What are /r/ThingsIWishIKnew's favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Most people complain about nowadays is privacy issues and some incompatibilities with programs. (and the forced upgrading, which is pretty much a dick move)

As far as privacy concerns, this should do the trick: https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/

The compatability test performed before upgrading should check if your apps and hardware are compatible.

My own view: i like it, haven't had a problem with it. The majority of the people like it. Forcing to upgrade is a dick move, but i understand it from microsofts perspective. (if the majority of the systems run on the same os, troubleshooting will be easier). People who hate it will always hate it, but i feel that some are really overreacting,

Its pretty much windows 7 with the good windows 8 features.

Contrary to the other posts concerning the battery's life and replacement cost, Toyota's battery packs are actually dead reliable and not nowhere near as expensive to replace as quoted. Consumer Reports looked at the Prius' battery failure rates, and found that it takes 12 years for the failure rate to reach 5%. At those failure rates, you can safely expect Toyota's hybrid batteries to last the full life of the car.

As for the replacement costs: In the unlikely event of premature battery failure, the cost to replace it is $2,590, not $7,000.

Since programming is the core of computer science and software engineering, I would recommend anyone interested in doing one of them have a look at some online courses on the topic. Harvard offers a free online course called CS50x which, if you can force yourself to get through the absolutely horrible first week "coding" in Scratch, is a really fun course. Coursera regularly has good beginner programming courses. I'd highly recommend taking one on Python, since it's a great introductory language.

There will be a lot of stuff in your degree that isn't just programming, but having a good understanding of the coding bit before you go in will certainly help, especially with courses that involve code but aren't explicitly about it, like algorithms and data structures.

Also, look into Software Engineering and IT degrees, as well. Exactly what each of these three programmes entail differs from university to university, so which one is best for you will depend on what university you're looking at, and what you want to do. At my university, for example, Computer Science is a bit of a joke. It's a terrible course, really more for people interested in science in a general sense who also like computers. IT is a step up, for people who want computer stuff without going in too much depth, and Software Engineering is the real hardcore programme. But that'll be completely different at other universities. Point is, don't just look at the programmes labelled "computer science" just because it's the name you've heard of most often.

1. Buy a good case and it can last you several builds.
2. Buy a good powersupply and it can last several builds...if you don't it will suicide bomb the rest of your build.
3. Consider what the primary use of the PC as where to dump your $$. Gaming --> GPU. Workstation --> CPU.
4. Be sure that your GPU can actually run the monitor you want.
5. Watch some videos on how to put together your PC.
6. Get some practice building a PC by taking apart and rebuilding your own PC (note: be sure to have access to the internet through another device to search for help).
7. Use Ninite to download all the simple stuff you need in one go.

Chainsaw chaps will protect your legs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00STHFARY

Watch some vids of chainsaws hitting chaps, it's impressive how well they protect from something that can go through a tree like butter

We are on year 6 with the "high yield" toner cartridge for our Brother all-in-one printer. Prior to buying that, the original "starter" cartridge that came w/ the printer lasted about a year.

I will never buy an inkjet again or photo paper again. If I need to print color photos, I'll drive to CVS/Target/Walgreens. If I need color printouts, I'll go to OfficeMax/Fedex/UPS.

Unless you need color or built in scanner you want to buy a laser printer with toner cartridges. The all-in-one color printer scanner cheap things are a total rip off and break down all the time and blow through expensive ink constantly. They also try to scam you into ink subscriptions. Total racket. If you’re just looking for reliable black and white printing get a laser printer. On the cheap side something like this would work but there are many options.

Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex Printing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQ1CLTI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_cn5rFbAPAY8XB

If you want to write literature, make sure you read lots of it! Stephen King wrote in his auto-biography "On Writing" that you really need to practice your craft before becoming better. He reads on average 3 hours a day.

Can you dedicate a few hours out of your day to read and write stories? Like any great artist, practice makes perfect. You're first few drafts will probably be terrible if you don't have much writing experience but you have to keep trying. Michaelangelo's first paintings aren't in any museums. These artists become the greats by putting in thousands of hours into their craft.