Text 5725, 89 rader
Skriven 2007-12-17 23:00:00 av BOB KLAHN
     Kommentar till en text av RICHARD WEBB
Ärende: resident  Can date.
===========================
 RW> BOB KLAHN wrote in a message to JOHNJWILSON:

BK>>  We have replaced most of our indicator lights with computer
BK>> displays. They are actually PC compatible computers, running  DOS. I
BK>> see no advantage, and a lot of disadvantages, to the new  displays.
BK>> The indicator lights told me as much real info, and  these displays
BK>> are exceedingly more expensive to replace.

 RW> THat's not surprising.  They showed the bean counters off
 RW> the shelf buy 'em at Office depot computers, with some
 RW> sensing apparatus and other gear could replace that old

 These are not off the shelf computers. They are very expensive
 industrial rugedized computers. That doesn't mean the insides
 are not off the shelf boards. The last one I took apart was a
 486, all familiar stuff. That was an old one. The new ones are
 nicer looking, but not all that more advanced.

 RW> one-trick pony solution. tHey convinced the bean counters
 RW> that just about anybody could understand these that had to
 RW> troubleshoot them, since they were garden variety
 RW> computers. AT least, that's the theory they used to sell
 RW> these new systems to the company.

 Oh, and off the shelf computers would be much less expensive.

 BK> Our inspection cameras were running on a custom component system
 BK> that was very limited in what it did, but did it very fast and
 BK>> effectively. That got thrown out and a new system put it. This one
 BK> is
 BK>> a dual pentium system running a camera system, and doing  it very
 BK> badly. It is very static sensitive, which ain't good  with metal
 BK>> products going down a plastic conveyor, at high speed.

BK>>  Nope, a lot of what they are putting in these days works less  well
BK>> than what they replaced. Some of our machines ran 30 years,  and I
BK>> replaced a sensor maybe every other year. These new
BK>>  machines I've alread replaced more sensors the first year than  in
BK>> the 30 years we had the old ones.

 RW> THe old systems were designed to do one job, do it reliably
 RW> with a minimum of hassle once designed installed and
 RW> tested. YOur new camera management system has all the
 RW> operating system overhead and all the goodies.  THere's

 Which is another of my objections.

 RW> probably stuff running from bootup on that system that you
 RW> would never use with it and will never need. IN the old

 And don't even know it's there.

 RW> days you could find it in autoexec.bat or config.sys easy
 RW> with a text editor.  These days futzing with the registry
 RW> you might break it so that it'll never run again <g>.

 Oh yeah. Which is always in mind when working on this stuff.

 RW> they keep telling me I'm going to live in a house that's
 RW> all networked to my computer someday and said computer will
 RW> decide when I need to buy more milk etc. I don't think I
 RW> want MIcrosoft windows making my decisions for me, or most
 RW> other operating system types for that matter <g>. HOwever,
 RW> telling me how old the carton of milk I pulled out of the
 RW> fridge to put on my cornflakes might be handy <g>.

 Now that sounds about right to me.

BK>>  Used to be engineers speced and designed and managed everything.
BK>> These days the bean counters are running the world.

 RW> that's why you can get a device that does more than one
 RW> thing you need done, but does everything it is supposed to
 RW> do in a mediocre fashion at best. ever gone shopping for a
 RW> plain telephone these days?

 I know the feeling. Had to replace my cell phone. They put a
 walkie/talkie button on the side, just where you grab it when
 you pick it up. It goes into walkie-talkie mode every three or
 four times I pick it up.

 Most useless thing they could have put on it.

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

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