LOL! I don't see the DCU (DCEU isn't it?) as a failure, but the MCU, I think is an outstanding success! I'd rather see one of these episodes like "What if the DCU and the MCU were together?" So, what if Batman and Ironman were in the same universe fighting together. I like both DC and Marvel, but I think Marvel is my favorite. I think the X-Men are a big part of that, because I loved watching that animated series when I was a kid. I've seen a whole lot more Marvel these days than DC. I know the DC has shows on the CW, but I haven't watched them and I'm not even sure if they're worth it.

I think it's quite interesting how there are so very many actors that have played characters in both universes.

I think I agree with you. A few years ago, when I replayed the Batman Arkham series, my thought was that Batman is my favorite, but I still like Marvel better. I may be wrong about Batman, because Wolverine is right there at the top, too. I guess I like Batman, because he's more realistic. He's intelligent and rich (his superpower) and even though he seems to be extremely both, he's a bit more relatable.

I don't think so! LOL But we seem to have some great things in common. (I think we're the only two Super Members here.)

I found a news article with a Marvel tweet showing off some more What If...? and it looks like Steve Rogers is Iron Man. Wow! I really hope they explain how he became Iron Man. So, Peggy got the super soldier serum, I think this means Steve didn't get it. If he didn't, then shouldn't he be a little scrawny guy? If so, then I can see why he's Iron Man, he had to get into something that would make him bigger so he could join the fight against Hydra. I also wonder, what's going to happen to Tony? We'll see this month! I'm looking forward to the series, especially after seeing all the awesome stuff Marvel has been doing. Here's the link I found: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvels-what-if-clip-shows-steve-rogers-as-the-proto-iron-man/1100-6494767/

Episode 1: What If Peggy Carter Was the First Avenger? Out now! Wow, I've had a huge crush on Peggy (really Hayley Atwell), Captain Carter just makes her more of a badass! I still love her! She's seen in the trailer, too, talking to Doctor Strange, so we'll see her soon. An article published and mentioned by New Rockstars says that she'll return for "season two and beyond." So, she's going to be a major character going forward.

I liked that in the trailer they showed us Captain Carter and Steve Rogers. This told us that she got the serum instead of him and he's what we think of as Iron Man, but is called Hydra Smasher. Then shows us how the suit is powered. I wonder what that means for Tony Stark. We know that he gets rescued by Killmonger and doesn't get hit with shrapnel, which removes the need for him to create Iron Man, but I don't know if that happens in the same universe as Captain Carter. We may yet see.

Episode 2 is a sad one as it stars T'Challa and is voiced by Chadwick Boseman (not all actors returned to voice their characters in this series). It's great that he was able to voice his character, but his untimely death is a tragedy. The end of the episode contains a tribute to him.

This episode had some serious "wow" moments. In fact, when I saw one character, I said "WTF?!" Well, I didn't say the acronym, I'm just using it here. That was certainly a surprise! I think you'll probably be surprised to see him, too, and once you do, you'll realize who I'm talking about.

There's something I wanted to note and this is the best place I can think of to express my thought about it. I've already told you that this episode features T'Challa and if you paid attention to the trailer, you'll know he is Star Lord. Since this is related to Guardians of the Galaxy, it shouldn't be a big surprise that The Collector is in it. However, it surprises me that Benicio del Toro is credited as voicing The Collector, but to me it sounds nothing like him. I can't say I'm very familiar with the actor. Other than GotG, I only know the actor from the movie Snatch. I think he's really cool and I love his accent, but I didn't hear it in this episode.

I read that this episode is some how going to tie into Black Panther 2.

Let me know what you think about this series and this episode. Do you think The Collector sounds like Benicio del Toro?

I can't wait to see more episodes of this series, though I really don't want to see the zombie episode (I hate zombies. I think they're overused and in most everything. Granted, they're an easy target to use as something to kill).

There's a new "mid-season" trailer! Holy cow, "mid-season?" Obviously this show is running longer than any other. The trailer contains much of what we've already seen, but it also looks like at least some episodes have a part two. I have thoughts on the series so far and if anyone wants to discuss it feel free, too.

Episode 1 was great! I love Peggy Carter and I love Haley Atwell. I also liked the Starlord T'Chala episode and it looks like he's returning. The third episode was ok.

The Doctor Strange episode was great, but I find it deeply disturbing and dramatic and even though I really liked it, I'd rather not think about it (that's how much it disturbs me). I feel sorry for Strange and I really like him. We'll see this Strange again, but I don't think he's "evil." I just think he's "emo." I think some how he managed to escape his fate (lucky for him) and I imagine he's very remorseful and regretful for what he did. Although, maybe he's made at The Watcher for not interfering when he asked him to. We'll see him again and I'm looking forward to it. I hope my thoughts about him not being evil are proven, but I won't be too surprised if I'm wrong.

The zombies episode was absolutely horrible IMO. That's because I *hate* zombies! Not only are they disgusting and disturbing, but they're in nearly everything. Could we actually get something that doesn't have zombies in it? I mean, they're great fodder for something to kill, but geez. It looks like there's a second part to it and I'm not looking forward to it. I'd like to watch the zombie episodes ASAP to get them out of the way so I can actually look forward to what's next, which IMO just about anything would be better than frickin' zombies!

The newest episode with Killmonger was cool. It looks like he's making an appearance again (along with Captain Carter, Starlord T'Chala, and "emo" Doctor Strange). Captain Marvel and Gamora are making an appearance soon as well.

Let me know what you think about this! I think it's a great show, but I've thought about that with every Marvel show so far, although I didn't like John Walker, the character nor actor. Also note, season two has already been given the go-ahead, just like Loki.

Check out the new mid-season trailer: https://youtu.be/1dOx38iLreg

Yeah, I've had the impression the Switch could benefit from better hardware.

Yeah, it is nice, I'm just overwhelmed with how many times they've released or ported these games. As I said, it's like how many times do I have to buy the same game? Again, as I said, I'm not too fond of the bundle price. Yeah, it seems reasonable to pay less than $20 for each of these and it makes sense that putting them all together adds up significantly. So, I guess my fondness of the bundle price isn't quite logical. Still, I'm sure some day the bundle will get a major discount and be well worth it, most likely during a summer or winter sale. I am surprised these aren't going to be an EGS exclusive, since that's what they did with Kingdom Hearts and it appears they're going to do it with FF7 Remake (more on that in the next paragraph).

I do like remasters as well, they are the same games we know and love just with a nice facelift. Other than the fact that it's not on PC (Steam) yet, I haven't jumped on to the FF 7 Remake train, because I'm a bit put off by the changes that were made. I believe I saw or read that there are ghosts in this version, which were not there in the original. The original was great. It's kind of like the phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Still, it seems to be really popular and it seems it may be coming to PC eventually. I read it's listed in the Epic Games Store database, which is a hint that it's coming to EGS. My guess is it's going to be an exclusive for a while. Part of my reasoning for this assumption is because that's just how EGS rolls, which is something I'm not fond of. Another part of that reasoning is that the Kingdom Hearts remasters are there, but not yet on Steam. I appreciate other companies getting in to the business and all, but I can't help that I want all of my games in one place and I really like Steam. Granted, if Steam goes away, so does all of the games I've collected with it, which is many more than any other platform.

I agree with you, I like the ability to switch between "classic" and remastered graphics. Even though I'll probably always choose the remastered version, it's nice to have that ability, especially for players who want that option. Plus, it's interesting to see how a developer has improved a game's graphics. I experienced this with the Command & Conquer remaster.

Oh and I don't believe this is coming to consoles, but I think it should. I think it would be good so that everyone who wants to experience this early FF history has a chance to. I think it could get more sales. Plus, these were originally console games, so it seems to only make sense. I don't think these games (or at least most of them) are very well known and popular, not like FF7 anyway. There are probably other FF fans out there that would like to be able to get their hands on this.

I just found out that this will come to other platforms if enough people request it. I'm not sure how to go about that though. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/final-fantasy-pixel-remaster-collection-could-come-to-other-platforms-if-enough-people-request-it/1100-6494244/

Thanks. Yeah, it is relevant to gaming. There are parts of this regarding gaming and performance, which are mentioned. Thanks for the promo. :)

I believe I read something in the last two or three weeks about this and it doesn't seem like it's a major overhaul, so I doubt compatibility issues are going to be a big problem. I could be wrong, though.

I found out the new system requirements. You'll need an 8th gen Intel or Ryzen 2000. The clock speed is still 1Ghz. You'll also need 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space. You'll also need a DirectX12 GPU and at least 720p. There are a couple of tools mentioned at the end of this article to help you figure out if your PC is compatible: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3622940/windows-11-system-hardware-requirements.html

Hopefully! I don't have experience with Autodesk, so good luck! :) Are you going to upgrade your PC?

I certainly will, though I'm not quite too sure about the visual parts of it. I feel like having a centered task bar would be weird and take some getting used to. I am, however, very much looking forward to the DirectStorage feature and hoping I notice a performance boost. Auto HDR looks nice, but I don't have a compatible HDR monitor.

I am glad they're giving this free to those of us running Windows 10. Paying just over $100 for it was enough. I love adopting the new Windows versions, but getting them for free is quite a bonus.

MS says with DirectStorage "games can quickly load assets to the graphics card without bogging down the CPU." So, shorter load times. But, you'll have to have the game running on an NVME SSD to work with this. Plus, you'll need a DirectX12 GPU.

The OS will require TPM 2.0. Not all motherboards have this feature, which will require users to buy a piece of hardware so they can run the OS. You can check if you have it by running the command "tpm.msc" or you can find it under Settings>System>About>BitLocker Settings. I did the latter first and it took me to the MS Store to upgrade from Home to Pro edition (which I don't plan to do). The first option worked, but told me I didn't have it. So, I probably won't be an early adopter of Windows 11.

I may have to think about this more. Things may change before it releases, so we'll see.

I found this "new to me" stuff by watching this video: "Windows 11 GAMING: 10 Things You NEED TO KNOW" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-64g8AiD00

You can find more about the TPM 2.0 requirement here: https://www.pcmag.com/news/what-is-a-tpm-and-why-do-i-need-one-for-windows-11

Well, since I wrote that comment, I've been working on looking into these new requirements. I think I might do it. I found out my motherboard has a TPM header, but I don't know enough about the tech, so I don't know what kind of module to buy. I've sent in a question to ASRock, the manufacturer of my motherboard, to find out if they have any recommendations. I noticed the header is 17 pins, but I found at least one (ASRock actually) module that's 13. Hopefully, they'll get back to me on that, though it looked like most or all modules on Amazon were sold out.

As for NVME, I found out I could get a NVME version of my SSD for about $120. I don't think that's too bad, I guess. I need to look into that tech more, too. I thought NVME was faster, but from what I've seen of their speeds, it looks like they're the same. My SSD is attached via SATA, but I know the NVME attaches directly to the motherboard.

As for all the speculation, I haven't read any of it. It's just my assumption that they're requiring TPM 2.0 so that computers are more secure.

So, I got a reply from ASRock. It's lame, because they just sent me a pic that shows TPM 2.0 specifications. At the bottom it says, "not supported with Intel 8 and 9 series chipsets." This is very disappointing. I built this PC 2 years ago. I have no idea how many people have 10th or 11th gen CPUS. I have an i7-8700 and on a separate list, I did see my CPU listed as compatible with Win11, but with this TPM info (assuming it is correct), then it isn't. It seems confusing. If all of this is true, then I most certainly hope MS gets a load of backlash for it and removes the requirement. Otherwise, I can't imagine many people upgrading. If they don't remove it, then I won't be able to upgrade unless I upgrade my motherboard and CPU, which is pretty much most definitely not going to happen. Those two items are not on my list of things I want to upgrade soon. Still, I might get a NVME just to see if there's a performance boost. Ark is still a very hardware demanding game.

Looks like I don't know much about NVME either. I have a Western Digital SSD connected via SATA III. I found an NVME exactly like it. Both have the same speeds, so I was confused. So, I went through the list of NVMEs compatible with my motherboard and learned. NVMEs are to SSDs are what SSDs are to HDDs. NVMEs are much faster and more expensive. It seems you could get a 1TB SSD (SATA) for over $100, but an NVME of 512GB is going to cost a bit more than that.

I miss the 2TB HDD I had with the Alienware, but it died. I now have the 1TB SSD and it's almost half full. I want my OS and games all on the same drive, so a 512GB NVME doesn't seem like it would be good enough, unless I got extremely serious about how much storage space I'm using. Since I now only have that 1TB, I don't keep a lot of games installed. I do have an old HDD I am using for other things like documents and other random files, including those files I've downloaded to install programs like Steam, Java, Chrome, etc.

I'll have to think on this more.

The more I read, the worse it looks to me. I just read an article (shared below) about how many PCs aren't going to be compatible with Win11. Basically, the security features affect performance negatively. Older CPUs and even some newer ones apparently aren't up to the task. While having the security features on creates negative performance, users can turn the features off to get a performance boost.

Also, the article points out the security improvements AMD and Intel have made in their CPUs. The difference between CPU generations isn't completely about cores.

"Why Windows 11 is Leaving So Many PCs Behind": https://www.pcworld.com/article/3623713/why-windows-11-is-leaving-so-many-pcs-behind.html

Wow! I was talking to someone recently and she mentioned someone that won't upgrade from Win7. I loved Win7. It may have been one of my most favorites, but I've loved them all (95 and up).

98SE? LOL I remember that, too! Was that one that people hated? I don't know, I think there are lots of people who hate every version ("haters gonna hate"). I think it's because they get used to one and don't want to have to "relearn" how to use a new version. This doesn't apply to me at all, though. Sure, I might have to figure out where some things have been relocated, but I don't see that as a problem.

It's cool you're running a Linux file store, though I don't know much about that. I also don't know much about NAS. You and Travis definitely have IT expertise that I don't, but that's ok, it makes me respect you more. LOL

Yeah, I remember WinME was a crash/horrorfest. I think I still liked it though. One version that stands out to me in my memory is Windows 96. It was cancelled, but I remember trying it out.

I looked up Win96, too, just to be sure my memory wasn't fooling me or that it was fake. Now that you mention it, Whistler and Longhorn seem familiar.

If you want to run Windows 11, but are worried about the system and hardware requirements (including TPM, UEFI, and Secure Boot), you may not have to worry at all. There are currently ways to bypass many of the OS's requirements. Hopefully Microsoft doesn't prevent these bypasses, but we won't know until Windows 11 is released. Check out this informative video from Linus Tech Tips to learn more: https://youtu.be/NivpAiuh-s0

We're a day away from release, but is Windows 11 worth the upgrade? I found a good, thorough review and the conclusion doesn't look good for Win11. If you're thinking about upgrading, you might want to read this article. If you're hesitant about upgrading then I suggest waiting and not jumping into it, at least not for now. There are many things wrong with it, especially the strict hardware requirements that most users probably will not have and thus don't have compatible computers. Even the gamer "goodies" require extra hardware. To give it a look yourself, check out this review I found: https://www.pcworld.com/article/539183/windows-11-review-an-unnecessary-replacement-for-windows-10.html

There are parts I really want to upgrade in my PC and I've already upgraded some of them recently, but I don't even want to think about a new one. This one's only 2 years old and I'm still happy with it. I just wish for a much better GPU and monitor.

The article is a bit long, but I think it does a good job showing off the features of Windows 11 and how well they do or don't work. I'd say it's worth reading, especially if you're interested in upgrading. Even if you're definitely planning to upgrade, it's still good to know what to expect especially since expectation may not be met.

Interesting. Microsoft now has a guide to install Windows 11 without TPM 2.0. It seems your computer still needs to be compatible with TPM 1.2. If you're interested in this story check out this link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-shows-how-to-bypass-tpm-2-0-requirement-for-windows-11/1100-6496853/

Thanks, Travis! I was told by ASRock that my CPU (i7 8700) isn't compatible with TPM 2.0, so I gave up. I have a TPM module slot, but I can't easily figure out if my CPU and motherboard are 1.2 compatible. I'd probably have to search longer that I want to at the moment.

Not that I'm aware of without "Googling" it. I believe they intend to fully support Windows 10 up until 2025 though.