Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

[falconizer_62]

I have recently been brought face to face with the fact of how dependent I am upon my computer for my build project. My laptop was stolen two weeks ago, and I lost a lot of control of the current project. (Or at least that's what it feels like)
I would have never expected that. 10 years ago, I would have never seen it coming. First thing I noticed that I was missing was all of the disassembly photos. Thousands of them. Putting it all back together will not be nearly as much of a joy as it would have been. (What did we used to do?)
All of my Photoshop files with different wheel and tire choices and color combinations...gone. I had to abandon my research on designing a pan hard rod. I couldn't look around online for components, to see what's available and envision how I could build something. No message boards for information or tech questions. No instant access to pics of how someone else solved a problem that I am now facing. have you all unknowingly drifted into a similar dependance?
it's great to be back!!!!!

[squirrel]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

I have a friend who's an old guy, he has a whole bunch of old cars sitting on his 10 acres. he's been retired for a long time now, and has half a dozen cars finished, and is working off-and-on on half a dozen more (or so). He doesn't have a computer, won't have a computer, and seems to do just fine.

I'm an ebay junkie now though....

[66gg1tnc]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

I have an older computer that's going to be in the garage. Just for manuals, remote printer and remote hard drive to store all the disassembly/reassembly photos and notes on. Whole thing connected via wireless LAN to the main box in the house. As long as it's probably going to take restomodding my 300 I'll never remember where widget A gets screwed into doohicky B.....especially on an odd duck like mine! Photos and notes are a must have for me.

[ethelkilledfred]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

I have the oppisite problem. My 'puter keeps from working on my cars, to busy seeing what eveyone else is doing. lol

[squirrel]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

My 'puter keeps from working on my cars, to busy seeing what eveyone else is doing. lol

no shit, you're not the only one, either!

[p302stang]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

yup just think how much we could all be getting done if we didn't surf the web and bull shit and bench race about what we plan on doing to our cars and actualy went and did it lol.

[BigBlockMopar]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

... My laptop was stolen two weeks ago, ...

This is the time when people usually start to think about backups... And if you don't, you'll lose your stuff a second time only due to a harddisk crash for instance...
Been there done that... ;)

These days, I always try to backup the most important stuff on CD/DVD... and more importantly, I like to spread out and copy as much stuff I can to multiple computers. The computer I use at work has a lot of stuff I also have at home. I've also got a computer at my mothers house which has a lot of stuff aswell.
I've learned a good lesson by losing digital images for instance. I have got over 10.000 photo's I took over the years of my cars and their progress in time. I now make sure all these pics get backupped to all 3 computers I have.

[falconizer_62]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

This is the time when people usually start to think about backups...

uh...backups?
I'm doing that now!! I got a 500 gig external drive, and I'm dumping all my computers onto it, operating system and all. Learn the hard way, I guess.

[Coonboy888]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

This is the time when people usually start to think about backups...

uh...backups?
I'm doing that now!! I got a 500 gig external drive, and I'm dumping all my computers onto it, operating system and all. Learn the hard way, I guess.

That's what i do, i have everything on the external hard drive, about 1000 pictures, 7500 songs, 30 full length movies and 250 movie clips. Keeps my computer running quickly. Important papers (senior project, etc.) get put on the hard drive, external hard drive, thumb drive, and backed up on the schools system. I'd rather not loose that 38 page paper to a fire or HD crash

[Hemi Joel]

Re: Home computer: an essential tool for building cars?

I have the oppisite problem. My 'puter keeps from working on my cars, to busy seeing what eveyone else is doing. lol

I know what you mean!

I put a phone line out to the shop (the shop at home in my barn) and plugged in the laptop. I figured I could work out there later and get more done, because I wouldn't have to come in early to check the web before bedtime. Bad idea!
Honest to goodness, my productivity dropped at least 50%. I developed this compulsion to go refresh my favorite message board every 10 minutes to see what was new. I had to take the stinkin' thing out of there just to get my projects back on track.