What Have I Been Up To?

That is my main PC tricked out with UV lighting

Building computers!

I have been building my own computers since the 80's.

In December I built a machine to run Vista on. Usually, I don't like trying to upgrade an existing machine, so I generally build a new machine when I want to try a new operating system. So I have a machine running Windows Millennium, one with XP Pro, one with XP Pro 64bit, and ordering parts from TigerDirect.com I build a machine to run Vista Ultimate. Its the new machine connected to the plasma TV to watch movies on mainly via my wireless network. Pictures soon.


Now in January, I bought a mini motherboard with CPU already installed. I decided I need to build another machine to run LINUX on. Since I've been building, I decided this one has to be really special, so I was going to build it inside my old motorcycle helmet, but internet research showed me someone beat me.

Then I got this great idea! Optimus Prime! They make a helmet toy voice changer thing for kids, and I decided I'd build my computer inside one of these. It worked, as I am typing this right now!

The toy looks like this, and I'll post pics of mine when I take some this weekend!






Lighting added so eyes are RED when powered on.


White rectangle is wireless connection, 4 port USB hub added to "ear"


Black rectangle is wireless keyboard/mouse


Power supply on bottom, Via ITX Motherboard on top of that....some space...DVD Writer on top of head band and harddrive in head on top of DVD

The two USB ports on back used with 4 port hub and wireless kybd/ms and wiring shoved into 'empty space'

Whole thing glued on foam project board.

Running Xubuntu Linux with Optimus Prime background and Transformers theme pack installed in Firefox.

On Home network in both directions, it can see all my machines, and I configured one machine to see it! (I think that was more difficult then the whole construction effort)