Bad experience with my "new" (old) Dell laptop...

Okay, so... This was occurred since I decided to replace my old Samsung laptop with it. Unfortunately though, it has it's own flaws, and now it already has it's own issue that I couldn't even bother to fix it at all. I already sent it to the service place in order to fix it, but nope! Everything gone wrong with this laptop that I bought it online, especially for one of the vital parts that it should work just fine like my old Samsung does... So, without further ado with them, let's explain about why I've just embarrassed by this laptop that I bought it online.

1. General

In case you've wondering about the brand and the model of the particular laptop that I bought it online, it's just an old Dell Latitude E4310...  I bought it online from one of the local online shops, and I paid around 200 bucks for it. It has the earliest version of Windows 10 Pro (2015),  it has 13,3" screen size, and it has Intel Core i5 M560 processor... It also has 8 GB of RAM, and not much I can say about it. Speaking about the story about why I bought this laptop, it's because I thought I was impressed by how much the RAM that this laptop has, so which meant it would run better than my old Samsung laptop. There is also another reason about why I bought this, it's because my old Samsung laptop wouldn't do heavy things very well, especially for editing videos... Again, not much I can say about this particular laptop though, until there are few flaws that I discovered already in this laptop throughout many hours of me using it until one big problem happens to it.

2. Results

Well, what do you know... I thought this laptop would run better than my old Samsung laptop because it has a bigger RAM, but no! Apart from how old this laptop is (which was dated in 2012), there are few surprising results from this laptop. Here are my results of me using it (in terms of bunch of the software programs that I ran on this laptop's system operating itself), from the normal results until the bad results.

• Web browsing on it is just fine to me. I can open the Google Chrome slightly quicker than my old Samsung laptop.
• File exploring on it is also just fine, not much I can say about it.
• Playing games on it isn't that great (I tested the original Plants vs. Zombies on it)... I have to download ThrottleStop in order to stop the throttles and stutters while I'm playing any games on it.
• Google Earth on it seems to work just decently. Not good, but not bad either.
• I also once installed BlueStacks on it, and it does open the app just decently. Even if I didn't even play any Android games on it.
• Adobe Photoshop (newer version) on it does work just reasonably fine.
• Adobe Premiere Pro (CC 2015), it does work but of course it has some problems while I edit videos on it every time... One of the examples is being the audio hardware interface keeps overloading at the most of the time; every time I play the edited footage on it and that message appears quite often on the events window, so I have to increase the latency in order to solve it, but nope, it doesn't work. Even the other options that I tweaked on it's own settings, but then again, nope!
• Many more of the random programs (or apps), that I couldn't even tell about how well  they run on this laptop since I never run them nor I run them quite often... Either they do work properly, but also they don't seem to work (usually it has usual "... [program] has stopped working" message)...

3. Flaws

It's hard to believe if this laptop has it's own flaws as well... I thought I was like, "This old laptop would work as good as the ones in my current school would be. Although the ones in my current school are completely different models, unlike this one"... Well, yeah, but since there are flaws that keeps bothering me while operating it, so... Not much additional action that I will take to them because I always sick by them, so... Anyway, here are the flaws that this laptop has, right now:

• First, utterly crap battery life. I already suspected about how crap the battery life of this laptop is... For example, the battery's percentage was on 82%, but then immediately went down drastically by itself into 0% within a second. Before it got emptied like that, the battery somehow only lasted less than least 30 minutes...
• It only has one USB port.
• Annoying "date and time resetting"... This always occurs while the laptop itself isn't powered by either battery or the plug adapter, probably due to it doesn't have it's own built-in backup battery-ish thing like my old Samsung laptop does... It keeps resetting the date and time itself back in 2012. All I have to do against this problem is of course, I have manually set the current date and time in the BIOS settings itself... Freaking all the time when this happens!
• Almost every time I turned it on from either hibernate or sleep, the display graphics driver just stopped working, but it does recover immediately by itself.
• There's a little static electricity somewhere on the laptop itself, even I plugged one of the earphones into this laptop does have little static electricity as well. This always happens, especially when I plug it with a plug outlet all the time.
• No 4 rubber feets on the bottom on the laptop itself, since I bought it used from online shop.
• Some obscure stuffs are still present on this laptop... One example is being the obscure tray with an "EC" logo near it, don't know what does it mean. Another example is being the other obscure tray hole with a "SC" logo near it too. External sound card? If yes, no wonder why it doesn't sound good, yet it's a bit silent (in my opinion).
• Since this is one of the old laptops, it will overheat quite badly if I use it too much, especially certain examples like exporting a whole video sequence from Adobe Premiere Pro, the centrifugal fan inside it runs so fast, yet it'll feel so hot around one on the sides on this laptop. I even poured a pinch of water on the part where it overheats, and it got boiled and dried just less than 30 seconds.
• The speakers on it sounds not too loud, yet it only has standard HD Audio sound card from Windows itself... However, if I installed Equalizer APO on it, it does amplify the volume of it just like my old Samsung laptop (which obviously has dedicated Realtek HD Audio sound card, yet it also has SoundAlive feature too)... However, if I increase it even more on the aforementioned equalizer program itself, sometimes it overloads, especially for anything that sounds way too much bass... Even Adobe Premiere Pro that I installed on it says the audio hardware interface overload, I'm not sure if that always happens due to that, even I already seen that warning bunch of times just before I installed the Equalizer APO on it... Probably the very poor GPU that it has in order not to make it work properly? Presumably yes.

4. When the LCD screen's backlight dies... (and conclusion + extras)

Apparently, in it's peak day about when this laptop's LCD screen's backlight got stopped working, it used to work just fine like it should before that occurred... Although it used to work just fine, of course the flaws of this laptop were still present...... Until it's own LCD screen's backlight died... Yes, literally... It's own LCD screen's backlight gone wrong for some reason, it's just simply doesn't light up anymore. I could see anything on the screen with the flashlight that lights into the screen, but still, I can't have that... I already tweaked about the brightness of the laptop's LCD screen's backlight itself, even on the BIOS too, but nope! Still doesn't work! So which means, there you have it for this "new" (old) Dell laptop that I bought it online. For the additional action that I did to the laptop itself, here are two actions that I did to it:

• I already brought it to the service center, closest from my old neighborhood. I asked some person in order to replace the LCD screen's backlight. Since it's one of the rarest size and models yet I would pay around 107 bucks for it, they didn't repair it due to there's no particular screen available for it's own size and model. Even they were already contacted the supplier who sells laptop's spare LCD screens, but then again, nope.
• I also asked to the online seller who sells bunch of those laptops... The only thing that he can do with this laptop is of course I have to send it to him in order to repair it yet I would only pay 32 bucks for it, not selling it away to him... But, I still bothered by how guilty I did to this laptop, because I thought this laptop would work properly like what my current school has few of those laptops of the exact same brand (but different models though), but nope! It's just gone wrong by this LCD screen issue that got struck into it.

So yeah, there you have it for my experience with this "new" (old) Dell laptop that I bought online... Yeah, as if... Again, I thought this laptop would work properly like what my current school has few of those laptops of the exact same brand, but then again, nope! It's just gone wrong, and I felt so guilty about it... Right now, I simply left it without any usage at all, until I have to salvage the important parts that are left on it, such as RAM and the HDD that comes with it, so I hope I can transfer those parts into my old Samsung laptop... Speaking about my old Samsung laptop in it's current condition, I also tell about it's own current flaws as well, aside from one of it's own LCD screen's hinge got busted already. Those are:

• It doesn't seem to charge it's own battery anymore. So which means, I completely force to use AC adapter in order to make it work properly.
• It's still has old Windows 7 operating system, but it does work just fairly well since I activated it using third-party program that I did around 7 years ago, instead of activating it in the usual way using the product key.
• Both of it's own internal speakers are busted already.
• Since it only has 2 GB of RAM and weaker processor, it does have a lag while I'm doing certain multitasking stuffs. Unless I have to install certain programs in order to make it slightly better (such as CCleaner, ThrottleStop, and an old program entitled MZ RAM Booster). Obviously, no way for doing heavy stuffs, such as editing videos. It'll lag very badly if I do that, especially for playing the edited video on it. Or even on the worse cases, it'll stop the whole program entirely, yet there's no auto-save of it.

And yeah, that's what I can conclude about my bad experience with my "new" (old) Dell laptop, yet I already listed about some flaws of my old Samsung laptop as well. That's it for what I can say about this bad experience that I did to it, and hope you can pay the attention, yet you can learn the lesson about this experience that I did to it.

I'm sorry, our Plants vs. Zombies lovers 3... :(

I know if my Plants vs. Zombies collection already has bunch of my favorite figures as for nowadays (as for late of 2018 and later), but I still miss some of my wanted figures that keeps cycling on my brain. Continued from my previous post of the exact same title, I'm sorry, our Plants vs. Zombies lovers 2... :(, it's still probably the exact same figures that I always mentioned in the previous post, and now it's still remains nothing. So, it's time to update to what's going on with me against those figures anyway, yet this is gonna be another apologize post for me with anything Plants vs. Zombies (non-series) related, which in this case, those figures that I still miss plus extras behind all of those.

Before I'm gonna tell you the reason about why I keep failing to get those figures since last 3 years, here's my Instagram post about those things:

Lihat postingan ini di Instagram

Yeah... 😔 #plantsvszombies#pvz#knex#plantsvszombiesgardenwarfare2#pvzgw2#wishlist#toys#actionfigures#pvzgw#favorite#favorites#ever#plantvszombie

Sebuah kiriman dibagikan oleh Ade F. (@adethefantoyguy) pada 1 Jun 2019 jam 6:01 PDT

As you can see, those 3 figures are the ones that I still miss there. Those are based from Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare, both original and the sequel, although it obviously based from the sequel version of the Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare. I know if those were existed since mid-to-late of 2017 until the late of 2019, and yes, many of the YouTubers (including the guy who sent some of his figures to me back in November of 2018) reviewed them as well. In case you've wondering about what's the name of toy company who produced and distributed those figures, yes, it's another one of those from good old folks from K'NEX. I've already owned those K'NEX Plants vs. Zombies figures since 2015, and yes, I always enjoying those little Plants vs. Zombies figures until today. Along with 3 of my most beloved old Plants vs. Zombies KFC toys from May of 2013 (which those toys are always vital for my collection), those figures are also look great and legit, albeit the zombies aren't that good at all, yet there are lot of issues with each of those figures too (such as loosing parts, cheap painting, fragile parts, and so on)... Enough for the describing them in general, let's take a look at update of what's going on with me against those figures right away.

Exactly what I ranted in I'm sorry, our Plants vs. Zombies lovers 2... :(, this problem is still exists until now... I've been trying to get any of those figures in every methods, but again... failed. It also makes this problem even worse and worse, because not only the fact I still can't get those things yet until now, it's also got obstructed by other obvious things that happens since late of the last year, until this year. One, which is latest YouTube's policy. I used to comment them in each of YouTube videos of those reviews, but now, it's completely blocked for obvious reasons. Yes, they already set those videos as a kid-friendly videos! Which is good, and also bad at the same time. Good, which means no more of those trash comments that I mentioned in my post entitled Worst things that I ever done..., although it's still happens in several of YouTube videos that they didn't set them yet as a kid-friendly videos, including my YouTube channel of fans too... Of course on the other hand, bad means there's no more of me contacting those guys in order to send those extra figures that they have to me by simply requesting them. I already did few times to that one toy YouTuber who has 7 Plasma Pea figures in his 3 separate videos. One which was the one that he bought it from Toys R Us along with the other 7 K'NEX Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Series 5 blind bags that contained the other 7 figures that were bundled on that set. Unfortunately though, that figure has missing pieces, because the bag that lurked it inside had the hole on the side of the blind bag itself, which caused the other parts of the figure itself were lost already... Then, in another video by him of another complete set of K'NEX Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Series 5 blind bags that he got them from Dollar Tree, there's another Plasma Pea figure that he got in perfect condition... Lastly, in yet another video by him of K'NEX Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Series 6 blind bags, he got 5 Plasma Pea figures. I commented to him in all 3 videos that he uploaded, but he didn't understand about what I said to him in the second video, and ended up, there was no action taken to me apart from he didn't reply myself anymore in his latest videos, which is really stinks! I also tried to comment him on his latest video (the one that has 4 extra Plasma Pea figures), and nope! No action was taken, apart from he got the heart to my comment in that video. Which is odd, considering me always wanted it by commenting them in his previous two videos of those things. And then, somebody lately replied me in that video with this:

"K'NEX has lost their greatness since a few years now. They used to have great licenses theme, now they don't even have license themes.. The themes they have now is made by them which is really sad because they just lost their goodness that way..."

Exactly what he described to the toy company itself, same goes for the franchise that he likes, (which is in that case), obviously Super Mario... Again, they used to have a great license themes, but now it's completely depleting like crazy yet nothing, and there's no more chance of me getting those figures anyway... Although those figures also has a hit and miss features. Hit means exactly like what I wanted, and meanwhile for miss, obviously means they had a lot of goofs just like what I told to you before about those things that I have... So, in conclusion about this point, yeah... No more of those things because those two sub-reasons, YouTube's latest policy to those toy review videos, and K'NEX no longer producing them, which I knew it already by e-mailed the toy company itself before.

The other main reasons that causes me still can't get these figures is of course... Covid-19 pandemic. I know if this ultra extreme pandemic that strikes already on the entire world that causes many deaths isn't related to what I'm dealing with those Plants vs. Zombies figures anyway, but it affects on how much they cost on international online shops, especially e-Bay. I already saw them on the actual e-Bay, they cost reasonably cheap, but most of them obviously have quite expensive costs... But, when it comes to one of local online shops that connects to the e-Bay, they cost so darn expensive. Not much words that I can say about it, because I don't want to deplete my bank account's balance very badly due to that... Also, in case you've wondering about the aforementioned local online shop itself, yes, it does show anything about those, but they also got rid to the ones that may not ship into my country (Indonesia), which in results said: "This product was deleted by the seller", despite the fact they're still there on actual e-Bay... So, yeah... I don't bother to buy them for a moment, until there's another help by another kind person who will eventually send those missing Plants vs. Zombies figures for free to me. Even I already e-mailed to several persons already, still no action taken by any of them at all.

So, there you have it for yet another I'm sorry, our Plants vs. Zombies lovers thread. I know if I feel so sick already for not getting them as soon as possible, but eventually, if this still happens (unless I'm getting older and older as my parents, but not getting those yet), I will eventually make this again because I can't even stand it anymore. I know if those figures aren't that good quality just like the ones that I have, but whatever... I will never stop hunting those things until I actually got them in my hands... Anyway, hope you can pay the attention about this story about me and those figures that I still miss there, and thanks for reading this post.

Electric fans in abandoned places (part 3)

"Man, abandoned stuff just creeps me the hell out. I get this feeling as if I had seen these people and the building intact and running. Now it just looks like everyone died and so did the buildings..."-fanmaster10000 from vintageceilingfans.com forum

Exactly like what particular fellow fan lover said on that forum of vintage electric fans (which is mainly ceiling fans obviously), and exactly what I'm listing all of those YouTube videos of electric fans (mainly ceiling fans) in abandoned places taken by various urban explorers here... So, it's time to continue my series of Electric fans in abandoned places. This time, I'll list even more of YouTube videos of abandoned places by various urban explorers around the world, mainly in the west. Just like the previous part, I'll list even more YouTube videos of those that contains electric fans (mainly ceiling fans) inside abandoned buildings that they explored. Without further ado with them, let's take look at even more of electric fans in abandoned places right away.

Started off by this abandoned house here. There are 2 ceiling fans in there. One of them is a 5-bladed, bottom-mount spinner ceiling fan shown at 5:06, followed by a 5-bladed hugger ceiling fan shown at 5:45... There's also a small exhaust fan shown at 8:05.


Then, in this abandoned house here, there's a slouching* 4-bladed 42" ceiling fan shown at 14:08. There's also a ceiling fan's blade with cane shown at 4:09, but it's unknown whether that place used to have 2 or more ceiling fans besides that one at 14:08, though.


Then, in this abandoned retro home here, there's a droopy 5-bladed hugger ceiling fan shown at 0:40.


Not as exciting as the other videos, there are 2 ceiling fans in this large abandoned house here. One is a white 4-bladed one at 3:40, and the other one is a 42" black 5-bladed bottom-mount spinner ceiling fan at 2:02 and 3:56.


Then, in this small abandoned house here, there's a vintage emperor ceiling fan shown at 4:00... Motor only, no blades and light (including it's own light globe) whatsoever on it.


Then, in this abandoned house here, there are 2 ceiling fans. One of them is a vintage 36" industrial ceiling fan with light kit shown at 3:03 and 7:35, followed by a 5-bladed droopy ceiling fan shown at 4:40 and 5:05.


Then, in this abandoned farmhouse here, there is a 56" industrial ceiling fan with very badly bent down blades. It is located inside the yellow room of the house itself.


Then, in this huge abandoned hotel that is located in one of the islands in Japan, there are 4 ceiling fans in there. 2 of them are decorative ceiling fans, and being one of them is very rusty yet got destroyed very badly, shown at 5:28... And the other 2 ceiling fans are KDK E14ZK industrial ceiling fans shown around at 25:57... There's also a vintage National? wall fan shown at 12:41.


Then, in this abandoned house here, there's a 42" ceiling fan with green motor housing, shown at 2:38.


Again, not as exciting as the other videos, there are 2 ceiling fans in this abandoned house. One of them is a 42" hugger ceiling fan with sagging blades that is shown at 3:59, followed by the 42" white ceiling fan with partially droopy blades shown at 7:47. Although there's no better look for the hugger one that is shown at 3:59, it's also probably the same fan that most of every fan enthusiasts featured in some of their Abused ceiling fan commercial and Broken ceiling fan slideshow videos, which is this one. And so for the fan at 7:47, there's an actual picture of it, albeit it isn't featured by any fan enthusiasts yet though.


Yet again, not as exciting as the other videos, there are 4 ceiling fans in this abandoned house, being one of the guys who explored this house spun one of the fans with his hand. Shown at 5:38, 5:52, 6:13 (the one that he spun it), and later parts of this video (although you can't even see it better, besides the one at 5:52 while he panned the camera to the left).


Then, in this abandoned hoarder house here, there's a vintage 52" spinner ceiling fan with schoolhouse light-kit shown at 3:07. Unfortunately though, this house was demolished already back in June of 2015.


Then, in this abandoned house here, there are 2 ceiling fans inside. One of them is a 36" bottom-mount spinner ceiling fan, shown at 5:21... The other one is a 42" white hugger ceiling fan, shown at 6:21.


Then, in this abandoned elementary school here, there are few of industrial ceiling fans inside, being one of them has one of it's own blades is bent down really badly. Two of them are 48" (I think, and there's no better look of one of the 48" fans), and the rest are 56"... Shown around at 17:16, 17:25, 19:45, 21:29 (the one with one of it's own blades is bent down really badly), and 21:37.


Lastly, in this really decaying abandoned mobile home here, there are 2 ceiling fans inside. One of them is an abused 42" hugger ceiling fan shown at 5:27, followed by a 42" ceiling fan shown at 7:05.


* -> Nice reference to those guys who smash a lot of things with their own golf clubs with their own words like "fancy", "super deluxe", that "slouching", and so on...

If you know about the brand of each of the electric fans (mainly ceiling fans) in each of the urban exploration videos there (apart from some of those fans in that huge abandoned hotel in one of islands in Japan there), please let me know about them in the comments section below here... Also, I will make a part 4 of yet even more of the electric fans in abandoned places by various urban explorers, so stay tuned for that soon... Enjoy