VER the past few years I have accumulated new workstations, which joined what would become ‘legacy hardware’. The neat thing is that modern workstations can collaborate with the older ones and greatly benefit from their existence, e.g. for backup purposes or the use as a remote terminal. The key step is that which involved delegating tasks to each workstation, depending on its available capacity.
Currently, I have three machines at work. Ubuntu Linux is my pride with an admirable uptime (09:57:27 up 148 days, 1:47, 5 users, load average: 0.04, 0.05, 0.01
), but there is also a Windows box and a Mac, none of which I bother to switch on anymore. There is one more computer at the University (SuSE), one at home (SuSE), and a laptop that I recently handed over to my sister. If it counts, I still have a Pentium at home, but it runs Windows 98 and it is not even connected to a source of power. It simply lies in storage and occasionally brings back memories from my mid-teens.
Giving up on one of my jobs is something I decided to do last week. I will still be left with another job, as well as the full-time Ph.D., on which I must concentrate. Thesis composition should probably start within weeks.
This departure from the job will leave me with 3 machines less. A post on my resignation should come up soon, once all is confirmed. I am obliged to come in for my last afternoon of duty tomorrow. I am saddened to think that the better choice was to resign. But not doubt it was.