Author Topic: Bought any computing stuff today?  (Read 127219 times)

Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #50 on: 24 October, 2012, 10:30:27 am »
Sounds good.

I await the result of your programming (in Python?) with baited breath!

PS Can I have a copy?

Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #51 on: 24 October, 2012, 10:41:34 am »
I await the result of your programming (in Python?) with baited breath!

Ah.. Googling and Wikipedia tell me it's more like C++.  I taught myself a bit of C decades ago, and also covered very rudimentary C++.

Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #52 on: 24 October, 2012, 03:33:49 pm »
A new laptop.

Now, being a skinflint I declined to pay £5 extra for it to be delivered tomorrow (to work). Which is when I go to work on the bus.

So it might arrive on Friday. Which is when I cycle. 

bah. Should have just paid the £5 extra!

Edit
Arrivee!
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Maverick

  • One of the rural idle
    • Twoberries
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #53 on: 29 October, 2012, 08:36:49 am »
Just ordered a couple of RaspPi to replace the one I destroyed yesterday - connecting the GPIO pins to a live circuit while the raspi was booted  :facepalm:

redshift

  • High Priestess of wires
    • redshift home
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #54 on: 29 October, 2012, 09:37:31 am »
Last Wednesday, I ordered a couple of RPis for home - there'll be squabbles if we don't have one each  ::-)  - Based on other people's notes, I was expecting a few weeks wait, but they arrived on Saturday.

Now, if I could only get rid of this hacking cough and the snot, I would have the mental capacity to play with one, but so far all I've had the brain to do is fire one up and check it works.   >:(
L
:)
Windcheetah No. 176
The all-round entertainer gets quite arsey,
They won't translate his lame shit into Farsi
Somehow to let it go would be more classy…

Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #55 on: 29 October, 2012, 10:31:42 am »
Just ordered a couple of RaspPi to replace the one I destroyed yesterday - connecting the GPIO pins to a live circuit while the raspi was booted  :facepalm:
That shouldn't kill it. They must have seriously cut some corners in the circuits, left off protective caps and resistors.

The dev boards I use get live disconnects/connects over GPIO pins all day long and it doesn't do damage.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Maverick

  • One of the rural idle
    • Twoberries
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #56 on: 29 October, 2012, 12:29:31 pm »
Just ordered a couple of RaspPi to replace the one I destroyed yesterday - connecting the GPIO pins to a live circuit while the raspi was booted  :facepalm:
That shouldn't kill it. They must have seriously cut some corners in the circuits, left off protective caps and resistors.

The dev boards I use get live disconnects/connects over GPIO pins all day long and it doesn't do damage.

You're assuming I'm not stupid enough to connect pins incorrectly (in particular to the 'do not connect' pins)  :-[

Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #57 on: 29 October, 2012, 12:30:56 pm »
Even so - it shouldn't blow the board.

Sticking 12V in over a 5V line might blow things.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #58 on: 29 October, 2012, 12:32:48 pm »
Just ordered a couple of RaspPi to replace the one I destroyed yesterday - connecting the GPIO pins to a live circuit while the raspi was booted  :facepalm:
That shouldn't kill it. They must have seriously cut some corners in the circuits, left off protective caps and resistors.

I believe that's exactly what they did, to keep costs down (lots of people won't use the GPIO).  Hence all the recommendations to add buffering if you're going to be mucking about on breadboards.

There's also a health warning about powering the Pi via the 5V pin on the GPIO header.  Works fine, but bypasses the protection on the micro-USB connector.

Maverick

  • One of the rural idle
    • Twoberries
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #59 on: 29 October, 2012, 12:59:36 pm »

I believe that's exactly what they did, to keep costs down (lots of people won't use the GPIO).  Hence all the recommendations to add buffering if you're going to be mucking about on breadboards.

Precisely - I do have a Gertboard too but wasn't using it, and hurrying to finish the project because i was getting hassled to do something else. At least it was £30 worth of raspi not a couple of grands worth of Mac I was messing about with.

TimC

  • Old blerk sometimes onabike.
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #60 on: 29 October, 2012, 01:10:35 pm »
Windows 8 pro - £25 downloaded from Microsoft.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #61 on: 29 October, 2012, 09:02:14 pm »
Sounds good.

I await the result of your programming (in Python?) with baited breath!

PS Can I have a copy?

I'll dig out the arduino sketch for you if you wish. The Pi version will have to wait till I have a few other things done.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #62 on: 03 November, 2012, 02:28:46 pm »
Reading "Hi-Fi Choice" on return from a week with the bike in Mallorca, had minor heart attack on reading that Logitech have discontinued the Squeezebox suite of products  :o

Amazon.co.uk had 10 left - phew! Panic over.

Now to set up the Synology DS212 and start FLACing the CD collection...  :smug:
PBP 2011: 1234 km by Nr. 5678 in < 90 hrs. Most auspicious...

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #63 on: 03 January, 2013, 10:49:02 am »
Laptop HDD has died, so decided to replace it with a SanDisk 128GB SSD.  I'm running low on storage so ordered a WD 2TB Caviar Green HDD.  Finally, picked up a Kingston 16GB 'Data Traveller' with the intention of setting up a bootable USB drive.

I've lost some downloaded BBC programmes from the laptop, but all important stuff was recently backed up.  Shouldn't take me much more than an hour to get that up and running again.  The 2TB HDD is a second drive for my file server - hoping getting the system to recognise it won't be too much of a problem.  I will eventually set up a NAS, but not until later in the year.  The USB drive is just something to play around with.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Maverick

  • One of the rural idle
    • Twoberries
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #64 on: 09 January, 2013, 07:55:35 pm »
HP LaserJet Pro 400dw to replace my venerable old Laserjet 4 that died at the weekend. I can't even remember just how long I've had the old printer but it replaced an Epson dot matrix purchased in the 80's - 2 printers in around 30 years isn't too bad. Hoping the new one will a) play nicely with the Macs/iThings and b) last as long as the old one (if it does it may well be the last one I buy  ::-) ).

Jules

  • Has dropped his aitch!
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #65 on: 09 January, 2013, 09:03:26 pm »
A second-hand HP CM2320nf networked colour laser all-in-one device. Prints, scans, copies, faxes and sends email. Barely used so not a bad deal at £100.
Audax on the other hand is almost invisible and thought to be the pastime of Hobbits ....  Fab Foodie

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #66 on: 21 January, 2013, 09:12:38 am »
5* 40mm fans for the firewall.

Not that it needs 5, it only needs one, but thought it will be useful to have spares in stock for the next time it decides to go "WHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR WHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

GraemeMcC

  • CaptainContours
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #67 on: 21 January, 2013, 11:30:45 pm »
OK, it was last week, but while it's updating itself with 65 updates, I can sit here at the Desktop and do other things - I've bought a Netbook - ASUS EeePC Seashell 1015BX. Best deal was from local Currys. PC World didn't stock! £199. Wanted it now for imminent ski holiday.

Need a small portable PC for viewing vids from the bullet cam, my stills cam and for doing stuff on my new eTrex30 (once I've sorted out how to do gpx-y things on that). Netbook will be less hassle as hand luggage and at airport security than the laptop.

Only one snag with it - Win7Starter - I feel a Linux project due to start after the ski trip... :o

But it copes with the lappy's USB mouse (I despise touchpad control), external speakers and saw my network straight out of the box, so has now got its copy of my mp3 library.
PBP 2011: 1234 km by Nr. 5678 in < 90 hrs. Most auspicious...

Maverick

  • One of the rural idle
    • Twoberries
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #68 on: 22 January, 2013, 09:02:53 am »
OK, it was last week, but while it's updating itself with 65 updates, I can sit here at the Desktop and do other things - I've bought a Netbook - ASUS EeePC Seashell 1015BX. Best deal was from local Currys. PC World didn't stock! £199. Wanted it now for imminent ski holiday.

Only one snag with it - Win7Starter - I feel a Linux project due to start after the ski trip... :o


My ancient 8Gb Asus701SD runs LXDE desktop really well - currently running the newest Fedora release. Way to go ;D

CommuteTooFar

  • Inadequate Randonneur
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #69 on: 24 January, 2013, 01:07:29 pm »
I bought a dlink dap-1320 'range extender'.
I configured it as a Wireless Client then plugged it into my new telly which now has it smart tv applications working.  I am puzzled the skype app because this telly does not appear to have a suitable input. I will have another look.

 

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #70 on: 15 April, 2013, 11:54:12 pm »
Nexus 7 (Google, not Shimano).  The 3G version - though I expect it'll spend most of it's time on WiFi, I wanted to have the option of connecting from a tent without having to deplete the batteries on two devices just to do a bit of IRC.

It seems to occupy a particularly sweet spot in terms of price to functionality.  Key functions for me being a screen big enough to type on at a respectable speed (your fingers may vary), and a battery that lasts long enough that you're not actually afraid to use it.  The Bluetooth HID stuff works properly in Android 4.x, so Bluetooth keyboards (I've tested two that were problematic with Gingerbread) are finally a viable option.

Key annoyances are of course the lack of an SD card slot (though with 32gig of storage, USB host mode is an acceptable compromise - I'm wanting it more as a portable internet terminal than a media player anyway); that it appears on USB as an MTP or PTP device (no Mass Storage emulation  ???); and the rather pointless absence of GSM phone functionality (while SMS is trivial to add, nobody's cracked telephony yet, though it does appear to be a purely software limitation).

The screen's lovely (including the touchy aspects), though not quite up to Apple retina standards.  But that's okay, because neither are my retinas.  The front-facing camera's predictably crap.  Sound's adequate (not tried the headphone port yet).  Plenty of computational grunt, and everything seems reasonably stable.  I really like the form factor: it's only going to fit in the baggiest of pockets (NB: no vibrate motor anyway), but it's big enough to see a whole web page properly formatted, and to do accurate touchscreen interaction without the enormity of something iPad-sized.

I seriously reckon it would benefit from a couple of hardware buttons on the front panel, if only to wake it from sleep, but I expect that's a habit from my phone as much as anything else, and I'll get used to where the power button is by feel in due course.

Spent the usual entertaining couple of hours messing around with adb getting a proper recovery installed and rooting earlier - no real surprises there if you've done it before, though do make sure you pick a recovery designed for the 3G version of the device (to avoid ROM compatibility issues later).  I'm not bothering with an alternative firmware at this point: the stock ROM is stable and *delightfully* cruft-free, and the usually excellent CyanogenMod is a bit young and has yet to add anything of significance.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #71 on: 16 April, 2013, 02:23:14 pm »
Following on from the above, from the department of pretty-cool-when-things-actually-work:





(Rooted Nexus + Ungodly USB host adaptor cable + eTrex 30 + StickMount + File Manager HD + Memory Map + Just a Chuffing 50)

ETA: Just tried it and confirmed that a USB keyboard and mouse Just Work (Android suddenly acquires a mouse pointer when one's attached).  Shouldn't be as impressive as it is, really, but good news for accessibility.  Obviously Bluetooth would be preferable for faff reasons, but it opens up a whole range of ergonomic devices.

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #72 on: 16 April, 2013, 07:34:12 pm »
Dinky SSD for this 'ere Ubuntu/Lubuntu box. The old style IDE (!) disc in it is on it's way out. The motherboard has two SATA slots, one of which is plugged into a 500GB HDD which is /home.  It _should_ work, shouldn't it?
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #73 on: 16 April, 2013, 08:00:01 pm »
A new laptop. Now getting used to windows 8 after staying firmly with XP for years. It's not actually that bad and I'm getting on fine though I'd like a Start button back.
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

Re: Bought any computing stuff today?
« Reply #74 on: 22 April, 2013, 09:12:12 pm »
Acer c7 Chromebook. After the slow realisation I'm not a power user, and I just surf and email, finally got a computer to match.  Delightfully simple.