surprised with the Lenovo Ideacenter and its performance. Already behind the performance curve with the i3 processor...but I've yet to really tax the processor in any way with my "normal" activities.

It has, now, allowed me to do some things I haven't been able to deal with due to machine constraints, one of which is to transfer the DV tapes to the machine to be made into movies/youtube fodder to share with family and friends.

Surprised at how well windows has evolved in importing video as well. Very easily done. Also quickly realizing that with the size music collection and other docs already, 3tb was underestimating...so I will be in the market for a very large external at some point in near future. Short term the 1t external will do...but I was hoping to give that to the daughter for time machine usage for the mac.

For a sub 500 machine...I'm very impressed.

it runs Ubuntu with no issues at all.

and no, no mysterious thumping.

Mind you, considering the former machine had 4 fans (twins blowing over the hard drives, the cpu fan and the power supply) PLUS I had the side of the case off and a fan blowing out of the cabinet....

a little thump would be perfectly acceptable.

But its actually very quiet.

And the case is ventilated well enough I don't need the vent fan for the cab (plus not having 4 old, hot, hdd in place helps)

I do have the tmp being logged..as I want to make sure...but since I'm not really taxing the cpu...and the SATA drives seem to run a bit cooler...temp doesn't seem to be an issue.

If it thumps I'll let you know. And the sale is over...and I'm out of BB rewards coupons too...till that purchase and the purchases for my parents clear..then I'll have some more coupons to shop for the big external.

On that...thinking along the lines of

http://www.bestbuy.c...maltake&cp=2&lp=1