A daft idea about using a printerserver to import video . . .

[Stephen Barncard]

>
>The thing that annoyed me about Stephen Barncard's
>last post was the implication that everybody had $250
>to spare, and that seriously outdated computers were
>no use anymore.

That is not what I was implying. I don't have 2 DAYS to spare! It's a 
time/money/hassle factor.

Without sounding like ("folks like") a rich, elitist, SUV driving 
yuppie (of which I am none), I need to respond to this.

When it comes to using old printers this way, takes hours to cobble 
this stuff up, it's unproductive, depressing and frustrating. If it 
takes 2 8 hour days at $15/hour, one coulda bought a printer. And 
that's only if you are successful in finding all the drivers, 
re-installing system software, and getting the hardware happy. Most 
of us programmers make more than that or we'd be doing something 
else!!

  More than once I started a renovation project to find out the drive 
was toast. Then you have to find a forty MEGABYTE hard drive 
somewhere. or the power supply. Waste of time in most cases, except 
for perhaps educational purposes. Give a kid a high voltage device to 
take apart.

Look, I'm a pack rat. I have every computer and peripheral I ever 
owned since 1978. I'd love to find them all good homes. It just isn't 
going to happen. I'd rather worry about homeless cats and dogs.



At 10:41 AM +0100 5/5/07, poster wrote:
>else. If folks like Stephen Barncard packed up their
>old Macs and donated them to many of the educational
>initiatives for Africa (Afghanistan, Iraq !!!!, and so


And a noble intention and sentiment!

I'd love to do that. Are you sure something like that exists?
Please point me to the appropriate URL to an organization.

  The only 'overseas' this stuff seems destined for is to be 
dismantled in the third world where the environmental laws are less 
stringent.

And what are they going to use a Mac SE-30 for in Afghanastan, target 
practice? They don't run Windoze or DOS.

Actually, I'm keeping the SE-30; it is very useful. It's got an 
Ethernet card and is configured as an SMTP server. And the 
LaserWriter 16/600 PS monster in the hall is still working as a check 
printer.


And - let's not make this personal, ok?


-- 


stephen barncard
s a n  f r a n c i s c o
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