Re: How do you cool your "computing area?"

Posted on 2022-09-04, 08:14

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

in Milliways

Split units are nice and quiet, but the "mini" and easily portable versions of these that I have read reviews for appeared to not be all the durable. Things may have changed since then. Prices are high too, as you say. I had one many years ago. It was almost the same price as a regular split one …

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Re: How do you cool your "computing area?"

Posted on 2022-09-04, 07:07

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

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Thanks everyone! @ThinkpadIL - I like the idea of being able to roll a portable air con from my office to the bedroom as needed. Are they really that bad, even the new ones? The split systems look very nice, but so expensive! Does anyone here use the U-shape window ACs, like Midea? Those portable …

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Re: How do you cool your "computing area?"

Posted on 2022-09-03, 12:01

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

in Milliways

Since I collect mostly notebooks and keep all of my collection inside a closet, my "computing area" is a clean desk. So I don't need any special AC solution. I keep my room temperature at +24C (+76F) level and I use a central AC. I have also a portable AC but I use it only as a backup in case the …

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2022-08-30, 16:27

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by ThinkpadIL

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

And in general, I don't think it is wise to think that those who rise the prices are dumber than you. I still see the difference between: "I want $100 for this rare processor because I see demand" and "I want $7000 for this junk, because I've heard some stupid idiots call it retro". No one forces …

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2022-08-30, 14:56

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by ThinkpadIL

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Same for coins and banknotes, books.... Offtopic: Ukrainian post issued a line of postage stamps starting with one with sunk Russian ship. It was impossible to buy them and they appeared on auctions immediately. But most of people don't even understand they stamps should be kept in special …

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2022-08-30, 11:12

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by ThinkpadIL

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

You can't argue with Adam Smith's invisible hand. If there is at least one crazy man who is ready to pay those $7000, then that is the market price of this piece of junk. Surely there is not :) It's a type of arrogant dumb (usually pretty old) people thinking they won a lottery. Well, it's hard to …

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2022-08-30, 10:55

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by ThinkpadIL

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Some ppl really suck at selling things, they want big money, but they dont even bother to test even to BIOS FK them... Yeah, some prices are really crazy. Like it's not a precious thing, it's just piece of junk you don't need anyway and can't use anyway. I just want to play with it a little to have …

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Re: When retro becomes retro?

Posted on 2022-08-30, 09:45

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by ThinkpadIL

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2022-08-30, 09:40: for some certain purposes you may use even MS-DOS 3.3 without any problems. Launch the nukes! If any of Microsoft products is involved in control of nukes, we are in big trouble.

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Re: When retro becomes retro?

Posted on 2022-08-30, 08:52

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by ThinkpadIL

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Windows XP is hardly usable nowadays, because a lot of workarounds required (especially for Windows XP 64-bit) and you're stuck with old hardware. Oldest Microsoft OS which works fine for now is Windows 7, but that will end next year. Any Windows is hardly usable nowadays. New versions are not yet …

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Re: When retro becomes retro?

Posted on 2022-08-29, 21:25

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by ThinkpadIL

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

My scale (developed few minutes ago): V - Vintage - Hardware that is designed to work under Machine Code, Basic or CP/M systems. R - Retro - Hardware that is designed to work under MS-DOS, OS/2, Windows 3.1, Windows 95/98/Me or Windows NT 3.1/3.50/3,51/4.0. VOJ - Very Old Junk - Hardware that is …

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Re: ebay enters the ashbin of history

Posted on 2022-08-29, 09:23

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

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Still better than "sellers are asking waaay to much for retro gear" threads. Well, nowadays they are actually do. But it is a free market, and if there is someone crazy enough who is ready to pay $600 for PCMCIA sound card which warranty period expired before you've even was born, then why not! 🙂 …

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Re: What to keep and what to throw out?

Posted on 2022-08-29, 08:27

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

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Surprisingly, collecting too much vintage computer equipment is considered a problem and even a mental issue, but collecting too much money, stock, or jewelry is considered almost the greatest achievement. 🙄 And if talking seriously, I think it's all about balance between your vital needs and your …

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Re: ebay enters the ashbin of history

Posted on 2022-08-28, 18:21

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

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This world is not perfect. That is definitely a problem...

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Re: The relative cost of retro computing - It's not always as bad as you think

Posted on 2022-08-25, 18:12

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

in Milliways

an interesting observation - like with a car. say you get the nostalgic car of your youth again and drive it constantly, how long until the 'nostalgia' is replaced with the current experience (and maybe the car not being so good after all!). Where as keep it in the garage and drive it every few …

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Re: The relative cost of retro computing - It's not always as bad as you think

Posted on 2022-08-25, 08:12

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

in Milliways

I have a feeling that a constant usage of vintage hardware may only ruin an aura of mystery that surrounds them. You'll quickly realize that it's not some magical ancient device, but nothing more than a dull old piece of junk. So for me personally it is mostly tinkering and trying to get it working …

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Re: The relative cost of retro computing - It's not always as bad as you think

Posted on 2022-08-24, 22:13

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by ThinkpadIL

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Since everyone wants everything that was cool, the prices can only go up. Every once in a while I get this thought to get rid of everything I've collected over the years and how long would it take me to do it :lol: Most of the items in my collection were probably only used once when I bought and …

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Re: The relative cost of retro computing - It's not always as bad as you think

Posted on 2022-08-24, 22:02

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

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I think we all collect in different ways. I used to like going to a recycler, for example, and seeing some random machine that I never heard of or was interesting in some way, pay the $5-10 for it and then go strip it and rebuild it. Thats how I ended up with a MicroVAX 3100 and DEC VT525 terminals …

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Re: The relative cost of retro computing - It's not always as bad as you think

Posted on 2022-08-24, 19:06

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

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I started collecting computers around 2000-2001 when they were worthless, and NOBODY collected them. It took a few years before people started forums for specific machines and some of them were just populated by kids who just wanted to fix up a free machine to have something to use. People used to …

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Re: Is it worth throwing away nostalgic stuff?

Posted on 2022-08-18, 11:58

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by ThinkpadIL

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For compulsive declutterers it surely does! 🙂

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Re: With prices down, are you buying a new GPU, waiting for the next generation, or staying on the sidelines?

Posted on 2022-08-12, 20:41

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by ThinkpadIL

in Milliways

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Gaming is a very expensive hobby. Every time I see prices for gaming graphics cards I personally feel happy that I'm not a gamer. Geez, my whole laptop costs less ...

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