Another non-trivial note is that shipping costs for the minimac should be VERY low, whereas shipping for the "towering" Gateway case and box-o-lead CRT will be roughly $99(US), and add on about $60(US) more for the basic service plan.
It's price at checkout is $658.98 (US)
$500+shipping for a small form factor that does most of the same, looks nice, assumably (and arguably) uses less power, and doesn't leave me with yet another monitor to dispose of via eBay, is not bad compared to $700 for a ugly tower.
OK, I have towers I like, and they're great for CD or DVD servers, but I don't want EVERY PC in my house to be a tower. And when it comes to work, any space savings and simplification is good. So, even if they keep making this same model for 5 years, I would think about buying more of them each year (assumably with lower prices), until the school is filled with simple, identical, MiniMacs.
Brand new ruggedized tablets are available for less than $1000 US. Temps over 140F, below 0F, dustproof, rainproof too (I know this as fact- I HAVE ONE that I bought from isellsurplus.com). Actually, seems like it might be cheaper than building your own one-off tower.
Of course, previous posters have had a point; use dirt cheap boxen for as long as they'll last, and have them run an automted backup to your house PC network overnite (or during daylight hours- whenever you use your shop least). Replace as needed, and try to keep an eye out for whatever works best for you when bulk trash pick-up day comes around.
They have a built-in LCD screen, which defeats your whole idea of
"you will have a heck of a time finding a sealed monitor that can withstand a very poluted environment. Those cost arround $1,000 too."
Special keyboard or mouse? No, no, no. Just look for used bulk lots on eBay.BR
This actually (to my uneducated mind) seems brilliant. If distance is the limiting factor in size, go 3d! Even with a quadrupling of height, you could lose some "floorspace" by putting level to level connectors on 10% of the chip surface, and you'd be ahead of the game.
In a classroom environment, it's a portable display. Some classrooms are harder to fit large screen wall displays (i.e., LCD projector) into, so having a "screen" you can pass around the class is handy. Also, the school I work at has a daycamp during the summer, so my ruggedized tablet is handy to have around the pool, etc.
I just got an Xplore ix104 through isellsurplus.com, and it has 3d (my benchmark, crude as it is, is whether or not it runs the XP Plus Screensavers). It is ruggedized, and might be better for a cleanroom (I'm not knowledgeable of cleanroom procedures, but 30 min of immersion in water and 12+ hours in salt spray should suffice to compare with cleaning processes).
Multiple rooms can work to your advantage, if you have team based play. Routers and cabling can be brought in from home, but game PCs shouldn't (too high a chance of hacks/virii/etc.). If you're lucky enough to have many PCs with a standard config, definitely image them(i.e., set one up EXACTLY the way you want, then clone the drive to the other PCs with Norton ghost- you can even do this geometrically by cloning a cloned drive- once you get 3-4 cloned and being cloned, it shouldn't take long) Make sure all games will run decently on all machines used; nobody will be impressed if the boxes "barely" run the games you use. Prizes seem like an afterthought, but some people won't consider coming if you have no tourneys and prizes. Power (at the wall, and distribution, as in power strips) is very important. So is lighting (is the level adjustable?), furniture (tables, chairs, etc.), break facilities (restrooms, snacks in a separate area). Security is also a big issue; you may run a dozen parties and never have a problem. But, you may lose all the equipment the moment somebody leaves a door unwatched. You can try sign-ins, with ID for the child or parent, and video surveillance (if the school won't give you access to theirs). You can try asking local tech firms if they have large scale switches they don't use over the weekend, but have a plan to replace them if they walk, get burned up, or have a 44oz Big Gulpy poured over them.
I think strategy and puzzle games make sense; probably why MS started with them. Quick but not necessarily "fast-twitch", you can adapt Tablet concepts to them.
With an RTS, you could draw a circle around the troops you want to command, and quickly draw a symbol over the enemy unit you want the to attack (or whatever unit you want them to act on). The vast number of potential symbols gives you more than just click or right-click for actions to choose from.
I just picked up a slow-as-molasses Tablet, on iSellSurplus, for $798 (but its ruggedized. It's a brand-new 866Mhz, 20Gb, w/ Win XP for Tablet PCs. I know it's slow, but as a teacher, I think it'll be handy for presentations, moving around the classroom, etc. I'm still a little apprehensive, but I'm currently glad MS pushed the platform, and hasn't abandoned it (yet).
The soldiers of today may have been on a football field at 14 or 15, but that doesn't mean that's what the soldiers of tomorrow are doing. The Army would probably love to completely remove the physical aspect from war; it's easier to sell at home, and (in THEORY) it's easier to store and maintain equipment than it is to house and care for troops.
At least in New Jersey (USA), there's a lack of "prompt deportation". Having relatives who work in law enforcement, I know they've basically been told to "stop bothering" the INS with information about illegals they run across in traffic stops (even as drivers!). Of course, not to sound conservative (I am a/.er, after all), but that does cause some undue stress to those of us who are legal, licensed, insured drivers (since the illegals cannot have a license or insurance), as we never know who will try to book away after being involved in a traffic accident. It also raises our insurance rates, since there are accidents our companies can never sue for. I sympathize with illegal immigrants, for wanting to earn more than they do at home. But, if they came in legally, they would be supporting the system that makes this such an appealing place to work! Really, if all immigrants paid FICA, SSI, and the like, I wouldn't be upset about the load that they place on the public welfare system, and other government services. By the way, I'm not trying to say that illegals are all a drain on society, and nothing but that. I grew up in an area where kids mowed lawns, delivered papers, and bussed tables for pocket money. Where I live now, none of the local kids would dream of having such a menial job.
If our society truly "falls" due to illegal immigrants (as some of my conservative colleagues seem to expect), it is our society's fault, not the immigrants, because we have allowed them to stay at our convenience, and we have made them a necessity.
I have a strong feeling that those/. ers who are married have spouses that feel they SHOULD be committed; NOT OFF-TOPIC since the reasons for their committment would all relate to items on slashdot (Honey, I really need to buy this so I can finish building my Cray-powered TurboGrafx16 emulator)
Actually, I had a PS1 first, and got the N64 later; I like cartridges. Although they might be difficult to copy, they also seem harder to damage through normal handling (DUH!). With relatives' kids all through the house, I'd still be burning new dupes all the time. With N64, I didn't lose a single cartridge; with PS1, I lost 3 CDs.
Of course, using cartridges makes CD/DVD player mods less common...
I think that the best way for them to improve would be to look at the mods available (of course, I'm pretty sure they've done so). I forget which FPS started it, but more variants of play (RA2 had a bunch; meat grinder, etc) and more wacky national weapons/units would be cool.
I've used the RA2-Aftermath mod (not the storebought add-on) and have been playing lamost every other day, just a quick round. Every now and then I set up a multiplayer, and it's easy to handicap against newbies by letting them all ally.
I'd love to see a new C&C or even RA3, especially cause I agree the RTS genre does need a good jumpstart.
Quote from above post- The photograph shows a flash of illumination, not an explosion. The lamp was inspected, the bulb did not work but there was no physical damage.
My issue with this- If there was no physical damage, the lightbulb would function (unless emotional damage disables lightbulbs?). Therefore, according to my non-collegiate logic, the lightbulb was physically damaged, but the damage may not have been visible.
Yet another reason to hold onto old tech- I've got an Apple StyleWriter 1200 just a few feet form me, hooked up to a working PowerBook 540c, with PhotShop, etc.
And I just bought 4 21" CRTs this summer for less than $90 each, since prices have fallen through the floor, and so many places (mine were from http://www.computersurplusoutlet.com/) offer free/$4/$5 shipping. I'm sure that there are still a few Slashdotters who don't have to have the latest and greatest, but like to have reliable, familiar equipment.
I think they should do this; use automatic reporting in the "warez" version, and make sure to TELL THE USER in the usually ignored TOS. It might not snag the advanced pirates who block their own ports, etc, but it might well snag up some "script kiddies". In fact, why not "disclose" in the TOS (since, again, it will be ignored anyway) that they will search your PC for resalable info? They could add another profit stream!
Just a guess; Sony, Time-Warner, advertising firms.
Come on, really; many big corporations work with video. Even if they use Linux/OSS, when they distribute the video to Windows users who do not have the ability to install their own players, then WMP is the built-in option. So, it would be an advantage (though small, in my opinion) to be able to play WMP files. However, being unknowledgeable in that area, I don't know if that capability is legally available without paying a MS tax.
Look for any labels on the side of the cart first; if it says cart is not to be removed from parking lot, you've just circumvented the technology (Even worse, you've published it on the EVIL INTERNET). I wonder which is worse- the penalty for stealing a shopping cart, or the penalty for "hacking" the cart's technology, allowing you to steal it?
A+ Certified and Potty-Trained; equally proud of both.
5 might seem like the minimum to start a colony "somewhere"; if we can get 5 up and out, then do it again shortly, we're on our way to moving people off-planet in a wholesale manner. I don't mean Species Migration, I just mean that if we can move 5 and 5 again quickly, we can probably extend that to moving 50, and 50 again. Too expensive? Find out how much does it cost to keep the South Pole bases running, and think about the interest people would have in this.
A+ Certified & Potty-Trained; equally proud of both
Slashdot Mirror
Another non-trivial note is that shipping costs for the minimac should be VERY low, whereas shipping for the "towering" Gateway case and box-o-lead CRT will be roughly $99(US), and add on about $60(US) more for the basic service plan.
It's price at checkout is $658.98 (US)
$500+shipping for a small form factor that does most of the same, looks nice, assumably (and arguably) uses less power, and doesn't leave me with yet another monitor to dispose of via eBay, is not bad compared to $700 for a ugly tower.
OK, I have towers I like, and they're great for CD or DVD servers, but I don't want EVERY PC in my house to be a tower. And when it comes to work, any space savings and simplification is good. So, even if they keep making this same model for 5 years, I would think about buying more of them each year (assumably with lower prices), until the school is filled with simple, identical, MiniMacs.
Research before reply-
Brand new ruggedized tablets are available for less than $1000 US. Temps over 140F, below 0F, dustproof, rainproof too (I know this as fact- I HAVE ONE that I bought from isellsurplus.com). Actually, seems like it might be cheaper than building your own one-off tower.
Of course, previous posters have had a point; use dirt cheap boxen for as long as they'll last, and have them run an automted backup to your house PC network overnite (or during daylight hours- whenever you use your shop least). Replace as needed, and try to keep an eye out for whatever works best for you when bulk trash pick-up day comes around.
They have a built-in LCD screen, which defeats your whole idea of "you will have a heck of a time finding a sealed monitor that can withstand a very poluted environment. Those cost arround $1,000 too."
Special keyboard or mouse? No, no, no. Just look for used bulk lots on eBay.BR
This actually (to my uneducated mind) seems brilliant. If distance is the limiting factor in size, go 3d! Even with a quadrupling of height, you could lose some "floorspace" by putting level to level connectors on 10% of the chip surface, and you'd be ahead of the game.
In a classroom environment, it's a portable display. Some classrooms are harder to fit large screen wall displays (i.e., LCD projector) into, so having a "screen" you can pass around the class is handy.
Also, the school I work at has a daycamp during the summer, so my ruggedized tablet is handy to have around the pool, etc.
I just got an Xplore ix104 through isellsurplus.com, and it has 3d (my benchmark, crude as it is, is whether or not it runs the XP Plus Screensavers). It is ruggedized, and might be better for a cleanroom (I'm not knowledgeable of cleanroom procedures, but 30 min of immersion in water and 12+ hours in salt spray should suffice to compare with cleaning processes).
Multiple rooms can work to your advantage, if you have team based play. Routers and cabling can be brought in from home, but game PCs shouldn't (too high a chance of hacks/virii/etc.). If you're lucky enough to have many PCs with a standard config, definitely image them(i.e., set one up EXACTLY the way you want, then clone the drive to the other PCs with Norton ghost- you can even do this geometrically by cloning a cloned drive- once you get 3-4 cloned and being cloned, it shouldn't take long)
Make sure all games will run decently on all machines used; nobody will be impressed if the boxes "barely" run the games you use.
Prizes seem like an afterthought, but some people won't consider coming if you have no tourneys and prizes.
Power (at the wall, and distribution, as in power strips) is very important. So is lighting (is the level adjustable?), furniture (tables, chairs, etc.), break facilities (restrooms, snacks in a separate area).
Security is also a big issue; you may run a dozen parties and never have a problem. But, you may lose all the equipment the moment somebody leaves a door unwatched. You can try sign-ins, with ID for the child or parent, and video surveillance (if the school won't give you access to theirs).
You can try asking local tech firms if they have large scale switches they don't use over the weekend, but have a plan to replace them if they walk, get burned up, or have a 44oz Big Gulpy poured over them.
http://www.cthulhulives.org/Solstice/
I listened, then hid.
you could do a filter for the words subscribe or unsubscribe, then exclude any mailing lists you're on
I think strategy and puzzle games make sense; probably why MS started with them. Quick but not necessarily "fast-twitch", you can adapt Tablet concepts to them.
With an RTS, you could draw a circle around the troops you want to command, and quickly draw a symbol over the enemy unit you want the to attack (or whatever unit you want them to act on). The vast number of potential symbols gives you more than just click or right-click for actions to choose from.
In Soviet Russia, hard drive makes YOU thinner!
I just picked up a slow-as-molasses Tablet, on iSellSurplus, for $798 (but its ruggedized. It's a brand-new 866Mhz, 20Gb, w/ Win XP for Tablet PCs. I know it's slow, but as a teacher, I think it'll be handy for presentations, moving around the classroom, etc.
I'm still a little apprehensive, but I'm currently glad MS pushed the platform, and hasn't abandoned it (yet).
The soldiers of today may have been on a football field at 14 or 15, but that doesn't mean that's what the soldiers of tomorrow are doing. The Army would probably love to completely remove the physical aspect from war; it's easier to sell at home, and (in THEORY) it's easier to store and maintain equipment than it is to house and care for troops.
Maybe getting fragged 51-69% of the time? Would keep undesirable, but not necessarily red-flagged for bucking the system.
I really don't think anybody should be surprised by this; it works for WalMart.
At least in New Jersey (USA), there's a lack of "prompt deportation". Having relatives who work in law enforcement, I know they've basically been told to "stop bothering" the INS with information about illegals they run across in traffic stops (even as drivers!). /.er, after all), but that does cause some undue stress to those of us who are legal, licensed, insured drivers (since the illegals cannot have a license or insurance), as we never know who will try to book away after being involved in a traffic accident. It also raises our insurance rates, since there are accidents our companies can never sue for.
Of course, not to sound conservative (I am a
I sympathize with illegal immigrants, for wanting to earn more than they do at home. But, if they came in legally, they would be supporting the system that makes this such an appealing place to work! Really, if all immigrants paid FICA, SSI, and the like, I wouldn't be upset about the load that they place on the public welfare system, and other government services.
By the way, I'm not trying to say that illegals are all a drain on society, and nothing but that. I grew up in an area where kids mowed lawns, delivered papers, and bussed tables for pocket money. Where I live now, none of the local kids would dream of having such a menial job.
If our society truly "falls" due to illegal immigrants (as some of my conservative colleagues seem to expect), it is our society's fault, not the immigrants, because we have allowed them to stay at our convenience, and we have made them a necessity.
I have a strong feeling that those /. ers who are married have spouses that feel they SHOULD be committed; NOT OFF-TOPIC since the reasons for their committment would all relate to items on slashdot (Honey, I really need to buy this so I can finish building my Cray-powered TurboGrafx16 emulator)
Actually, I had a PS1 first, and got the N64 later; I like cartridges. Although they might be difficult to copy, they also seem harder to damage through normal handling (DUH!). With relatives' kids all through the house, I'd still be burning new dupes all the time. With N64, I didn't lose a single cartridge; with PS1, I lost 3 CDs.
Of course, using cartridges makes CD/DVD player mods less common...
And I was thinking that a flash wouldn't be much use without a camera function (except for startling fauna)
I think that the best way for them to improve would be to look at the mods available (of course, I'm pretty sure they've done so). I forget which FPS started it, but more variants of play (RA2 had a bunch; meat grinder, etc) and more wacky national weapons/units would be cool.
I've used the RA2-Aftermath mod (not the storebought add-on) and have been playing lamost every other day, just a quick round. Every now and then I set up a multiplayer, and it's easy to handicap against newbies by letting them all ally.
I'd love to see a new C&C or even RA3, especially cause I agree the RTS genre does need a good jumpstart.
Quote from above post-
The photograph shows a flash of illumination, not an explosion. The lamp was inspected, the bulb did not work but there was no physical damage.
My issue with this-
If there was no physical damage, the lightbulb would function (unless emotional damage disables lightbulbs?). Therefore, according to my non-collegiate logic, the lightbulb was physically damaged, but the damage may not have been visible.
Yet another reason to hold onto old tech- I've got an Apple StyleWriter 1200 just a few feet form me, hooked up to a working PowerBook 540c, with PhotShop, etc.
And I just bought 4 21" CRTs this summer for less than $90 each, since prices have fallen through the floor, and so many places (mine were from http://www.computersurplusoutlet.com/) offer free/$4/$5 shipping. I'm sure that there are still a few Slashdotters who don't have to have the latest and greatest, but like to have reliable, familiar equipment.
I think they should do this; use automatic reporting in the "warez" version, and make sure to TELL THE USER in the usually ignored TOS. It might not snag the advanced pirates who block their own ports, etc, but it might well snag up some "script kiddies".
In fact, why not "disclose" in the TOS (since, again, it will be ignored anyway) that they will search your PC for resalable info? They could add another profit stream!
Just a guess; Sony, Time-Warner, advertising firms.
Come on, really; many big corporations work with video. Even if they use Linux/OSS, when they distribute the video to Windows users who do not have the ability to install their own players, then WMP is the built-in option. So, it would be an advantage (though small, in my opinion) to be able to play WMP files.
However, being unknowledgeable in that area, I don't know if that capability is legally available without paying a MS tax.
Look for any labels on the side of the cart first; if it says cart is not to be removed from parking lot, you've just circumvented the technology (Even worse, you've published it on the EVIL INTERNET). I wonder which is worse- the penalty for stealing a shopping cart, or the penalty for "hacking" the cart's technology, allowing you to steal it? A+ Certified and Potty-Trained; equally proud of both.
5 might seem like the minimum to start a colony "somewhere"; if we can get 5 up and out, then do it again shortly, we're on our way to moving people off-planet in a wholesale manner. I don't mean Species Migration, I just mean that if we can move 5 and 5 again quickly, we can probably extend that to moving 50, and 50 again. Too expensive? Find out how much does it cost to keep the South Pole bases running, and think about the interest people would have in this.
A+ Certified & Potty-Trained; equally proud of both