So it looks like my hard drive is shot, actually. Nothing like successfully thwarting virii and worms during the onslaught of 2003 only to have the hard disk fail mere hours after everything was patched and safe.
Damnit.
And the pain of it all is that I want to be buying a new computer in December or January. I mean, my TBird is 3 years old now and will be 3.5 by then, and thats reason enough to go new. Add to that the 64-bit Opteron will actually be a mature chipset by January. I mean, I have this system all in mind–serial ATA, entirely Legacy-free, 1Ghz of RAM, maybe half a terabyte of disk space. Im thinking that Ill need more than 4 IDE channels, too (which I think serial ATA provides) if I keep my CD writer, get a DVD writer and want to keep a smaller drive as on-board sharing. I may not, though, as it may be time to have a web-aware whole-house fileserver, but well see. I think I need a little more savvy than I currently have for that plan.
And I think its almost time for a new laptop. My current laptop is aging gracefully and has yet to have a major problem, but as with all mobile devices, it lives a hard life and its only getting harder as the thing ages. I can get a new machine for $1600, which is a pretty good deal, really, esp. if I can sell my current machine for like $600. Well see what happens.
Computer stuff, though, is entirely contingent on whether I can get more JVS contracts, because my tech budget out of my personal finances is exactly zero dollars. But to say that I could use a laptop with a reliable battery for my jobs out is an understatement at best. And my new PC? Well, thats just wishful thinking. Fortunately, I have some potential to make my wishes come true these days, and thats a great thing.
Lastly, in my new-computer budget there are provisions for a couple of parts for the eBox2, allowing me to have full, TiVo-like function in a small, beige package. Im actually going to look into getting another box for the eBox2, one that fits the look of my stereo a little better. Well see what happens with that, though, because there are a lot of unique form factors out there that need to be satisfied.
