On 14/09/2013 6:32 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Sep 2013 07:50:19 +0100, Stephen wrote:
>

>>> Well, some cars have computers in them now, that's true.
>>
>> Would you not consider a car's fuel control system a computer?
>
> Depends on the car.  Not if it's just a throttle cable.
>

Maybe it is just me but I've not had a car that had a direct throttle 
drive for 20 years or so and I don't buy new cars. Current one is almost 
10 years old and the one before that was 13 years old when it died on me.

>>> But the mechanical parts are still basically the same.
>>
>> Yes the bits that go roundy round are basically similar as is the
>> structural nits. But how do you set up the spark plug timing on your
>> car?
>
> I have no idea - but I could ask my father-in-law or brother-in-law.
> IIRC, there's a timing belt/chain in older cars that don't use electronic
> fuel injection.
>
It is the distributor that you adjust. Using a timing light connected to 
the #1 spark plug. The strobe effect makes a timing mark on the fan belt 
drive wheel appear stationary. The distributor is adjusted to that the 
dynamic timing mark is at TDC. IIRC

>>> Patrick's analogy is flawed because he's comparing physical items in
>>> the boot to data on a hard drive.  The two are so /not/ comparable it's
>>> not even funny.
>>>
>> All analogies break down at some point, eh?
>> The real problem is that computers are domestic appliances now. They are
>> not just for geeks.
>> Here is another analogy or parable, whatever.
>> Rule number one when working with electrical equipment is disconnect it
>> from the mains before opening it up. Yes?
>
> Not necessarily.  First, unplugging it isn't going to protect you from a
> charged capacitor - any first year electronics student knows that.
>

That why I missed that out so not to take up more bandwidth and to 
respect you savy-ness.

>> So you can understand in a way why my boss's boss gave me a bollocking
>> for working on exposed live equipment. (H&S to the forefront)
>> He had no answer to my question "How do I trouble shoot if it is dead?"
>> He went away, I powered it up, found the fault and all was well.
>> Mixing techie and non-techie is a very hard thing to do.
>
> Well, sure.
>

So that is where the problem lies. Manufacturers don't make a lot of 
money if they can't sell a product to lots of non technical people.
And if you try to make a computer idiot proof, techies rail at the 
restrictions imposed.
I want to buy a new laptop but I don't want Win 8 with "even your 5 year 
old can operate it" OS. Nor do I want Linux where I'll have to learn a 
new OS or not be able to run M$ office, for work compatibility.

I might as well ask here. Does anyone have any recommendations for a 
light weight laptop that has a reasonable spec to run PovRay and Blender 
and weighs a lot less the the 3kg (6.6 lb) DTR I have to lug around?

-- 
Regards
     Stephen

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