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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:30 pm
by DrZarkov
You don't make your own laptops? I do: http://www.retrocom.de/ppp.html (this was a Pegasos computer, basing on a Freescale G3 cpu, I've made this for somebody else who wanted that. In earlier times I've made many portable Amigas.) :lol:

DIY PCs.

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:24 pm
by Steve Anderson
DrZarkov wrote:You don't make your own laptops? I do:


Wow! ...err..I'm not sure if I have the intestinal fortitude for something like that. A desktop can be whacked together and up-and-running in a couple of hours from a pile of bits. That looks like a whole different ball-game. But well done, I'm impressed!

Steve A.

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:43 pm
by DrZarkov
@Steve: Come on, where's your Mojo? If you can build a mechanical TV, you can make your own laptop! :lol:

My Mojo.

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:02 pm
by Steve Anderson
I can't find my Mojo, someone said in a different thread that he had seen the cat with something, I can only presume it was Mr. Bigglesworth.

I build my own desktops so I can get then as I wish them, when it comes to laptops I'm not so fussy. I only use them when 'on the road' or as an Internet access machine.

For example, the PC I use to access this board, e-mail and browsing is my laptop. It has only the minimum applications on it for that function. There is no personal data about me on it, no credit card numbers, bank account details, or my address.

So the hackers can do what they like, they ain't going to get any useful data from this PC.

The desktop has all that sort of information on it, but it never connects to the 'net. File transfer between the two is by Flash Drive or CD-RW. Before transfering a file I have downloaded I open it on the laptop to make sure it's safe.

Thus far I have never had a virus or any spyware/malware. but tomorrow might be different.

Steve A.

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:33 pm
by M3DVQ
I build my own PCs too, I never really thought not to use the analogue connection, cause I always have.
I found it was necessary on 486s running windows 95! :P

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:25 pm
by DrZarkov
Windows 95 on a 486?! That's like converting Ceefax to NBTV! :lol:

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:42 pm
by Steve Anderson
M3DVQ wrote:I build my own PCs too, I never really thought not to use the analogue connection, cause I always have.
I found it was necessary on 486s running windows 95! :P


I still use my 486 that I bought in 1993 for robotics control, the older machines, especially running DOS are so much more complient to unusual I/O, and a damn site less 'crashworthy'.

The bog-standard DOS 6.22 doesn't have an interface/driver for a CD-ROM drive, but this can be patched in, FreeDos being an example.

My brother-in-law recently bought a new CNC machine, it should be able to turn out discs of unparelelled accuracy, guess what? It runs DOS. And is a joy to program.

Steve A.

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:12 pm
by Steve Anderson
DrZarkov wrote:Windows 95 on a 486?! That's like converting Ceefax to NBTV! :lol:


Sadly in most Asian countries there is no Ceefax/Teletext, it just can't handle the characters required, the resolution is simply not good enough. Have a look at 'simplified' Chinese, Thai, Laos or Vietnamese. It simply can't cope. It was devoloped for Europeans, by Europeans with no consideration for others in the world. A good system, but there is no reason why today it couldn't encompass the above, plus Japanese, Khmer or many others.

It's only in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong or within Kuala Lumpur where a reasonable percentage of the population that can read English that CeeFax/Teletext is present.

Steve A.

I'm not getting on my soap-box here, but it continues to depress me that the non-European languages are not considered. As someone whose first language is not English it does tend to piss one off. (Stepping down from soap-box)

It's OK, I feel better now....

PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:47 am
by M3DVQ
ceefax was designed when writing at much more than that resolution was unreadable anyway! it has been around a very long time. teletext was never developed, because the second version (supporting more colours, better graphics, etc) was never implemented by television companies.

now it is being phased out in Britain (and elsewhere in Europe?) as the Analogue TV system is being replaced. But that's an entirely different soapbox to get on...

windows 95 on a 486 is not that ridiculous, even windows 98 runs on a 486 (with varying reliability) if it's an all options disabled - one task only machine (for example ham radio logging computer it works fine. (and crashes less than a bloated XP system on a modern pentium processor :wink:

386s are also used frequently in embedded systems. according to wikipedia a system of several 386s is used in almost all autopilots for large aircraft!

this has got a bit long, and off topic, sorry :roll:

PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:52 am
by DrZarkov
Don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with a 386! I just think that Windows 95 is a little bit work for it. I've installed one time Windows 95 on a 386 SX with 16 Mhz. It took 4 hours, and when you've moved the mouse, it took some seconds to see the arrow moving in the picture :) Very strange when you were working in that time only with Amigas which worked much faster with its GUI on a plane 68000/ 8 MHz.

But now we are really extremly off topic!

Windoze.

PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:54 am
by Steve Anderson
M3DVQ wrote:according to wikipedia a system of several 386s is used in almost all autopilots for large aircraft!


As someone who does fly aircraft, the day I see the Windows start-up screen in front of me I'm gonna refuse to fly it. I have no problems with the processor whether 386, 486, whatever.

Would you get on an aircraft knowing it's being controlled by Windows?

You can imagine a passenger starts up his laptop, plugs in his BlueTooth and the screen displays "New device found, Airbus A340".

Steve A.

Yes, we're right off-topic, let's close it for the time being.