Middle-aged man cannot live on Classic Rock and romance alone, there must be new challenges to stimulate his aging and increasingly bitter brain!
I've decided to cut my loses with some old tech, although I'll always keep a Windows 2000 desktop around with AutoCAD 2000, VB6 and various production software (some I developed myself). Also Blitz3D (game development), if just for prototyping in BASIC, it's so much fun and easy to use.
But the mid-life voices in my head are screaming at me to embrace something new and more relevant to the world today. For the first time in well over a decade, I'm looking to buy a new desktop PC. I have no idea where to start shopping, it's been too long since I've built a PC from scratch and I'm not sure I want to go that route anymore. I might just end up buying a pre-packaged Dell or HP (or similar) off the shelf at Costco. Only I want absolutely *nothing* to do with Microsoft or Autodesk for the rest of my life (other than a Win2k legacy workstation), I want to leave them in the past.
The biggest expense, I believe, will be rebuilding an extensive library, with books for:
Linux (currently interested in Mint Xfce) Blender (3D modeling) Gimp (Bitmapped graphics) Python (already have a small library) C/C++ (already have a nice general library, need whatever IDE/compiler works best with Linux) OpenGL (already have a small library, but very dated)
I had one quick-lived experience with Linux Ubuntu about 10 years ago, fixed all the XP issues with my Vista Presario laptop (HP refused to release XP drives and I hated Vista). But I have to admit, even the user-friendly Ubuntu felt awkward because I hardly spent any time learning the OS like I'm about to do now.
Anyone know how well DOSBox runs under Linux? Is there a native Linux version or does it run under Wine?
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
Maybe off the shelf stuff is fine for that kind of work. I don't know. However I've learned my lesson about going through Dell or any such name brand entity anymore. My last two PCs have been ibuypower computers that I picked the parts for myself and always, always every time it has saved me close to $1000 compared to when I used to buy something from Dell. My ibuypower pcs have had better parts, you know what's going into it and are much more longer lasting and future proof with the assured ability to upgrade in the future. So you might look into that or a cyberpower or a similar online pc manufacturer to get a good pc from. Maybe off the shelf has gotten better over the years but its been awhile since I've looked. I'm thinking of gaming in mind but even if you don't, the parts are still so much better in an online custom build pc it would seem. Some of the off the shelfs have gotten better but then again, they are still always usually something made by one of the name brands built to be sold in the electronics stores and won't necessarily have the best innards.
ibuypower and cyberpower, I'll check those out Coot, thanks.
I forget there's a dedicated Hardware forum here, I need to browse it. Also, I need to be sure that whatever I buy supports Linux properly, but I can find that out on Linux boards.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
It is a little different from linux, and in my opinion it's better. It has something called jails which are just fantastic for setting up little hosts or other unique services. I also frequently set up FreeBSD laptops to act as VPN's so I can have secure or private networking at the drop of a hat.
The administration is similar to but different from linux. Many of the commands are the same, but the configuration files are heaps better. It is easy to screw up an installation though, if you mess with the wrong file.
Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 19,581Raw Kryptonite
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 19,581
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The hardware section here has a lot of recipes for builds. I put up a non-gaming build I did for my Dad that I'm pretty proud of. A lot of both IBM and AMD gaming builds in there. Might at least be a good starting point. The main Linux distro I've used and liked was Mint. It was very complete. I second that, although it's been a while for me.
Middle-aged man cannot live on Classic Rock and romance alone, there must be new challenges to stimulate his aging and increasingly bitter brain!
I've decided to cut my loses with some old tech, although I'll always keep a Windows 2000 desktop around with AutoCAD 2000, VB6 and various production software (some I developed myself). Also Blitz3D (game development), if just for prototyping in BASIC, it's so much fun and easy to use.
But the mid-life voices in my head are screaming at me to embrace something new and more relevant to the world today. For the first time in well over a decade, I'm looking to buy a new desktop PC. I have no idea where to start shopping, it's been too long since I've built a PC from scratch and I'm not sure I want to go that route anymore. I might just end up buying a pre-packaged Dell or HP (or similar) off the shelf at Costco. Only I want absolutely *nothing* to do with Microsoft or Autodesk for the rest of my life (other than a Win2k legacy workstation), I want to leave them in the past.
The biggest expense, I believe, will be rebuilding an extensive library, with books for:
Linux (currently interested in Mint Xfce) Blender (3D modeling) Gimp (Bitmapped graphics) Python (already have a small library) C/C++ (already have a nice general library, need whatever IDE/compiler works best with Linux) OpenGL (already have a small library, but very dated)
I had one quick-lived experience with Linux Ubuntu about 10 years ago, fixed all the XP issues with my Vista Presario laptop (HP refused to release XP drives and I hated Vista). But I have to admit, even the user-friendly Ubuntu felt awkward because I hardly spent any time learning the OS like I'm about to do now.
Anyone know how well DOSBox runs under Linux? Is there a native Linux version or does it run under Wine?
Man, when you have a mid-life crisis, you don't fool around! (double-entendre intended) Wouldn't you rather just get a corvette?
It's been quite a few years since I messed with Ubuntu and Kubuntu. I know Ubuntu has changed to a different default GUI since then. I would think that if your goal is to learn the nuts and bolts of Linux, you could do it with any of the distributions out there, including Ubuntu. AFAIK, you're still going to have to get into command line usage to get a lot of things done.
As for the library expense... you could probably save a significant chunk of change by signing up for Kindle Unlimited... provided you can live with using digital forms of the books.
I wouldn't spend any money for books for Blender and Gimp. They are constantly being upgraded and any book would quickly be obsolete, especially Blender. My goto for both programs are YouTube. Blender Guru takes you from the basics to advanced uses in understandable language. Even better, he is constantly adding and upgrading his tutorials. He just uploaded a new Beginner Modelling Tutorial this morning. You should check it out and see if it's what you are looking for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi87Dap_WOc
Thanks for the input, guys. Two mentions of a Corvette?
Eh, wife and I already had the Corvette fight, back in the late-90's after the C5 came out. I settled for a Honda Civic Si coupe (lol) and to continue our marriage. Now we're looking into paying off the house and her early retirement, so they'll be no Corvette in my future anytime soon. Neighbor down our street just bought a new gray Stingray, very nice (although I'd hate to drive it on our gravel road).
I'm at a place right now where things have calmed down, my personal life is as stable as it's ever been (yahoo), and I have a little time and money to once again pursue my hobby and dream game (emphasis on “little”). Since I'm not 'boys with toys' (no boat, 4-wheeler, big truck, motorcycle, etc. like my neighbors), I have some change to throw at a PC and a few books. I'm sure whatever PC I end up with is going to impress me considering what I'm use to.
Kindle? Nah, my Touch sits in my closet collecting dust, next to my Android tablet (at least I gave them a try). I'm a printed paper guy all the way (books and 3-ring binder PDFs)!
FreeBSD looks interesting, reading about it now, how it compares with Linux. I'm definitely going to try it. As far as GUI, I'm a minimalist, a DOS prompt still works for me much of the time. I love to type (obviously) and I love the old-school look and feel of some Linux desktops, so I'm fine with a text-based console when needed. I'll just need to learn the key-ins and command set.
Unity3D, I won't rule it out as I had before, it's just kinda big and bulky and I try not to depend on point-and-click auto-code generation if I can help it. Besides, the preferred way to code in Unity is C# (no can do), although there's supposedly something similar called “Mono” that I never looked into. With a new PC, I'll probably try it all.
One thing about downloading Linux ISO's and derivatives, along with office suites and extras, they're sooo much smaller than Microsoft and Autodesk products! This is a blessing with using a satellite ISP.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
I wouldn't spend any money for books for Blender and Gimp. They are constantly being upgraded and any book would quickly be obsolete, especially Blender. My goto for both programs are YouTube. Blender Guru takes you from the basics to advanced uses in understandable language. Even better, he is constantly adding and upgrading his tutorials. He just uploaded a new Beginner Modelling Tutorial this morning. You should check it out and see if it's what you are looking for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi87Dap_WOc
Fitz
Tutorial videos are a good idea, thanks.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
Man, when you have a mid-life crisis, you don't fool around! (double-entendre intended) Wouldn't you rather just get a corvette?
I'm just catching that!
Yeah, that's why I'm hesitant to call it a mid-life "crisis" as people will think the worst. I looked over a few mid-life crisis list of behaviors, I'm exhibiting a lot of them but not the worst one...fretting over going bald! Although I look like a fat (or at least chubby) Uncle Fester with glasses! Sooo...I'm just going to stay happy with what I have at home, including my 9-year-old Honda Element.
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EDIT: Back playing Fleet Defender as of this evening, getting ready to start training missions!
Last edited by MarkG; 07/27/1704:22 AM.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
When I started loosing no worries I just shaved my head and kept it that way for better than 20 years now,,Still the same weight ,,waist size as when I was 20 190# 34""
Oh, if only I could go back and have a conversation with my 20-year-old self...
First thing I'd tell myself is, "Lay off so many bags of Doritos and Dr Peppers, dumbass!" But would I have listened? Probably not, I was 20 and invincible!
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
Yeah, but RK, imagine how much fun it would be at our age trying to *gain* weight! I dream of going back to Pancho's Mexican Buffet and telling the lady behind the enchiladas, just give me one of everything! Then at the table, raising the flag before scarfing down my last taco! I know, I know, it's not that simple, the problem would be knowing when to quit and then having the willpower to do so.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
Prepping my desktop for a Linux dual-boot (getting in some practice before a new PC). It's been a while since I've used FDISK, has me thinking that I haven't looked in on FreeDOS lately. FreeDOS isn't a DOS emulator like DOSBox, it's a full open source OS that's trying to copy and expand the capabilities of MS-DOS, including support for newer hardware.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
I know you mentioned an intention to avoid Windows 10... but you may wish to rethink that.
There is some support for running at least major portions of Linux within Win 10. I'm not up on all the details, but these should shed some light on it:
Nice that MS is at least interested in cross-platform compatibility with Linux (if I'm understanding correctly).
I'm tired of hating on Microsoft and Autodesk [EDIT: after this post ], I'd rather just ignore them. I need something new and fresh to help get me motivated again. I've played around with Windows 10 and it's not what I want.
I want software that feels instantaneously responsive, with minimal fluff and overhead (thinking back to AutoCAD R14 on WinNT 4 or even R12 on DOS). Most GUIs today are designed to be touch/tablet friendly, making compromises for the desktop user. They also try to throw in the kitchen sink, bloating up the size and speed by including code and graphics (and in many languages) to help get you started, and then try to hold your hand along the way, sometimes to the detriment of the power user (often an old-timer who had no problem learning from a book).
Especially with my OS, I don't need my PC to try and decide what's best for me, nor to try to protect me from myself. Not being able to turn off Windows Update in ANY version of Windows without hacking the Registry is inexcusable, IMO. As is the latest trick when running Win7, a recent update will reconfigure your IE layout, even automatically loading a Microsoft News website on start-up! Sure, you get the option to "Switch Back" if you catch it in time, but changing my layout settings and homepage without my permission is inexcusable! It's as bad as Adobe Flash constantly updating, I believe in the hope that just once, a user will forget to uncheck the Google toolbar stuff it wants to install and load. This mentality, so prevalent today is inexcusable, and thankfully I don't have to tolerate it.
In other words, when I sit behind my desktop to get some work done, I want to feel like a professional again, using professional tools. Lean and mean, designed to get the job done as quickly as possible by a competent user, requiring you to know what the freak you're doing because it's all on you, not some automated resource-hogging restore system (which often doesn't work properly).
Windows 2000 is nice (I have reasons to never completely retire it), I hope Linux gives me that same feeling but with up-to-date software and hardware.
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
To calm your inner geek, buy a raspberry pi and download python. You'll be amazed what you can do with those.
Looks pretty cool, not much money (under $100.00) and I have a BD coming up.
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I was watching a video on the new Windows 10 update coming in September, and as a Windows user it would scare me with what they're doing to the File Explorer (towards the end, around 11:20)...
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run