Low cost new desktop

[tundra]

I actually do have a Raspberry pi driving a small display. I'm really planning to use it as part of a UV LED exposure box for alt-process, but I fell into the typical nerd trap and decided that I needed a GUI to set the time so I started playing with GUI authoring tools like Tkinter and even got hold of a community (ie free) version of QT, which might be a bit of overkill considering that it's used to develop the GUI's for automobiles, and dived down the rabbit hole.

Oh well, it's all a learning experience I guess. But the R Pi does indeed make a fine net surfing system.

Not sure when I'll actually build the exposure box.

I know the feeling. I have several pent up photography RPi projects in mind but: A) Haven't had time and B) Pi's have been very hard to get.

I did manage to get this one done a while back though:

https://gitbucket.tundraware.com/tundra/devtimer

[linhofbiker]

I didn’t put all my eggs into one basket, instead using a one terabyte hard drive and, when near full, hookup another. I would number each and have a paper listing the contents.

I will put all my eggs in one basket by using the best long-lasting solid state device rather than rely on a mechanical hard drive. Then back up the backup (Time Machine).

Some people think I have the wrong idea, like for instance I am prepared to spend $60k on the best hurricane windows for my house. Why they say, that is why you have insurance. But say I if my house and contents are destroyed I loose all my memories which can't be replaced with insurance money, so I will take the best defense available to ensure my memories are not lost. Maybe this attitude is only good for us 79 year olds.

[jp]

I have too many photos for purely SSD storage at this time.

Rasperry Pi are fun, but it's more practical to buy a pint sized used PC like the Lenovo I referenced for similar money. Unless you need to use the special hat boards for a creative purpose.

[Tin Can]

I really like my new ASUS ProArt Display PA248QV 24.1” WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10 Monitor, with vertical and tilts

No heat

Rez is better than their bigger one

[angusparker]

Intel NUCs are great for cheap and small window systems. If the purpose is backup - low cost slow cloud storage like Backblaze B2 is a good option, but ultimately storing scans on an M-disc is more archival. I back up locally, in the cloud, and have remote M-disc storage in case the house burns down. As for image processing, the new M-chip MacBooks are amazingly fast and will eat up even the largest LF scans.

[Jim Andrada]

[QUOTE=linhofbiker;1688248]I will put all my eggs in one basket by using the best long-lasting solid state device rather than rely on a mechanical hard drive. Then back up the backup (Time Machine).[QUOTE]

When I worked for IBM''s storage products division in San Jose I was surprised to find out that the vast majority of HDD failures were due to the electronics, not the spinning disks. For real backup, use tape drives. The media is specifically designed for long term data retention. IIRC all of the major cloud services back up to robotic LTO tape libraries. The major oil companies record seismic data to tape on the ships and put the tapes in an archive and often go back and re-process 30 or 40 year old tape with better algorithms and faster computers and often find oil deposits that were missed in the initial processing. One major key to longevity with any magnetic storage device is to keep the media quite cool. Some of the large tape libraries actually have their own air conditioners so they can keep the media at lower temperatures than the server rooms themselves.

[axs810]

[QUOTE=Jim Andrada;1688504][QUOTE=linhofbiker;1688248]I will put all my eggs in one basket by using the best long-lasting solid state device rather than rely on a mechanical hard drive. Then back up the backup (Time Machine).

When I worked for IBM''s storage products division in San Jose I was surprised to find out that the vast majority of HDD failures were due to the electronics, not the spinning disks. For real backup, use tape drives. The media is specifically designed for long term data retention. IIRC all of the major cloud services back up to robotic LTO tape libraries. The major oil companies record seismic data to tape on the ships and put the tapes in an archive and often go back and re-process 30 or 40 year old tape with better algorithms and faster computers and often find oil deposits that were missed in the initial processing. One major key to longevity with any magnetic storage device is to keep the media quite cool. Some of the large tape libraries actually have their own air conditioners so they can keep the media at lower temperatures than the server rooms themselves.

Very good recommendation!

Also, this is a good video to learn how much longer your SSD will last.

https://youtu.be/hyHMuAdjzfI

[Jim Andrada]

Disclaimer of sorts

I was involved with the development and marketing of the IBM/NEC LTO tape drives for almost 25 years. I think they're the last companies making them and business has been booming the last few years as all the cloud companies have come to realize that tape is the best long term archive technology. Facebook was working with Sony on a huge DVD-based archive system, but IIRC Sony gave up on being able to grow the storage capacity as fast or as far as LTO. I used to attend the meetings of an ad-tech magnetic storage consortium and Sony presented a paper on a 10 layer system, but I don't think it ever came to fruition.

[Torquemada]

[QUOTE=Jim Andrada;1688504][QUOTE=linhofbiker;1688248]I will put all my eggs in one basket by using the best long-lasting solid state device rather than rely on a mechanical hard drive. Then back up the backup (Time Machine).

When I worked for IBM''s storage products division in San Jose I was surprised to find out that the vast majority of HDD failures were due to the electronics, not the spinning disks. For real backup, use tape drives. The media is specifically designed for long term data retention. IIRC all of the major cloud services back up to robotic LTO tape libraries. The major oil companies record seismic data to tape on the ships and put the tapes in an archive and often go back and re-process 30 or 40 year old tape with better algorithms and faster computers and often find oil deposits that were missed in the initial processing. One major key to longevity with any magnetic storage device is to keep the media quite cool. Some of the large tape libraries actually have their own air conditioners so they can keep the media at lower temperatures than the server rooms themselves.

THe drives can be cut open, and each individual disk be installed into a new drive... voilla life continues.

However the REAL issue iwth HDD is when they are MOUNTED VERTICALLY... vertical mounting kills the holes in them, so eventually they fail when the shape goes and they skip.

[domaz]

[QUOTE=Jim Andrada;1688504][QUOTE=linhofbiker;1688248]I will put all my eggs in one basket by using the best long-lasting solid state device rather than rely on a mechanical hard drive. Then back up the backup (Time Machine).

When I worked for IBM''s storage products division in San Jose I was surprised to find out that the vast majority of HDD failures were due to the electronics, not the spinning disks. For real backup, use tape drives. The media is specifically designed for long term data retention. IIRC all of the major cloud services back up to robotic LTO tape libraries. The major oil companies record seismic data to tape on the ships and put the tapes in an archive and often go back and re-process 30 or 40 year old tape with better algorithms and faster computers and often find oil deposits that were missed in the initial processing. One major key to longevity with any magnetic storage device is to keep the media quite cool. Some of the large tape libraries actually have their own air conditioners so they can keep the media at lower temperatures than the server rooms themselves.

Tape drives are definitely still the gold standard for backups. For personal use though last I checked it was very expensive unless you wanted to throw the dice with surplus server equipment which tends to be complex, heavy and loud.