2/12/09 - Technophilia

[fluffy]

I guess we missed yesterday. Oh well.

I ordered a new 24" monitor for my studio, in which my main workstation (PowerMac G5) will be turning into a file/backup server, and will be replaced by my MacBook Pro. I also got a netbook for going between home and work, and which also takes the 'general futzing around' pressure off of the MacBook Pro (which actually simplifies some things, oddly enough). So because of the new monitor I had an old not-very-good-for-work 23" monitor, which is going into my bedroom for use as a sorta-TV - being powered by my old Mac mini, which I finally got around to replacing the hard drive of last night so it could be used for such, and it will also probably be turning into my media server (since it makes the most sense for it to be the 'master' collection of my mp3s and movies, and also to be my iPhone sync point).

QotD: Do you have technophilia?

I don't feel that I do, but yet I still have a hell of a lot of computers and gadgets, and most of them I actually do end up using a lot. Of the 5 computers I now own (G5, MacBook Pro, Acer Aspire, Mac mini, OLPC XO), I use 4 of them regularly and with a specific purpose (all but the OLPC, which mostly gets used by people who want to check their email while they're visiting or whatever). I also have a whole bunch of video game systems which I hardly ever play, a lot of music gear I hardly ever use (do I really need to have as many microphones as I do?), and a bunch of disused cellphones and a few disused PDAs, and mostly I feel like technology gets in the way of things and adds clutter to my life, except for where it's helpful.

An alternate form of this question would be: How many computers do you have, and how do you feel about that?

[jast]

QotD: I do sink most of my time into things that involve computers, so there's a lot of tech stuff in my life, but I don't actually go out and buy new stuff if I've got perfectly usable devices that do the job well enough.

For the record, I own two computers that are in regular use, and I've got a very basic mobile phone and an old Palm handheld, as well as an el-cheapo SD MP3 player. That's about it.
Music gear is a different story. Right now I'm not expanding my collection of gear since I can't really afford anything significantly above base living costs.

[fluffy]

I try to avoid buying new stuff, but when I realize a need for something that I can't handle with my current tech level I go and satisfy that need. The only reason I bought the new monitor was because my old monitor's backlight is getting crappy enough that I'm no longer willing to put up with its crappy color reproduction. I've been using the old monitor for the last 5 years and it's served me pretty well. And then suddenly having a spare monitor around made it worthwhile to revive some old tech I had that was literally just collecting dust (the Mini); its hard drive failed a few years ago and I bought a new hard drive for it right away but never got around to installing it since it's somewhat annoying to open the Mini up and I was just running it off an external enclosure, and then I didn't actually have a need for the computer for a while since its prime function at that point had been replaced by a TiVo (which did the job the Mini was doing only much better).

[Reist]

qotd: my family has two computers, and I have one in my recording room. I know nothing about computers, I just know how to use their basic functions.

[rone rivendale]

QotD: Well I don't have enough money to have every gadget I see. I have 2 puters in this house. 1 is mine and 1 is my parent's. I had my last puter for 8 years so I'm not totally geeky about it or anything. I've had this one for a year so far.

[HeuristicsInc]

not really, but i do like computer stuff. i have a desktop, the laptop (for live stuff), and my wife's laptop which doesn't work any more (random bsods).
and i have a nslu2 for media serving. fun! okay maybe i'm half a technophile.
-bill

[Billy's Little Trip]

I like audio and video equipment. Not obsessively though.....I don't think.

[Caravan Ray]

I will buy anything if you put a lower case "i" in front of it.

iDogturd, iLeprosy, iNickelback - whatever. I want it.

Mind you, be careful of Madagascan websites - the iI is nothing bit an ugly lemur with weird fingers.

[Märk]

drc: I am drunk as FUCK. Jesus it's only thursday. No wait, it's friday.

qotd: I have way too many gadgets. I have a main desktop PC and a laptop for my music stuff, and my kid has an inherited PC in her room. In my storage room, there are probably 5 computers in various states of functionality, plus about 3 monitors which either have no use or don't work (I need to go to the landfill I guess) I have a PS2, an Xbox, a PSP, plus an Amiga1200 and CDTV which I never use. I love gadgets. As for music recording stuff, I have about 20 mics, a guitar amp, 3 guitars, a bass, a Boss DS-1 pedal, a Zoom9003 FX processor, a Firepod, a BBS Sonic Maximizer, a DOD effects processor...

[roymond]

Fluffy, there are tons of programs set up to rid you of your extra crap. Cell phones can be donated to help troops call home now and then.

We have three laptops that get used a lot. One is the music jukebox with an external drive, one is my music studio and general browser, and one my wife's that the kids use as well. My wife also has a large iMac she does her designing on. We have no video games. There's a Tivo and DVD recorder and an old 20" Trinitron that everyone sees and says "where's your real TV?" I still have a bunch of old music stuff buried downstairs that I promised people but haven't sent out, plus other stuff that just sits there. Spring is coming, there will be a stoop sale.

I love tech crap but we're really fucking the planet with all this stuff. The manufacturing process is really nasty and recycling is hardly straight forward.

[HeuristicsInc]

Speaking of technophile stuff, my wife suggests that I ask if anyone around here uses the "Twonky" media server.
-bill

[ujnhunter]

i only have sex with robots on sunday...

[Billy's Little Trip]

i only have sex with robots on sunday...

I'll stick with the real thing. I'd be afraid of hooking up with an electric pencil sharpener bot.