Minimum PC required to run software? How to tell improvement

[kayakdoc]

Hi all --
am having trouble getting a PC that I can put my software on, the available one I was going to use is on the fritz. If I buy a used PC to run the CPAP software on, what is the minimum requirement to get it to work? I mean, how old and cheap a machine can I use? I wouldn't be using it for anything else and I'll have to save up for it anyway.

In the absence of the data, and presuming I am one of those unlucky ones whose improvement will take months, are there any clear ways of marking improvement? I learned another friend has apnea but of course he felt amazing the very first night of the treatment...lucky for him, he was being threatened with divorce! Now all is peachy...

Here's what I notice:
-- many nights I don't get up to whizz anymore.
-- when I eat something too late, I awaken with sour stomache.
--when I wake up to whizz, I am actually AWAKE when I go down the stairs, and I can go right back to sleep.
--when I finally get up in the morning, at least once my feet hit the floor and I stand up, I can be coherent
--I think I am thinking a little more clearly, and more often when I start to feel overwhelmed (because I can't think through something like usual) I can stop myself and start over...
--I have a little more energy most days, feel I must have fewer naps
--I seem to be tossing and turning a lot less on the good nights, which are probably at this point 4 or 5 days a week

BUT
--I also notice my brain is still sluggish and I,too, feel like I've lost IQ points (this is the worst thing)
--I am no one's idea of "sharp" in the morning
--physical activity is exhausting/sleep inducing where (when younger) it wasn't...
--my mood is still tenuous; I backed off the ssri by a third and that's holding, but I forgot to take it for a few days and remembered why I needed it (yeah, I know, but it was a lifesaver and I'll take it as long as I need it, the naysayers be...darned...)

I THINK most nights I'm not having too many leaks -- on bad nights I wake up a lot and can tell the mask is leaking...but of course I have no clue if I'm having apneas or not. One assumes I am...

One HUGE advantage of being on the hose: I am allergic to a number of things, one of them being my dog -- I have the allergy filter and the regular filter on the machine, and I am breathing humidified, filtered air! So at the very least, the air I AM getting is better than it ever has been!

For anyone's thoughts I will be thankful, when I read the board again this evening.
Best to all.

[Goofproof]

Anything that can run XP is fine, the software isn't the problem it's the computer. The software doesn't put much of a load on the computer. Jim

[Goofproof]

It sounds like you are making progress, but you may be wanting more that is there. Over the years we have done a lot of damage to ourselves, killed a few brain cells, they don't grow back, and more die daily. The best we can do it slow down the problems. You might try large doses of B-12, and the other B's also. Make sure you don't eat any more Mad Cows. Jim

[kayakdoc]

Anything that can run XP is fine, the software isn't the problem it's the computer.

Jim-- does the machine have to be able to run XP, or is some older version of "Windoesn't" (meaning a much cheaper computer) acceptable? If the card softward says XP, then I guess that's it...

Over the years we have done a lot of damage to ourselves, killed a few brain cells, they don't grow back, and more die daily. The best we can do it slow down the problems. You might try large doses of B-12, and the other B's also. Make sure you don't eat any more Mad Cows.

I appreciate your response -- 'though it isn't happy -- but I will be very sure not to eat any more Mad Cows -- I think they're all mad given how we treat them, never mind the ones who have that prion disease!

[jules]

The XP requirement came in with encore pro 1.5. There have been some successes with windows 2000 and 1.6 I have heard through the rumor mill. However ME didn't work with 1.5 I heard at the time.

For the new Encore Viewer or for Encore Pro 1.8 you need to find someone who bought it and still has the box.

If you have the m series cflex machine you need 1.6 or later. If you have the m series aflex machine you need 1.8. Encore Viewer will work with either of these instead.

[kayakdoc]

The XP requirement came in with encore pro 1.5. There have been some successes with windows 2000 and 1.6 I have heard through the rumor mill. However ME didn't work with 1.5 I heard at the time.

For the new Encore Viewer or for Encore Pro 1.8 you need to find someone who bought it and still has the box.

If you have the m series cflex machine you need 1.6 or later. If you have the m series aflex machine you need 1.8. Encore Viewer will work with either of these instead.

Jules -- thank you! this is what i needed to know and didn't know it....I don't know offhand which version of encore I have, I'll have to go look, but the RemStar Auto w/c-flex is not M series, it's an old one from a friend.

thanks for figuring out my question!

[jules]

the non-mseries will need Encore Pro 1.4 - maybe even 1.3 - and if you can get a copy of that, you can run those on 98.

I have my Encore Pro 1.4 box here and it says 98, 2000, NT 4.0 (SP5 or later), ME or XP

IE 5.5 (why I don't know but ......)

64 MB memory etc. (let me know if you need more specs for this one)

- someone was wanting to sell 1.4 the other day.

[kayakdoc]

[quote="jules"]
the non-mseries will need Encore Pro 1.4 - maybe even 1.3 - and if you can get a copy of that, you can run those on 98.

Okay, just found my disc, it says 1.8.49...uh oh....it came to me from another friend -- my whole setup is piecemeal -- but I guess I need an older version.

Thanks so much for your help, Jules.
sbg

[jules]

1.8 will work for your cpap, but you will probably need the XP for the software

those versions I posted are the minimal ones

[kayakdoc]

.8 will work for your cpap, but you will probably need the XP for the software

those versions I posted are the minimal ones

Gotcha. Now i know what i need to do/figure out. Your kindness is appreciated, Jules.
sbg