User jandal did a great job linking up many of the phlog
entries on computer names and computer collections[1]. Since
he did the work of linking them all up, I'm going to link
to his and jump into the conversation.
Computer Names:
I have to confess to a total and complete lack of creativity
in this area. I've had fairly large amounts of computers on
my home network at different times (what with the kids
computers and such) but I've never had any sort of creative
naming scheme for them. I've named them for the hardware,
or the owner, and that's about it. From time to time I'll
use variations with the prefix "Joz" (i.e. "Joe's") for
different things on the network, but since that's just a
variation of my name, I don't consider it creative. There,
I've confessed. Tally me up with the non-creative-computer-
namers, if any others will own up.
Computer Collection:
This is an interesting exercise, because I have a lot of
computers and computing devices in my memory, but over the
years I have tended to buy/sell them on ebay without much
thought as to whether or not I would miss them. I miss many
of my old devices... so, I'm going to make a list of what I
have and use, and a list of things I really, really want to
add back in to my collection.
What I have and use (* for ones that have meaning):
* Two Epson Equity I+ 8088's. I have the original computer
from my childhood, as well as a second one of the same
model which I purchased from an estate sale, online. The
8-bit VGA card in my original one died, so I only use
the other. It has an 8-bit IDE card, and a CF adapter,
with DOS 6.22, and Windows 3.0 (in real mode of course.)
It has ethernet, a packet driver, gopher, irc, and some
other networking stuff. The only hardware I wish I could
add would be an 8-bit sound blaster (we had one as kids
in the original machine, but no longer.)
* A z80-based computer that I built, with ROM Basic.
- A Thinkpad T410 running Ubuntu LTS, which I use for my
primary machine. I practically beat it to death,
physically, but it still churns along, so I continue to
use it. I love thinkpads and have owned several over the
years.
- A Lenovo s21e-20 running Ubuntu. Very limited space, my
daughter uses it to type on mostly. I'd dump it.
- An Acer AspireOne running Debian that I mostly don't
use. I wanted to try Plan9 on it, but I don't think the
hardware will work. This used to be my gopher server,
jozhaus.com, but then I thought I'd move... I'd dump
this one too.
- Two desktops, both Q8300 quad-cores, with reasonable
amounts of RAM. One I use for testing things (mostly
OSes), and the other my wife uses (it runs Ubuntu.) I
think both of these will be gone soon.
- A macbook air that I used to use when out-and-about, but
that my wife took over.
* Two Compaq Portable 386's (luggables), both with the red
gas plasma screen (the only option that I know of.) One
with an IDE drive, the other with a CF adapter for the
boot drive. One with ethernet, the other I don't use
because the capacitors that drive the screen are having
issues and need to be replaced.
* A netpliance iOpener. I am not currently using it but I
do use it from time to time. It has a modified BIOS, and
boots into linux or DOS depending on what drive is
connected. Has ethernet. Can also boot into Qnx.
- An HP thin client, modified with TinyCore linux. I use
it to test serial stuff, since it has a physical port.
- A handful of raspberry pi's, including 2 PiZeroW's that
are dead as doornails. One pi was a "Rachel Server" for
educational stuff, my own personal offline internet.
This was a <$10 setup from thrift store parts.
* A Psion 3a with 256k of ram. I use it daily to keep
track of goals, and as an alarm clock so the evil empire
at least won't know when I'm getting up. I also play a
game of othello against from time to time, but the AI
is so poor that even I can beat it easily.
- A Xircom Rex 5000. I was attempting to use this thing to
track goals, but it eats batteries and is difficult to
manage, and I don't currently have a computer with
pcmcia to sync it. It mostly sits in my nightstand. I
will get rid of this if I can get a 6000 someday.
- A Palm Pilot Professional. I use it for fun, though I'm
keeping my eye out for a clear-plastic Palm IIIe.
- A handful of tablets that the kids use.
- Two amazon Kindles that I use to read books. One was a
thrift store find for $9, and it works perfectly well.
I adore eInk.
- An android phone, and several dumber phones that work
but aren't really in use. I'd like to dump the android
phone some day when I get a new career and don't need
it.
* Honorable mention: an NEC terminal server that I've got
up in Oregon in storage; an Atari ST that is also in
Oregon; A Dauphin DTR-1 that is in storage here (the
kittyhawk drive is fried, I need to get some other drive
working.) A Wyse (green screen) terminal (also Oregon).
I suppose that's about it. That's more devices that I would
like to use, but I can't deny that I don't want to give up
the devices that I want to collect. Each of the older items
listed above has a specific memory attached to it. Some have
been sought out and re-purchased. As long as I can, I'll
keep using them for the joy they bring.
What I would like to add:
- An Agenda VR3. I had the developer edition once upon a
time and I loved it. I have no idea why I got rid of it,
but it was probably to purchase some other device at the
time. These are hard to find, I keep an eye out for them
from time to time. When I dump my smartphone, I want one
of these to be my main carry-with computing device.
- A Palm IIIe special edition clear. Also hard to find,
this was the first PDA that I owned. I want this to be
a daily use device when I can't get the Agenda VR3 to
work well (PalmOS was elegant and functional.)
- A linux-based Zaurus PDA (either the PDA-style, or the
palmtop style.) I've always thought these were cool.
- A Xircom Rex 6000. This model had a touch screen. I had
one and loved it.
- More systems from the Epson Equity line.
- A Packard Bell 486 laptop with b&w screen. I had one
once upon a time, it was the first machine I installed
linux on. I can't recall the model, i'd settle for
something close.
- Additional Wyse serial terminals (not thin clients.) I
just love these. I first used lynx on a library server
through one of these.
- A working Grant Searle z80 CP/M machine. I have tried
and tried to get this going, with no luck. I gave up
for now, but I'll pull this one out at a later date,
I'm sure.
I could probably think of more. I don't want to be a
hoarder, but if I was, I would hoard functional old
computers, and I'd use them all. What I want, I suppose, is
to collect enough memories so that when the kids move out
and I've got tons of extra time and space, I can have some
fun. Who knows what will happen, but that's the path I'm on
right now.
[1]
gopher://grex.org:70/0/%7ejandal/phlog/personal-baggage
