I guess I'm a little confused on the source of the dilemma. You are
frustrated at the rapid obsolescence in computer equipment and software,
which is certainly your right. Things *do* change quickly. And as they
change, things previously not possible become so only because they make
something previously possible no longer.
You seem like a very knowledgeable computer user, not a novice. I do think
your expectations of effort in order to accommodate new technologies is
unrealistic. The Pentium Pro processor you use was introduced in 1995, and
was the first in the P6 architecture (and a damn fine chip for running NT,
but Intel has introduced two follow ons to it's core in the interim). When
it was introduced, Firewire didn't exist. Nor did NT 4 or Win2K. Or Digital
ICE. Memory was about $30/ megabyte. Heck, the CPU itself was selling for
close to $2000 when it first came out.
I don't like re-configuring my personal computer, and I install software
very rarely, but I accept it as the necessity of getting new functionality.
I just built a new machine and I expect that any new programs and software
introduced in the next few years will run on it. But I also accept that
something new won't. When that happens, I'll decide how to address the
*need*. But if it was only the need for an ability to scan with the scanner
that You seem to really want, then many low cost options have been suggested
and rather than recognizing that a new computer is what is needed (in this
instance) your energy seems devoted to vitriol toward Nikon and discounting
in principle any effort to accommodate your outdated hardware and it's
constraints. Please don't continue lambasting Nikon on the list for
assessing the current market for their wares and ruling out a market segment
that is only shrinking. The LS 4000 produces huge files, and Nikon
apparently decided that anyone using it isn't using commercially outdated
hardware. The decision for Firewire makes sense, and it isn't their fault
Firewire isn't supported in NT.
Here's another low cost method of scanning: Buy a barebones PC with a low
end processor. Figure maybe $250. Load WinME or W2K on it. Buy two Ethernet
cards and a single crossover cable. Use the free software VNC from AT&T Labs
to control the scanner PC from the PPro machine. No new software installed
or moved or license issues, and you're not using a new monitor. Total
outlay, save for OS, is about $350.
Pat
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anthony Atkielski" <atkielski.anthony@wanadoo.fr>
To: <filmscanners@halftone.co.uk>
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2001 2:01 PM
Subject: Re: Getting around the firewire problem was Re: filmscanners: Best
film scanner, period!!!
> > I'm suggesting you move a few slower applications
> > to the new machine and leave the others where they
> > are ...
>
> I'd need a new and expensive monitor for both machines, then. And many
> applications are interdependent. There are many other issues as well.
>
> > PS as 4000dpi scans take a long time to process
> > - I hate to think how much time it takes on a
> > 200Mhz Pentium Pro.
>
> Not long at all. The main source of delay is the disk drives, not the
processor
> or RAM. Without a RAID array, no disk drive is fast enough to meet the
> challenge, so you spend most of your time waiting on disk.
>
> > Since it soumds like you have a decent monitor
> > I expect it has both BNC and D-Sub connector ...
>
> Yes, a Sony.
>
> > ... so you could skip the monitor or better still
> > get a 15 inch monitor and a dual head Matrox
> > graphics card.
>
> Nothing less than 20" and 1600x1200 is acceptable. A second monitor on
one
> machine would eat too much memory and processor.
>
> I am limited to PCI Matrox cards, as I do not have AGP support.
>
> > I am sure you can pick up 1GHz+ machine with
> > 1GB of memory for less than $1000 ...
>
> Maybe, but I cannot afford to idle my production system for six months
while I
> reinstall, update, and debug 100 different applications.
>
> You're overlooking the greatest cost here: The time and money required to
> upgrade and reinstall software and return to the same software
configuration (or
> the equivalent) used on the original machine.
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at
