Computer Impaired

[nemorathwald]

I'm currently computer-impaired.

My handheld reset today and lost all my data. I haven't hotsynced it for about a week because my Windows computer won't work. So that's a week's worth of address book lost-- including the info I put in there while moving to Redford-- and a week's worth of testing and drilling in Lojban flashcards lost.

The partition on my Windows computer is corrupt. I've been using Linux in the meantime. blastbill says the data can be recovered but the hard drive can't be salvaged. overthesun has a new hard drive for me but blastbill can't work on my computer for another week. If the handheld hotsync data cannot be recovered from the PC drive, I'll lose years of work.

Years.

There's nowhere to put more than one computer on the small computer desk which I fit into my new room. What I really want is to build (or be helped in building, hint hint) a set of shelves to go on top of the desk that will hold four monitors Jeopardy-style, leaving the surface of the desk free for the mouse, keyboard and KVM switch. I do not want to use a KVM switch to limit myself to one monitor. I still don't know where I'd put the computers themselves. Perhaps they can go in the adjacent closet. That would be great for soundproofing but I don't know how to get cords long enough. Any ideas?

Comments

[diashto.livejournal.com]

How many computers are you planning on using? You can hook all 4 monitors up to one computer (two video cards, two "heads" per card).. or you can put two and two, etc.

For multiple computers, you can get some SFF (Small Form Factor) cases and use those.. you can put 4 of those in the space of one tower, with adequate ventilation.

You'll probably still want a KVM to avoid having to have 4 keyboards and/or mice.

The issue with keeping computers in enclosed spaces (like, say, closets) is ventilation.. without proper ventilation, the system can heat up significantly, causing a catastrophic failure.

[matt-arnold.livejournal.com]

I run three computers, one Windows, one Mac and one PC. I already own almost a dozen monitors, but none of the computers have video cards that support two monitors. And I don't want to pay money. I just want to utilize what I already have.

[matt-arnold.livejournal.com]

Oops! I meant to say "I run three computers, one Windows, one Mac and one Linux."

[natashasikorsky.livejournal.com]

Do you need to run Windows and Linux simultaneously? Badly enough that it's worth having separate boxes?

Do you not have backups?

[matt-arnold.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I want to run all operating systems. I don't want there to be a piece of software I can't run. It's worth running three different boxes. A side benefit of this is that I get to do different tasks on three different computers simultaneously, and not hog the system resources on any one of them. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have some old backups on CD, but I don't back up more than about every six months or so. Like so many of us, I need to do it more often.

Long cables available from this vendor

[elizilla]

http://www.sfcable.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=SC

:: finds this funny, pre-coffee::

[trav13369.livejournal.com]

::reminded of Mr. Universe in "Serenity":: LOL

[mjwise.livejournal.com]

Matt, I can speak highly of Synergy (http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/) as a program you may want to look into using - KVMs are expensive, annoying antiques IMO. Allows the sharing of keyboard, mouse, and other input (e.g. limited clipboard operations) between (networked) computers. I've only ever used it between multiple Windows PCs, but it should work just as well or better under Linux / X as that was what it was originally developed for. The OS X port is "limited" though, so you'll have to try it out and see what it can do.

[matt-arnold.livejournal.com]

I love the idea of Synergy, and have been paying close attention to it for months. Too bad the Mac one doesn't work and the only way to get it to work on Linux is to be a super-leet expert. It's worthless right now.