Cabinet computers

Being a geek with multiple computers under, on and around the desk, I find one of my biggest tasks finding a way to have them available without being in the way of other things. Most of my computers are built for specific purposes. Though I admit, some are built just because........
One category of computers I have would be classified as utility computers. I have one energy efficient computer dedicated to my Magic Jack telephone service. Another is used as my chat computer used for IRC chat, instant messaging etc. In an effort to reduce the number of computers sitting around, I've decided to build multiple computers in a single case.
The multiple computer case won't be a typical computer case. It will be a resin cabinet approximately 36'H x 30"W x 20"D. It will have the components of multiple computers built directly on the shelf of the cabinet. The rear of the cabinet will have cutouts for the i/o ports of the computers. It will also have AC electrical outlets with surge protectors built in. It will have internal switchable lighting to make it easier to work on the equipment. Ventilation will be handled by silent intake and exhaust fans. Initially it will house 2 computers but it will be able to house several more as the need arises.
Does this sound like a Geeky thing to do? Well keep following, I will be posting the progress of this build.

My latest computer project

In my quest to build cheap computers, this is my latest build.
Requirements for this computer.
1. As always, low price (as in cheap).
2. Energy efficient. This computer will be running 24/7 to support use of my Magic Jack telephone.
3. Compact size. I want this to be a small box that can be set out of the way and essentially forgotten.
Having had a couple computers using the embedded Intel Atom processor, it was my first choice for this project. While searching the web for an Atom board, I found the Intel D201GLY2 itx board. This board is similar to the Atom itx boards except it uses an embedded Celeron 1.2 Ghz processor. It semed more than capable for the task at hand. The $44.99 price tag from Geeks.com clinched my decision. Note: As of this writing Geeks.com has the price back up to $49.99. There are 2 models of this board, one with a cooling fan and another with a larger heatsink and no fan. I would have preferred the board without the fan, but I understand they are hard to find.


Wanting to keep things small, I opted to go with a compact Flash drive rather than a conventional hard drive. The Compact Flash card uses an IDE adapter from mini-box.com. I use an 8GB Compact Flash card. with windows XP and a couple basic applications, I'm using 3.6 GB of the 8 GB card. If I find myself needing additional storage, I will plug in a USB flash drive.
Phase II of this project will see the computer mounted in a much smaller case using a DC to DC power supply and an outboard 12 volt Laptop type power pack.
My goal was to provide a computer for my Magic Jack telephone. It does it well. The computer is also more than capable of web browsing etc.

The Magic Jack Solution

Once again I'm trying another alternative to the typical Ma Bell landline telephone service. Namely the Magic Jack voip service. Magic Jack is a dongle that you plug into a usb port on your computer then plug a conventional home telephone into it and you have telephone service. I will be doing a review of Magic Jack after I've had a chance to use it for a few weeks.
The one weakness Magic Jack has is that the computer it's plugged into has to be turned on for it to work. Not wanting to leave one of my primary computers run 24/7, I'm going to press an older computer into service strictly for use with the Magic Jack. I'm using a Pentium II 350 Mhz computer for the task. The monitor and all unnecessary components in the computer will be turned off to conserve energy. I'm quite sure the annual cost of the Magic Jack service + the power consumed by this computer will be far cheaper than conventional telephone service.
To further reduce this cost, I'm planning a future project. I'm going to build a mini itx Intel Atom processor energy efficient computer to run the Magic Jack. I plan on powering it with a battery charged by a solar panel.
My technology on the cheap program is constantly on the move. Feel free to leave your comments/suggestions here or:
email me at miiikeeeworld@gmail.com
leave a voicemail at (586) 298-2311

Vortec IRC -- Out Of Beta

I've been blogging about the Vortec IRC chat client since I became a beta tester. After many updates to the beta, a release is now available. If you chat on IRC, give Vortec a try. It does everything I would expect out of a good chat client. The options to tailor it to your needs are virtually endless.
Vortec is a Windows application, however it runs well in a linux environment under wine.
Go to http://vortecirc.com and give it a try.

Computers On The Cheap

Computers are cheaper now than ever. However the typical computer buying consumer still pays more than what a tech savvy computer geek can build a comparable computer for.
Since retiring I've had to resort to doing extensive research (shopping) in order to satisfy my constant geek computer needs on limited available funds. This has been an enlightening experience that I actually enjoy.
I'm going to focus this blog on getting computers, parts and components to upgrade your computer or build a replacement machine. If you are in need of a power machine capable of heavy gaming, video editing or computer aided design the computers and components I suggest might not be up to your needs. However the methods and sources I suggest can certainly be scaled to your computer needs.
I anticipate making some YouTube videos on Computers On The Cheap. This part of the project will be delayed until I upgrade my video camera and find some additional studio lighting on the cheap.
I solicit readers interest in this project. Leave your comments here on the blog, email me at miiikeeeworld@gmail.com or leave a voice message at 586-298-2311.

Computer Recycling

Recycling of computer equipment is extremely important. People are replacing computers at an alarming rate. Our landfills are getting filled up fast, So it's imperative that computers get recycled properly. Many communities have established stringent recycling procedures.It has resulted in big business. Companies remove all the precious metals and recylce them at a profit.
I believe that many computers end up being recycled or otherwise thrown away unnecessarily. With the cost of computers being cheaper than ever these days, many computers get replaced by new equipment rather than be repaired and used longer. At some point a computer can becomes obsolete because of lack of speed or memory to run modern applications. In many cases these computers are still satisfactory to run a number of applications. They might be a good second computer for email, word processing etc.
So before throwing yet one more computer out, think about how it might be pressed into service by you or someone else.

Vortec IRC, Revisited

This is my second blog post about Vortec IRC. It is without a doubt the best IRC chat client I have used. John continues to work on the beta. Every update brings improvement. I use Vortec every day and am more impressed with it now than ever.
I only have one real complaint with Vortec IRC. John is a perfectionist. He will implement changes and additions submitted by followers as well as Beta testers. It's rare when users can interact with the auther of an application like this. While this is a good thing, I find it also has a crippling affect on Vortec's distribution. I am extremely active on the web among technology "geeks". Because I am such a fan of Vortec IRC, I've posted comments about the application on a number of forums and social networks. The biggest comment I've received on it is in regard to many people not desiring to use an application that is still in Beta.
I feel the current Vortec IRC beta is more than stable enough for a full blown release. I urge John to take a week or two to clean up what he can on the application and do a full blown Version 1.0 release on it. No doubt little problems will arise. But I think they will be insignificant enough to be handled by routine updates.

Check out Vortec IRC

Google Voice - Real Phone Service

Phone technology is adavancing at an amazing rate. I just signed up with Google Voice. It's an amazing service loaded with potential. Most of the service is free of charge. With Google voice you select a telephone number in the area code you want. Once you have that, you can tie it to your other phones. There are provisions for screening calls prior to forwarding them to your other phone(s). The line has voice mail with a provision to translate your voicemails to text and multiple other features that I'm still learning. Without a doubt Google voice is one of the most feature packed services I've experienced.
I will be blogging more on this once I learn more about it. Do you use Google voice? What features do you like? Leave a comment here of leave a voice mail at 586-298-2311.

Google Voice