Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
6347 followers · 63395 posts · Server retro.social

So I think the thing I'm going to do is go back to a thing I use to do when I lived in VA and set up a not-work computer.

What I do for Not Work has changed a lot, and so what I need out of my Not Work computer has changed.

Five years ago, my not work computer was a mac plus, and I mostly used it for writing, email, and hypercard. I did that for a few months. I could access mastodon via brutaldon via lynx via serial terminal to a raspberry pi, and as a result I could do most of the recreational activities I wanted to do, and could not do work.

Then we moved, and I swapped over to an HP omnibook 300 (my ) as my primary Not Work computer.

I'm going to talk about the omnibook for a minute, because I love it. And I'm going to talk about why I don't use it as much anymore.

#zinestation

Last updated 2 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
6138 followers · 61127 posts · Server retro.social

It has been brought to my attention that I haven't talked about Jupiter's Ghost recently enough for even people who know me well to know what the hell I am talking about so

It's time to talk about my pet project.

Not

Not

Not the or the

and not the (although very nearly the space larp cafe)

Today, right now, and for the foreseeable future, I'm talking about or , what it is, what I want it to be, and how you can get involved.

#newellijaytelevision #expeditionsasquatch #zinestation #zinestation486 #spacelarpcafe #jupitersghost #JG

Last updated 2 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3719 followers · 59946 posts · Server retro.social

I want a computer that runs on AA batteries, has an SD Card reader or microSD card reader, standard I/O (USB, HDMI or Display Port, wifi)

I currently keep my omnibook 300 in my Media Bag because it is the perfect machine for writing. It runs for weeks on 4 rechargeable AA batteries, it's blazing fast (as a writing machine and literally nothing else) and it has standard, if outdated, I/O making it easy to integrate in to the rest of my setup.

I use it to write scripts, make zines () and publish web pages.

But it certainly can't edit video, or audio, and can *barely* edit photos with a lot of patience.

#zinestation

Last updated 2 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3719 followers · 59946 posts · Server retro.social

(Yes, I own a computer that runs windows.

Three, actually. Well, no. Five.

One for printers and other Windows Only hardware at the maker space.

One for Win98.

One is my running win31.

One is my wife's old laptop that we keep around in case I need old documents or whatever, that got pulled in to double duty as our media server.

And the last one is a GPD WIN 3 that I use for playing games.

I love the zinestation, and the GPD Win (although I'll probably install SteamOS on it, because Windows is pretty shit Outside of Steam on that formfactor), but otherwise, I am physically repulsed every time I have to touch one of these boxes.

Nothing works. Everything is broken and hidden and unfixable.

#zinestation

Last updated 2 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3719 followers · 59946 posts · Server retro.social

I think during the next show, we'll do a radio show read in front of the stage while the bands are tearing down between sets.

Something in the style of The Thrilling Adventure Hour.

Which means I need to write that, and also Flo's monolog.

I guess I'll be dusting off the tomorrow.

#zinestation

Last updated 2 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3721 followers · 59930 posts · Server retro.social

I use my Omnibook as a wordprocessor, or specifically as a connected to a dot matrix printer.

I use my mac plus as a development box in hypercard, I was previously using it as an email box.

I've used my c64 to connect to BBSs.

I have an amiga that I'm hoping to use as part of a video editing rig.

#zinestation

Last updated 3 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3720 followers · 59935 posts · Server retro.social

Do you design stickers? Do your friends?

I need a few dozen very small, weird, bizarre, artistic, or otherwise interesting stickers.

I was at an art show this weekend, and I got a bunch of stickers, but I need more.

I have too many pristine gadgets that I use on a daily or weekly basis. My needs stickers. My Palm needs stickers.

It's time to sticker up the world.

#zinestation #m500

Last updated 3 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3720 followers · 59935 posts · Server retro.social

Not having a real laptop with me is indeed frustrating. I have little palm top, and I think the is here. Maybe I'll telnet in to the little box from the zinestation. Maybe I'll do something else entirely.

#zinestation

Last updated 3 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3656 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

Dot Matrix because:

- I should be able to print around 1500 pages of text on a single ribbon

- a new ribbon is $10

- If things get real ugly, I could probably manufacture my own ribbon

- Most dot matrix printers still have a parallel port, so I can use them from my or my rig directly.

#zinestation #win98

Last updated 4 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3656 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

Personally, there's another facet to all of this:

I use and maintain computers professionally, and recreationaly.

Sometimes, I want to do something that doesn't feel or look like my day job. Unfortunately, most of my hobbies feel and look a lot like my day job.

To that end, I have some weird old computers that I keep around because they're useful and also because they're Vastly Different than the computers I use at work.

My , mac plus, and palm pilots fall in this camp.

#zinestation

Last updated 4 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3659 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

@bamfic this might be a slight exaggeration. Let me enumerate.

Functional: 15
I have 3 omnibooks, two other DOS laptops, two thinkpads, two macbooks, a pinebook, another Linux laptop, three Chromebooks, and my sole windows laptop.

One Mac is for work. One is for my wife. The Chromebooks are loaners for guests/children. One Thinkpad is my daily driver, one omnibook is my .

Broken: 4
Non-laptop portable computers: at least 14, more depending on definition.

#zinestation

Last updated 4 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3660 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

One thing that really frustrates me about this conversation is that it's basically the same one I have been having with myself for weeks/months.

So I need to add a couple of additional things:

- Printing. I print directly from my from time to time, but mostly I prep documents in word on the zinestation and then transfer them to my windows 98 machine to print, or a prep them in markdown, then write CSS and print them from my main PC.

This can improve

#zinestation

Last updated 4 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3660 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

@greenjon but the is pretty ram constrained.

#zinestation

Last updated 4 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3660 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

So I'm seriously considering ... Converting all the pictures I want to use to bitmaps and doing the layout on my

but the zinestation *really* sucks for working with images, and I don't love Publisher on Win31, but it outperforms the other options by a Wide Margin, and I also don't know how I/if I could migrate the files from whatever DTP I use on the zinestation to something more modern for print.

#zinestation

Last updated 4 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3661 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

If it's not on that list, I'm probably not thinking about it right now.

I mean, except for my , I'm always thinking about that.

And , I'm thinking about that too. But I can't make any progress on either of those until I get some other stuff off my plate.

#zinestation #fakedtv

Last updated 5 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3661 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

@ajroach42 the mouse on this one is a lot more reliable than the mouse on my , which will make using Windows 3.1 apps easier.

Now to find the best windows 3.1 apps that'll run in a low ram environment.

Suggestions welcome!

#zinestation

Last updated 5 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3661 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

@requiem My is an HP Omnibook 300 DOS PC that I use to write on. I print newsletters and pamphlets on a vintage dotmatrix printer and print zines on a laser printer.

Everything I'm doing now is done on software and hardware from the 80s and early 90s.

I've printed ... several thousand magazines over the last five years in black and white and color on various pieces of equipment and made with various software. I'm happy to discuss if you're interested.

#zinestation

Last updated 5 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3661 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

Alright, I wanna talk about my current projects for a second, so that I can keep a record of what I'm working on, and update anyone who's been following along.

Threaded for my ease of referencing. I'll try to keep it short.

Current projects:


(and accompanying omnibook work)
`

Everything else

#mountaintowntoys #jupitersghost #zinestation #expeditionsasquatch #fakedtv

Last updated 5 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3661 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

A friend found another omnibook, the same as the one I use in my and is sending it to me.

Normally, I would not need a spare and I would give it away to someone else, but in this case I am keeping it for a few reasons: 1) It has some cosmetic and physical flaws which mean that I'm going to have to do some work on it, and once I've done that work I know I'm going to want to keep it. 2) It's a gift from someone I don't see much.

So I'm going to have a spare HP Omnibook 300. (thread)

#zinestation

Last updated 5 years ago

Andrew (R.S Admin) · @ajroach42
3662 followers · 59797 posts · Server retro.social

@kelbot@fosstodon.org @djsundog It feels like we're about 80% of the way to me being able to me being able to replace my with a hacked down pi 3 + the existing 9.7" waveshare or the 6" inkplate + a terminal emulator that'll support the screen + a mechanical keyboard.

If I can come up with a decent system for also enabling HDMI out, an okay looking case, and a simple way to make the headphone out a little cleaner, then ... I mean, that's it. Right? The perfect machine to replace my omnibook?

#zinestation

Last updated 5 years ago