Computer Questions
People often ask me computer questions. One question that I regularly get is “do I need to upgrade my computer?” I personally like to keep computers around for a while, and due to upgrades and whatnot probably hold on to them longer than others in my field. (Though perhaps about as long as non computer types.) Thus my general advice is that a computer should last for about 5 years. Do I eat my own dog food?
Classic II 1991, upgraded once with (10 MB RAM) and once (80 MB HD). (It still runs and has all the original packaging. Anyone want it?) That lasted for 4 years until I got my Power Mac 7500 in 1995. That was one of the most expandable (Mac) machines ever (ram twice, a graphics card, a processor upgrade, and probably something else that I am forgetting) and got me all the way to my first “real” programming job lasting 5 years. Although I did keep using it as a gaming, desktop, and server(!) machine for another three years. It was eventually replace by the Pismo in 2000. That was another awesome and expandable machine, but by this point my care and feeding of macs skills had improved, so it might not actually be all that expandable. In any case it holds a special place because it transitioned me from OS 9 to OS X, which was a beautiful thing. Also it let me surf in the living room which was a nice ability to have when working from home. In any case, it eventually got a little long in the tooth for doing some of the work I was doing (what do you mean you can’t do interactive SVG rendering development on a laptop??) and I got a Dual G5 tower in 2005. This machine (that I am writing on now) absolutely screams. And it still does. The graphics card is a bit out of date at this point, but less than you would think, and any apps that are vector unit aware will blow the pants off of anything else out there still. The main problem is that somewhere between there and now Apple decided to switch over to the crufty (but regularly upgraded) Intel chipset.
So what does all this introspection have to do with anything? Well two items really. First is makes me realize that I’ve only been using this desktop machine for well on three years, and I really have no right to get one of those laptops that I have been drooling over. The one problem is, I don’t have the ability to upgrade this machine like I should since the chipset changed over. No swapping out processors for me. (Ram and disk I could do though…)
The other item is that I am not as cool as I think I am about using older machines. Holy crap! He is using a 13 year old computer and asking advice on how to hook a network computer up to it! That is making me want to break out with the old 7500 and boot it up as a server again. I wonder if YDL is still around?
August 11th, 2008 at 09:24
If by YDL you mean Yellow Dog Linux, I’m pretty sure the answer is yes. I know people who use it to run Linux on a Playstation. (Playstation 2 or 3, I think.) If fact, Condor runs on Yellow Dog Linux.
August 11th, 2008 at 12:00
I’d love to have a Classic II. I don’t think I can justify paying for shipping though, since it would probably wind up just sitting in the attic. Up until our last move, I kept a PM 6100 on my desk to play old games, but didn’t get around to setting it up when we moved here. I’ve got an SE that I had in regular (but not primary) use until 2001 (it was never in use as my primary machine - I got it for cheap when my primary machine was an 840AV).
August 11th, 2008 at 13:10
2005? Huh. I totally remember you having the Dual G5 and the big screen out in the office on the sun porch, and I thought I was still living in Chicago at the time, which would make it May 2004 at the latest if I’m right about that.
According to this page, the original dual proc (not dual core) G5 started selling in 2003, and stopped selling by June 2004. I realize that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it might be a clue.
August 12th, 2008 at 09:40
Alain: Yeah, YDL was one of the first linuxes to run on the old PPC chipsets. I even bought myself a retail copy back when.
BOB!!: That is pretty impressive. Maybe if I head out your direction I will check it?
Mike: You are, of course, totally correct.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:44
That means that getting a new laptop is two years more reasonable than you’d thought!
August 19th, 2008 at 08:36
Yay, Mike says I can get a new computer! Now I just need to decide what kind. I’m actually thinking that the normal Mac Book (e.g. not the pro) would be enough for my needs. Any reason I need the pro?
August 19th, 2008 at 14:25
Jen just got herself a MacBook for home, you can ask her how she likes it. We put in 4 GB of ram for $100! I know she likes the battery life on it…
I think screen size and a “real” video card are the only important differences. If you’re going to attach it to an external monitor at home most of the time, that means only one issue. There are a bunch of smaller details — slower internal disk, for example — but that’s secondary.
There were rumors of a new MacBook in September on TUAW or MacNN or somewhere. Don’t know if that’s a factor.
I’m planning on keeping my MBP for a good while longer. I may put in a faster, larger internal disk, but that’s about the only change I’d like.
September 13th, 2008 at 06:57
I’ve got an Apple IIc in the basement. It runs, but I don’t use it for anything.
The laptop I’m using for this is circa 1999 and my desktop is circa 2000 (a Sun Blade 100, which replaced the Ultra that still runs but which I’m not using for anything), but my needs are much smaller than yours, especially since I’ve decided I’m doing my gaming via console, with the exception of old games I can run under dosbox.