WHAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL COMPUTER TO USE TO DOWNLOAD LOCUS FILES?
I DOWNLOADED LARGE FILES ON A PENTIUM 150 MHZ, THEN
I DOWNLOADED LARGE FILES ON A CELERON 500 MHZ AND THE TIME WAS CUT IN HALF OR BETTER. BOTH COMPUTER HAD 64 MB MEMORY AND DECENT HARD DRIVES.
IF THE LOCUS SENDS DATA JUST SO FAST, WHAT IS THE MOST COMPUTER I NEED?
Charlie,
Theoretically an IBM PCxt 12 Mhz machine should be able to keep up with a 56K dump.
Windows overhead, ram, Hd speed/free space/defrag status all come into play in the storage end.
Watch the Locus download indicator and see if there are any obvious signs of slowing down on the Pentium 150Mhz.... indicator speedong up and slowing down, Hd "churning", Baud rate, error reports that require downloading again.....
These things would tend to indicate the system is overloaded or near HD capacity in my view.
I run an AMD K6-2 450 Mhz and while I wish the Locus would dump at 119k bps, it doesn't. It givces very acceptable performance and doesn't seem to slow down ther transfer rates.
I used to download data collectors thru a wire and have a reasonable feel for time vs size and it is quite acceptable on the 450 AMD. I use PC cards and card readers now for downloads...oh what a change for the better.
Jimbo
Hey Jimbo
Was my beer analogy (below thread) about right?
J.D.
p.s. send crawfish
First, and most important. Louisiana residents have decided that at $2.99 a pound, crawfish are not near as good as they used to be ! They sure had a bunch in Houston two Sundays ago at some big festival. Texas farm raised ???
Was that Shiner Bock or Bud ?? Well, I guess they all pour the same.
Jimbo
Faster computer doesn't mean faster serial ports, but download is doing more than simple data transfer. The receiver stores data in a compressed format, so download is reading the compressed data and recomputing things to be written to the B-files. That's why it works faster on a fast PC. If it were just a straight serial transfer [like using HyperTerminal or LapLink to transfer files between PC's] the CPU speed would make no difference.
Brian,
I think you are saying that a faster pc processor will in fact make down loads faster on the Locus units. I can see what you are saying about the pc having to rewrite the data as b files. I guess I was thinking more about the limitations of the hp48 more along the lines of TDS downloads. I haven't seen any great speed increases going from a 486/66 to a PII/266 to a PIII/550. But, from what you just explained, I can see the difference in the cpu could be dramatic.
In Charlie's case, with a P/150, will a faster cpu actually speed the download process for him? What would you consider the maximum cpu speed for downloading before reaching "overkill"? Just curious to learn.
J.D. Billings
p.s. Let me know if the beer in the washtub analogy was inappropriately used in this case. If so, I'll put away the washtub and get larger glasses.
Charlie,
To get back to your original question, I wouldn't let download performance dictate your choice of PC's. Processing times and other applications are a better criteria. I always buy the fastest PC I can afford, since it'll be behind the curve soon. On the other hand, I don't upgrade that often. My home PC's are a P333 desktop and a P400 notebook.
J.D.,
Beer tastes better from a glass than a washtub, but pours into either at the same speed. ;-}
---Brian
JD,
Is there an iced keg in that washtub ?? Then beer tastes better from a washtub, sorry Brian.
Jimbo
Jimbo
I'm convinced. I'm cranking up the Stumpwater Brewery tomorrow. I have brewed only once since my purchase of the Locus units last Sept. Darn, I thought these things were going to give me more brewing time, but instead we spend our free time gps'n, or trying to find more applications.
J.D.
i think i need a vacation
J.D.,
Beer may be submitted for testing to my attention C/O Ashtech. ;-}
---Brian
JD,
Did ya find some crawdads to go with that brew ???
Seriously, live are down to about $1.75 - $2.00 lb., boiled $2.60-$3.50 lb.........Ridiculous if ya ask me ??
I remember when, doesn't seem that long ago, when we were complaining about 50¢ lb. for live and 65¢ for boiled.
Jimbo
Yep,
The guys in the crawfish industry do this to us every year. They claim it is a "bad" year because the lack of rain. So the ones of us that are addicted to the things go ahead and pay the premium. It's their way of doing business.
Now, if I could justify increasing my rates because it didn't rain enough.....
Jimbo,
Even though I was a bit outa practice, had a very successful brew day. Two weeks for fermentation, another 4 weeks aging, and the Stumpwater I.P.A. will be waiting.
Bring at least two thirty pound sacks of fresh ones "on the hoof". Three sacks if Dave is coming. I'll turn the brewing equipment into crawfish boilers at a heartbeat.
Oh yeah, this is supposed to be a technical forum....cow pi R flat.
J.D.
Dave,
Maybe try rate increase justification based on the price of Crawfish !!!
JD,
Would that be called a "crawfish drive", ya knows, like a "cattle drive" ? Might be kinda slow.
Tech Forum info: Crawfish pi R²
Jimbo
EDIT: 2 -30 lb sacks....ya'll don't want any ?
Modified By James Webb on 4/22/2001 at 2:50 AM
BREWING ??? J.D.
now you got my ears up..
I've been at it since late '70's
Made 11 batches since last Oct (typ winter)
using a 10 gal homebuilt RIMS system
all stainless with mag. drive pump
and conical stainless fermenters
Mostly make ales but now with the new
"walkin cooler" in the basement I have
got into lagers...
I suppose you play bluegrass music too???
Steve G
Steve,
Nope, no bluegrass. I do try yo pick a bit of blues though. We ought to do a bit of email exchange on the other endeavor sometime. You're a bit ahead of me equipment wise. Even though I've got some of the "parts" together, I haven't decided on a rims or herms system yet. Seriously considering the herms though. Just not enough time to play.
J.D.
Jimbo,
I think crawfish pi more closely resembles pi radians.
Therefore: 2CFP=2PI RADIANS = 360°