View from an Iowa Homestead: Still Runnin'

I was afraid that my oldest server, the one that's been running since 1992, would not start up again after the move. I hooked up the ethernet, plugged in the power cord, flipped the switch, and...nothing. Aargh. I tried whacking it while I flipped the switch. On the third try, the drive began to spin...and it's up!

It's a Macintosh SE/30!

I've just booked a place on a Computer Assisted Assessment Workshop at Strathclyde:

The focus of these workshops will be on presenting the findings and assisting people develop a framework for the effective implementation and delivery of web-based assessment.

Shame it's not before some major assessments that I need to arrange in the next week or so.

I missed out on the Round One Workshops:

The first round of dissemination events that SCAAN were running were designed to introduce people to web-based assessment.

I probably know most of the background but if need be I can catch up with the help of the PowerPoint slides linked from that page.

A couple of weeks ago I vented my displeasure with the Unlimited Freeserve service. Well, the connection success rate in the evenings and during the weekends has got worse if anything so I have signed up with another ISP for unmetered access at these times. So far so good with the new service although the sample size is small ;-)

Even though this is going to cost me another £12 a month I often found myself having to connect to Freeserve using a pay-for-connect modem number. So I might just break even. Not to mention the benefit of less hassle and wasted time waiting for BT network capacity or a free modem.

Doc Searls Weblog: Zope that lasts

I just noticed that the four sites that have been up longest at the largest hosting location (Exodus in Santa Clara, CA) are all Zope's. They're at 384+ days and counting.

In a comment about leJOS: Java based OS for Lego RCX Karl-Martin has news of his 'cool' application for a TINI system ;-) Brrr!

Doc Searls found embedded Linux in all kinds of stuff at Comdex:

In most cases, the companies didn't even give me reasons why they built their boxes with Linux. It was like I asked why they used a TCP/IP stack or plastic in their cases. Clearly, embedding Linux is getting to be less of a brainer every day.

Colin pitches in with news about a couple of Pentium 4 articles about the latest member of the Intel family. There will no doubt be a plathora of industry comment about the P4 so I'll start to keep a list of links brought to my attention or I've stumbled on myself. Starting with:

• http://www.aceshardware.com/Spades/read.php?article_id=15000196
• http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/00q4/001120/index.html
• http://www.hardocp.com/reviews/cpus/intel/pentiumfour15z/
• http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1360
• http://www.planethardware.com/features/cpu/p4_1500_firstlook/
• http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/guides/pentium4/
• http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/p4preview/default.asp
• http://www.hothardware.com/hh_files/CCAM/p4.htm
• http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/systems/p4/001.htm
• http://www.dansdata.com/p4.htm
• http://www.jc-news.com/parse.cgi?pc/news/big/200011/18
• http://www.digit-life.com/articles/pentium4/index.html
• http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/14840.html
• http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/14842.html
• http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/14843.html
• http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/14846.html - contains a further 24 links to The Register coverage of the P4.
• http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/14852.html - a round-up of some of the verdicts that are already in about the P4.

I think that the equivalent of the http://friday.editthispage.com CAD assignment this year will be one comparing the Pentium 4 with A N Other processor.

How Microprocessors Work

This interactive site is based on a real-life exhibit installed in the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, California.

Great Microprocessors of the Past and Present

Recent Processor Architects

via SiT: What Makes a Successful Online Student? (with self-assessment links and other useful info)

Compaq's weekly The Rapidly Changing Face of Computing Technology Journal is worth reading.

I liked the following quote cited in RCFoC for Nov. 13, 2000 - The Changing Faces...

"You'll have at least five jobs after you graduate, four of which haven't been invented yet."