Computer Help and Support

hunter

(38,337 posts) Wed Apr 1, 2015, 03:31 PM Apr 2015

I know this isn't "computer help and support" but it is fun. Meet my latest "Desktop" computer:

It's the first new computer I've bought in more than a decade.

I usually rescue computers from the curbside, from "get rid of this for me and sledgehammer the hard drive" clients, or from the random salvage piles.

$35 for the pi, and less than $10 for the wifi stick, simply because I didn't want to mess around with the usb wifi sticks in my junkbox. (My time isn't entirely worthless.)

I already had what else I needed to get it up and running.

For myself, first logged onto the internet in 1979, it's all magic, a zillion times faster than the PDP-11s and 56k connections I used to play with when I was young.

http://raspberrypi.org

7 replies

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Highlight:

I know this isn't "computer help and support" but it is fun. Meet my latest "Desktop" computer: (Original Post) hunter Apr 2015 OP

they're so cute when they're little!!! n/t ProdigalJunkMail Apr 2015 #1

I have heard of raspberry pi.... dixiegrrrrl Apr 2015 #2

It's faster than my beat up old taped together maxed out Pentium III laptop... hunter Apr 2015 #5

It's a great teaching tool and faster than my old taped together Pentium III maxed out laptop. hunter Apr 2015 #6

does it have a super small flash drive attached ? that's cool nt steve2470 Apr 2015 #3

16 gig I originally bought for an older digital camera that choked on it, hunter Apr 2015 #4

I bought a little wood box at the dollar store and carved out openings for the ports... hunter Apr 2015 #7

ProdigalJunkMail

(12,017 posts)

1. they're so cute when they're little!!! n/t

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Wed Apr 1, 2015, 05:00 PM

Apr 2015

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

2. I have heard of raspberry pi....

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Wed Apr 1, 2015, 05:13 PM

Apr 2015

Hope you will share how you like it going forward.

A wi-fi stick????? Have not heard of those.

hunter

(38,337 posts)

5. It's faster than my beat up old taped together maxed out Pentium III laptop...

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #2)

Wed Apr 1, 2015, 06:02 PM

Apr 2015

... and maybe half to two- thirds as fast as the noisy desktop I've been using.

I jumped in for the educational value.

The ARM architecture has become the world standard for most computers.

hunter

(38,337 posts)

6. It's a great teaching tool and faster than my old taped together Pentium III maxed out laptop.

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #2)

Wed Apr 1, 2015, 06:23 PM

Apr 2015

Sure, it's maybe half or three quarters speed of the desktop I was using before, but it does DU and youtube videos without a glitch, and runs my ancient Atari stuff without a glitch.

I can play Pengo like it's 1983.

steve2470

(37,457 posts)

3. does it have a super small flash drive attached ? that's cool nt

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Wed Apr 1, 2015, 05:22 PM

Apr 2015

hunter

(38,337 posts)

4. 16 gig I originally bought for an older digital camera that choked on it,

Reply to steve2470 (Reply #3)

Wed Apr 1, 2015, 05:40 PM

Apr 2015

hunter

(38,337 posts)

7. I bought a little wood box at the dollar store and carved out openings for the ports...

Reply to hunter (Original post)

Wed Apr 15, 2015, 11:41 PM

Apr 2015

... with an x-acto knife.

$15 monitor from the thrift store.

It's maybe 2/3 as fast as my recycled desktop for general stuff, faster for HTML5 stuff (especially YouTube, no problem, HTML5 full screen), and about twice as fast as the laptop I bought as junk for $10, replacing that machine's hard drive with maybe $30 worth of flash drive. The little fan in my duct tape laptop never turns on anymore.

My recent posts on DU are from this little Raspian box because the fan and hard drive noise from the old desktop irritate me. this machine is silent. All I hear is the NSAID ringing in my ears,

All Linux, of course. My last personal Microsoft stuff was Windows 98 SE.

I don't do Windows unless somebody is paying me.

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