Blessings, Curses, and Resolutions: 2014

I'm blessed and I know it. There aren't very many guys (or gals) out there that have as many "toys" as I have. With my main hobbies of computing, photography and audio/video, I have pretty much everything that I need, and most things that I want. Sure, I don't shoot pictures with a Leica, don't have a 100" projection screen with a bunch of high-end components running the sound, but I'm good with what I do have. And of course, I'm fairly overrun with computing equipment. All this puts me in this current situation of having everything, but with nothing working at an optimal state.

I'm sure most of you have probably come to the conclusion that I'm about to make a resolution. Actually, it's more like resolution(s), or a resolution in multiple parts. So here's what I need to deal with: I have to run counter to my nature. By that, I mean that I have to suppress that very thing that I'm really good at.... planning and finding bargains to fit those plans. Plus, I'm kind of an "idea man", I'm just not the best in execution. Actually, that's not completely true. I tend to do very well, when I've fired up and motivated by some specific goal, and I'll work incessantly at it till I get it done. I'm just not much of a grinder, or somebody who will plug away at something over a long time. I tend to lose interest and move on to something else if I don't get something finished, or if I'm interrupted. So it's my intention to take my rather long list of semi-finished projects and "git-er done"! What are they?

In my mind, my little home server looks like this! Ever since I loaded "Vail", the Windows Home Server 2011 update to the original WHS, I've never fully gotten it configured correctly. 

Part of the problem is that one of the two SSDs that I picked up for the Highpoint RocketCache drive controller failed, so I need to resolve that one of two ways. I need to either get another 32Gb SSD giving me the fully allotted 64Gb of cache that this controller can use, or I need to just get a 64Gb drive and use just one. I believe their specs show that running two is faster, but it's probably not enough to make much of a difference. It'll probably end up coming down to whichever I find a better deal on, or whatever I can "trickle down" from an upgrade somewhere else. As crazy as this sounds, I actually have a spare Samsung 128Gb SSD. This could go into one of the two HTPCs which would give up it's 64Gb SSD for the cache drive, or I can use a spare 50Gb SSD for that purpose, and eliminate the need to shuffle drives!

Of course, that doesn't address the bigger headache of getting that server configured properly and all the computers on it so it can serve it's intended purpose. 

.....Which of course is this. To be the center of our digital life! This one is going to be the "bear". That's understood! I know what I know because I managed desktop support, not servers! I'll get it done though. Is there a trickier project on the horizon?

You Bet! What's so tricky about this? It's the replacement/upgrade to my wife's T61. Now you understand. There can be no slip-ups on this! The make it even trickier, I want to do a little drive shuffling. Even the upgrade to the T500 won't be able to take advantage of the SATA-III interface on the SanDisk Extreme II drive in her old machine. So my intention is to take the 256Gb SATA-II Samsung from my desktop and put it in the new machine and use her Extreme II SSD when I rebuild my desktop on the Ivy Bridge motherboard. This would allow me to upgrade without buying anything. There's going to be a little "tap-dancing" going on!

Last resolution this year? A little bit less of this! What is it? As you can see, it's an Intel 320 SSD. I got a GREAT deal on it. It's brand new, 30Gb+ bigger than the 128Gb that's in my X301 right now, AND it supports TRIM, so it should run better for longer than what's in there. Oh yeah..... I paid $50 for it locally off of Craigs List. That's really a great deal, but the fact is, I didn't need it. The X301 gets along fine with the Samsung 128Gb SSD in it. Which points to the fact that, as good of a deal of it was, I didn't need to do it. It's not like the old manual lenses I bought. It doesn't serve a real purpose. So, it's my intention to make 2014, a purposeful year for the Frugal Propellerhead. It doesn't mean, I won't buy, but only to do so out of need. Next time, I'll examine what it is that I see as real needs for the upcoming months.