Generally people associate the term "evolution" with advancement or improvement. From old to new. From primitive to advanced. From crude to sophisticated.
However the term "evolution" in its biological context does not actually imply any of those. By biological definition "evolution" is a change whose purpose is adaptation of a changed behaviour or environment. Often an old organ or function was recycled for a new purpose.
In the context of changing home IT equipment, an episode of evolution may look like this :p …
The first computers arrived at home environment were desktops. Then laptops became available, often more expensive and viewed as more prestigious (kids doing homework on home desktop PC vs laptop carrying suits). So some may think desktop => laptop = advancement/ evolution.
However in this case, as you see in the picture, my old laptop has undergone a series of adaptive changes to evolve into a desktop.
First some of its keys failed. So I had to get a new generic keyboard to replace it. Naturally its habitat also changed from my laptop (as in on top of my laps) to on the desk. I recycled the old mouse from my ancient & disused desktop PC.
Then the laptop screen became unusable, mostly my fault. One of the keys failed was the up arrow key. Fn+UP/DOWN adjusted screen brightness. I accidentally lowered screen brightness and now had no means to increase it. :no: So I had to dig out the ancient CRT monitor, also a part of the ancient desktop combo, and rigged to the laptop, as you see in the picture.
Then, while trying to untangle the wires for keyboard and mouse, I spilt tea on the cheap keyboard. So I went and bought a USB wireless keyboard/mouse combo. 😆
After a couple of months with this arrangement I finally got sick of sitting at the desk all the time and bought a new laptop. 😀
:coffee:
Actually, I think that we'd call those computers from the early 80s (and maybe even the late 70s) "carpet" tops, as they usually sat on the carpet in front of the family telly! :p
Originally posted by qlue:
😆 :lol:My first ever computer, which I got in 1983, was not much bigger than the size of desktops ten years ago, though. 😉http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=404
My first computer in was in 1985 (although I had, from time to time, borrowed computers from my cousin's Pawnbrokerage. We were 'testing' them! :whistle: )It was something like this, http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2600/a3000.htmlI can't recall for certain that it was this one, but google doesn't show me any other add on keyboard for the 2600 so I guess it must have been this one then. :pThen I got to play with Commodore vic20's and 64's in 1986.And around 1988, my brother bought a Commodore 128D! :hat: I eventually acquired that as my Brother was unable to use it for what he wanted it. (although he did spend many hours typing in software from magazines before moving on)I gave that up in 2004. :awww: I kinda regret it because it was a great little bit of awesome! :hat:In the mid 90's I collected a few museum pieces like the Osborne 1, The TRS80, A ZX Spectrum or three, and some other bits. (lack of space caused my family to make me give up that hobby! :p )Those were fun times! :yes:
Just checked a bit deeper and this was the computer I started with! :hat:
Originally posted by qlue:
16 years of longevity sounds extraordinary for a computer. :cheers: I don't remember what happened to mine. I moved out to a small flat and didn't take it with me. Then I decided to come to NZ. I was computerless until 1998 when I got my first Windows 95 PC. I was amazed the difference between my old MSDoS box and the Windows. It was indeed evolutionary.
Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
That was about the time Red Hat and was it Fedora were just entering the home computer business if I remember. I got hold of a box of Linux 3. from Red Hat and was never at home with it. Not being even remotely geek.And the prevalence of Windows 98 by the time that came around was overwrought, being stonewalled by petty agents of the government who were hell bent on converting us all to Microsoft before it was too late to save our souls.If you could get on a local course to learn computing you HAD to learn that. And blindly told it was so much better than Linux because….In actuality because they had the mentality of script readers at phone in help centres.
Originally posted by qlue:
I know the feeling. :awww:I used my first PC-9801 for analysis of my uni research data (was studying environmental science in vegetation management). I spent hours entering those data: species, location, density, composition, etc., of tens of plots. Now I can't even remember what I did with those floppy disks. 🙁
I've never done any computing course. I did look for deeper more extensive information than ordinary users, because of my need for bilingual support. I was teaching Japanese at secondary school then, and wanted an easy and affordable means to read and type Japanese, which could be deployed for a group of senior students. The school network was Windows & Microsoft provided a free support for Japanese text rendering and input in a form of downloadable language pack. As far as I know no Linux based distro offers bi-lingual work environment like Windows does. Yes, you can switch languages in Linux, but for the entire desktop. If you want to search Japanese terms, then type English translation, you would have to switch desktop input language every few seconds. In Windows, you can set input language for each instance of running application. So you only need to switch the input language to Japanese once, when you open your word glossary file.
Yeah, from what I hear you had to be an advanced computer genius just to install Linux back then! :insane:Fortunately, things advance and today it's actually easier to install Linux than Windows, even for the non-geek. :happy: :sst: Which isn't to say that people don't still have problems either way. :rolleyes:Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
Well, I now use VICE emulator instead. Only pity is that when I gave away the 128D I gave all the typed in software with it and that is hard to replace. (I gave up the magazines in 1998 or 1999 when I moved. They were too bulky for shipping costs! 😥 )The monitor blew it's flyback transistor and getting it replaced was likely to be costly and difficult or I would have kept that. It would have worked brilliantly with the Raspberry Pi! :hat:
Well, I still have a PC because I prefer the power (usually in terms of microprocessor and RAM) it offers over a laptop. Whilst I remember the good old days of CRT computers with Windows 95, my current PC still takes up a good deal of space:It has 2 LCD monitorsIt has 2 external 1 TB drives, one for photo storage, one for backupIt includes external peripheries like a Wacom tablet and a blue-ray writerI think I'm still occupying the same desktop space as I used to 🙂
Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
Actually, I found out that this is not true. There is open source software for Linux that allows you to set different language input for different windows. I can't recall the link now, but I expect it to need some technical savvy to setup anyway. Since I only know English and Afrikaans, I wouldn't be able to benefit much or even test it thoroughly. :left: Originally posted by chthoniid:
Personally, the only difference between my netbook and my laptop is the tiny screen on the netbook and my laptop's refusal to run 32 bit software. (it seems that propriety software doesn't come in 64 bit versions and my system balks when I try to install the 32 bit libraries. :rolleyes: )High performance is mostly for gaming as far as I can tell as almost no other software benefits from it. But that could just be me. :p
Originally posted by chthoniid:
My old laptop, shown in the photo, is connected to a CRT monitor and one 1TB external drive. 😆 I am quite seriously considering replacing the 8-year oldmonitor with a better & bigger LCD or LED monitor. My eyesight is deteriorating rather quickly these days. And I would love to have a bigger screen.
Originally posted by qlue:
:confused: Are you saying you can look into my brain and discover something I know but don't know I do? Do you actually know a Linux distro that offers bi-lingual work environment like Window does, as a part of OS supported features? If you do, please show me where to find it. ;)[Edit]Fixed the mess caused by a copy-paste error. Sorry about that :doh:
At the end of the video he mentions doing the research yourselves using online tools such as pubnet:http://www.scipub.net/medical-science/index.html
Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
Not a silver bullet and it talks about cancer not ageing tissue degeneration but interesting, no less:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_5Z31mUmtcYou might find it useful.Apparently these foods work for obesity too: extracts of:Green teaStrawberriesBlackberriesRaspberriesOrangesGrapefruitLemonsApplesPineappleCherriesRed grapesRed wineBok choyKaleSoybeanGinsengMaitake mushroomsLicorishTumericNutmegArtichokesLavenderPumpkinSea cucumberTunaParsleyGarlicTomatoOlive oilGrapeseed oilDark chocolateMost potent tea: mixture of "Dragon Pearl Jasmine" tea and "Sencha".No idea how much help it would be for eyesight. It might even be detrimental. But I can't imagine it would. But carrots and cod liver oil aren't mentioned.
Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
Oops, Sorry. I quoted a bit more than I should have. :up:Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
No, and I can't even recall the package that does or where to find it. :oBut I did stumble across it a while back and thought about our previous conversation on this topic. :up:
@WeatherlayerThanks. That's almost a list of my favourite foods, except for the crossed out ones. 😀 :cheers: Originally posted by Weatherlawyer:
Originally posted by qlue:
Thanks for remembering, Aadil. I also remember what you said, about my current set up worked for my needs and that was what mattered. That was also what this post is on, evolution being about making do with what you got when faced with a challenge. 🙂
Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
neither have I. I've heard that it's quite a workout to eat though. I've never even seen any for sale here. :left:
I've seen TV chefs preparing one several times. Always seem very wasteful, pealing off all the outside bits. And the plant itself looks like a huge thorn-less thistle, taking up a lot of garden space.
Great story about computer evolution MM 😆 I have very similar experiences. Now I have two old 17 inch flat screens on my desktop to get more room to work 😀
Computer sales have flatlined recently according to one source:""The decline in desktop PC sales is not just driven by an overall economic situation but by the mobility needs of business professionals," said Rosina.She added notebooks have the same power as the majority of desktops, and hand-held gadgets can be personalised by biz users provided they can access an app store.That said, notebook shipments in July and August fell 15.2 per cent so clearly the market was depressed across the board."http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2012/10/02/context_desktops/So no funding for Windows 8.(Which will make it the most Linux-like of their operating systems.)So what will happen to the industry in the next few years?It used to be a license to print money but I think Psion and Blackberry are just the first to go.Nokia is next, then everyone will be looking at Windows. Could that happen?Yes. From the 1960's when everyone wanted a car and some pretty good British ones were on the street (along with a rat bag filled with bad ones) that whole industry climbed into a hole dug in the 70's and got filled in by the end of the 80's.You might even say that the demise of the British Auto Industry financed the Japanese electronics one.
Originally posted by serola:
Thanks, Sami. Glad you like it. 😀 Two monitors side by side would be great for me, depending how well the video card could handle it.
@WeatherlawyerOne issue with laptop is not so easy to repair minor faults. And parts are very expensive here in NZ. So I took more evolutionary approach and made do with what I still had available. ;)And the point of this post is, evolution is not about advancement or improvement, or market share or sales or performance or dominance or superiority or power. Evolution is about adaptation and continuing existence in a changed environment. Not about going anywhere but about staying put and doing what's necessary for living. Microsoft offers what I need for living (bilingual work environment) in Windows. No Linux distro does so. So I have no choice but to keep adapting with what's available for me and evolving with the Windows. 😉
I don't consider myself anti-MS. But the other day I somehow offended a senior friend (70+) by suggesting he stopped using IE because of the safety weakness. :no: He was proud of his responsible maintenance of his PCs through $90 annual subscription for Norton :no: (I also said to him Norton itself was considered a malware vendor. That probably offended him a lot more :doh:)
I used to be very anti Windows because it was so slow compared to Linux and because everything had to have third party stuff to make it safeBut it has a very good interface with itself. The weak point is also its strong point.It's just a pity there are so many evil people and desperate not so evil people willing to steal from all they can.
Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
😆 You've probably made an enemy for life now! :pI don't understand the snobbish attitude some people have about their choice of operating system or browser. I use what I use because it's what I like to use. Naturally I will always recommend what I like, but there is nothing wrong with someone else choosing to go a different path.After all, I won't be there when things go wrong. (and they always do sooner or later, no matter what you use or how you use it.) :rolleyes:
Originally posted by qlue:
I am slowly realising that this is the sensible course.We now live in the world where everyone realises things about computers that were not so obvious to some a decade ago.I think the mobile phone has sorted out who is never going to be interested in computers from those who are already at home with them. By now, it has been a way of life for so many from birth like the fridge and the TV.I am one of its relics.
Originally posted by qlue:
I really hope not. He's not a direct friend but the husband of a good friend. :(I will try avoiding IT related talks at all costs & try switching the topic to gardening from now on. He is a very good man, but also someone who has opinion on many things. He also criticised how I baked my bread, and told me to buy a bread making machine, like they had. :sigh:Originally posted by Weatherlawyer:
I started using mobile for Internet access only a couple of months ago. After the initial hype, now I try to minimise mobile data use as much as possible. Saving money is of course one important reason. But another reason is the lack of ease of content blocking options with mobile surfing. I have added custom urlfilter.ini for Opera Mobile, but there is no such option for Opera Mini, which uses a lot less data than Mobile. 🙁
Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
It's early days yet. Watch it evolve.
Originally posted by Weatherlawyer:
Adapt 😉
I've never got very excited about the operating systems on my desktops. Usually it's worked the other way. The choice of operating system depends on the software you need to run. The combination of scientific and photography software I need limited things to either Windows or Mac.
I think it's a geek thing. Something we nerds don't quite understand. :sherlock:
Originally posted by chthoniid:
Yes, that is always an important consideration. Scientific software on Linux tends to be rather haphazard and esoteric. So unless you're developing your own you'll have an uphill battle trying to get what you need. :left:
Originally posted by qlue:
Odd that since most universities run their own linux or Unix powered servers isn't it?It seems strange that they have Windows stations on Unix backends; if that's what they do.
I'll have to give Scientific Linux a go, though only because I want to look at it.
I agree that it's odd. It's like development tools for electronics which are also Windows centric. :rolleyes:To be fair, much scientific software is custom anyway and it's only very generic stuff that is broadly distributed. :left:
Originally posted by Weatherlawyer:
I should imagine the universities have to make use of what is affordable & available, to meet what their environment (staff, policy makers, regulators & research funding sponsors) demand of them. To me it is just evolutionary. ;)Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:
Originally posted by qlue:
Yeah, I don't regard myself as OS loyal. But there's a bunch of high-performance software I need and if an OS can't run them, it's superiority in any other dimension is moot.