Tom's Guide | Tom's Hardware | Tom's Games
 |
 |
 |
Name: Justin Weber
Hi all,
This week's poll question is about how many computers you own. Discuss here what you think about the benefits/costs of owning more than one computer, and, if you like, the poll results themselves.
Thanks!
Justin
We have 4 computers here:
-Compaq Presario 5365 - AMD K6-2 450 Mhz, 256 MB of RAM, running Windows 2000 Pro.
-Packard Bell 7955C - Intel Celeron 466 Mhz, 256 MB of RAM, running Windows 98 SE
-Acer Extensa 501DX - Intel Pentium MMX 266 Mhz, 64 MB of RAM, running Windows 98 SE
-Custom-built computer - AMD Sempron 2500+ 1750 Mhz, 512 MB of RAM, running Windows XP MCE.
If you are all by yourself, I really don't see any benefits in having more than one computer unless:
-You do some serious multitasking
-You have a computer for actual use and one or more just to play around with
-Each computer has a very different purpose (one for work, one for gaming, etc.)If you have more than one person in the place you use your computer(s) that is/are also (a) heavy computer user(s) I suppose more than one computer would be handy.
As for myself, it's just me and my mother, but the both of us use computers a lot for various tasks.
The Compaq Presario 5365 is my personal work, internet, and older-games computer.
The Packard Bell 7955c used to be my mothers own computer for all-around use, but now it just sits - it hasn't been used for almost a year.
The Acer Extensa 501DX will hopefully be my work computer for when I am not around the Compaq Presario. Right now it doesn't have a definate use because there are a couple of problems to work out of it, and I can't trust it with the many Word documents I have to make. But for now it makes a good internet computer.
The custom-built computer is a main, all-around computer for the both of us because it's the only computer we have that has enough power to do anything besides straight office work. With an ATI Rage 128 Pro, it makes a satisfactory 3D gaming computer.
"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving may not be for you."
-Our tour guide at Fenway Park in Boston, MA.
0 
Believe it or not I have 15 different computers and not a one is a laptop. LOL
Actually I have all the computers that I have personally bought in the past 30 years and the software that came with them. All still work and function just fine. From time to time I fire them up and play around and keep the things working.
In reference to 11/05/2008
"So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause."
- George Lucas
0
The five of us are using 6 PCs and a server. Might sound excessive (and perhaps it is), but it's extremely nice being able to dedicate each PC to a specific task and have a server hold it all together. Also makes the occasional mini LAN party possible. It beats the hell out of having one or two computers juggle everyone's stuff. Here they are:
My work/play system: a dual-core Opteron 185 overclocked to 3.2GHz, 4GB of RAM, two overclocked GeForce 8800GTS cards in SLI mode, an X-Fi Titanium Pro in the PCIe x4 slot, and Vista x64, all riding on an A8N32-SLI Deluxe mobo.
Family room HTPC: Pentium M 780 overclocked to 2.82GHz, GeForce 9600GT, 3GB of RAM, a Blu-ray drive, and Vista Home Premium. Connected to a homebuilt 1080p projector and a brand spanking new Onkyo 7.1 setup. Housed in a modified PowerMac G4 Quicksilver tower.
My wife's computer is powered by an Athlon 64 X2 4600+, 2GB of RAM, an x1950Pro videocard, and good old WinXP Pro.
The jukebox is powered by a PowerPC G4 867, 1GB of RAM, Radeon 9800 Pro Mac card, running OS 10.4.9. It's housed in a gutted jukebox along with my old 200w Pioneer mini component system.
Kids are using my old "super" P3: a P3 Tualatin-S 1.4 processor overclocked to 1.66GHz, a Radeon HD 3650 AGP card, 2GB of PC2700 DDR, a couple of DVD burners, running Windows Vista Home Premium.
The upgraded notebook that I sometimes carry along with me during the day is powered by a C2D T5600 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a GeForce 7600 chip. Runs Vista Business 64.
And the server holds it all together: it acts as a firewall, routes all print jobs to the LaserJet, and holds nearly 3TB of crap: DVD and BR rips, music, TV shows, homework, photos, personal docs, etc. Powered by a PIII-1.26GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, two gigabit cards, and a couple of SATA cards playing host to 4 hard drives.
All we need now is a Honeywell Kitchen Computer...:)
jackbomb
0
For your amusement I shall now list all of the machines I currently have:
- My main rig (home brew Xeon 3110, 2GB RAM, GTX280 etc.)
- My server (home brew Q6600, 4GB RAM, lots'o'hdds)
- Missus' rig (home brew A64 x2 4200+, 2GB RAM, 7600GS)
- Kids rig (Apple eMac 1.42GHz, 1GB RAM)
- SCSI rig (Athlon XP 2500+, 2GB RAM, lots'a'15K RPM SCSI drives)
- RAMBUS rig (P4 1.8, 768MB RD800 RAM)
- Voodoo rig (Celeron 1.2, 768MB RAM, 2 x Voodoo II 8MB SLI)
- Dual CPU rig (2 x Pentium II 300MHz, 512MB RAM)
- Pentium DOS rig (Pentium 200MMX, 64MB RAM)
- 486 DOS rig (486DX4/100, 32MB RAM)
- Series 1 Celeron rig (not even sure whats in there anymore)
- HTPC (P4 2.4, 1GB RAM, Radeon 9200 PCI)
- Olivetti M290 (286 12MHz, 1MB RAM)
- Apple 12" G4 Powerbook
- Apple Core Duo Macbook
- Amiga 500
- Amiga 600
- Amiga 1000
- Amiga 1200
- Amiga 2000
- Amiga 3000
- Commodore C128D
- Commodore C64C
- Apple IIE
There are probably a few more, and no doubt I have enough parts to build a few more at least. Sad, but true...Coffee...The true life blood of the IT Industry!
0
Probably over 150, but you have to remember, I got into the repair business long ago, and you wouldn't believe how much crap you pick up over the years:
http://flickr.com/photos/7760703@N0...
And the above is from over 3 years ago...
0
@T-R-A
Quite a few machines you have there. A few years back, a mate and I hacked a new motherboard etc. into one of those little Compaq cases (top of this pile) for use as an in car MP3 player.
Coffee...The true life blood of the IT Industry!
0
That reminds me...I still have pics of someone's Olivetti M290 spread all over his workbench.
Wonder how many machines Justin has up and running?
Skip
0
@Skip
Those were taken when it wasn't working ;-) Fully functional now! YAY!
Coffee...The true life blood of the IT Industry!
0
We have six working and networked computers now and many more that are not up and running because they aren't needed.
In my office I have my main rig and a file/print server. My wife has one in her office. My son has one in his room. Have two in the basement. One of the basement units is a jukebox connected to 40 year old audio equipment bought while on R&R in Japan when serving in Vietnam. The other basement unit is a home built TIVO.
I usually play musical chairs with my computers. When a new board is bought the old one is moved to a new duty. Not much savings in upgrading unless you do that qite often. By the time I get done using them they are worth $50.
0
In my house:
1: E4500, 4GB, 9800GT, Vista Home Basic.
2: PIII 1.4GHz, 768MB, X1650Pro, XP Pro.
3: Sempron 2800, 2GB, GeForce 6600, XP Pro.
4: Coppermine Celeron 1.33GHz, 512MB, MX440, 98SE
5: Coppermine Celeron 1.1GHz, 320MB, XP Pro.
6: P4 2.26GHz, 512MB, X1650Pro, XP ProThen my laptop and about 5-8 older PCs from the 486 to the K6-2.
Only the top five are used often, the P4 is a bit of a pile and frustrating to use.
I give away PC's where I can. I gave a 2.66GHz P4 system to a friend not to long ago and it runs like a champ with a 9550, they are quite happy with it.Mattwizz3
Gigabyte P35-DS3R
E4500 @ 3.2
4GB DDR2 800
9800GT
0
1.33 Ghz and 512 MB of RAM with Windows 98 SE?!? That thing should have at least Windows 2000 on it to take full advantage of that computer's power. But it's a personal preference, I guess.
"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving may not be for you."
-Our tour guide at Fenway Park in Boston, MA.
0
98 will run rings around 2K on that rig, but again, it depends on what you are using it for.
Coffee...The true life blood of the IT Industry!
0
That PC is used for emulators and I'm planning to put it in a small console like case. I've got an adapter that lets you use Playstation controls. It will be a NES, SNES, N64, Atari 2600/5200/7800, Sega Master System, Megadrive/Genesis and PlayStation 1.
I've got it going and got lots of roms, its great fun so far. I might use win 2k, but to me the O/S isnt so important as I'm actually using Program Manager to organize things to make it more user friendly on a TV.
Mattwizz3
Gigabyte P35-DS3R
E4500 @ 3.2
4GB DDR2 800
9800GT
0
"98 will run rings around 2K on that rig"
No it won't. I completely agree with Trent; DOS-based versions of Windows do not seem to take full advantage of the hardware available.
Used to have two 98SE/2000 dual-booters: a P2 with 192MB and a T-bird with 512MB. On both boxes, Win2000 always felt much quicker than 98SE--from browsing the Explorer to launching applications.
jackbomb
0
What can I say, my experiences differ, machines always felt quicker with 98, both in terms of start up and once running. I never liked 2K for the desktop, it has always felt slow and a tad cumbersome. Win 2K Server, now that was a different kettle'o'fish.
Coffee...The true life blood of the IT Industry!
0
I might install Win 2K, as I also like it better than 98SE. 98 is annoyingly unstable and is the biggest BSOD generator ever. I might keep it though... because I cant seem to find my Win 2K CD, heh.
Win 2K will allow for newer and better drivers also.
Mattwizz3
Gigabyte P35-DS3R
E4500 @ 3.2
4GB DDR2 800
9800GT
0
My God, you guys ARE geeks! I have one personal computer, a Dell Dimension 4200 I bought in 2001. I've upgraded parts of course. Before that I only had one other, that I purchase in '96. A POS with a P75, 2 Gig HDD, and 8 MB of memory. Yikes.
"So won’t you give this man his wings
What a shame
To have to beg you to see
We’re not all the same
What a shame" - Shinedown
0
Good point, OTH. :) Course, there could be Geekwannabes here as well. :)
"So won’t you give this man his wings
What a shame
To have to beg you to see
We’re not all the same
What a shame" - Shinedown
0
Windows 2000 runs just as fast, if not faster, than Windows 98SE on my Compaq Presario. And since it's built on the Windows NT kernel, whereas Windows 98SE (And Windows ME) are built on the Windows 95 kernel, 2000 is so much more stable. After having it for many months now, i'm convinced that upgrading from 98SE to 2000 was a great decision.
"If at first you don't succeed, skydiving may not be for you."
-Our tour guide at Fenway Park in Boston, MA.
0
I got a desktop and a laptop, just think laptop is more convenient,but most of the time I prefer desktop to laptop.
0  |
 |
 |
This post is quite old and has been locked from receiving new replies. Please create a new posting instead.
| Ads by Google |
