i still have an HP4MV capable of letter and tabloid(60K plus prints), with postscript level2, but with a pokey 10/T net port. i've replaced the core a couple of times, and replaced all the rollers, and the beast is still running, but has a bit of a tough time with the bigger more complex postscript (and pdf)files these days... also use an HP5MLthat i picked up at a resell shop in perfect working condition for $10, with 6 unopened boxes of toner... some people don't know what they had.

last year my wife asked if we could get a printer that was a little smaller more quite than the either of the HP beasts, and was closer to her home office, so i ended up getting an epson/brother HL2170W. great networking connnectivity capabilities(i like the fact that it's wifi AND wired) the overall printer is cheap, and the consumables are fairly inexpensiïve. the network setup was a little stupid, and it didn't recognize one of my wifi routers(buffalo running ddwrt) but it did connect via linksys wrt54G(running ddwrt, WTF?). other than that, it's been running smoothly with very little intervention other than loading paper.

my criteria for choosing a new printer was multiple network protocols for configuration(http, telnet, ssh, zeroconf), not tied to proprietary net interface(EpsoNet or some such bullshit), allow multiple ingree(lpr, ipp, cups, direct attached, etc). they don't make printers like the old school HP's anymore unless you get into the larger workgroup-and-enterprise level printers.

i still like my old printers, and so long as they make parts, i'll keep using them. go to a resell shop, ask around at office furniture resellers, ebay, craigslist, etc, and get one of the old reliables, or go with one of the newer ultra-cheap-sub$100 printers(remember when laser printers cost $6000+?) that have reasonably priced consumables. B/w printer still a better cost advantage over color, color laser will produce fewer prints per cartridge and have higher rate of mechanical failure...

establish a naming convention. come up with a few simple rules regarding:
file names
directory names
customer names
job/project names
department names
limit the number of total allowable characters in a file name, and publish and distribute your rules in an easy to follow cheatsheet. for example:
all files for client "Smith Inc." reside in a directory named "SI"
all files for Smith Inc for project "Widget X" reside in a subdirectory names "WX"
all files for Smith Inc for project Widget X have a unique number generated by you accounting system
all files generated by the sales department need to have "S" after the project number
enforce using file name extensions for all file types
so a powerpoint deck created by the sales department for a sales pitch to smith inc for Project X with an internal job number of 1234 would be named "SIWX1234_S.ppt".
a well structured naming convention with simple but rigid rules will allow users to navigate a file system to find files and identify wrongly filed assets.


invest in a digital asset management system that with a database backend.
there are many DAM systems available both commercially and opensource.
utilize one that has a web front end, so you can enforce consistancy in end user experience(as opposed to a fat client embed metadata into the files themselves in XML format thru the DAM if possible.


based on the naming convention you've established and the DAM system you've deployed, you should be able to track when a file was created, modified, and last accessed. establish rules regarding when a file moves from disk to tape, and from online tape(in jukebox) to offline tape(out of jukebox), to cold storage(offsite).

fact is that the components that fail the quickest will be anything that has any kind of mechanical movement, i.e. hard drives, fans, switchs, keyboards. i'm sure he's replaced a few fans, harddrives and keyboards in the last 15 years. why not upgrade him to a wyse terminal or other thin client, run terminal services, maintain the same software system he currently is using, and upgrade his two system network into a three system network, i.e. a server in a closet, and two wyse terminals. build/spec the server to include a backup hardware and software, raid 5 in a minimum 3 disk config, and a ups with shutdown software(powerchute).

i use the term "guys" as a gender neutral term, i.e. "hey you guys!"... the gender specific terms are starting to blur and become less distinct, actresses are now actors, waiters and waitresses are now wait staff, fathers call their daughters dude in cell phone commercials... so what if they're originally from India? is there a problem with the fact that we are a nation of diversity and many cultures? I suppose Chu doesn't count either in your book because of his Chinese heritage? and frankly having a perspective derived from another culture is a benefit, the US has been a little too myopic, even though the US is the most influential nation globally.

and lastly, you're just a panty-waste AC anyways, so who care what you have to say? wanna stand for your opinion? login in, sucker.

i actually think either of these guys would be fine. the fact that we are getting a US CTO is a good first step. face facts:the first US CTO will prolly have a hard start until the rest of the government finally step in line and actually realize that a CTO is needed in these times.
there's gonna be some oldtime hardliners who'll remember "a time when there wasn't a fancy-pants US CTO, and don't really see a need for one..." once the prejudice and ignorance are washed away, then the CTO will actually make a difference.
on a side note, what happened with talk of Bill Joy becoming CTO? not to taut nativism, but he is an American(born and bred), author of vi, backbone of the original BSD rollout and co-founder of Sun.
whats up with that?

actually i'm glad that someone is thinking about using non-US channels. you can actually unlock the ability to broadcast on (non-domestic, depending on where your domestic location IS) different channels by using ddwrt using domestically available AP.
IMHO, i would use ddwrt and pick an unused channel, get an external antenna and boost your signal, use mac-based filtering, and disable SSID broadcast.

all the photographers i know have lots of cards, but they usually take the photos off the sd cards right away after the shoot. depending on the shoot, they will cycle cards out so they can develop early shots while taking additional photos. there was a time when a (studio or table top) photographer would call a film house to rush develop sheet or roll film to see how a shoot is going before committing to expending more film. this habit is still prevelent in the form of developing RAW images into jpeg or tiffs for quick proofing to inkjet printers.
i guess the bottomline is that the SD cards are only an intermediate format and aren't considered permanent archive. anyone who keeps files on SD/XD/Flash/CF/fill-in-the-blank is an idiot. copy your file onto harddrive right away, burn them onto cd/dvd for archive(two copies minimum!).
as far as memory card storage? i use an old cedar cigar box. it has a certain retro je ne sais quoi...

sorry to hear about your dad and his physical hardships... my point is that there are trades that allow a person to leave their work at the jobsite and not have to bring them home. masonry is a trade i would choose, i have an afinity for incorporating rocks/stone in my furniture and artwork. but i would be happy with any of the "socratic" trades:carpentry, plumbing, masonry. electrical? i group that in with plumbing(i.e. plumber of electrons)...

with the ubiquity of the 'net via laptop and phone, with connectivity available everywhere, it's hard to escape your job when you're in I.T. shit, i'm at work on a saturday afternoon ass wiping a box that i don't have the time bandwidth to deal with during the week.

thanks the the props, yerktoader... appreciate the mod, i think you just need to be patient, what with all the database transactions required to mod a discussion...

i starting reading your question and was wondering when i penned this question to slashdot... but i realize that there are many of us out there with similar stories.

i too have worked in IT fulltime for 12 years, and i've always been in positions which required working above and beyond the standard 40 hour work week. in the beginning i used to envy my 40 hour co-workers, but then i started putting things into perspective:

+ i don't punch a timeclock.
+ although i am consistent in my arrival and departure time, my time is flexible enough that i can come and go as i please.
+ my lunch hour can be as short as 30 minutes, or as long as a couple of hours.
+ i'm often taken out to lunch by various vendors(existing and potential) to discuss new products, services, etc.
+ the company pays for my cell phone(i know it's a leash, but i'm also not limited in my usage).
+ i get equipment refreshes with a higher frequency then most users(save owners and other bigwigs).
+ i have more technology in my cube/office than several co-workers combined.
+ i can wear what i want.
+ i usually set my own agenda for my work week.
+ i'm often involved in interesting projects, many of the involving exploratory research regarding cost, deployment, etc, stuff that actually is challenging.
+ i'm a techno-god in the eyes of my co-workers.
+ i get a regular paycheck.
+ i have ability to authorize up to $5000 purchases per P.O.(no limit on number of P.O.s... how did that happen?...)
+ i get reimbursed on work related expenses.
+ i get paid vacations and official holidays.
+ i get to go home to my family and leave work behind from time-to-time.

of course on the downside:
- i get stuck holding the bag when technology misbehave.
- i have to work long hours from time to time.
- sometimes there just isn't someone to hand things off to, so i have to see things thru to the end.
- there often isn't anyone else to blame.
- i don't always get compensated for my time appropriately.
etc...
etc...
i can go on and on with the plusses and minusses, but the bottomline for me, i'm better off workin' for the man, and not for myself. you need to run a +/- list for yourself and see how it shakes out. work less? and you're thinking of going into business for yourself? pull your head out of your ass!
your gonna work harder and longer when you work for yourself, for a while(months, maybe even years)...
and you bring your work home with you...
and you can't take a day off 'cause your sick...
and you can't just up and quit cause your boss is an asshole...

why don't you ask for a different compensation schedule? or maybe a flex schedule? track how many hours you work(regular and overtime) and see if you qualify for overtime pay in your state/country. ask your employer to pay for your cell and home internet connection(so it's less money out of your pocket). start becoming creative about how you are compensated for your work, and maybe not just money...

sometimes i wish i was a bricklayer: only responsible for making sure that my shit is level, straight and plumb, and be able to leave all my work behind at the end of the day, but alas, that's not my lot. oh well, maybe the next reincarnation.