Technologists Notes

tl;dr reboot it or shoot it

Two mornings ago I discovered my ca 2015 Dell Optiplex 9010 was non-responsive, with the power button flashing amber. From experience (with mechanical disks obsolescent, power supplies are the most likely computer component to fail), I assumed the power supply to be the problem. So I ordered a replacement for next-day delivery. When the power supply arrived and I installed it, the machine seemed the same, still flashing amber. Though the code flashes also could indicate a failed system board, it seemed worth following through with the power supply. The replacement supply was failing, according to my tester. The tester said the old supply was good!? I pulled a known good supply out of a working Dell Vostro (ATX). Though not a fit mechanically, that supply brought the Optiplex back to life. Reinstating the original Optiplex supply, the machine is back to normal. (more…)

Before childhood amateur radio projects, before college freshman radio work, before sound engineering in San Francisco, at the Vulcan Gas Company, and the Armadillo World Headquarters, my mother taught me to repair lamp wiring when I was very young. I began building electronics projects with a crystal radio kit when I was 6 years old.

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It seems I am easily distracted. One thing leads to another. Inquiries spur new thoughts. Anomalies suggest investigation. Surprises remind of well-worn adages, e.g., newer isn’t always better, particularly regarding software. But, I keep on keeping on.
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“Things Have Changed” – Bob Dylan (1999)

“Everything, still remains the same”
“(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay” – Otis Redding (1967)

tl;dr embarking on quantifying meaningful indicators of small computer system performance over the last three decades

In graduate school and subsequent professional work, analyzing performance of computer systems was often my primary effort, including much of the software I wrote, and my first three books. Years ago I pontificated about Meaningful Indicators of System Performance, surveying the (mostly) synthetic benchmarks in vogue in 1990. I was also active in the formation of the Business Applications Performance Corporation. (more…)

In my primary collection, I’ve accumulated roughly 800 LPs over the years. Some are junk, some are treasures, a few have never been unsealed, a few are in terrible condition, but mostly these are LPs that I want to hear and preserve. I’d been gradually digitizing them so I could listen to them in the car and on my phone, and so I’d have archival versions if the LPs were lost.

A few years ago, I got a new Audio-Technica turntable to displace my finicky decades-old Thorens (which is now configured for 78s). I did that, in part, to accelerate progress digitizing the LPs and now have maybe 20^[1] left before I’ve finished with the primary collection. Now seems the right time to summarize the tools I use and techniques I’ve developed. Both this post and the video are intended to be self-contained, but each probably offers details missing from the other.

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