More about Granny Mckay's steam-driven computer

[Wally Rodriguez]

I tell you something.. One thing RR has done for me and my company is  
to make some of those really old machines useful again.

I have developed a couple of applications for quick web page  
generation, a slate generator (slates are the identifiers and  
countdowns used in video commercials) and a pretty fancy remote  
control system for my home theater (which I will post some  
information here later as it has turned out to be quite a fun project).

In all cases I have been able to revive a few OS9 machines that were  
lying around the office to act as dedicated front ends for these  
applications.

The remote control application in particular, has allowed me to use a  
few of the old PowerBook 2400c "Comet" laptops as fancy "whole-house"  
automation front ends so that I can now control the whole system  
including volume, sources, modes plus iTunes from anywhere in the  
house. It's pretty cool to hit a "nighttime" button in the bedroom  
and have all the lights and all the systems shutdown.

So as much as it would be dificult for these machines to do some of  
the fancier stuff out there, they sure have come back in this other  
"life" thanks to RR.


On Feb 8, 2006, at 1:31 PM, Mathewson wrote:

> This is not quite as OT as it may at first seem . . .
>
> If one wants to be really cynical one can chop people in
> the world up into various groupings:
>
> Class #1. Those who have computers which they regularly
> upgrade and/or exchange - equipped with reasonably
> up-to-date operating systems.
>
> Class #2.  Those who have "steam-driven" computers: i.e.
> computers which, at a stretch, are capable of coping with
> some stacks/standalones generated by RR developers, but are
> old, slow and work with antiquated operating systems. This
> class probably don't possess either the wherewithall to buy
> a more modern computer nor feel a need to.
>
> Class #3. Those who work as cow-herds and don't have
> computers (OK, OK, I know there are hi-tech cowherds, but
> they are in a minority).