What do you use now?

[lyonadmiral]

We each have our special vintage piece or pieces of equipment, but I'm curious to know people have become attached to now as their primary production machine. For me, I have three pieces of modern equipment, but I use primary my Gateway M285-E Convertible Notebook along with a Dell XPS M2010, with regretably my XPS 720 with dual 8800 GTX's has gone by the wayside and only gets turned on like once every few weeks.

 

[wmmullaney]

I use a 2.2ghz core2 asus rig, 2gb ram, 500gb seagate, 40gb WD, dvd-DL burner, dvd-DL LS burner, all in an Ativia ATX, nice and violently blue running Linux mint, windows Vista and Snow Leopard (via chameleon)

Also for lighter text editing and youtube, I use a cute little PowerBook G4 12" running Tiger with a 1.33ghz, and 64mb video card. 60gb HD 768mb Ram

 

[glitch]

I've got an Acer Aspire One I use when I'm on the road/in class, and an Intel quad-core Xeon system that I use as my main development system. The Xeon system sports a quad-core 2.5 GHz Xeon, 4 GB DDR2 RAM (had 6 GB...one of the 1 GB DIMMs died so I removed both), a 1 TB Western Digital Caviar "Green," a 430 Watt Antec EarthWatts supply, some old 7000-series GeForce PCIe card, a dual-layer IDE DVD burner, and a SCSI 1.3 GB Fujitsu MO drive. It was designed to run cool and quiet, since it's currently in my bedroom (college living!). That system, as well as the Acer, run Arch Linux.

Other than that, I guess the racked server probably counts as non-vintage. It's an early P4 with two 320 GB SATA drives and a 40 GB IDE boot drive, I think 256 MB RAM, in a 1U case. It runs Debian Linux.

 

[Unknown_K]

The machine I do most of my email/web browsing is still a Dell 8300 P4 3Ghz HT, 1GB RAM. I also use an Athlon 64 3000+ for some gaming, but mostly I play Age of Empires 2 online with my Athlon XP 2000+. I also use a Thinkpad T23 (P3-1ghz) or my Toshiba 6100 (P4M 1.6GHZ) laptops when I lounge under the trees in the back yard (or any number of older thinkpads with working batteries depending on my mood).

I am finally transitioning my server (where I dump all my files and drivers plus do IRC on) from a dual PPro 333 (in service 10 years or more) to a Compaq Proliant ML330 (1ghz P3, 2GB ECC RAM).

So basically even my work gear is ancient, and unless I want to play a new game that will not run on my Athlon 64 geforce 9400GT combo I don't see the need to upgrade. I can pick up a faster replacement machine at the recycler oddly enough, it is nice being on the cheap end of the computer price curve.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Intel Server Board S5520HC with dual Intel Xeon W5570 Processors; 12 GB ECC DDR3 RAM. Intel RAID Controller AXX4SASMOD, connected to a StarTech 4-drive SAS backplane containing three 73 GB Seagate Savvio 10K.2 SAS drives, plus a Western Digital Caviar Green 1 TB SATA drive in an internal bay, and a Pioneer BDC-202 Blu-ray drive. An EVGA GeForce 9600GT (yes, I know this board's "x16" slot is only electrically x8,) and a Griffin iMic handle the multimedia duties.

This is all connected to a ViewSonic VX2260wm 1080p display, with a Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 as the input hardware.

My OS of choice is UNIX, and I run a whole virtual network of every Microsoft OS from Windows 2000 to Windows 2008 R2/Windows 7 via virtualization software. (With a few other OSes thrown in for good measure.)

 

[Bobthearch]

My primary machine was home-built about four years ago using the following components:
LianLi case
Core 2 Duo 6600 processor
2GB Patriot DDR2 RAM
MSI 975X Platinum motherboard
dual 80GB hard drives, configured with Intel Matrix RAID
GeForce 7900 GT-KO graphics
SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum sound
Logitech Z5500 speakers

On the road I have an Asus Eeepc.

 

[wolfie]

my main computer is my compaq presario x1000 laptop, 1.4ghz, 1gb memory, 160gb hdd with XP home.

 

[Old Thrashbarg]

My primary machine is running an Intel E2200 on a salvaged ECS/Gateway motherboard, with 2GB RAM, a salvaged Dell 8600GTS, 640GB, 1TB and 1.5TB hard drives, and a DVD burner, in a random cheapo Foxconn case, with XP Pro. I also have a spare Opteron S939 machine I'm in the process of rebuilding, to maybe take over as my main computer. Then there's the few Optiplex GX280s and 270s I have laying around... government surplus machines on which I repaired blown capacitors. I think I'll set one of 'em up as an HTPC, dunno about the rest.

Pretty much everything else I have is older.

 

[Lutiana]

My main box:

Antec P150 Case
Corsair HX620W Modular PSU
ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe WiFi Edition Motherboard
AMD Phenom II X4 940 @ 3Ghz (Quad Core)
8GB DDR-2 800 RAM
Nvidia GeForce GTX260 Core 216 (896Mb DDR-3 RAM)
400GB Western Digital WD400AAKS SATA-2 Drive
Sony DVD Recorder
Sony USB 1.44Mb Floppy Drive
64 Bit Windows 7 Ultimate
LG Flatron W23253V 23" Widescreen LCD monitor (it a beautiful monitor) and a KDS 19" Widescreen Monitor

Runs everything I need it to beautifully.

 

[Minerva10210]

As I am just "starting off" with my vintage stuffs, I primarily use my work laptop - a HP 6910p (C2D P8400, 2gb RAM, 120GB HDD, DVD burner, ATI graphics). And them my main rig is a Opteron 175 (still socked 939 ), with 4GB RAM, 1.7TB of storage, a HD5770 GFX card.

If I feel like doing old school stuff, I have a few old laptops as well, a HP Omnibook 3000CPx - a P1. and then a Omnibook GE3 - a 1GHz p3.

 

[cosam]

My primary machine was home-built about four years ago using the following components:
LianLi case

Now that's the only part of my main PC I'm attached to. I've had a PC60 for ages and it's housed maybe three systems for me so far. I even built an Amiga 1200 into one.

Just now it's got some AMD Athlon64 in it, 2GB RAM, two 250GB disks and runs Ubuntu and XP. These days I only really use it for serious work or stuff that needs serial/parallel ports and such. I got an MacBook from work last year which is actually better spec'd than that PC and a lot handier for casual use and looking stuff up at the work bench.

 

[Bobthearch]

Now that's the only part of my main PC I'm attached to. I've had a PC60 for ages and it's housed maybe three systems for me so far. I even built an Amiga 1200 into one.

Mine is the PC65B, very similar in size and function to the PC60.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112040

 

[barythrin]

I have my gaming rig which runs 24/7 pretty much just as a file server for streaming media to the ps3 and soon "original xbox" (xbmc). It's a quad core AMD, can't remember video card but 512MB with physX .. built it to run Sacred2 although I never played it past the introduction fights.

I had a thread asking which laptop to get and for the price and simple fact I didn't want 40 minute battery life (max) I went with the HP i7 laptop with an Nvidia 230M video card (can play most games at mediium graphics which as I'm still realizing I fantasize about doing more than actually doing) and 512GB drive with room for another.. 6GB RAM. It performs slightly worse than my AMD for most every task despite having 8 cores.

The other laptop i was looking at was an Asus quad-core (intel) with a Nvidia 260M. It would have played games much better but only had 40 minutes of battery and I couldn't get over the quad vs 8 core technology. Mostly because BestBuy chose not to carry the better Asus which was already out. If I could have found an Asus with an i7 I would have gone that route. There was also a Toshiba laptop I started looking out which was the best of both worlds.. Nvidia 250M video but i7, and the only system out of those with a bluray. It of course was out of stock during the holiday season somewhat forcing me to pick elsewhere. The HPs been good though given I'm still not using it for what I intended yet.

 

[TCM]

I work at home and mostly split my work between a Compaq P-III (64MB RAM) and Dell P-IV (256MB RAM). I still do most of my word processing on a 286 though

 

[Bill_Loguidice]

My primary machine is an 8GB HP TouchSmart IQ524 running 64-Bit Windows 7 Ultimate. My former primary machine and now my mobile machine is a 4GB Gateway CX210X Tablet PC, also running Windows 7, though just the regular version. The only other non-gaming modern computing devices I use regularly if you want to count it is my iPhone 3G, which (hopefully) soon will be joined by a Pandora.

 

[BuggZ]

Main system = 24" iMac 2.66 Core 2 Duo with OS X 10.6
Secondary system (for when I just have to use Windows) Home built Dual Xeon 3Ghz on Asus PC-DL with AGP graphics and RAID running XP.

 

[Raven]

I'm too poor to afford a new PC, so I have my rig from '07 with a newer video card/mobo than that era (both died at one point)..

Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe @ 2.4ghz (can be OC'd to 3.3ghz but not on current mobo)
6GB RAM
Intel DG41RQ Mobo
Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 2GB Vapor-X - this thing PWNS, it has enough VRAM to max out modded textures on games like FO3..
Windows 7 Professional x64
Hannspree 28.5" LCD (1920x1200)
Mitsuba modded AT case (horizontal - similar to IBM 5170 with a few differences)

I'm actually pretty damn happy with my system - except the CPU. If I could get a Core 2 Quad chip I'd be happy for another couple years. I also don't like my current mobo, but it does it's job and doesn't hate me like my ASUS P5B-e (that died) did - ideally I'd get an industrial board with at least one ISA slot so I can run a SoundBlaster and dualboot DOS7/Win7-64.

I lost my last motherboard to a BIOS reflash... I refuse to flash BIOSes anymore - I've killed at least two systems, probably a few more I can't remember at the moment...

As for mobility, I traded my main laptop for a monitor I had sold my parents back (28.5" LCD - I missed it.. didn't want to sell it in the first place), but I have my netbook:

Acer Aspire D250
Intel Atom N280 @ 1.66ghz
FSB 533mhz at 1:1 with RAM
2GB RAM (RAM maxes higher than mobo can do, but it was cheaper and should last longer since running below spec)
Integrated Intel GPU, can't remember what, but it can run anything up through Halo/Warcraft III - basically anything from 2000 and below runs good, 2001-2005 hit or miss (mostly miss).
Windows 7 Professional x86
Built-in 10" screen (1024x600)

Love my netbook - the only way I could be happier with it is if they release that nVidia ION mini PCIe card so I can stick that in there and expand the range of games it plays up by a few more years.

 

[linuxlove]

Got a Dell Dimension 4500 the other day. Sure, the Pentium 4 architecture is old now but it's a lot better than what I had.

2.8GHz CPU
1.5GB RAM
120GB Seagate master
40GB Western Digital slave
nVidia GeForce 6200
Acer X203H LCD
Windows 7 RC (still using it? I need to buy a real copy of the OS)
aaand a generic keyboard and mouse. I don't have another Model M so the one I have stays on the PS/2

Main laptop is a $5 deal from Midwest Recovery.
ThinkPad T21
800MHz Pentium III
10GB hard drive
128MB RAM
Windows FLP

 

[Vint]

Chevy Laptop

Chevy Laptop

My main machine is a 66 SS with dual quads on a 396 CPU. My Tera'bite' grippers are Goodyear Eagle SS dot drag radials. The OS is run thru a 4 gear Hurst close ratio into a M/R drop-out cluster Saginaw Trans. fed to a 6.12 stump puller rear. It's Moon equipped too.
I don't got no RAM, only Dodges had RAM I got posi-traction though!
This is the 'Chevy' forum - isn't it?
Feel the humor Just some double talk 'cause nowadays we compare computers instead of cars. It's just that I'm an old (lived it), muscle car era 'also ran'. Couldn't resist the play on words.

 

[creepingnet]

Main Desktop
CHASSIS: Antec Black Tower Case (eventually I'll move it to the modded GEM 386 chassis if I ever find time to work on it)
PSU: Rocketfish Modular PSU, 700Watts
MOBO: Abit AW9D Socket LG775 ATX Motherboard with Crossfire Support and PCI-E
CPU: Intel Pentium D 3.4GHz, Zalman Fatality Cooler
RAM: 4GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM
FLOPPY: 1.44MB 3.5" Sony
HARD DISKS: 160GB SATA Seagate, 80GB PATA WD (my old standby from my PIII days)
OPTICAL DRIVES: PATA DVD Multi-Reader/Recorder
OTHER DRIVES: USB Media Bay Reader with Micro SD Support
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT, 512MB, PCI Express
SOUND: Rockerfish 7.1 SoundCard
LAN: Gigabit LAN on-board
Operating Systems: Windows XP Professional, dual boot with Ubuntu Linux 8.04 Hardy Herron
Browser of Choice: Mozilla Firefox, latest version, with Adblock and Noscript installed

This machine runs into an 8-port Apex Outlook KVM switch that shares a Keyboard with my 486, 286, and Macintosh computers, each system has it's own mouse (the switch does not support Serial, and the Macintosh is glitchy with the PS/2 to USB converter plugged into the USB card I installed) The keyboard is an old Alps Keyswitch jobbie (one of several I've collected over the years), and the mouse is a Logitech Marble Mouse. The computer uses Dual displays - an Envison 19" 1X1 Aespect Ratio LCD, and a Samsung 710MP modded for better cooling 17" LCD (the first one I ever bought, also has a TV tuner and various inputs for other video devices, I can run my Tandy 1000 on it).

Main Laptop
Acer Aspire One D250 Netbook
CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz
RAM: 2GB PC-5300
HDD: 160GB SATA
OTHER DRIVES: SDCARD Reader, and anything I can connect via USB
VIDEO: Intel GMA Video, shares RAM with Motherboard, not too shabby, 10.1" Widescreen
SOUND: Not sure what chipset, has a built-in mic and digital camera I use for Youtube videos
Network: Wireless and Gigabit LAN, I use the wireless more often
Battery Life: 3 hours with WIFI on on the stock 3 cell battery, even when making videos (!!!!), have literally recorded till it shut down
O/S: Windows 7 Starter, with a LOT of tweaks to make it more like XP and use up even less resources
Browser: Firefox with Adblock and Noscript

This is possibly the best laptop I've had since my old Thinkpad 755CD (2 hours of battery life off a Li-ION battery, amazing old 486 laptop I had before my last two). This one goes just about everywhere with me, and I've recorded youtube videos of me playing guitar in my band with it before (using an external mic because we overdrive the stock mic). It's taken a little getting used to because things are so automatic on that laptop compared to the Windows XP on down environment I'm used to working in.