Homestead mailing list

[Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

At 10/25/2006, you wrote:
> Really?  We had several Dell's at work also and we had no trouble passing
> floppies around between the Dell's and non-Dell's and I certainly don't
> remember ever having a floppy "eaten".

I no longer use floppys, thise USB memory devices are much easier to use 
and have a much larger capacity.  I see where Fry's is selling 8G for 
$119.  Just this last summer they were selling 4G for $99.

>  I had a
> problem with one Dell once when the bean counters decided that we should set
> the ac higher and it would get into the low-mid 80' in my lab.  My Dell,
> there would occasionally just re-boot all by itself, but only when it got
> oppressively warm in my lab.

My son's Dell does that all summer long but mine only does that when I shut 
the case while it is on and mine does not have a fan.  He bought a tray 
with a fan located near the air outlet but it still occasionally dies.

>  I currently know several people with Dells
> and they love them.  When did you have this problem with your Dell's?  What
> years were these computers?

The Red Cross Disaster Relief RTT kits are all Dell Laptops.  They have 
thousands and have very few reliability issues.  In most cases the problems 
people are talking about the sample is too small to be meaningful.  If you 
have one computer and it is failing you could think the company sells a bad 
product but if you have 100 and only a few are bad then you have a better 
sample.

Dell as a company is having problems as its model is being copied by 
everyone else so they are losing the competitive edge in price.  A mention 
was made of Gateway.  They have not gotten the business model right 
yet.  They moved from the midwest to San Diego and spent a huge chunk of 
money on a Corporate office and opened store fronts.  Well the store fronts 
did not last so they are all closed down.  They bought E Machines in order 
to get into the low end market and that ate into the Gateway name 
brand.  They moved out of the San Diego Offices and into smaller digs in 
Orange County and now are struggling to remain alive in a very competitive 
market.



Don Bowen              Awl Knotted Up                       KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com
My travel journal
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html

I am omnivagant.  
> From don.bowen AT earthlink.net  Wed Oct 25 11:48:32 2006
Return-Path: <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>
X-Original-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Delivered-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Received: from elasmtp-mealy.atl.sa.earthlink.net
        (elasmtp-mealy.atl.sa.earthlink.net [209.86.89.69])
        by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 819E44C00D
        for <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>; Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:48:32 -0400 
(EDT)
Received: from [71.110.161.10] (helo=DonsLaptop.earthlink.net)
        by elasmtp-mealy.atl.sa.earthlink.net with asmtp
        (TLSv1:DES-CBC3-SHA:168) (Exim 4.34) id 1GckzY-0005Fb-4h
        for homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org; Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:48:32 -0400
Message-Id: <6.1.2.0.2.20061025084358.01ce7238 AT earthlink.net>
X-Sender: don.bowen AT earthlink.net@earthlink.net
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 6.1.2.0
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:44:20 -0700
To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
From: Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>
In-Reply-To: <86fab8600610250604r5ff429d8oc4b76154f654410e AT mail.gmail.co
m>
References: <453E6F80.8060600 AT bellsouth.net>
        <18c9df6e0610241311r4d408a3fn5b9e7a848f9fb279 AT mail.gmail.com>
        <86fab8600610250604r5ff429d8oc4b76154f654410e AT mail.gmail.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
X-ELNK-Trace: 
fae472dab72753a485338a7d01cb3b6a7e972de0d01da940e71943837cc64bc20ec200430c8ed6f7350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c350badd9bab72f9c
X-Originating-IP: 71.110.161.10
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.8
Subject: Re: [Homestead] processors and buying a new computer
X-BeenThere: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.8
Precedence: list
Reply-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
List-Id: <homestead.lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead>,
        <mailto:homestead-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead>
List-Post: <mailto:homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Help: <mailto:sympa AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=HELP>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead>,
        <mailto:homestead-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:48:32 -0000

At 10/25/2006, you wrote:
>  It also is going to be "yesterdays news" soon after you buy
> it.

As soon as you buy a new computer stop looking at the ads.



Don Bowen              Awl Knotted Up                       KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com
My travel journal
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html

I am omnivagant.  
> From genegerue AT ruralize.com  Wed Oct 25 12:37:36 2006
Return-Path: <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
X-Original-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Delivered-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Received: from n016.sc0.cp.net (smtpout1065.sc0.he.tucows.com [64.97.144.65])
        by lists.ibiblio.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F0C494C00D
        for <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>; Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:37:35 -0400 
(EDT)
Received: from SLIM.hughes.net (72.168.70.61) by n016.sc0.cp.net (7.2.069.1)
        (authenticated as genegerue AT hughes.net)
        id 453F8A3800003109 for homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org;
        Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:37:09 +0000
Message-Id: <7.0.1.0.2.20061025112624.02ca3940 AT ruralize.com>
X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 7.0.1.0
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:36:28 -0500
To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
In-Reply-To: <6.1.2.0.2.20061025084358.01ce7238 AT earthlink.net>
References: <453E6F80.8060600 AT bellsouth.net>
        <18c9df6e0610241311r4d408a3fn5b9e7a848f9fb279 AT mail.gmail.com>
        <86fab8600610250604r5ff429d8oc4b76154f654410e AT mail.gmail.com>
        <6.1.2.0.2.20061025084358.01ce7238 AT earthlink.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Subject: Re: [Homestead] processors and buying a new computer
X-BeenThere: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.8
Precedence: list
Reply-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
List-Id: <homestead.lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead>,
        <mailto:homestead-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead>
List-Post: <mailto:homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Help: <mailto:sympa AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=HELP>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead>,
        <mailto:homestead-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:37:36 -0000


> As soon as you buy a new computer stop looking at the ads.

For all things, not just computers. It seems a natural rule that once 
research is concluded, a decision is made to buy and the purchase 
completed, then there will better deals announced in every possible 
venue. Car manfacturers come out with new incentive plans as soon as 
you buy. Books are found to be lower priced only after you pay more. 
As for computers, they are a world unto themselves. Instantly ancient.

The only way to beat this irony is to become expert at fixing the 
thing. If you can do car mechanics, then buy junkers and fix them. If 
you can repair computers, then buy your friends' throwaways. Buy used 
books only.

As one moves ahead financially, however, one loses the motivation to 
acquire others' discards.  I hear Sinatra singing, "That's life . . ."