Kugel Memorabilia: CPU

This might be the ultimate in geek chic art. Kugel Memorabilia creates, among other things, framed art pieces suitable for hanging on walls or placing on desks, that are made of old computer parts.

Owner Brian Kugel offers a complete line of hand-made CPUs, expansion cards, and motherboards that have been framed in wood and are available for sale, intended to “geek up your office.” Prices range from $49 up to $249. They’ll even take your old computer parts and frame them, if you prefer.

You may assume Kugel just takes regular old frames and slaps them onto computer parts, but not so fast. Kugel happens to be an excellent woodworker, and he makes every frame as a customized creation that he cuts, sands, and finishes himself.

But wait — enter the crazy twist. Kugel’s framed motherboards are available in an “AK-47 Special Edition.” Which means exactly what you think it does — the motherboard is shot full of holes by an assault rifle before being framed. Why? For no other reason than that it looks cool!

I’ve heard of people getting attached to their computers, but might this be taking it too far? It’s art, so that’s for you, the beholder, to decide.

Take a look at some of Kugel’s work below, and then head over to his website to see more and order an art piece of your own.

Kugel Memorabilia: Expansion Card

Kugel Memorabilia: Motherboard

Thanks to tipster TNorman for sending this our way!

The disappointment with netbooks — NPD analyst Stephen Baker preferred that term rather than “dissatisfaction” — stemmed from expectations that a netbook was the same, more or less, as a laptop. Six out of every 10 netbook buyers, said Baker, thought that the two were equivalent, and figured that their new netbook would have the same functionality as a laptop.

I have been a netbook user for more than a year now. Since the first Eee PCs were shipped by Asus, I bought myself one. Since then, I’ve been trying different models from different brands. So far, I’ve been satisfied with performance.

It all boils down to expectations. And it depends on perspective, too.

Netbooks are practically the same as their full-fledged notebook counterparts. Mostly every component is miniaturized, and you would expect some tradeoffs there. The smaller screen and keyboard might not be as good for usability. But the portability is surely a key feature. The smaller parts might usually be slower, such as the hard drive or flash-based SSD, but they are designed for portability and sometimes for durability, as is the case with solid state drives. Their processing power might not be as hefty as with most modern, dual-core processors, but the low-power platform is supposed to give you longer battery life.

Because they can run the same software as you would on bigger computers, netbooks are supposed to be able to give the same functionality. Foremost of these is the ability to get you connected to the Internet. Perhaps that’s why they’re called “net” books–this what they are primarily intended for.

The issue here is about expectations. Some users purchase netbooks thinking, perhaps, that these can totally replace a desktop or notebook computer. To some extent this can be true. But people might be in for a disappointment if they will rely solely on their netbooks. I’ve purchased netbooks with the thought of using these as my mobile office when I’m on the go. But I don’t consider netbooks to be my primary computer. I still have a desktop and a laptop that I consider my main work machines.

If you purchase a netbook expecting to crunch hundreds of columns of spreadsheet figures, or to play the latest first-person-shooter, or to render videos, then you might be in for a disappointment. Sure, a netbook can probably handle these tasks, but will perform poorly. But if you expect to use a netbook to chat or catch up on emails while at a cafe, take notes during class, write a short report or letter while at the library, or check up on recipes online while at the kitchen, then these will perform satisfactorily or even wonderfully. It’s all about expectations.

Are you a netbook user? If so, are you satisfied with your netbook?

image credit: flickr/ndevil

Here are some of the best ideas on where and how to get your geek gear for dirt cheap.

Clearance sales and refurbished sales
Clearance sales – everyone knows that they can yield the best deals ever. Way back when Circuit City was still my premier choice, their clearance sales were a must for me. Today, you can still find all sorts of clearance sales at various stores, both online and offline. Mind you, these sales can give you the power to buy some of the most expensive brands out there.

How about refurbished units? You mean geeks use them? Heck yeah! Refurbished does not necessarily mean bad. Many of these items are actually units which have never been used but have been returned. Naturally, manufacturers cannot sell them for brand new. Guess who can benefit? YOU!

Online stores
Seriously, these are some of the best places to look right now. There are countless stores online from which you can find the lowest prices there are. Just to point you in the right direction, start with these tried and tested sites: Woot, TigerDirect, CostCo, and Alien Ware. You will not regret paying them a visit every so often.

Where do YOU get your best deals for geek gear?

This may seem to be your regular netbook except for the quick “LG Smart ON” feature. But if you ever get your hands on one unit be sure to check out its sound features.SRS WOW HD and TruSurround XT bring stereo effect sound to music and video. The screen’s LED Backlight delivers a high-resolution picture that is clearer and brighter, which is not only easier on tired eyes but saves energy, too.

The LG X120 Netbook features:

• 10-inch WSVGA screen
• 1.6GHz Atom processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 160GB hard drive
• Windows XP
• Splashtop based “LG Smart ON” feature

The LG X120 will be available in Europe some time in March with the rest of the world to follow some time later.