Use a Thinkpad with an Ultrabay and you can leave a "bait" drive in the main drive space while carrying your real drive in a caddy on your person. Eject whatever accessory you filled the Ultrabay with, pop your real drive caddy in, and for a few second work you are good to go.
Ultrabay make such "dual booting" very convenient. Select your drive of choice on boot.
"Not everyone needs a secondary education but it sure helps many. And then there's the lottery."
The "lottery" helps students pay for much of their secondary education in many States. I've never won a dime buying the few tickets I've purchased, but am "winning" about two grand a semester towards school.
The law is by and for the masters. If you are not one there is no reason besides coercion to respect it. If you respect it, pay the fee for being a chump.
This is Slashdot. If you can't replace OS in your sleep, fucking LEARN. (This site was once good for such things.)
Seriously. I don't give a shit what OS is on any PC I buy, because I put what I want on it and that's trivial to do as well as free. If I paid for "Windows", I feel free to drop any version on that hardware and those who disagree are welcome to devour my hot, hot shit.
So what if 8 sucks? In a few minutes you can be running something else, and should damn well know how to do that for your own benefit!
"Also if you are planning on using XP in VMs you'd better either plan on taking them off the net or plan on moving to something else since support for it ends in 2014 and running a networked OS that doesn't get patches is a bad idea."
Making a stink is clearly optional, but meanwhile people want to run their choice of OS on hardware whose makers give not a single fuck about that happening.
"Punishment. In civilized places we don't punish people. We attempt to rehabilitate them, and to prevent them from continuing to commit acts against others. But we don't punish them."
My 2.4 P4 shop box actually takes some of the winter chill off the inside of my ISO container workshop. Not a great difference, but noticeable in that nearly sealed structure.
Since I run welders etc the power use isn't an issue, but I never noticed how much heat P4s can produce (at idle!).
That may be why those "cheap" netbooks became more expensive lest they eat into more profitable notebook market share.
Netbooks often Ebay for more than much more capable notebooks because they are such a handy form-factor. eee's with added RAM and larger/faster hard drives are quite popular.
"There are many disadvantages to putting critical infrastructure in the basement as well...as we've seen."
Not if you DO IT RIGHT. Marine designers have known how to seal electrical lines from the ocean for more than ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
There are other alternatives. Hydraulically-driven pumps built from mostly COTS parts could be powered from well ABOVE flood waters with zero electrical exposure to either fuel or water. Such pumps are a staple of aircraft fuel system design and are highly reliable. Much heavier/simpler industrial pumps would be easy to do.
The problem wasn't the location, it was the design.
Another useful addition would be external refuelling connectors as used on aircraft. Rather than use a "gas station pump" style filler, you could connect the fuel truck directly to the building fuel system and even feed the gensets using the trucks engine-driven pump if necessary.
The connectors are "dry break" and don't spew when connected/disconnected. For terrestrial purposes where minor contamination wouldn't matter you could even make the refuel connection under a few feet of water.
Want reliability? Build thy data center like a hardened aircraft shelter/military ship. Given the money at stake, concrete and steel are cheap.
"The corporation just creates their own image and drops that on every machine as standard."
That's also basic preparedness for many techies and there are plenty of tools to help. Load it, tweak it, image it, and when it breaks you can swiftly reload and be back to work.
I expect crapware. Blow away the OS and install from clean.isos using appropriate tools. I'll not detail it here, the internet is your friend.
OS replacement should be trivial for nearly every Slashdotter. Back in 1999 they even discussed such things in these very forums. (Now get off my lawn, though given continental drift it's probably somewhere in the Marianas Trench...)
If you don't know how, MANY nice folks on many forums offer their expertise for the reading. (Google "My Digital Life forums")
If you don't WANT to know how, Fark is that >>>> way.
"Other times, like in my own situation, the other parent suffers from mental illness (and contrary to what you may hear - medications for such things as bipolar disorder don't ever fully bring some people back into reality)."
No shit. Inflicting a mentally defective parent on a child is extreme child abuse.
The US once had an effective system for dealing with crazies. The were institutionalized and kept locked up because they don't get better, ever. They don't take their meds, so they should be kept where they cannot refuse them.
No. ALL Superstition is bad. ALL Superstition is enemy to the search for truth because it promotes dogma instead.
We shoud DESPISE primitive beliefs and seek to keep their adherents away. We have enough Superstitionist nutters in the West already.
If any can PROVE their Sky Fairie exists, I shall recant and kiss his/her/it's Noodly Appendage. They've had THOUSANDS of years to prove they aren't promoting lies designed to enslave men to other men.
Slashdot Mirror
I'd leave a "bait" hard disk so nothing looks amiss. It won't affect the live DVD or CD.
Your idea is a good one.
http://www.spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm
Use a Thinkpad with an Ultrabay and you can leave a "bait" drive in the main drive space while carrying your real drive in a caddy on your person. Eject whatever accessory you filled the Ultrabay with, pop your real drive caddy in, and for a few second work you are good to go.
Ultrabay make such "dual booting" very convenient. Select your drive of choice on boot.
"I have 30 cats at home instead."
Toxoplasmosis FTW! :-)
As a recipient of Education Lottery money which is paying a nice chunk of my tuition, I agree with PROMOTING your message.
Buy those tickets, folks! They send OTHER PEOPLE to college!
"Not everyone needs a secondary education but it sure helps many. And then there's the lottery."
The "lottery" helps students pay for much of their secondary education in many States. I've never won a dime buying the few tickets I've purchased, but am "winning" about two grand a semester towards school.
Keep buying those tickets, folks!
"not legally anyways. "
The law is by and for the masters. If you are not one there is no reason besides coercion to respect it. If you respect it, pay the fee for being a chump.
It's quite simple. Iran is a bad place, do not visit it unless you are a dedicated revolutionary willing to risk all to overthrow the mullocracy.
If you have relatives there, help them get out, but do not go in. If they aren't interested in getting out, cut them loose.
If Iranians wanted different government, they'd show courage and do as the Syrian revolutionaries are doing right now.
At this point in history, the majority of physically courageous revolutionaries tend to be Islamists of one sort or another.
If you want freedom (or your preferred oppressive society!), KILL YOUR OPPRESSORS until you run out of oppressors or they give up.
This is Slashdot. If you can't replace OS in your sleep, fucking LEARN.
(This site was once good for such things.)
Seriously. I don't give a shit what OS is on any PC I buy, because I put what I want on it and that's trivial to do as well as free. If I paid for "Windows", I feel free to drop any version on that hardware and those who disagree are welcome to devour my hot, hot shit.
So what if 8 sucks? In a few minutes you can be running something else, and should damn well know how to do that for your own benefit!
"or will they relent like they did with Vista and make Windows 8 a short-lived intermediate OS for whatever comes next?"
Vista DID sell a lot of PCs when 7 came out. Might be a new marketing strategy...
"Also if you are planning on using XP in VMs you'd better either plan on taking them off the net or plan on moving to something else since support for it ends in 2014 and running a networked OS that doesn't get patches is a bad idea."
All the more reason to Snapshot those installs.
Making a stink is clearly optional, but meanwhile people want to run their choice of OS on hardware whose makers give not a single fuck about that happening.
"Punishment. In civilized places we don't punish people. We attempt to rehabilitate them, and to prevent them from continuing to commit acts against others. But we don't punish them."
Citations needed. Yes, really.
Thanks for that informative post. I'm considering a W530 to replace my T61.
Which screen did you get and how do you like it?
I find the difference rather funny.
My 2.4 P4 shop box actually takes some of the winter chill off the inside of my ISO container workshop. Not a great difference, but noticeable in that nearly sealed structure.
Since I run welders etc the power use isn't an issue, but I never noticed how much heat P4s can produce (at idle!).
Death was ALWAYS acceptable, done up close and personal.
Have some Kampuchea, Rwanda, the Holocaust, etc.
Also, "cannons" called, citing prior art.
That may be why those "cheap" netbooks became more expensive lest they eat into more profitable notebook market share.
Netbooks often Ebay for more than much more capable notebooks because they are such a handy form-factor. eee's with added RAM and larger/faster hard drives are quite popular.
http://forum.eeeuser.com/
"There are many disadvantages to putting critical infrastructure in the basement as well...as we've seen."
Not if you DO IT RIGHT. Marine designers have known how to seal electrical lines from the ocean for more than ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
There are other alternatives.
Hydraulically-driven pumps built from mostly COTS parts could be powered from well ABOVE flood waters with zero electrical exposure to either fuel or water. Such pumps are a staple of aircraft fuel system design and are highly reliable. Much heavier/simpler industrial pumps would be easy to do.
The problem wasn't the location, it was the design.
Another useful addition would be external refuelling connectors as used on aircraft. Rather than use a "gas station pump" style filler, you could connect the fuel truck directly to the building fuel system and even feed the gensets using the trucks engine-driven pump if necessary.
The connectors are "dry break" and don't spew when connected/disconnected. For terrestrial purposes where minor contamination wouldn't matter you could even make the refuel connection under a few feet of water.
Want reliability? Build thy data center like a hardened aircraft shelter/military ship. Given the money at stake, concrete and steel are cheap.
"The corporation just creates their own image and drops that on every machine as standard."
That's also basic preparedness for many techies and there are plenty of tools to help. Load it, tweak it, image it, and when it breaks you can swiftly reload and be back to work.
I expect crapware. Blow away the OS and install from clean .isos using appropriate tools. I'll not detail it here, the internet is your friend.
OS replacement should be trivial for nearly every Slashdotter. Back in 1999 they even discussed such things in these very forums. (Now get off my lawn, though given continental drift it's probably somewhere in the Marianas Trench...)
If you don't know how, MANY nice folks on many forums offer their expertise for the reading. (Google "My Digital Life forums")
If you don't WANT to know how, Fark is that >>>> way.
"Other times, like in my own situation, the other parent suffers from mental illness (and contrary to what you may hear - medications for such things as bipolar disorder don't ever fully bring some people back into reality)."
No shit. Inflicting a mentally defective parent on a child is extreme child abuse.
The US once had an effective system for dealing with crazies. The were institutionalized and kept locked up because they don't get better, ever. They don't take their meds, so they should be kept where they cannot refuse them.
There you go, shitting up a perfectly delicious thread with FACTS.
Stop that! :-)
Prove your Imaginary Friend exists and I'm all ears.
Otherwise, how DARE you defend Superstition when you cannot supply evidence for its supposed "truth"?
Moderates ENABLE extremists, and moderate Superstition is still socially oppressive and still an enemy of the search for truth.
Sorry if pointing that out annoys you. Prove your God is real or fuck off. Is asking for proof insulting? Precisely WHY? Do tell. In detail.
"Slashdot has ads, if you don't want to see them, how much are you willing to pay?"
Try a paywall and find out.
"Advertising is always obnoxious no matter how subtle it's done. "
Movie poster collectors might beg to differ.
No. ALL Superstition is bad. ALL Superstition is enemy to the search for truth because it promotes dogma instead.
We shoud DESPISE primitive beliefs and seek to keep their adherents away. We have enough Superstitionist nutters in the West already.
If any can PROVE their Sky Fairie exists, I shall recant and kiss his/her/it's Noodly Appendage. They've had THOUSANDS of years to prove they aren't promoting lies designed to enslave men to other men.