The various digital technologies and products we use ca. 2021
|
|
-What We Use- |
Fox
Engineering Inc.
PO Box 215 Spencerville, MD 20868 |
| Hardware | ||
| Computers: Most of the desktop computers we use are DELL, in fact they are Dell OPTIPLEX computers of various models. These include Dell Optiplex 3050, 5050, 7050, 5070, 5080, 5000 desktop computers. Most have core M.2 or SATA SSDs for the main storage hosting the operating system. Years ago we saw an Optiplex and became enamored by the technology Dell used and our ability to rapidly change components without tools. In recent years, the main drive has gone from hard drive (HDD) to M.2-type storage (SSD). In fact changing a hard drive and most other non-motherboard devices only takes about 5 minutes! We acquire the Optiplex computers refurbished, sometimes rework the configurations, and put them to use. Easy to fix if needed (rarely), easy to update, and they work just fine. RECOMMEND DELL OPTIPLEX | ||
| Dell OPTIPLEX 780 |
Intel Pentium Dual Core (E5700)
2.93 Ghz w/8 GB Memory |
|
| My general workhorse computer
platform. |
Dell OPTIPLEX 3020 | Intel Core i5-4590 w/16 GB Memory |
| Dell Optiplex 7020 Mini Tower
construction with 1 external slot for main
drive "plug in." This enables different HDD or SDD drives with
completely different operating systems for experimentation. (Orinco
plug in drive adapter for 3.5" drives) |
Intel Core i5-4590 CPU w/16 GB Memory | |
| Servers: - No longer in use servers (moved to NAS devices) | ||
| Netbook Computers - No longer use Netbook Computers | ||
| Laptop Computers
-
We like the Thinkpad family, originally IBM but now Lenovo.
However with the tablet technology, we don't use
laptops very much anymore. If we travel by car, we take the
laptop...it is bigger, not so weighty, and highly functional. RECOMMEND THINKPAD |
Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 12 | 12" laptop/tablet. A Windows 11 laptop/tablet convertable with PEN. Nice interesting device. Surprise, it uses the same pen input as the older Motion Computing tablet. |
| Lenovo Thinkpad X131e |
12" laptop. Saw this advertised as a refurbished computer for a tiny dollar amount and gave it a whirl. Basically nice, runs Windows 10 nicely. Also changed the hard drive to a solid state drive to improve speed. Not too bad. Published memory limit is 8 GB using two 4 GB SODIMM memories. However putting in two 8 GB SODIMM memories (total 16 GB) worked just fine. |
|
| We
ventured into Chromebook
using this Lenovo Thinkpad 11E Chromebook. The hardware platform
is designed for school use (rugged!) and is available with Chrome or
Windows. The platform is really good - BUT - Google stopped
supporting the Chrome Operating System for devices over 5 years
old...no longer updateable!! Thus Chromebooks are NOT RECOMMENDED |
Lenovo Thinkpad
11E Chromebook |
11.6" basic
Chromebook using the
Google operating system and browser. |
| Lenovo Thinkpad 11e Windows, if
suitable, RECOMMENDED |
Lenovo Thinkpad 11E Windows |
11.6" basic laptop (touch screen
or non-touch) using the Windows operating system and assortment of
applications. |
| Tablet
Computers - Part I -
We've used a Motion Computing M1200 for many years and still like all
the writing features. It was great during conferences and
taking class notes, and with two battery packs and some "lunchtime"
connections to the electrical grid, 8 hour computing is very
practical. Windows XP is no longer supported. This tablet
is no longer used. |
Motion M1200 | Intel Pentium 900 Mhz w/2 GB memory and Windows XP (tablet) SP3 |
| Tablet
Computers - Part II -
We use a variety of more recent tablet computers for various purposes: Microsoft Surface 4 Pro - we like this one very much and have used it extensively on travel. Its small size, light weight, and compact case make it handly for checking e-mails and writing blogs while on the road. As it is a full version of Windows, we can use a variety of tools. Web browser and Word are the two most used applications. Surface 4 pro also has an active pen (using AAAA batteries). Runs Windows 10 pro. RECOMMENDED. (Note: several versions have been released since the 4 Pro...to my view, basically same except maybe more memory and faster processor...but for my needs, no need to upgrade). Microsoft Surface GO - we like this one too and its even better for travel and table top working in resturants. Although smaller in size the keyboard is OK (takes getting used to) and in my case the base model, storage and performance OK. It is not a powerhouse computer, but for simple editing, browsing, e-mail, spreadsheet use, it is sufficient. Subsequent to the August release, an model with more storage/memory was released and that may be a better way to GO. Runs Windows 10 home. Cannot run Windows 11, thus NOT RECOMMENDED. Microsoft Surface GO 2 - same as above with a slightly wider screen image. Also got more memory and more SSD storage - but not the fastest available. Plenty sufficient for use on travel. Runs Windows 10 - capable of running Windows 11. RECOMMENDED. Apple iPAD Mini - We have a later version and although an interesting device especially its very light weight, but we've had our difficulties with it. Early on, we used an earlier iPAD to take notes using the soft keyboard. This required a lot of switching between alpha and character modes...very unsmooth. Then, since IOS doesn't have a visible file system, it is possible to lose notes VERY quickly if one doesn't e-mail them away periodically. Printing is much more complex (I haven't been successful yet), and the lack of a file system and moving files back and forth via the home network makes it ..NOT RECOMMENDED. Lenovo Tab4-8 - The concept of a mini tablet is still important, mostly as a consumption device while on travel or just lounging around, but also e-mails and note taking. We recently tried this Android platform as a replacement for the Apple iPad Mini and are greatly impressed. We previously looked at a 10" Android tablet but I felt it was too big as a consumption device and in the particular case, there was no security updates even with the same (version 6) of Android. The Lenovo Tab4-8 in six months has already updated at least 3 or 4 times. AND since Android has a visible file system we can move files from the home network to the tablet and leverage the tablets portability to view file content...in some cases no more paper needed. Update: The Tab4-8 only had 16GB of storage and we couldn't find a way to store applications on the SD card; we ran out of room for applications. For limited numbers of applications it is more than sufficient, but in our case change was needed. NO LONGER RECOMMENDED. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" - With the need for more storage of applications, we went with the Tab A 8" for the same reasons of using the Lenovo Tab4-8, except more storage was available. The tablet works the same way as the Lenovo although sound is better on the Lenovo. The operating system updates at intervals with security patches and like the Lenovo is is just a nice functional tablet - it is replacing paper when we go to various events and need read access to spreadsheets that convey important information. RECOMMENDED. |
Microsoft Surface 4 Pro Microsoft Surface GO Microsoft Surface GO 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" |
|
| Stick
Computers:
We've tried using some of the stick computers...literally a full
Windows computer on a stick that plugs into the HDMI port of a
TV. Full Windows 10 Home Edition, multi core, but often somewhat
slow and limited in memory. Single USB port for peripherals. We originally tired an Intel stick but that had some problems. We then tried the Lenovo stick, very similar to the Intel specifications (and it uses an Intel processor), and it has worked fine...including upgrades to Windows 10 1909! There's a newer generation of Stick Computers, many designed in China under an assortment of names. One key design in this generation of sticks is use of two USB ports - one v3, one v2; some have fans for cooling internally; some have Windows upgrade issues. Often they come with Windows 10 Pro, but use Group Policy settings to restrict Microsoft Windows updates/upgrades due to driver issues. On the T6 model I have, I was able to do upgrades to Windows 10 May 2020 update (v2004) successfully. A nice experiment, still trying to find a use for it. |
Lenovo Ideacentre Stick 300 |
Intel Atom Z3735F 1.33 GHz 2 GB DDR3 32 GB SSD 64 GB micro SD flash memory Intel Atom x5-Z8350 1.92 GHz 4GB memory 64 GB storage micro SD flash memory card |
| OldeTyme
Computers
(Obsolence Guaranteed) - We remember the old days with modern
recreations of the PDP-8 and PDP-11 computers. Check out Oscar's
sites at PiPiDP-8/I for all the good stuff about
the PiDP-8/I and PiDP-11/70 for the even better stuff about the PiDP-11/70, both pictured on top. RECOMMENDED. |
PiDP-8 PiDP-11 |
Raspberry Pi w/SIMH 8 Raspberry Pi w/SIMH 11 |
| FIOS Gateway
Router-
The FIOS gateway router provides the link to the Internet and FIOS
video services. However no computers are connected to this
gateway, rather all computer and network storage is connected via
other routers to provide appropriate network isolation. For our main household network, a second router connects to the FIOS gateway and provides for a double NAT configuration. All house computers connect via a switch to this router. A second router provides for a small wired and wireless network for testing various computers, thus isolating them from the household network. A third router provides yet another network to provision Internet Of Things (IOT) connectivity; again isolating IOT devices from the main household network. |
ActionTek | |
| Network Router-
Personally we like routers to be routers and access points to be
access points, although sometimes we use a router with a wireless for
simplicity. For added security we connect the FIOS gateway to
other routers which provide appropriate distribution of Internet
connectivity. This double router structure provides added
isolation for
added security. |
||
| Main System Router (FIOS to Router to Switch to Computer) - | Ubiquiti Edge Router ER-X |
Just a router...no WiFi just 4 ports. Advanced router with very capable configuration possibilities. |
| Test Network Router (FIOS to
Switch to Router/WiFi) |
Dynalink WiFi 6 AX3600 (DL-WRX36) |
Nice reasonable cost router and WiFi access point. |
| IOT Network Router (FIOS to
Router to Switch to Router/WiFi or wired device) |
Ubiquiti Edge Router ER-X xxxx |
Just a router...no WiFi just 4
ports, one connected to a fast ethernet switch. A localized router/wi-fi for IOT devices yielding a triple NAT connectivity to Internet but full isolation of main system resources. |
| Network
switches-
We like many of the TRENDnet products for our network switches, from
the 24-port and 16-port 10/100/1000
switches. The main switches connect to the internal wiring of
the house and permit various network services to be distributed to
locations in the house. Sometimes smaller 5 and 8 port
10/100/1000 switches help connect multiple
computers and devices to network resources. |
TRENDnet TEG-S24g |
24 port rackmount switch 10/100/1000 |
| TRENDnet TEG-S16Dg |
16 port rackmount switch
10/100/1000 |
|
| TRENDnet TE100-S16g |
16 port rackmount switch 10/100 only - suitable for IOT environment. |
|
| D-Link DWL-3200AP | 802.11g Power Over Ethernet Wireless Access Point | |
| KVM Switch
- We like the Star Tech KVM switch.
Allows for very effective space management when running multiple
computers or different configurations. RECOMMENDED |
StarTech SV431USB |
4 port, keybard, video, mouse
switch. Also has a rackmount adapter. Nice for a small
setup. |
| Network
Attached Storage - |
||
| The Synology is a test NAS for
small business (multiple users) usage. More complex and advanced
than the D-Link series, but offers stronger intrusion protection and
greater flexibility for the business environment. RECOMMENDED We're using the DS120j single drive as a means to backup the main system NAS via a NAS to NAS transfer. Exploring the possibilities. |
Synology DS118 Synology DS218 |
Single HDD; non-Intel processor;
good variety of NAS-based applications. Two HDD; non-Intel processor; structured as JBOD |
| We switched from D-Link NAS to
Synology NAS after some testing for small business applications - plus
we had some connectivity problems with early versions of Windows
10. Setting up a Synology NAS is more complex and advanced
than the D-Link series, but offers stronger intrusion protection and
greater flexibility for the business/SOHO environment. RECOMMENDED The plus series provides several high-end features of the Synology line; the "j" series provides a simpler stable of applications at a good low cost point. We've used the DS218 successfully as our main network storage; upgraded to the 220+ series to explore additional features available with Intel processor. RECOMMENDED |
Synology DS220+ Synology DS218 |
Dual HDD; Intel processor;
memory expandable; wide variety of NAS-based applications. Dual HDD; non-Intel processor; memory NOT expandable; rich variety of applications |
| Printers
- A mixture of laser and inkjet printers. All RECOMMENDED |
HP 2300 L with Jet network adapter | "A" size only; used for many years;
upgraded network card for more stability. |
| Epson Workforce 7720 w/three
different color cartridges, and two paper trays. |
Dual sided printing all sizes,
wide paper printing (A-Size and B-size) color, network (wired,
WiFi too but not used) printer. Also a Scanner that can accomodate
11x17 flatbed scans. |
|
| Software | |
| Operating Systems | Windows 10
- This was the mainstay system for
all our work. Provides a flexible
platform for various home, business, and enterprise users. Except
on rare occasions, the 64-bit versions are used. Windows 11 - We're using more of Windows 11 as Windows 10 goes out of support by 2026; also participating in the Windows 11 Insider program. |
| Office Suite | Microsoft Office,
versions 2013, 2019, and 2021. Basically only Word, Excel,
and
Powerpoint are used. We do not use the subscription versions
since we only use the basic functions and the esoteric additions
offered by the subscriptions generally do not serve our needs for basic
office suite. |
| LibreOffice
- For basic work, especially on some laptops, this is sufficient,
effective, and nicely evolving product; best of all it is free.
It seems to do very well with Microsoft Office files and vice
versa. |
|
| SoftMaker
; tried this low cost alternative instead of using Microsoft Office on
some test machines. It has features and operations that for us
are better than LibreOffice especially with boarders on
spreadsheets. Additionally cell word wrap is far superior than
LibreOffice and even Microsoft Office...wraps the text and expands the
line size with a simple click. We use often and really like the
feature. |
|
| Web Browser | FIREFOX
is our
choice, period. (would you expect Fox Engineering to use any other
named browser?) Chrome is also useful and we occasionally need to use it. |
| Mail Client | Thunderbird
is our
choice for reading and sending e-mails. Its faster
and easier than web mail, can be used offline, and can be used with
features that leave the e-mail on the Internet while on the road for
download when back home. Thunderbird also has a nice calendaring
feature. |
| Security Tools | Microsoft
Security Essentials for Windows platforms |
| Other Tools | |
| Other Stuff | |
| E-Book | Amazon Kindle
3 - Amazing. Price is now right. The Kindle application on
Android is just as good and we use that on the tablets. |
| Connectivity | Verizon FIOS
- Fast and reliable |