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It's the Internet fridge for the 1910's
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Oct 7, 2013 14:24
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Taeke posted:I find it even more mindblowing that they got to the moon with less computing power than the navigation system in a modern car.  the directions are pretty simple: just go up.
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Oct 7, 2013 14:25
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Taeke posted:I find it even more mindblowing that they got to the moon with less computing power than the navigation system in a modern car. Actually, isn't this more along the lines of "less computing power than a pocket calculator from the early 90s"?
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Oct 7, 2013 14:39
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Taeke posted:I find it even more mindblowing that they got to the moon with less computing power than the navigation system in a modern car.
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Oct 7, 2013 15:07
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Geoj posted:Actually, isn't this more along the lines of "less computing power than a pocket calculator from the early 90s"? Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Why don't we have a moonbase by now?
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Oct 7, 2013 15:13
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Taeke posted:Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Why don't we have a moonbase by now?
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Oct 7, 2013 15:41
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Taeke posted:Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Why don't we have a moonbase by now? Because while it doesn't take a whole lot of computing power to go into space or build a moon base it does require a lot of money. I'm trying to think what computers would do more efficiently than slide rules and the only thing I can think of is design. Without computers there's a lot more trial and error and probably a few more dead astronauts.
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Oct 7, 2013 15:50
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Taeke posted:Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Why don't we have a moonbase by now? If we had just elected Newt, what could have been 
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Oct 7, 2013 15:52
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Gorilla Salad posted:German prototype 'Schneekrad' from 1936: That thing is pretty drat SchneekRAD. drat I just like how it looks- like a 30's take on the 80's or something.
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Oct 7, 2013 17:14
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Monkey Fracas posted:SchneekRAD  .
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Oct 7, 2013 18:12
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Jerry Cotton posted:
Tell that to a real rocket scientist and you'll get a lot of  out of them. You're trying to hit a moving target from a moving target without going so fast you kill all the astronauts on board and also without going so slow you don't get there, or kill all the astronauts on board. You can do the equations with a slide rule (or as some of the Apollo astronauts could do it, in their heads) but a computer tends to be faster.For a more practical approach to this problem, watch somebody play Kerbal Space Program and laugh or look on in horror or boredom as rockets slam into things as they repeatedly gently caress up having no idea what they're doing.
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Oct 7, 2013 18:32
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Kwyndig posted:Tell that to a real rocket scientist and you'll get a lot of Still easier than getting from point A to point B in Helsinki. (Unless you walk, but you can't walk to the moon so...)
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Oct 7, 2013 18:35
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Taeke posted:Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Why don't we have a moonbase by now? Americans aren't scared of It's kind of a shame really. The resultant technologies benefited everyone.
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Oct 7, 2013 18:53
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Kwyndig posted:Tell that to a real rocket scientist and you'll get a lot of Yeah. While the Hohmann transfer is a pretty easy calculation, it's the whole "making the rocket to do it, land, then take off and get back all without killing the guys inside" that's the tricky part. I have the utmost faith that it's an absolute bitch to optimize the whole fuel:weight thing alone, for example.
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Oct 7, 2013 19:06
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Zedsdeadbaby posted:The whole moon thing was a big penis contest.
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Oct 7, 2013 19:37
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Kwyndig posted:Tell that to a real rocket scientist and you'll get a lot of Well, here's a video by a real rocket scientist playing KSP showing that it can be as simple as "just go up".  He cheats.
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Oct 8, 2013 18:10
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I'm installing this specialized car dealership software via a VM, originally written to run on a customized UNIX installation... by Germans. Looks like something from a B-movie:
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Oct 8, 2013 19:35
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Pilsner posted:I'm installing this specialized car dealership software via a VM, originally written to run on a customized UNIX installation... by Germans. Looks like something from a B-movie: Excellent... I've hacked into the US Government. MWAHAHAHAHA
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Oct 8, 2013 19:39
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Pilsner posted:I'm installing this specialized car dealership software via a VM, originally written to run on a customized UNIX installation... by Germans. Looks like something from a B-movie: I must have this as the startup screen. On every device.
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Oct 8, 2013 20:15
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pentyne posted:
I know, right? I got one of these a few years back for like 35 bucks. A couple months ago I decided to get another one for work and... what the hell? When did my cheapass trackball become some must-have collector's item? The wireless version is pretty close, I guess.
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Oct 9, 2013 00:58
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I have a wireless one with a couple of extra buttons. I paid way too much for it but I really like it. Now, if only I could stop dropping it...
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Oct 9, 2013 01:24
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I'm pretty sure only the non-arthritic elderly that got WAY INTO COMPUTERS sometime in the mid 90's still use trackballs.
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Oct 9, 2013 01:43
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Guilty as charged. Thumb-driven trackballs are the best.
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Oct 9, 2013 01:59
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ChickenOfTomorrow posted:Guilty as charged. Thumb-driven trackballs are the best. I am currently in deep regret for letting go of my left handed thumb trackball. Magic Mouse is okay but the left handed thumb ball with three butans was totally awesome.
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Oct 9, 2013 02:02
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Hypnolobster posted:I'm pretty sure only the non-arthritic elderly that got WAY INTO COMPUTERS sometime in the mid 90's still use trackballs. Meh, those are scrubs. I was using trackballs in the 80's on my PCjr. Speaking of failed technology:  I've had this thing for 6 or 7 years, it's currently glowing bluely on my desk. I've never found a use for it. I've only seen one in the wild and that's for kids to sign in for appointments at my daughter's orthodontist. So cool, so pointless. I guess it's not a total failure since you can still buy them, but I have no idea what they're being used for.
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Oct 9, 2013 02:36
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Krispy Kareem posted:Meh, those are scrubs. I was using trackballs in the 80's on my PCjr. What... is it?
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Oct 9, 2013 02:41
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Care to tell us what the hell that thing is? e:fb
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Oct 9, 2013 02:42
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Last Chance posted:What... is it? http://store.griffintechnology.com/powermate
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Oct 9, 2013 02:43
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I wouldn't say it's a failed technology, it's a big blue knob + button that connects with USB. You just use it for whatever big blue knob + power duties you have for it, it's not like needing to control something via a big blue knob + button is something that just doesn't exist anymore.
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Oct 9, 2013 02:46
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E: snap crackle beaten yo Also now I really want one again.. but it'll just hang out with my n52te speed pad (which I bought after buying a keyboard that basically has one attached to the side.. I just realllly wanted a claw looking version when I was younger so I had to try it) 7lip has a new favorite as of 02:52 on Oct 9, 2013 |
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Oct 9, 2013 02:49
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Sorry, it's essentially a stereo dial for your PC. You can set it up to control your volume or perform app specific commands by a combination or dial turns or pushes. It sounds great in theory, until you realize you can do almost all of that stuff from your mouse and keyboard without having to reach for a separate input device. It was originally made for Apple computers and as such fits the design over functionality mold perfectly. EDIT: maybe it's not a failed technology, I just really wanted to contribute with all the cool kids.
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Oct 9, 2013 02:54
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Krispy Kareem posted:Meh, those are scrubs. I was using trackballs in the 80's on my PCjr. Cool gizmo. So it's like an iPod clickwheel for computers? It looks like it would be a fantastic input for a lot of different applications, and just hard enough to set up/customize that you wouldn't bother.
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Oct 9, 2013 03:05
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Krispy Kareem posted:Meh, those are scrubs. I was using trackballs in the 80's on my PCjr. Yeeeeep, I've got one of these as well. Tried to pawn it off on my stepfather who wanted an analogue volume knob for his Mac but he couldn't get it to work. I need to get it plugged in. And glowing uselessly once again. You can actually program them to do all sorts of stuff. Anyone remember the game Airburst? I used my powermate as the controller.
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Oct 9, 2013 03:38
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They've been selling those things for at least 10 years and I remember being a dumb teenager and wanting one so bad because it looked cool and like it glowed up and you could control the volume with a knob. Now I just have a keyboard that has a button for that and I don't want to spend 50 bucks on a knob so it's quite a bit less desirable, but still big knobs with buttons on them are pretty useful for a bunch of stuff.
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Oct 9, 2013 03:51
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I always assumed those were meant to be used as jog/shuttle controllers. I mean, if you're in an industry where it's not insane to buy a separate, colored keyboard for shortcuts, an actual jog/shuttle makes a lot of sense. People buying them solely for a volume knob also makes a lot of sense, though. I don't think I'd call it obsolete, though. Unless you'd really like to go through your video using keyboard shortcuts or clicking and dragging. And if it's programmable, I guess you could find other uses for it besides video editing.
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Oct 9, 2013 03:58
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^ Video editing is pretty much the only thing I can see it being actually useful for and not easily replaced with something that isn't a unitasker. Can you give it a good turn and it will continue to spin until you stop it or it runs out of momentum minutes later?
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Oct 9, 2013 04:41
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Geoj posted:^ It's a straight up Rheostat.
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Oct 9, 2013 04:56
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Krispy Kareem posted:Meh, those are scrubs. I was using trackballs in the 80's on my PCjr. Does that thing work with MAME? When I first saw it, the first thing I thought of was "spinny knob for Tempest".
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Oct 9, 2013 05:31
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Speaking of trackballs, we had this when I was a kid:
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Oct 9, 2013 06:23
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nocal posted:Speaking of trackballs, we had this when I was a kid: I've tried many times just now to come up with the words for that but holy poo poo. The name makes it. That is 90s as hell, "gently caress NO YOU CAN'T USE MY COMPUTER, ARE YOU EXPERT MOUSE RATED!?".
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Oct 9, 2013 06:33
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