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Mac Forum / General / Networking / June 2005Mac Network Applications
I have something of a dilemma. I have several 68k Macs that are doing nothing but collecting dust. I want to network all of these Macs together and get them working on something. I don't really care what they do, I just want them doing something. I have three options for networking these Macs. I could: a) network them all using LocalTalk PhoneNet adapters, b) network them all using Ethernet and a combination of PDS Ethernet NICs, built-in Ethernet (rj45), and built-in ethernet using transceivers. The $64,000 question is what to do with these Macs once they're networked. I've previously played with an application called MandelNet, which uses the processing power of all the networked Macs to calculate and render Mandelbrot Fractals. Unfortunately, that gets boring really quick. What applications are available that will utilize the computing power of a Mac network? It is not necessarily important that there be a practical advantage to doing this; it's just to get these dust collectors doing something. Help me with my dilemma by bombarding me with possible uses for these networked Macs. > I have something of a dilemma. I have several 68k Macs that are doing > nothing but collecting dust. I want to network all of these Macs together > and get them working on something. I don't really care what they do, I > just want them doing something. My first suggestion is that you try to find someone who actually has a use for them and give the machines away. That seems to me better than either letting them take up space or putting much effort into inventing reasons to keep them around and even consuming electricity and generating heat in your home. Especially considering that depending on how many you mean by "several" it's possible that their combined brute force computing power is less than that of a Mini or even a Cube. G  SignatureGoal 2005: Convincing James Hetfield to cover the Strawberry Shortcake "Are You Berry Berry Happy?" song. > > I have something of a dilemma. I have several 68k Macs that are doing > > nothing but collecting dust. I want to network all of these Macs together [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > how many you mean by "several" it's possible that their combined brute > force computing power is less than that of a Mini or even a Cube. Give them to Goodwill and take a tax break on the charitable donation. Or, if you can find an inner city school that needs them, that's a better place to donate. (and there may be some who DO need them, believe it or not) SignatureCan somebody tell me the price of one Saddam? And how many caskets will it take to make another Vietnam? Five. I have five Macs sitting idle. I would never give them away because they are my collection. My pride & joy. > From: Gregory Weston <uce@splook.com> > Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > G > >> I have something of a dilemma. I have several 68k Macs that are doing > >> nothing but collecting dust. I want to network all of these Macs together [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Five. I have five Macs sitting idle. I would never give them away > because they are my collection. My pride & joy. I understand, I think; I've had as many as 24 machines in my house at one time and have four I will never get rid of. But I also wouldn't try to get anything useful done with them today unless, for some reason, they could do something that no machine seeing active use could actually do. (And yes, there are such tasks.) Not only does it consume extra energy and create extra heat; it also increases the chance that they'll cease working. From a practical perspective of trying to get something useful done with them, consider this, though: If all 5 of those 68k boxes are the most powerful 68ks Apple shipped, a single low-end Cube is roughly 4 times as powerful as all five of them put together. And, I might suggest, a Cube is a lovely addition to anyone's collection. SignatureGoal 2005: Convincing James Hetfield to cover the Strawberry Shortcake "Are You Berry Berry Happy?" song. Hmmm, a Mac user and a Metallica fan. Things must be looky pretty rosy in your neck of the woods. You'll probably have a better chance of getting James Hetfield to do a cover of the Strawberry Shortcake tune than I will ever have of getting my local rock station to play any Metallica tune. :-( > From: Gregory Weston <uce@splook.com> > Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Goal 2005: Convincing James Hetfield to cover the Strawberry Shortcake > "Are You Berry Berry Happy?" song. > The $64,000 question is what to do with these Macs once they're networked. > I've previously played with an application called MandelNet, which uses the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > advantage to doing this; it's just to get these dust collectors doing > something. Is there a version of SETI@HOME that will still run on them? I remember I used to do Distributed.net on my Mac years ago, is that still around? SignatureBarry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me *** I looked into that and there doesn't appear to be a current client that will run on 68k Macs. Source code is available at distributed.net if you're a programmer and want to do the port to 68k Macs, but I'm not a programmer. Thanks > From: Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> > Organization: Symantec [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Is there a version of SETI@HOME that will still run on them? I remember > I used to do Distributed.net on my Mac years ago, is that still around? |
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