To you with multiple computers

[dBTelos]

To you with multiple computers, all in one room, I have a question. What do you use them all for? I mean besides servers or firewalls. I see people with 5-6 computers all next to each other and wonder how you could have a serious need for so many systems. For me, I have a main computer I use for pretty much everything. Then downstairs I have a good 3-4 computers I open up, switch parts with, and just make decent Linux rigs or servers out of them.

 

[DanNeely]

I have two, my 2nd is a hot spare and occasional short term loaner to friends. I keep it running so that I know it's available if needed. In its idle time it crunches for einstien at home. I didn't start for bragging rights but I've worked my way up to the top quarter percentile of participants.

A guy I chat with on IRC has several dozen in his appartment, with the buildings wiring serving as the limiting factor in what he has running. He provides webspace and shell accounts for friends with a few of them, and has parleyed the knowlege he gained running his home network into on the job promotions from support desk peon to head sysadin of an ISP with at least 4 T3 lines (count is ~2-3 years old).





EDIT: Some of the people I know on DC projects have electric heat and run a number of old boxes in the winter to get some work out of the electrons before turning them into increased entropy.

 

[Zepher]

I currently have 3 desktops and 2 laptops in my room, my main machine, my HTPC, and a spare PC that will be moved somewhere when I am done with it. currently using it for networked storage and to test the HD output of the AIW 9800pro that is in it vs the Nvidia 5XXX card in the HTPC to see which one performs better.
The laptops are used to tune my car. One of them is a backup laptop.

 

[engiNURD]

HTPC, old Lan rig, offline computer, main computer, storage server (make use of all those old hdds and other old hw). My main computer and my HTPC are the only one's being used most of the time. I also have an old 100Mhz laptop that I use as a print server

 

[omegatotal]

one server, k6-2 500 +50mhz http/ftp, network router with nat, vpn and packet logging/filtering

main rig
laptop
and a beater box i test hardware in, and used at one point to play with this thin client i have.. but the thin client rather sucks (max res 1024x768 @ 256color) so i dont use that anymore

i have another k6 system that im gonna setup to be a wireless node that limits public wireless clients DL/UL bandwidth and automatically puts what ever i want into a frame of some sorts on the clients browser.. but i haven't gotten around to that yet and/or maybe even a web cam server of some sort or a security system..

 

[Dangman]

I have three computers. I have an aging gaming rig, a laptop I use for school and work, and a Linux PC to mess with. I'm currently building an HTPC right now out of spare parts. But RDRAM is really hard to find for cheap these days. So it'll be a while before that's finished. LOL!

 

[Gatticus]

I just have two PC's connected via KVM. One for Linux/Win2K and one for XP. Win2K/Linux box is my TV box and just hacking around in Linux. XP PC is my gaming box and also used for desktop publishing apps. Both get used for the internet.

 

[meatycheesyboy]

4 computers hooked to a kvm for me. One is my main computer and the other three get used as a small render farm when I need them.