[Techtalk] Re: Buying a Machine Without Windows? Build it!

[wny-tc at juno.com]

Hi. Keith here in the Depths of the Great Bergen Swamp

Let me relate an experience here, this for those that are "Sure" that
they
can't build a computer...

About mid 1995, one of my younger brothers was visiting.  He had just
graduated 
and was preparing to relocate at that time..

He looked at my cookie jar bank and asked "Whatinthehell are you saving
for??"

"A Pentium, " I answered.

"Build yourself one,"  he said.

"Yeah, sure!  Me and what Genius..."

"Look," he said,  "you have all of these 'Ugly' Ham Radio thingies here,
and they work.
You can build a Pentium"

"This is all analog stuff and a Pentium is digital and..."

At this point he dragged my scruffity butt down to Computer City
(Remember them?)
and I bought, at his insistence, a case, motherboard, memory, drives and
CPU, about 
$250 total.  Back home, using no more than a Phillips screwdriver and the
hammer he 
kept threatening me with, I had a fully functional Pentium 90.  I was
totally amazed!

Seriously, if you can change the batteries in your smoke alarm, the light
bulb in your
refrigerator or a taillight in you car, you have the prerequisite
mechanical skills needed
to assemble your next computer.

A friendly assistant to stand over you, with or without the hammer,
helps, but it is not 
really needed.

Dive in, but be warned!  Building computers is like eating one potato
chip.  Never 
happens in the Real world, but not to worry.  Everyone needs a couple (or
3) 
computers in the abode!

73, Wm. Keith Hibbert, WB2VUO, Trustee of the NQ2RP/B 10 M beacon
President, Brockport Amateur Radio Klub (BARK),
Technical Coordinator, ARRL WNY Section
Ph - 716.494.1239
mailto:wb2vuo at arrl.net
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