Comments on: More reasons to learn from old computers http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/ K.Mandla's blog of Linux experiences Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:19:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Gary http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46369 Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:00:06 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46369 Great Scott! I must investigate the possibility of an oil or propane powered PC…

Electrical power is very expensive you are correct but please identify why it is so expensive. It is the electrical company keeping shareholders pockets full whilst knowing the average joe cannot do without electricity – most of us know electricity pricing (especially in NZ) is a complete rip off. If 50% of power is lost in delivery then we all better ask for a 50% discount on our bills!

Now, where can i find an old 486 to keep in my bed as a bed warmer/mp3 player/alarm clock :)

]]> By: Matthew http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46363 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:35:15 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46363 Considering the electronics’ heat emissions a good use of power is not very smart. Electrical power is very expensive, compared to oil or propane. Plus, ~50% of electrical power is lost in the transmission from the power station. Electric blankets and electric space heaters are not an efficient use of resources.

]]> By: Dmitry http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46178 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:02:59 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46178 I make my Linux experiments with Presario C300 which has 1.6GHz and 1Gb RAM. It is 4 years old now.
Everything looks fine there, and I was never upset with drivers existence.
On other hand, I have new&shining Toshiba laptop bought around last Christmas. None of Linux distros could match drivers for LAN or WiFi cards there yet!

]]> By: samspade http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46177 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:16:51 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46177 Mr Mandla I know you are not a troubshooter but I wonder if you could help a regular reader of your blog (me) with an opinion?

I’ve been running Puppy Linux (world’s best distro?) on an old Compaq Celreon for about two years with no trouble.

Yesterday, at boot the symbol “]” kept appearing on my screen. When I opened any word processor or other software this symbol “]” keept appearing over and over.

Naturally my first thought was a jammed keyboard as a coin did disappear under there years ago and rattles around but has never caused a problem. However a few shakes of the whole laptop and whacks of each key didn’t help. The other strange thing is that the cursor will whack out this symbol a hundred times, stop, do a couple more, wait again, then do hundreds more when I touch a single key. I assume a stuck key would keep repeating at a constant rate?

I also disconnected all usb sticks, and other attchments, no change.

In short I want to ask: do you think this is more likely a virus or hardware fault?

Thanks,
Greg

]]> By: KeithB http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46164 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:16:54 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46164 @bpalone GALpon looks very interesting! Thanks.

I suspect there is a U curve. Very recent hardware, driver issues. Really old hardware, compatibility with recent kernels, memory demands &c.

Middle period hardware: can run a popular distro OK so easy to get started, but desire for snappier performance will lead the owner onto fiddling and trying out new lighter distros.

My most recent discovery is puredyne.org – a music full workstation on a 6 year old laptop…

]]> By: K.Mandla http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46154 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:35:08 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46154 I downloaded a copy of GALPon. I need to find the time to try it out though. … :|

]]> By: Calabane http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46151 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:54:53 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46151 I picked up a working 4000 out of a dumpster to cannibalize for spare parts, but luckily haven’t needed to use it yet. Even the 4000 is a solid little machine and it runs like a charm as well. I decided last week that I am going to pull the trigger and max out the memory in the 4100 to a whole gig. I think it deserves as much after almost a decade of service. We should share pictures sometime. ;)

]]> By: Gary http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46150 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:39:24 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46150 If older machines are less green and generate more heat due to more power consumption then put it to good use like I do. My geek room is a converted bedroom and in the winter I just close that door and let the PC slowly heat the room up – it get so nice and toasty in there that I don’t want to go to bed :)

I remember a friend of mine years ago running a server from his apartment and using the excess heat generated to slowly dry his washing!

You need to be (as this blog is) smart and think outside the square. Wasted energy is just that but some of that can be put to good use too.

]]> By: Links 27/10/2010: Red Hat CEO on Growth, Fedora 14 Preview | Techrights http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46149 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:26:06 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46149 [...] More reasons to learn from old computers I’m still a bit wired over the post from a day or two ago, insisting that a 1.7Ghz machine with a healthy amount of RAM and a decent-sized hard drive would be a detriment to anyone learning Linux. [...]

]]> By: Matthew http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46148 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:11:14 +0000 http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/more-reasons-to-learn-from-old-computers/#comment-46148 Also, I add to that list the environmental reasons to re-use computers. The electronics in a computer makes a toxic soup, when the base metal is salvaged at “computer recyclers” (the term being a stretch, since the material is not used for new computers). The fact is that the computer we trash very often still work, and getting them working with GNU software helps keep landfills and water supplies cleaner.

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