I’ve had some time to attend my PC’s at home this weekend. Here is the current lineup:
MacBook still the #1 computer used in the house. Can’t say enough good things about this lappy. I need to save up and get two gigs for it and a Windows Vista license, then I can get rid of several remaining Windows boxes that hang around like bad colds. It has a VGA out cable and a Mighty Mouse wireless.
The Bedroom – a Windows 2000 PC that used to belong to my wife’s office. It now lets me remote into the work PC. Aside from that, we use it sparingly. I think it’s a 400Mhz MPC machine with 128 MB RAM. It has a 15 inch flat panel and a MS comfort keyboard with a nice, MS wireless mouse.
Garage – A Windows XP Pro machine that I do any work related .Net programming on. It’s a 233Mhz machine with 256 MB RAM. Not going to last much longer. This will be the first machine to die when the MacBook gets Vista.
Garage – Ubuntu 6.10 workstation. Recently reformat-ed and rebuilt from my old server. This machine is 800Mhz with 512 MB RAM. This is my primary workstation and where I would prefer to do most of my programming on. I have yet to get all the development tools installed. It needs a new graphics card so I can run compiz. Aside from that it’s plenty of PC for Linux. It shares a 19 inch Samsung monitor with the XP Box. The monitor is dying a slow death and will be replaced by a wide screen flat panel sometime mid next year.
My current future plans include maxing out the RAM for the MacBook and getting a Vista license for it. That way I can do all my Windows based work on the MacBook and retire two windows machines. Then I will be down to two computers. A laptop and a workstation. In about five years, the kids will start needing their own machines and I think they will be getting MacBooks or whatever Mac portables are around then.
My Linksys wireless router traveled with me to TN on vacation and I was never able to use it. I believe it is a goner. I replaced it with a cheap unit from one of those office supply stores and have never looked back. I will look into getting the Apple Airport Express for traveling in the future.