Thinkpad T40

Rebuilt My Laptop

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I rebuilt my work issued IBM Thinkpad T40 on Christmas eve. Gus finally returned his old laptop. Since he wiped his hard drive I took the opportunity to upgrade mine. I needed more drive space, and I really needed to wipe my laptop. I had tons of issues with it freezing up on me. It was driving me crazy.

Now that it is rebuilt (well almost) I am still having some issues. I am frustrated with windows, even though I use it almost every day. I haven’t even put on the more obscure software that I have on the Thinkpad so I could see if the system worked fine without them. The answer I got was it works better than before, but not by much.

At least I have double the drive space now. That will keep me in business with VMWare images. With all my Virtual Machines I have stored on my laptop now I still don’t have room for any MP3’s, but this is a work machine anyway:)

Really Old School Virtual Machines

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After getting Win 98, and 95 installed I gave a crack at Windows 3.11. First off OS’s built when the 386 or 486 were common install on a P-4 with 750megs of ram (even if it is in a virtual machine) rather fast. I got DOS 6.22 installed in the Virtual Machine in 5 minutes. It took longer to get the virtual disk to be formated with FAT16 and the install files onto the disk than it did to run the install. Windows 3.11, actually Windows for Workgroups 3.11 took like 15 minutes total to install. Probably less. I didn’t test the network settings, but I was glad that the thing installed. I have saved all the configurations. I have no real use for them, except for having them and making sure they actually work. You never know when you will need and old OS.

It turns out the problems I had installing all of the above mentioned OS’s was not me, but my AMD Atholon 1500+ desktop. Some piece of hardware is crashing windows, and vmware. it was doing similar things a few months ago when I was trying to install win95. Now I think it is the machine. When it happened before I thought it was what I was trying to do. I got everything to work just fine on my Thinkpad T40.

Mobile Technology

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I tell everyone I used to hate traveling for work. That is partially true. In the end I dreaded the trips, the waits in the airport, getting lost in po-dunk towns in rental cars, etc. In the beginning I loved traveling. I think I did too much too quick. Also I did this during a period of the worst air traffic delays in the history of US air travel. I also flew out of the most delayed airport in the US. An airport that the FAA said accounted for 25-30% of all delays at the time, Laguardia airport (LGA).

This entry is not about my love or dislike of travel, that I can save for many entries later. What I am thinking about is the cool technology you can use or rely on when traveling.

Studies are coming out now saying more and more people are “cutting the cord” or becoming wireless phone only households. I have been using my cell as my primary (or only) home phone since 1998. Earlier than that I lived at home with my parents and they did have an extra line, even though I never used it.

When traveling you can use the coolest tools that keep you in touch or working. The stuff out now is even better than what I was able to use when I traveled regularly 3 years ago. Wow, it has been 3 years since I did that.

When I was on the road I relied on a laptop (Compaq Presario 1875 or something with an AMD K6-2 180mhz processor, then a number of Micron 15″ TFT laptops, and eventually a Dell latitude CPx). The laptops I have now kick the ass of the ones I had then. My thinkpad T-40 I use for work is literally half the thickness of the micron’s I used and 3-4 times more powerful. The battery lasts like 4 hours. If I got 90 minutes on the micron or 60+ on the Compaq I was happy. Even my tiny Powerbook gets better battery life than the old desktop replacements.

My cell phone back then was several flavors of the Nokia 6160, Motorola Timeport, or later on a Nokia 8890. The service actually was as good as it is now. T-Mobile’s coverage has gotten better, but I used to go everywhere with my AT&T Tri-mode TDMA Nokia’s. The phone was big but worked all over. From Canada, to Portland Oregon, to Portland Maine. The difference is I am paying about half the price I paid back in 1999 for about the same amount of minutes or even more minutes now.

The other difference with cell phones are that my Treo 600 is a handheld and a phone. I also get wireless internet access on it. For me between 1998 and 2001 that was impossible for me. now I can get email on my phone or use another phone with bluetooth to get mail on my laptop. I didn’t even have a blackberry then. I would have killed for a blackberry when I traveled. I take it for granted now.

The WiFi hotspots would be awesome to have had when I traveled. I used to use Laptop Lane at some airports back then, but they weren’t everywhere.

VPN software and Exchange 2003 with RDP over HTTPS would have been awesome. Either would have been awesome. At Datastream we had to use outlook from outside the firewall using AT&T Global net dial up. It was so slow. Now it would be trivial and fast to use, especially with high speed internet in some hotels now. When I went to vegas last winter I plugged my Powerbook (then a 15″ TiPowerbook) into the network jack in the hotel and I was able to VPN back to work. It came in handy when Keith needed something when I was out. That is the coolness I am talking about. Technology that just works when you are on the road.

If I was still traveling I would probably look at the bluetooth GPS receivers they have out now. Connect it to my iPack 1945 and know where I am. It would be killer.

What is also funny is that more and more people are using gadgets on the road. Besides the pain in the ass people on cell phones everywhere (writing this as someone’s phone goes off on the train). I mean laptops PDA’s, and other neat stuff. Around me right now on the train is 4 ladies with huge laptops doing work. One has to be my mom’s age. 4 years ago that wouldn’t be going on. When I am on the train to kingston I always see several people with blackberry’s or Pocket PC’s & Palms of several varieties. Then there are the iPods. They are everywhere. Note to self need new iPod for train trips like this. must replace sold one ASAP.

I just find these observations amusing. Why, because all this stuff that I see I have been doing for years. That is no big deal, but I always used to get made fun of by some of my friends about doing it. Then like clock work 6 months later they would be doing the same thing. I don’t consider myself a trendsetter but some technology stuff I get right away because I think it will work for me. I was that way with the first bluetooth phones. I got it and used it to connect to my PC and use a bluetooth headset. Turns out that it didn’t work very well, but it worked and I used it for months.

Enough of my observations. I am off to stretch my legs on the train for a while and maybe take some pictures with my Treo and post them to my MoBlog!!!

This blog entry was written while listening to Higher from the album “Human Clay” by Creed And Superman from the album “America Town” by Five for Fighting

iTunes For Windows

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So like allot of people I downloaded Apple’s iTunes for windows when it came out. Actually it was a few days after it came out since I was sick and didn’t read about its release for a while, but you get the point. It looked great, exactly like iTunes for Mac. The problem is that when I run it on my Thinkpad T40 it brings the system to a crawl. I cannot click or move the iTunes window when it is running. I am not sure what is wrong. I installed it twice to make sure nothing went wrong with the install. Still no dice. I am going to try it on another machine at home and then decide if it is worth the trouble. It just works on my mac!

I think that ends my bitch session about recent technology that I have dealt with…

The Best Laptop(s) I Ever Had

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Technology is supposed to get better over time. You are supposed to have a “better” computer, PDA, Phone, etc. as time goes by. But is that always the case? Think about cars. My dad talks about some old car he had in the 70’s that was probably the best car he ever had. Tons of people like classic cars, and would go back to them in a flash. Does anyone really want to go back to a 286 computer and use DOS again? That old 10lbs laptop from 12 years ago cannot be dreamed about. I mean you can think back to the good old days with nostalgia, but do you really want that old equipment over what you have now?

I just thought of that when I declared (with Gus) that the IBM Thinkpad T40 I have is probably the best laptop I have ever had. But if it wasn’t wouldn’t we have a problem? It is of course the newest laptop I have. It should be the best. Shouldn’t it? Now my last laptop an IBM Thinkpad T31 or the Dell Latitude C400 I had before that were good solid machines, but the T40 is just rock solid awesome computer. The little things push it over the edge from company computer, to the best machine I ever had.

On that same note, I have to say things about my Powerbook 12″ that I have. You can and cannot compare it to a Thinkpad, or a Windows computer. They are the same, and different at the same time. I think that the powerbook is also one of the best computers I have ever had. I have had machines the size and capabilities of the Powerbook before. It is actually a bit bigger than my Latitude C400. It is just better. The keyboard is the best or one of the best I have ever used on a laptop or off of one. The DVD Burner is amazing. The port layout and other features make it fantastic.

The question is when these machines get a bit older and I upgrade, will I look back and wish I still used them? After all their is always something better just down the production line.

Sitting around in the “good chair”

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So I was extremely lazy today. I did very little. I am still recovering from my all nighter. I always had trouble with those things. This one was actually not so bad, but I remain tired afterward. I am sitting up now watching a little tv, typing away on my new IBM Thinkpad T40 in my comfy Pier One Papasan Chair .

I have the chair in my living room until I get my couch. My mom called this week and actually wants me to take it soon, because they are doing work on the apartment and want to clear space out. I need to go and get it. Until I do I have the chair. I really do like writing in this thing. The funny thing is this chair is probably so bad for my back. Oh well.

The T40 is totally awesome. Looking at the T30 and T40 side by side, they look almost identical. The thing is the little bit of thickness that they took off really makes the difference. So far the battery life is good, but I have not completely tested it. I have spent my free time over the last 3 days installing everything on this new machine. I have allot done, but getting it customized the way I like it will take a while.

I did get some stuff done today. I updated my photo web site. I also made some changes on the blog. I have gotten the blog to work properly while pointing all my web traffic to my IIS web server and redirecting certain sites and directories to my apache box. I had issues with it before but figured out the security problems I was having. The blog’s new address is http://blog.Scott.ac/ The old address will continue to work, and redirect to the new address.

Other good news regarding the new T40 is that I was able to get installed and working. For some reason that offline blogging software never would work on my T30. Now I can write my blog while not on the internet using my windows laptop. As much as I like my Powerbook, I am going to try and commute more with the thinkpad.

Bluetooth Woes

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I may have mentioned my problems with bluetooth and my IBM thinkpad T30 running Windows XP. I have a Xircom Realport 2 Bluetooth card. I cannot get it to dial out using the bluetooth modem on my Sony Ericsson T68i. I can do it with my powerbook. Turns out that my problem may be the Xircom card. Howard (aka super smart guy that is an investor in my company) got it to work on his Thinkpad T40 with a built in bluetooth card and the same type of phone. that sucks because now I need to get a different bluetooth card. The Xircom one does not seem to work with XP. I hate wasting money on tech that doesn’t do what it was designed for. I am off to search ebay.

Floor plans and other work related stuff

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I saw the final blue prints for our new kingston office. It looks nice. I am waiting for the CAD of the blue prints so I can import into Visio and manipulate it. It will take me tons of time, but I enjoy doing it. I just have to find the time to do it.

Gus is also getting a new laptop. We both just got IBM Thinkpad T30’s in march, but we need to get someone a laptop and he wants a T40. As with any company, the laptops move down hill once you buy them. I have no problem with that, since I take advantage of that corporate phenomenon when I get the chance.

Stuff & Stress

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Have you ever had a bad day? Of course you have. Have you ever had a bad day, but were unable to talk to most people about it? That is today for me. Hectic things going on that I cannot go into. I am bursting at the seams to, but I can’t. It has been a day where I should have been able to give good answers to problems, and was unable to. It was a day where you think you setup something to work well, and then under pressure you find minor errors totally screw up the results you were looking for. Enough self pitty. I am in a highly stressful job. I am dealing. Just some days nothing goes right, and other days things hum perfectly. Today was the former type of day. One thing I keep thinking about is the saying that whatever does not kill you makes you stronger. That may be true, but it is not a consolation prize.

One thing I am realizing is that I keep adding to my list of to do’s and I am not taking things off that list in the same fast pace. Not a good trend. I did get some stuff off my task list before hell broke loose today. I sent out our proposed network diagram to our telecom integrator. They will build our system off that basic model.

I have my Database staff asking for more hard drive space on their development and QA machines. Even though last week they said they probibly didn’t need this space. I need to get money approved for that, and then juggle the new deployment of that hardware. Getting money approved is a chore, but I am beginning to get used to it. Almost lke it. Why you may ask. It sharpens my debate and reasoning skills. If I can explain to my management why we need something, and get them to agree I probibly can sell anything:) Well maybe not, but it is a feat to get the OK to buy stuff at my company. I keeps me honest, and proves the need for anything we do actually purchase.

I showed our CEO the new Thinkpad T40 laptop today. He liked it but had some issues with it. I am going to give it to him for a few days to see if it grows on him. We don’t want to stay with dell.