Need help from the more PS3 experienced.......

Heinrad · Post by **Heinrad** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 2:24 pm

So, about a week and a half ago. my laptop died. Not being in a financial position to get it looked at right now(nevermind getting it fixed), I decided to haul the old desktop out of storage and try to get it going again.

In the meantime(which at the rate things are going, could be months), I'm using my PS3 for one of the reasons I got it. A backup computer.

Unfortunately, it's not exactly ideal. Which is why I'm asking for help.

How do I get it to save passwords for more than a few hours?

Is there any way to enlarge the text-entry box and text entry field(I'm more worried about the field, but on this TV the box is tiny)?

Are there any messaging programs that will talk to AIM and Yahoo messenger without going to their websites?

If there isn't, is there any way to stop the PS3 browser from logging me out of AIM and Yahoo's messenger pages when I'm looking at a different page?

Thanks in advance for any/all help you can give.

Post by **Denyer** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:54 pm

What's wrong with the laptop?

It sounds as if the PS3 has a very limited cache and/or doesn't support multiple threads in the browser, neither of which are things that you're likely to be able to do anything about.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:57 pm

Using a PS3 as a viable stand-in for a computer is a bit like using a pizza as a doorstop. It'll do the job to a small degree, but it's just going to get messy.

Heinrad · Post by **Heinrad** » Wed Jul 07, 2010 2:44 am

Actually, I think Sony did kind of design it for partial use as a computer. Up until a couple of firmware updates ago, you could install a different OS and run that. It will talk to printers, and you can hook a mouse up to it so you don't spend all that time messing around withy the analog joysticks.

Unfortunately, from the admittedly scant research I've done, the other OS option was supposed to be Linux-based, and Sony pulled it to try to keep their software from getting hacked.

As for what happened to the laptop, it just died. I was watching something on it, and BIMK! it went completely dead. I tried switching power adapters with another of the same kind, and still nothing happened. I'm guessing either the cooling station shorted out one of the USB ports, or something in the whatever the non-Mac term for powerboard is gave out. I don't use Macs, I just used to repair them.

HeavyArms · Post by **HeavyArms** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 2:21 pm

you can actually open up multiple web pages on the ps3, I just don't remember how but it did involve clicking in one of the two thumb sticks, and I know this because I used for internet usage when my old computer died.

Vin Ghostal · Post by **Vin Ghostal** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:50 pm

You can open as many as five browser windows on the PS3 simultaneously: just hover over any link, then press and hold X, and a new window will open.

Heinrad · Post by **Heinrad** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 2:42 am

Thanks to all who've responded so far.

After a week of complete zip for internet access(the wifi net they set up for me collapsed. Bloody NetGear extenders), using churches and fast food restraunts to try to check my email, we finally got a really long ether net cable, and now I'm back online. Still on the PS3, but that should change tomorrow.

I figured out the opening multiple windows trick. For example, right now I've got this window and the AIM window open(and am talking to Aero Blade), but when I switch from the AIM window to this window, AIM thinks I've logged out. Any ideas?