[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Harnessing Unused Computer Power Over A Network

On Thu, 07 May 1998 18:28:44 -0700, Chris Albertson <chris@topdog.pas1.logicon.com> wrote:
*>Herbert R Johnson wrote:
*>
*>> would have some info. Web Search on the name... But our strong suit
*>> in TASS is the survey and our initial processing and "databasing" of
*>> the data. I'm personally intreigued by piles of 486 machines all playing
*>> Go or something but I've got other fish to fry.
*>
*>Herb,
*>
*>I think there _is_ a TASS related use for this:  Asteroid hunting.
*>
*>Finding a moving solar system object in the TASS database requires
*>downloading a bit of data then crunching on it for some time.  One
*>central program could accept requests from computers out on the 
*>Internet and assign them small areas it would keep track so as not
*>to assign the same area twice.  This is a good way to put a few
*>computers to work.

Considering the number of 486 computers sitting in dumpsters, and Pentiums
available at a few tens of dollars (for motherboards or processors at
100MHz or so), I'm not worried about finding work for computers. Seems to
me otherwise one computer working for hours (say while I'm asleep) could
do as well as several computers working for minutes. Given this kind of
problem is not REAL TIME, I'd trade time for CPU's. But if you want some
cheap Pentiums or 486's to stack up, I can find them for you: name
your budget, specifications, and schedule for delivery.

I have some thoughts on finding moving objects, which I will do as time
permits. Seems the first month of Spring has been very busy for me.

Herb Johnson

Herb Johnson

  **** ------------------------------------------------------ ****
Herbert R. Johnson                      voice 609-771-1503 day/nite
hjohnson@pluto.njcc.com                 Ewing, in central New Jersey, USA
http://pluto.njcc.com/~hjohnson

                 amateur astronomer and astro-tour guide
            resource for classic S-100 computers as "Dr. S-100"
   rebuilder/reseller of Mac Plus computers for your computing pleasure
     and senior engineer and asteroid spotter at Astro Imaging Systems