are those stereo controls or shifter +/- on that Outback?

Plood looks decent, warms up the interior a little.

Rear bumper guard still doesn't cover the lip. Actually DaveM pointed out that it's just an unpainted portion of the bumper itself.

-juice

locke2c

you wimp, I've cracked mine a few times. latest occurence was being crushed by 270lb of dirtbike while not wearing a chest protector / shoulder pads. I always wear a helmet, boots and gloves but usually nothing more.

no xrays. I knew what I had, and I don't like being irradiated when not absolutely necessary.

the pain doesn't remotely compare to the migranes I suffered while my TMJ was really bad. (it's been fine for over a year though, woohoo!)

~c

ateixeira

I was sledding on an inner tube, going down a long hill, and lost control. There was a sheet of ice with snow on top, so it was almost frictionless. I bailed out, and spread out my arms and legs to try to stop, and...

THWACK!

Wrapped myself around a tree. It knocked the wind out of me, and cracked that rib. I was lucky, it could have been much worse.

My friends kept asking if I was OK, I kept saying, "No, I'm not OK". I couldn't catch my breath, it was weird. It hurt to just breathe. I couldn't even drive. Heck I had trouble walking.

I broke my arm twice, the ribs hurt me far more.

My wife gets migraines but fortunately I've never had to experience those!

-juice

subearu

I can't tell from my pics either Juice. I had a zoomed in one, but it's too blurry to tell as well. Looks like shift controls, all the reason I took the pic!

-Brian

ateixeira

I think they're shift controls also. They're well placed for that. Reminds me of the IS 300's. Thumbs up.

-juice

nygreg

guess your tube was only 1 wheel drive. heh?

Greg

stever

Next time use a donut spare - it won't go as fast on the sledding hill.

Steve, Host

subewannabe

The steering wheel in Brian's pic is appears to be an XT wheel, not the wood-trimmed wheel in the OB 3.0R. I think the 3.0R gets the radio controls , while the OBXT/Legacy GT Ltd. get shift controls with the 5EAT. Now , I wonder if you get the MT in the OBXT or LGT Ltd trim, do you get radio controls in your wheel or nothing at all?

This is just like last year during the cabin fever months between Chicago car show intro and May availablity of the Forester XT...obsessive speculation about the features that would show up on the dealers lots! Borders on mental illness, but fun all the same!

Mark

ateixeira

Yup, hard to control a tube like that. So I bailed and used 4 limbs to try to stop, but even that wasn't enough on the ice.

I now sled using a toboggan, at least it can be steered to some extent!

Sledding injuries are pretty common. Here's the xray from a friend on mine's recent injury:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid103/p71fd5cfb2574be0020b- b44f856eb0f33/f9a60e4f.jpg

-juice

nygreg

I believe all kids ice skating (and even adults) should be required to have helmets. Seen too many head injuries on the ice.

Greg

subearu

that was a pic of the Outback XT steering wheel. Both H6 models were up on spinners and not open

-Brian

ateixeira

XT auto is lookin' good. Very tempting.

I'll reserve final judgement for the test drive, question is can they get it up that high (8.7" clearance) and still preserve good handling?

The Fence is still alive!

-juice

fibber2

I agree, Greg. We sometimes do some indoor rollerblading at a rink up in Hyde Park. Emily and I are about the only ones there in full body armor (wrist guards, knee & elbow pads, helmet). Same stuff we wear outside. Call me a wimp, but while the friction burns won't be as bad on hardwood floors, the broken bones and head injuries will still be so.

I laughed at myself for how I was outfitted in front of the owner. He got real serious and commented about how many times per week the ambulance visits - he wished more people dressed appropriately.

Steve

ateixeira

Wrist guards are especially important when skating.

-juice

njswamplands

stever

The Aussies were experimenting with car helmet "headbands" a few years ago. There's been a couple of threads about it over in I don't like SUVs, why do you?.

Steve, Host

njswamplands

ateixeira

Same here, I avoid that thread.

Some times I keep my helmet on after a bike ride, when the bike is on the hitch-mounted bike rack. It gets some funny looks!

-juice

rsholland

As I had mentioned a while ago, my daughter has been assigned to the Maryland Shock Trauma Unit for her first series of nursing "clinicals," which is sort of on-the-job training, so to speak. She mentioned that the Shock Trauma Unit has an x-ray machine that will take a picture of a person's entire body, and present the doctors and nurses with a film x-ray within 30 seconds, start to finish!

Bob

subearu

with image names to help identify the photos and changed the entry photo to showcase the XT.

-Brian

subearu

-Brian

simon_tx

I have frequently seen regular postings in the Subaru owners forums regarding how poorly the Subaru dealers explain the differences/advantages of the Subaru AWD compared to their competitors.

And other features of the Subaru.

Does anyone have a good place I can go to read myself what the differences/advantages are for the Subaru or is the explanation short and simple enough to post in this column.

locke2c

I think the Subaru.com website explains it in a tidy enough fashion.

~c

ateixeira

Of course, which one do you want to know about? There are at least 3.

-juice

goneskiian

Craig, YWRX, Steve - Thanks for your input on which OS you prefer. Very much appreciated.

-Ian

simon_tx

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this:

You have the sales person, who in many cases will not know anything more than the standard brochure and generally will not be able to explain the differences between the Subaru and any other car maker.

Subaru advertises as the only maker with every car comes equipped standard with symmetrical AWD.

But if the average buyer goes to Toyota and they say our so and so package includes AWD - the buyer (including myself) would not know if it is the same or different than Subaru.

So from the outside it appears all AWD systems look to the same - somewhere in the process Subaru needs to do a better job of separating from the pack (not just in technology but also in perception).

ateixeira

But then let's go back and ask if they *are* essentially the same.

Highlander and RAV4 both use viscous couplings very similar to what is in my Forester. They even offered an optional rear limited-slip differential.

VDC is pretty close to what the Germans have to offer.

The AWD on other automatics is more unique in that it does have a center differential even though it's FWD biased in steady-state driving.

But having 3 systems sends mixed messages.

Subaru is an AWD specialist, they can pitch that. But get into more details and you'll be tripping over yourself trying to explain 3 completely unrelated systems. Even within each of those 3 they come with/without the rear LSD, and VTD comes with/without VDC.

By the time a car salesman goes over the 6 distinct combinations, your buyer has walked out the door.

If Subaru standardizes on VTD, at least, then it would be manageable. At least put it on all auto tranny models.

-juice

rsholland

get VTD, which has a default 45/55 front-to-rear power split. Only 4EATs w/o VTD keep the old front-biased power split.

Bob

ateixeira

Even then, the Baja turbo gets VTD with the 4EAT. But the F-XT turbo doesn't. But the OB XT does. The Legacy 2.5i auto does not, but the GT does, but only the auto.

And only if you buy one in silver on the first Tuesday of every month and you're a Libra or your wife was born in the year of the Monkey.

Way, WAY too confusing. Even the experts among us can't keep it straight.

-jucie

ateixeira

Audi, with the exception of the TT, which is a specialty low-volume car anyway, can tell you easily...

Quattro uses a Torsen center diff, coupled with traction and stability control.

On every model besides that TT.

Isn't that easier?

-juice

rsholland

all Subie automatics with SportShift, 4EAT and 5EAT, get VTD I think. What about '05 Legacy/Outback 2.5i models? They have SportShift, not sure about the VTD, however?

Bob

ateixeira

The chemical element table is slightly less complicated:

Lead = Pb

-juice

hammersley

And, as an extra added bonus, we get a week's reprieve from the e-mail log-on changeover!

Hey! Chat's only a couple hours out!

Cheers!
Paul

subaru_team

I'm waiting for an interesting link for you all here. You will be some of the first to "sign-up" for a new Subaru magazine. It's directed at the performance enthusiast. I saw a draft copy of it today and it looks pretty slick.

Once the site to sign up for this free publication is up, I'll post it here (or should I put it in the "Patti" board?

Catch you all tonight!

Patti

kens

Oh no! I'm stuck at work and don't know if I can make the chat.

Sign me up for the magazine, please? :-)

Ken

subaru_team

on the link being up yet anyway. It probably won't happen until tomorrow at this rate, so don't worry about it. We'll miss Erina chatting with us tonight!

Patti

kens

I agree. It's getting way to complicated with all the variations Subaru has.

I'm sure if it worked out from a cost perspective, they would offer just VTD across the board, regardless of tranny type and model.

In the meantime, Subaru does need to make a distinction in the ever-increasing AWD vehicle category. I'm not sure if the average joe understands why Symmetric AWD is better.

Ken

moderator_bob

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ateixeira

The symmetrical thing is more about the longitudinal powertrain layout, side-to-side symmetry of the design. Not necessarily the AWD itself. I mean, only the VC starts out 50/50.

New mag sounds cool!

-juice