random ramblings of a crazed nerd

So barring any major negative press, I think I am going to pickup one of the new Dell Studio Hybrid - as Mac User, and Linux user, I haven’t really spruced up the Windows rig in sometime, and I have been shopping for a system in a similar form-factor, but the kicker, the addition that sold me is the Blu-Ray option coming in a few weeks, even the build I setup today gave me 8/14/08 for a ship-date.

In the coming weeks I will know or not if I get a 3bed/1bath house - if it’s a no again, I think it’s the move to the Apartment that will come, but the house is about the same price range as the apartment so if it is possible, I think I want to lean that way - that and I know the owners, and I think I can get repairs done easy since I am renting and am family

But the computer comes as part of the re-vamp of my computer system, long-term I want to ditch the BIG tower I have for media currently with the Dell Studio Hybrid, then the big tower which currently act’s as storage server extraordinaire - I want to take it’s drives, as well as the old drives from the Media Center and slide them all into a Drobo - but that’s not for a while, I want to give the Drobo 2 a while to brew in it’s new release and get some fixes/patches etc. but with it and the Drobo Share, I can replace my linux storage box, and save more room, more power.

Finally before year end, but hopefully sooner, I would like to retire the iMac 20 for a new iMac 20 New processor, new hardware, 802.11n built in, etc. so it’d be nice to have that all working nice and fancy and everything in-house working on 802.11n where possible, and everything else running off a access point doing a set 802.11g (iPhone, Wii, 360) but I think the plan is pretty solid… thus far

It would scale down the size and energy requirements of my computer army as it is, centralize and secure my storage, and give me some thin-line hardware with lower heat emissions than my current beasts! But the plan is actually cheaper than buying my long-desired setup of a Mac Pro - if I were to get the Pro as I “dream” of it, well over $6000 - and that’s a lot of cake! This configuration all things said and done will come in under $4,000 - nearly $2,000 cheaper, utilize some current hardware (no extra purchases) and get me a complete setup that works wonders.

A lot of this also relies on keeping my day job, while it is nice, and helps bring home the extra bacon I have enjoyed getting to utilize, if I am dead from the stress - it won’t do me that good, so many complexities of my own business I worked for years to simplify and here they can’t even get me simple content for a newsletter! Nor do they seem to have clear communication between the entire staff, what one of the owners says is “Ok” is “Not Ok” with another - no discussion, and my job keeps changing and evolving into a graphic designer / IT manager / Nerd Herd - so if things don’t level out over the process of this coming month, I think I’ll probably put forth my 2 weeks, and search for something else better suited - I have a “thought” on a job, but its one too that I am weary to take on, but could give good results in the end.

Anywhoo - keep me in your prayers, definitely a lot to consider with things, and 2 days of car issues, well maybe it’s a message from upstairs for now though, I am going to keep pushing forward, and see if I can’t get things working all-around. Only 1 more day to go this week, so it can’t get any worse… Right?

Tags: computers, dell, etc, hardware, hybrid, imac, job, life, media, netrwork, toys, vista, work