Computers

I have seen more than a few different systems, except the really high-end super computers. But with a Beowulf cluster in my home office, that's no big thing any more either. I have worked with Macs, single proc and dual proc PCs, quad xeon NT machines, Solaris E-Class servers w/ 8 processors and 16 gigs of ram and fibre channel, DEC Unix systems, little Linux boxes, VMS mainframes, and I built my own Beowulf cluster (4 worker nodes P4@2.4G, 1 master, 1 monitor, all Red Hat 8 ), blah, blah, blah... It should be obvious that I know my way around hardware, software and various operating systems. Not that I have too much to say about all of it. It is what it is. At work you are always asked to take on new challenges. Learning new hardware platforms is just like any other challenge. You try. You fail. You learn. You try again. You succeed. Would I say that I am good with any of these? no. I would say that I can get by. I find solutions. That's what I do.

Hardware I use

I try not to focus too much on the details of my hardware configurations.  If it works, who cares.  Right?  I always use Intel processors, when I have a choice.

Displays

• Acer 99sl 19" CRT
• NEC MultiSync LCD1700V 19" LCD
• Samsung SyncMaster 170MP "17" LCD w/ TV tuner
• JEM JT166S11 15" LCD

Desktop

This is my main operational computer.  I am using right now to type out this dribble.

• Microsoft Windows XP Professional 
• Intel 2.2 Pentium 4 CPU
• PNY NVIDIA dual display video card -> Acer & NEC.
• Iomega Jazz SCSI card
• USB 2.0 PCI card
• Creative Live 5.1 sound card (only use 2.0 setup)
• Viewcast Osprey 200 media capture card
• Microsoft Force Feedback Joystick
• Antec Sonata Case (very quiet!)
• Logitech wireless/rechargeable/optical mouse.
• PQI Flash Drive (reads 5 different media types).
• Logitech QuickCam Video camera.

Dual Proc Server

This used to be my work horse machine.  I did everything on it.  Now it sits quietly under my desk.  I should retask it and use it as the controller for my cluster, but I have not made the time to do it.  I have started moving all of my apps off of this machine, so maybe in the not too distant future that will become a reality.

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server (MSDN Version)
• Dual 850 P3.
• Intel motherboard with SCSI and EIDE controllers.
• Onboard video (sucks) but there isn't a AGP slot.
• 90gigs of storage on an internal SCSI controller.
• DVD & CD-RW.
• Antec case with an upgrade 500 watt power supply.

Cluster

I got interested in cryptography a while ago.  In the process, I realized I would need more horse power if I wanted to play with this stuff.  My mom bought 99% of the gear I needed as a birthday present a few years ago.  I 

• 3 Worker machines: MSI motherboards, Intel 2.3 P4s, Intel (various) NICs, 256mb Ram, various small IDE hard drives and Red Hat 8.0.
• 1 Controller machine: Same as worker, but 40 gigs of HHD space, 768Mb RAM, mySQL.
• 1 Monitor machine: Intel motherboard, Intel 450 P2.

Laptop

• Toshiba Satellite Pro 4605
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional (MSDN Version)
• 18.6 Gig HHD
• 256 Mb RAM
• LinkSys Wireless PCMCIA card
• 2 batteries, neither of which last for more than an hour.  Sucks really.  But if I didn't push my laptop so hard, the batteries would probably last longer...

Misc.

• Mindstor 10 gig digital wallet.  
• Palm m100 that doesn't work fer shit.  XP doesn't recognize it, so I can't sync it.  Guess that is one for the history books.
• 3Com 10/100 8 port hub.
• LinkSys 10/100 16 port - rack mounted.
• LinkSys Wireless access point / 5 port switch.  
• LinkSys signal booster.
• DSL interface.
• HP LaserJet 1000 printer.
• HP DeskJet 845 color printer.
• Scan Maker color scanner.
• TDK Satellite speaker system w/ subwoofer (the cheap one).
• A couple of risers so I can stash my laptop and keyboards as needed.
• Microsoft Natural keyboards.
• Logitech mice.
• RCA MP3 player.
• Iomega JAZ Drive (which I never use) w/ 6 extra cartridges.
• RCA DVD player feeding into the Samsung.
• RCA Stereo w/ 5 disc changer.
• Philips TV antenna 
• Homemade desk 7' x 8' with a usable corner.

Books

You can't forget the books.  Without them I couldn't function.  I keep reference materials for just about everything I have ever worked on.  You never know when you might need something...

Notes

• The 3 cluster workers and monitor machine run through a KVM to the JEM monitor, a regular Logitech ball mouse, & MS natural keyboard.
• The laptop, cluster master, and laptop run through a KVM to the Samsung monitor, a Logitech optical mouse, and MS natural keyboard.