Computers That Thrive in Salty, Humid Environments?

Ever seen one of today's garden variety computers running on sea-going vessels? How about in other places where water, or salt water is a large part of the environment? Today's Ask Slashdot deals with 3 questions surrounding the construction of computer systems that can survive in such a harsh environment. What does it take to harden a PC to survive in such a place, and how much more expensive will it cost to make one? Are there other issues to worry about aside from the salt and the humidity?

To start us out, frostman asks: "A friend of mine is living on a sailboat, and would like to set up a nifty computer system. It doesn't need to be too powerful, but it should be small, rugged, fairly quiet, and cheap. He has a standard PII/400 mid-tower system he can gut for parts (400Mhz would probably be enough). He wants to do normal internet stuff, watch DVD's, listen to MP3's (with good speakers)... and he needs it to run on 12 volts when he's sailing. Any suggestions from the hardware gurus on Slashdot?"

websensei continues with this query: "I am about to become a full-time live-aboard on my sailboat. I'm in the process of selling all my machines and plan to spend about $2000 on a new laptop for the boat. I'll use it for work and play (movies, gaming, TV via USB TV tuner?) etc. Please share any advice/experiences relating to computing on boats or other harsh/damp environs."

And last, but not least, Alioth asks about fishes, not boats: "How about computers in fish factories? Not only do we have to contend with the room being jetwashed, but the atmosphere is very salty. I've been looking at stainless steel enclosures - what's their salt water resistance like, not just the stainless parts, but the parts that fasten the stainless parts together, not to mention being able to keep the computer cool as well (meaning it's got to vent somewhere)?"

Comments

Re:fish factories?

[User 956]

Every time I think we've reached the end of human progress, someone comes up with something new.

In the Burckhardtian sense, progress is impossible because man's destiny is "to be caught in a perpetual, paradoxical, and painful game - the game of trying, but always failing, to turn mere power into law..." The world can not be "perfected", nor can a state of permanent happiness be created, because human history is an antagonistic/dialectic process.

The Enlightenment gave rise to the belief that man can perfect things, and the real or imagined conclusions of a number of widely read historians who all look at history from a position of belief in progress have done nothing to dispel this myth. Quite the contrary, they've distorted history to support their thesis. They are the deadly enemies of true historical insight because they kill history as it truly occurs in their attempt to fit history conveniently into a pattern of progressive positive change.

Re:fish factories?

[tps12]

Enough! This thread is supposed to be about fish factories. This is no place for philosophical debate.