How to build a computer

G'day,

Today's blog update is mainly educational. It's about how to build a computer, how Murphy's law will always interfere and the uselessness of colour coded wires if the code is kept secret...and some bits about Otto of course.

So once you decide you'd like to have a new computer there are mainly two options, either buy ready-made or build your own. That's only true if you are no Mac user, if you are a follower of the church of Steve Jobs you only have one option: give him heaps of money but fortunately I don't go for Mac.

I use Windows (TM)...yes, I can hear all you Appleheads point out that Apple runs more stable, doesn't have the same virus problems, looks better and does what it is supposed to do...but as you have paid 5 times as much for your machine it should better work...and look good...

Well, I like the daily challenge that is Windows (TM), there is something deeply satisfying in fixing all those little issues while cursing Bill Gates and after more than a decade I kind of know my way around Windows (TM). One piece of advice though: do not use the newest Windows (TM) version, never. Use an older, established version, one where the mayor bugs have been ironed out because Microsoft's new releases are public beta tests...at least two years into the market and you can start thinking about using it. 7 is still too new for my taste, I could have used Vista but as I never liked Vista I stayed with good old XP at least I know the issues there...

So I have decided to build my own computer cause I'm on a budget and want to make the most of it and the ready-mades come with all sorts of expensive crap I will never use in my whole life. I only needed three things: a decent processor, a motherboard and some memory. Well, I also needed a hard drive, a DVD drive and a case to hold the stuff together
The whole pile of stuff as it came from the shop (btw I found out that it's cheaper to buy parts at your local cheap computer part dealer than online) is inspected by the head of the department of quality control. As always Murphy's law stroke and the case I wanted was out of stock so they sold me a AP 102 instead of a AP 101...
Big box for little CPU. AMD X4 965...best cost benefit ratio according to the German computer website chip.de and they should know...
Motherboard...I went for AsRock, I used them before and they do decent boards for not too much money and this one has a nice on-board graphics card which saved me buying a separate graphics card.

Step 1 is connecting the CPU with the board which is not too hard as it only fits into one socket but still one should pay attention to connect it the right way round...
A correct placed CPU...
now step 2...install CPU cooling unit...finding the right socket for the fan could take a while...
A connection plan is your friend when you are searching for the right socket...
Well...now one only has to be able to know what all those weird letter combinations actually mean SATA, IDE, RAM, PWR, RSW etc.

Step 3 is inserting RAM bars into the slots and step 4 is to affix the motherboard within the case
Step 5 insert hard drive and DVD into case and start wondering about all those wires and how to hook it all up...another glance at the manual of the case and/or the motherboard is advisable when you are connecting stuff like the power switch funny that even though the cables are clearly colour coded it's not mentioned which cable is which but as there are only two options you can't go too wrong...Step 6: connect what needs connection

When everything is connected it's a good move to double check if everything is connected and maybe even triple check the important bits. When satisfied turn power on and if something happens it means that at least the main power switch has been connected correctly.
Now it's time to check if the whole thing has been wired correctly. Step 7: connect to monitor and insert Windows (TM) installation CD...if screen turns blue all is well...
Success!!! New computer, 3.4 GHz at 4 GB RAM for Aus$ 500

If anyone need to know where to get the cheapest computer parts in Melbourne just ask me...

In other news, Otto is not born yet (approx 4 weeks to go) but he already has his own blog. Josara explained that he values his privacy much more than I do, so his blog is password protected. If you would like to be able to follow Otto's blog send Josara or me an email or a pm on facebook and we might consider to give you access...

That's all for today...have fun, take care and see yous laters!

Update (long overdue)

G'day,

You might remember me, I used to write this blog...and even though I had the intention to continue writing I got stuck and didn't feel like it and this and that and blah blah but today I give you a short update on some of the many things that happened during the last three month.

Josara got even more pregnant, now it's less than six weeks to go and Otto does what I can't do on a daily base: kicking a pregnant woman in the guts! That's my son!

We had our first class for parents to be yesterday evening and all ten couples had to introduce themselves and tell the class the pet name for their baby as apparently it's not done to announce the actual name of the unborn child. So while the males sat sheepishly next to their women more or less creative pet names were announced until Josara introduced us including Otto who is actually called Otto. Josara and me both wondered why parents don't publish the actual name for the child until it's born and came up with several theories but some research on the internet showed that the reason is even more ridiculous than we have guessed.

It's either to protect the name so people don't "steal" it, which made us laugh quite hard...I mean honestly, if someone got told that our son will be called Otto and this person thinks "what a great name" and names his new kitten/fish/baby/car Otto, too...does that mean the name Otto is burned? Or do these parents live in the delusion that their idea for a name is unique and they need to protect the copyright on this? I'm still laughing when I imagine those parents sitting together and enjoying the secret knowledge that their baby will go by the unique and creative name of Kevin or Sheila...

The other main reason is even more ridiculous: the parents fear that their choice of name will not meet general approval and in order to prevent the criticism before the child is named they keep the name secret until they name the baby officially in the knowledge that people are less likely to criticise the name choice when facts have been established. I think if people can't even manage to face critique over the name, how the fuck will they stand up to any decision they will make?

It's funny what kind of stuff you read in books and on the net how you have to do this and how you must not do that and so on and I guess that all first time parent have no real idea what's wrong and what's right and I guess that's the reason why the baby industry seems to make the second biggest revenue right after the oil/military/pharma complex. The whole idea banks on the insecurity of first time parents.

I'm very lucky that all of my friends who have raised children proved beyond doubt that you neither need to have lots of money to buy all those fancy baby/child thingies nor do you have to study the latest findings in education or erect a protective bubble to keep the evil of the world out. All those children are freaking awesome and I'd like to use the opportunity to say "Happy 12th birthday" to one of them: Jan, rock on! (Ah, and when we visit Europe next time we need to take a picture with both Ottos and Jans, hehe)

Ok, in other news: we have a new car
our old car, 25 years old
our new car, 2 years old and enough space for a baby and two dogs

And something educational: How to built a raised garden bed?
Get wood (hahaha) or as I did get eWood, recycled printer cartridges, link here
cut to right size...I build a garden bed, 240cm x 120cm x 60cm
choose right spot and screw sides together
I used a layer of cardboard and hessian as base to prevent the Australian power grass to grow into the garden bed
Then fill the thing with layers of straw, compost, cow shit, soil and finish with a layer of mulch to prevent drying-out of the soil, probably more important in Australian summers than back home in Europe...

Then get some seeds...
chilli for instance...and the rest should be easy...

Last thing for the blog today: the importance of testing the stuff you get for your baby. I mean you should know if and how a baby carrier thing works before the baby arrives...if you have a cat who just loves attention then you have an ideal test candidate
Baby carrier thing test in progress....

Well, that's all for today, let's see if I manage to get the next blog entry done before another three month are over...have fun, take care and see yous later