Computer Day

Thursday is computer day. After five years, my 1.3 GHz Dell Dimension 8100 (optimized for Windows 98!) with a half gig of RAM, an obnoxiously squeaky fan and an unwillingness to cooperate with a KVM switch is thankfully nearing the end of its useful life. It will be replaced by another Dell - a dual-core 2.8 GHz box with a gig of RAM. Dell gives these things away.

The plan for this machine is to use it as a desktop for the next while. Then, after (if) Vista eventually comes out, I'll pick up a laptop with that on it, put Windows Server 2003 on the Dell, and use it as a server for Web development and MP3 storage. That's what Windows boxes are best for. I'm thinking about picking up the Microsoft Action Pack so I can always keep up with the latest releases of the server software, and maybe run the small business Exchange.

It should be exciting to eventually set up a domain at home, especially to see how the Mac fits into the scheme. The more I use the Mac, the more I wish I'd started with it years ago. But with my e-mail archives in .pst format and years' worth of finances in Microsoft Money, it's not practical to completely migrate.

So I get to spend the next few days doing a migration. Always fun. But totally worth it. I won't miss that old clunker.