5AM Ramblings » reuse

Reuse Strikes Again!

Jason — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:28:24 +0000

It was noon and I was bored and stalking my email. I look, and see a 20″ Sony monitor in front of 54-1412. I walked over to Andrew’s room and told him of the email. He immediately went and sprinted out of the dorm in an attempt to get the monitor that had been emailed to reuse 7 minutes earlier. I went back to my computer after that and then saw someone had claimed the monitor. They lived in EC, so they probably had taken it by then. I called Andrew to tell him, and he came back. After a while, I look again at the reuse list and see another 20″ monitor. This one’s an Apple Cinema Display 21″ 19.8″ viewable. I immediately email the person to claim, and get it. I also see Andrew has claimed the reposted 20″ Sony. I am about to leave and see Andrew. He got the monitor back to his room. I rush over to EC with Andrew. He needed the power cord to his monitor. I got my monitor, put it on the dolly cart, and we walk it back to BC. I clear off a place on my desk to put the monitor, and have a place set up. I then realize I need a power cable to go with mine! Sadly it didn’t come with one, but on the way to return the dolly to desk, I find Mark who has spare power cables. Yay. I hook it up and it works happily.

An update on reuse machine. It is working with Windows XP now, and works with the TV in the lounge. Slowly everything is coming together. I am happy.

Monitors are EXTREMELY heavy. Unless you want to be masochistic, don’t carry it alone. I guess there are those people here at MIT who truly are masochistic.

XP Install Fail

Jason — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:26:50 +0000

Here’s an update to my computers. I downloaded the XP install iso from the MIT site and burned it onto a disk. I inserted the disc into the reuse box and tried to install, but was unable to see anything other than white noise. So in search of a monitor that would work, I went to the conference room where I could connect a VGA cable to the monitor. I successfully installed Windows and carried the box up to try and connect it to the TV. All I got was a blank screen. I sighed as I realized I needed ATI drivers to make it work. I went to Zac’s room to borrow his monitor to try and download the drivers, but soon realized the ethernet drivers were missing. Stupid Windows. Maybe I should just give up, install linux, and run Windows under a virtual machine. After all… they’re starting to have 3d acceleration.
Windows is not easiest to use. It just has the most software.

DVI Cable

Jason — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:07:14 +0000

Before I left home in Denver, I sent in an order for a DVI-D cable. This was so I would be able to work on my reuse machine over IAP. Surprisingly, it has already arrived. It took only one day of shipping, and I am happy. The box is currently in the lounge reinstalling XP and working happily. Now I can get that one working and then I will be able to redo my main machine. Wish me luck!
Preanticipate boredom. Hopefully the remedy will come early.

Reuse!

Jason — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:00:11 +0000

I stack one black box on top of the other and lift. This is going to be hard. I hope I can make it. I walk out of E25 carrying my 30+ pound (probably a bit more more) load plus my 16 pound computer bag on my shoulder and try to make it back home. I walk with a huge grin on my face, proudly presenting my great find off of the reuse mailinglist.

As I walk, the weight of everything begins to weigh down on me. I need to take a break at every bench I see. This is ridiculous. I’m never going to make it to Burton Conner at this rate. As I carry this, I remember that there are carts at BC desk that I can check out. How could I forget? I set the boxes down in lobby 7 and rush to desk to get the cart.

I make it back to building 7, load the boxes onto the cart, walk back to BC, and get there right as the mailman arrives with a package for me. I get to my room and offload the cart, text my roommate and open the package.

“I got two computers. Yay” I send to my roommate.
I open my package and on top of everything I find a note from my kindergarten buddy! He’s now in first grade and he’s such a cute child. His note says:

Dear Jason
What Is your favorite sport? Whats your favorite Class? I had My Berthday on SepTember 17. My fend George came over and We playd Moreo Kart Wii. Please Write Me back. love Matthew.

Awww, cute. The rest of the package was a care package from my high school with many cookies. Must have cookie now. Today was such a great day. Was, until tonight, 18.01&8.01 psets FTL.

When carrying large items across campus, it would be helpful to have other people to help carry, or better yet, wheels. Someone out there in the world needs to build a collapsible cart everyone can carry everywhere.