Homestead mailing list

[Bevanron <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

clhw wrote:

> Bev, you may be able to set up WiFi for your own home, depending on
> what your ISP offers and your computer will take.

I guess I don't understand how that works.....
We have no DSL or cable here...only dialup....no broadband either..my
only ISP option other than my dialup phone line is something like
Starband, which I cannot afford at something akin to $100/month.


> I have friends who have pc computers and they have to download every
> new bell or whistle which comes out: music, video, weather alerts,
> maps, you name it. Then they complain about their computers crashing
> or needing to be pitched for newer, faster, bigger.

I know.  My daughter came over recently and loaded some stupid game on
my computer, and although I uninstalled it after she left, my computer
has been crashing and getting ddhelp errors since then.  I know that has
something to do with DirectX, but even though I read about it online, I
have no clue as to how to fix it.  The game must have corrupted a file
in the registry or something..I don't know.  IMO, loading games on an
older computer like this one is like playing Russian roulette-it's at
best a waste of time, and at worst the death of a good tool.


  If you are satisfied with basic I'Net
> connection, email program, and word processing and don't need to do
> VOIP, or the latest, you will find a laptop completely satisfactory.

I think that sums it up for me.  If I had a faster connection
capability, like DSL or something, then I might feel differently, but
right now, I can't even run a news feed video on this thing.

> You can use a mouse with your laptop but my children love the
> TrackPads, claiming they have better speed. Most laptops can be
> networked with your desktop so you can take one with you, on a trip,
> enter what you want, and then store it on your desktop.

I want to eliminate the desktop.  Saving the hard drive for storage is a
good idea, however.

> There are many options with a laptop, including CD drives, networking
> to projection equipment (I've sat through many a Emergency Management
>  course/seminar/meeting with the main material being projected from a
>  laptop). My nephew and I watched a DVD movie on his laptop one
> evening.

There is one application that would be nice, to be able to create
something in Powerpoint and have it run off a laptop when we do
astronomy presentations to the public.
Also, I think Tim? mentioned downloading big files from WiFi sights and
then bringing them home.  I had not thought of that use, either, but
that would be a plus since right now, I get major file errors when I try
to download large stuff because my phone lines are so slow (24,600kbps
at best)
You guys have given me a lot to think about...

Bev
--
erthnsky AT bellsouth.net  BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm      NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W