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[Lee Haslup <bigleehimself AT yahoo.com>]

When used in digital devices, transistors switch faster when you run
them a bit further up on their response curve where it is steeper.  So
instead of switching between ON and OFF they switch between sorta-ON
and really-really-ON.  This involves quite a bit of current flowing
through the transistors whether they are "on" or "off" and this is why
computers generate more heat than other electronic devices. (Your
microwave oven will be an exception unless you are a serious
overclocker.)  When computers were made with discrete components they
generated even more heat than they do today and many of us who were
around at the time were attracted to computers, in part, because
computer rooms were kept at sub-arctic temperatures to keep the
hardware cool.

I have to admit that I was pretty put off by the heat on Friday night
at the tech circus.  I still link high-tech and low-temperature in my
mind and it just didn't seem right for it to be hot in there.  Add to
that the fact that, by the time I arrived, most of the last
"experiences" had already started, that there weren't many people there
and that most of the organizations that had table displays had not
brought anything terribly interesting to show, and I was pretty grumpy
about the admission price.  

But... I went back Saturday, stayed all day and had a swell time.  The
experiences, at least the ones I went to, were interesting and
enjoyable and I found stuff to do between them.  I am still not sure
about the $4.00 peanut bit.  Two of the events I went to were, basicly,
guys flacking for a book they had written.  They were interesting
speakers, mind you, and well worth listening to, but I am still not
sure it is worth $12.00 (face value) of peanuts to hear the same talk I
could hear at a book store for free.

Overall, it was a good first effort.  It reminded me of some first-year
regional science fiction conventions I have attended.  One has to cut
them some slack for the first two or three years.  Next time they will
have compiled a list of mistakes not to make again (and will inevitably
add new mistakes to the list for the following year.) The organizations
who had tables there now know that they have to have something
interesting to show -- it is not enough just to show up and hand out
flyers.  I am hopeful about it.  I do worry though... it seemed a bit,
shall we say, sparsely attended.  I hope they didn't lose too much
money to do it again.

BigLee Haslup


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