I don't understand Armstrongs book..

[SpaceMouse]

New Freelance Railroad forms here: The GWBF

Geeks with Bilfocals

A Friend was wondering why a woman married three times was still a virgin.

She explained. My first husband was called up to desert storm and we barely had time for the wedding. My second husband was an octogenarian and had a heart attack when I removed my clothes.

"But you've been married to your current husband for three years!"

She sighed. "He works for MicroSoft. He just sits on the edge of the bed and tells me how good it's going to be."

[MisterBeasley]

The computer service guy shows up for work 2 hours late. When his boss asks him where he was, he answers, "I had a flat tire." The boss counters that it doesn't take 2 hours to change a flat tire. "Yeah," replies the service guy, 'but I had to change all 4 of them before I found the bad one."

[IRONROOSTER]

I started my programming career on a UNIVAC 1005 with 4K using assembly language. When I transfered to Germany I started using FORTRAN IV on an IBM 360. My first PC was a dual floppy drive - no hard drive, 8086 with 512K. My first home computer was a Commodore 64 with a tape drive, later I upgraded by adding a floppy drive.

Assembling your own computer reminds me of an old joke. How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb?








None - it's a hardware problem.

Enjoy
Paul

[davekelly]

Jet,

Reminds me of an old joke. "I've had this axe for 25 years. Replaced the head 4 times and the handle 12 times."

[Jetrock]

I suppose that building one's own computer is a form of "scratchbuilding"--it, leatherwork and a few other forms of tinkering were my second-rate replacements for building model trains, which I gave up during my twenties and early thirties (building computers actually being much cooler, believe it or not, than building model trains, in the eyes of females.)

PDP-11s had some legs--I used one as recently as 1988 in college (My college had a very poorly funded computer department.)

My home PC actually began life as a 4.77 MHz XT clone with 256K of RAM, I picked it up in a thrift store for $5 and started upgrading about ten years ago. It's kind of a "my grandfather's axe" situation: This is my grandfather's axe--my father replaced the handle, and I replaced the head, but it's still my grandfather's axe! That XT clone is now a 700 MHz AMD, still definitely behind the times (as the XT was in 1995) but I'm getting ready to build a new system as soon as I stop spending all my disposable income on trains!!

[SpaceMouse]

Sitting next to me is Frankenputer. It has the floppy drive from a 286 I got in 1989--the last computer I bought (not counting laptops). It has SCSI CD and CDR and now DVDR.

Funny, I upgraded the MB to 1.6 MHZ 3 years ago and haven't felt the need since.

Am I falling from Geekhood?

By the way. I shifted my work network to Netware in 1994 and have had 0.0 software-related crashes since. The only time I reboot is during power outages. Kiss this Microsoft.

[ereimer]

since we've completely derailed this thread i'll add that my 1st computer was an Apple ][ + with 48k memory and a cassette tape drive for storage . i also had lots of fun programming in basic and even messed around with assembly language a bit [;)]

never got a job in programming but i turned my computing hobby into a job at an Apple dealer and that evolved over the years into my current position as freelance Macinto***ech support / service guy

i also build my own windows machines . Dell makes pretty decent computers , but if you want to start with minimal specs and have the ability to upgrade components as you get the cash , doing it yourself is the only way

[rrinker]

My FIRST computer was a single board kit I built myself, but I started to learn to program several years prior to that by hanging out at the Radio Shack. I had all the early TRS-80 manuals, and had a binder of my own tapes for my programs. They never minded me hanging out there playing witht he computer - I probably sold more for them than anything they could do, what with an 11 year old kid programming it, it MUST be easy to use!
By High School I had gone through at least half a dozen different computers (still have most of them - realy wish I could find my Timex-Sinclair 1000 though) and finally bought a TRS-80 of my own - by then it was the Model 4P, a suitcase size transportable (no batteries). Still have that one too, I think it still works. That served me a couple years in college until I finally succumbed to the IBM compatible world. That one is one of the few I don't still have - I donated it to the model railroad club I belonged to, after I wrote a few programs for managing who owned what rolling stock.
FORTRAN, I know like the back of my hand. Had FORTRAN in high school, and again in college in a core requirement for all engineering students - course covered FORTRAN programming and numerica methods. Naturally I aced that one - and they invited me to tutor others in it the following year. So one of my jobs to have spending money in college came from tutoring others in FORTRAN programming.

[MisterBeasley]

Dave! Sprichst du FORTRAN? Parlez vous le Fortran? I used to tiptoe through the do-loops myself.

Believe it or not, I made a real living in FORTRAN from 1970 to 1999. Now I mostly code in Ada, but I drift in and out of C when I'm dealing with our signal processing people.

I used to put my computers together myself, but the last time I looked, I could buy my little girl a Dell for less than the price of the components. Yeah, it doesn't scream on MS Flight Simulator, but all she does is surf and IM her friends.

Gotta go. I've got my Bowser PCC car sitting on my desk, and it's never seen rails. Time to change that...

[roadrat]

If you can build a model Railroad you can assemble your own computer! and save a bundle too!


bill

[davekelly]

Cool deal HighIron. There is something to be said about building one - that's the only way to ensure that you get the motherboard, graphic board etc that you want and can avoid all that trash software that comes preinstalled.

Watch out though, there maybe someone out there that says you're not actually building a computer, but rather assembling parts. The real computer folks back in the 70's built their own motherboards out of individual chips etc etc etc.

But like modelrailroading, your computer should be what makes you happy and fits your needs. If it does that - its A OK in my book.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davekelly

Space,

Man I remember the TRS 80. My dad got one at a computer show in NYC. I'm thinking it was about $400 back then. Yup 4K of memory and the tape player. I remember when Dad upgraded to the 16K expansion thing. Man we were computing!! I also remember Basic. That was way cool and helped me in college when I took Pascal and Fortran.

The neat thing about the TRS80 was that it was RTR. Back then if you wanted a computer yhou had to build the thing yourself. Kind of like some of the debates that we see now on this forum!!

I BUILT a computer that is equal to any out there last year. Saved by cutting out retail and all that overhead. Just parts and shipping.

I will never BUY a computer, I will keep building them as I need to in the future with all builds upgrading or improving on the previous generation. (Note Computers advance every 18 months or so)

[davekelly]

Space,

Man I remember the TRS 80. My dad got one at a computer show in NYC. I'm thinking it was about $400 back then. Yup 4K of memory and the tape player. I remember when Dad upgraded to the 16K expansion thing. Man we were computing!! I also remember Basic. That was way cool and helped me in college when I took Pascal and Fortran.

The neat thing about the TRS80 was that it was RTR. Back then if you wanted a computer yhou had to build the thing yourself. Kind of like some of the debates that we see now on this forum!!

[cwclark]

maybe someday they'll come out with a version of "Model Railroading for Dummies"...boy!..i sure could use that!...chuck[:D]

[SpaceMouse]

My first was a Trash 80. The deluxe one with 4K memory and a tape drive. Wrote a bookkeeping program sort of like Quicken back when BASIC was basic and it took 45 seconds to process a check.

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

If ereimer says "PDP11", we could have a fight on our hands...

Tom

You got something against PDP11's? At one of my jobs we had one as part of a machine we got, I fixed it all up and got it to run. Pretty amazing I could support 3 users with the monster 4k of memory. Those big removeable disk platters were cool. The same guy who developed RS/X did VMS and then went to Microsoft to work on NT. I had fun with that system, if I could get a working one I might set one up at home.

--Randy

Noooo - I was just recollecting something a bit older than a 486, 386, or 286. The PDP11 is as far back a computer that I actually know the name of. Randy, I'm not sure if you are really interested but I may know where you could get your hands on one...

Tom

[MisterBeasley]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer

PDP-11 naw , nobody is that old

Old? I remember when the PDP-11 was the new kid on the block. I started coding on IBM 360 mainframes. My first real job was with a Univac 490. The air conditioning bill for it was twice my salary. Coded it in an assembler called "Spurt" on punch cards.

[ereimer]

486 ? maybe
PDP-11 naw , nobody is that old
i don't know what gasoline cost back then , first vehicle was a 1976 Honda 550K
motorcycle , got so many miles to the gallon that i never really cared how much it cost
and it was only about a 3 gallon tank anyway
floppy drive raid ? heheh that's good , wish i'd seen it . 5 meg was the 1st hard drive i ever used , cost about $3000 (it wasn't mine!)

[Anonymous]

Totally off subject, but since you guys started talking about old and possibly useless pieces of computing equipment :

I saw where a guy made a raid-5 array out of floppy drives.

If any of you know what a raid 5 array is, you're laughing right now.

If you don't know what a raid 5 array is, firstly you're probably better off not knowing, and secondly lets just say the guy that designed it had way too much time on his hands.

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

If ereimer says "PDP11", we could have a fight on our hands...

Tom

You got something against PDP11's? At one of my jobs we had one as part of a machine we got, I fixed it all up and got it to run. Pretty amazing I could support 3 users with the monster 4k of memory. Those big removeable disk platters were cool. The same guy who developed RS/X did VMS and then went to Microsoft to work on NT. I had fun with that system, if I could get a working one I might set one up at home.

--Randy

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

Are you saying, ereimer, that Jarrell is a 486 in a Pentium world?

486? Was that a Chevrolet? I'll have you guys know my first computer was a Windows 95 Pentium Crashevery5minutes!
Jarrell

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer

the problem is obviously that the version of the book and the version of the user are not compatible . the book is too new and the user is too old ! [:D]

if you had the same version i have (5th printing , 1973 . still has the $3.50 price tag on the front!) you'd have no problem understanding it

Ahhhh... 1973... what a year that was. I don't remember it but it must have been a good one. Wasn't gasoline still less that 40 cents a gallon?
Jarrell

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

I think you need to take the inverse of the contents, Jarrell. If you multiply them by the reciprocal, or 1/X, you will get the true value of Armstrong's book.

By the way, PLEASE tell me that you aren't holding that revered text in the sinister hand? That could set a whole nuther chain of events into motion and your layout could end up looking like a Leggo project.

I see the little kids at train shows over at the Leggo layout. They're havin' ALL the fun! Not a one of them looked stressed out over frogs.
Jarrell

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerstripe

I can tell from your picture, the answer is painfully obvious.

Your not wearing your train shirt. You do have a train shirt, don't you?

Also try skipping all the big words and just look at the pictures.

Does an engineers cap count?
Jarrell

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Trainnut1250

Jarrell,

No one understands Armstrongs book...We all just pretend to and then build what we want.......You're the first to actually admit it....

Or.....You got the mac version....it wont run on your software......

Or....I'm waiting for the movie version...

Or...You need the hardback edition....

Or.....The foldout is in upside down...

Well these are pretty lame........I'll quit now

"We all just pretend to and then build what we want..."
I like that part!
Jarrell

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

I read Armstrong like I used to read Baba Ram Das. Read a page, then think about it the rest of the day.

Hey! I know Baba Ram Das! That's ol man Das' boy from over around Ludawisi! What a small world!
Jarrell

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker

Ahhhh..it IS Greek. Being the Model Railroad equvalent to Aristotle and Plato and Socrates (minus the hemlock), John Armstrong ALWAYS wrote in Greek, so as to appear more scholarly - especially around the 'snoots' who didn't feel this hobby is 'intellectual' enough.

--Randy

From now on I'll read it with my tweed sports coat on (leather patches on elbows) and a pipe in my hand.
Jarrell

[tstage]

If ereimer says "PDP11", we could have a fight on our hands...

Tom

[selector]

Are you saying, ereimer, that Jarrell is a 486 in a Pentium world?