Main computer: “Frankenstein”
Compaq Presario CQ60 notebook
AMD Turion X2 Dual Core Mobile RM-72, 2.1 GHz
4 GB DDR2 RAM
Windows Vista Home Premium SP2
Graphics: NVidia GeForce 8200M 1407 MB graphics, 256 MB dedicated video memory 1920 x 1080 pixels
Packard Bell 23 inch monitor, Viseo 230WS TFT LCD (the laptop's built-in 15 inch laptop screen is broken, this monster really is a reanimated corpse)
250 GB SATA hard drive
7 port Belkin USB 2 hub.
Optical mouse
Audio: 25 watts per channel Hitachi microsystem with top loading CD
Secondary Computer: “Igor”
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ tower system by Tiny Computers
2 GB RAM (upgraded from 512MB in January 2009)
64 MB (shared) graphics
Windows XP SP3
200 GB hard drive
DVD rewriter
19 inch flatscreen monitor but Igor can also be driven remotely from Frankenstein.
Webcams: various, main webcam 1.3 megapixels with microphone.
External USB 2 1 Terabyte hard drive, available for use with either computer.
Frankenstein sits on the desk on four enormous improvised soft plastic black feet which help ensure good airflow to his vents on the underside. If his fan starts to sound laboured or his case gets warmer than normal I have an additional USB powered fan to sit on top of his case and draw up cooling air around his vents and heat sinks. This fan came out of a computer which was old before 1990. I really like the idea of keeping my system going with a mixture of new, old, salvaged and recycled parts. I come from farming stock, bodging and making do, but making do rather well, is in my blood.
Igor now resides in the gym.
Network
LAN connection to 10 megabit/sec fibre optic cable Internet access (Virgin Media)
No download limits.
Belkin wireless G router (for laptops) situated in the house. Wired connection to the bunker and a network switch which feeds Frankenstein and Igor. This set-up can stream two YouTube videos simultaneously in the bunker and service another two laptops and a desktop machine in the house wirelessly, plus also Nintendo DS, PS3 and various phones.
Browsers
Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer
Scanner-Printer: Lexmark X75
Digital Camera:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33 8 Megapixel
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33
8 megapixel, zoom lens, much more capable. 4 GB SD card. VGA video with sound.
NetbookAcer Aspire One (in white)512 MB RAM8 GB flash drive Ubuntu 11.10 operating system The netbook is used mostly for word processing when I am away from my bunker. My experience of Ubuntu is that it will do the job, but I have no desire to replace either of my Windows machines with this system unless the operating systems break beyond restoration. It is far too much of a vegetabilists' delight with a socialist-sounding name from the language of the Muslim slave traders and the software looks like it was named by somebody who works for the provisional wing of IKEA. |
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