Royal.pingdom has compiled a nice history of computer data storage.

This week, my boys were asking me what computers were like when I was their age. I think I had a hard time conveying how powerful a Commodore VIC 20 computer was, and how I scrimped and save to get $300 to purchase a 8k RAM expander, followed shortly there after with the purchase of Commodore's tape drive. (does anyone remember the loopless tape drive made by a 3rd party?)

According to the website, "The first hard drive to have more than 1 GB in capacity was the IBM 3380 in 1980 (it could store 2.52 GB). It was the size of a refrigerator, weighed 550 pounds (250 kg), and the price when it was introduced ranged from $81,000 to $142,400."

28 years later, you can purchase a USB memory stick for about $9.99.

To put that in discounted cash flow terms, the price of 1 gigabyte of storage has decreased at the rate of 27.49% every year for 28 years.

After seeing my three monitor primary workstation setup



I have received a number of emails about the best configuration or multiple monitors - and the answer has as much to do with the kind of work you are doing as anythingelse.

Take this work station for example - its perfect for doing high resolution on maps and demopraphics.

It consists of one HP desktop with a 2 port DVI card going to 2 x24" Samsung monitors each running at a 1600x1200 resolution for a total resolution of 1600x2400.

Johnny Chung Lee has a webpage dedicated to practical applications for the Nintendo Wii.

So if your office is like our conference room and your contemplating a Nintendo Wii acquisition - his white board project may be just the tool your office needs!

My weekly trek to COMPUSA left me in the doldrums this week.

In pursuit of the best deal on their remaining inventory, I enterd the store yesterday and was dismayed at what had occured.

No more redshirt employees (maybe they finally started watching Star Trek?).

No more shelves stocked with tons of goodies.

Just a lot of shrink wrapped junk like the photo above.

Well, that and Apple One Care plans and Microsoft Software.

And a large shelf full of monitor supports at 40% off.

And the laptops? Still hanging in there at 10% off.

Of course "off" is from full retail, which is about 10% higher than COMPUSA's normal prices.

The only upside is no one tried to sell me the bogus warranty/insurance...

Students and clients often ask me what the most important piece of equipment is to have a paperless office and I always answer the same - monitors!


As this photo of my work office shows - I have three Samsung 21" Monitors mounted on a one pole, three monitor stand.

This setup mazimizes desk space, allows room for keyboards, scanners, mice, iphone charging stand and laptops beneath.

Each monitor runs at 1600x1200 so three of them provide 4800x1200 or effectively six side by side 8.5"x11" pieces of paper.

Each monitor is run by a different machine/laptop/computer, all of which are tied together to keyboard and mouse by using one fabulous piece of software called Multiplicity.