So you have these bleeding edge computers yet for some reason, you insist they're typical? For the record, 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' on my department's new Dell PCs says this: model name : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8200 @ 2.33GHz Its a quad core Intel machine just a few months old. I would suggest that its your experience that is atypical, not mine. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pia" <pmikeal@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 6:11 PM Subject: Re: Main advantages of SBL over Speakup > Hi John, > > Does your computer have an i7 CPU or equivalent or is it an earlier > generation? Specifically, the newest computer motherboards are being > manufactured with no serial ports, headers or otherwise. We order Dells > too and build our own. Usually we buy our motherboards from New Egg and > we are nit picky about each spec and so I guarantee that what I am saying > is accurate. I would argue that perhaps since you work for the math > department, you may not have the same demand for the bleeding edge like we > do in Structural Biology where we need to look at 3D models of viruses and > other small things in great detail. We love your University's job > distribution system named Condor BTW, thank you! :) Keep in mind though, > that the i7 will go from scientific number crunching geek, or gamer > technology to the norm in about a year or so. Therefore, motherboards > lacking a serial port are already here and coming down the pike quickly > for those who don't already have them. > > Regards, > > Pia > > On Thu, 11 Feb 2010, John G. Heim wrote: > >> Dude, my computer is not old. I work for the University of Wisconsin >> Department of Mathematics and we order 30 to 40 new desktops a year. >> Every >> one of them has had a serial port. Every single one. True, we order >> exclusively from Dell. So maybe Dell is a cut above wherever you get your >> computers from. But I recently built my own PC from parts I ordered from >> newegg and the mobo I bought has a serial port. >> >> Since you're building your own PCs, you might try double checking the >> specs >> on the motherboard. It may have a serial port header block but no >> external >> connection. If so, then you just need an adapter to go from the header >> block >> to the case. If you're building your own PCs, why don't you just order >> mobos >> with external serial ports? Or at least make sure it has a serial port >> header >> block and you can install the adapter just in the machines where you need >> a >> serial port. >> >> From: "Pia" <pmikeal at comcast.net> >> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." >> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 12:32 PM >> Subject: Re: Main advantages of SBL over Speakup >> >> >>> Totally agreed with you about the need for early boot messages to be >>> spoken. Your statement about most boxen having serial ports is >>> incorrect >>> though. At work we mostly order new Workstations with Cor i7 CPUs or >>> build them ourselves with similar specs. None and I mean none of the >>> motherboards have serial ports at all. If your computer does have a >>> serial port it is getting pretty old, it has an added serial card in an >>> expansion slot, or it is a server. >>> >>> Kind Regards, >>> >>> Pia >>> >>> On Wed, 10 Feb 2010, John G. Heim wrote: >>> >>>> Well, perhaps its a minor point but plenty of modern computers have >>>> serial >>>> ports. I've never seen a server that didn't have a serial port. In >>>> fact, >>>> except for laptops, I have yet to see a computer that doesn't have a >>>> serial >>>> port. That includes the 200 or so desktop units we have where I work. >>>> Even >>>> the machine I built myself has a serial port. >>>> >>>> It certainly is a huge over statement to say that having speakup in the >>>> kernel has no advantage. If you manage servers like I do, having >>>> speakup >>>> in >>>> the kernel is just about the most important thing there is for a screen >>>> reader. I don't really care that much about what happens after the >>>> machine >>>> is >>>> booted. About the only time I need a run time screen reader is if >>>> something >>>> is wrong with networking. But mostly, I can admin these machines >>>> remotely >>>> after they boot. >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Trevor Astrope" >>>> <astrope at tabbweb.com> >>>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." >>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> >>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 3:09 PM >>>> Subject: Re: Main advantages of SBL over Speakup >>>> >>>> >>>> Samuel, do you mean there is no kernel convention for accessing serial >>>> ports or there is no speakup support for accessing serial ports >>>> according >>>> to kernel conventions? >>>> >>>> It would be really great if speakup could use ttyS# devices, so speakup >>>> would work with modern motherboards that do not have built-in serial >>>> ports. The way I see it is speakup can only use software speech on >>>> modern >>>> computers, so unless it can access external serial ports or usb serial >>>> ports, there really is no advantage to speakup being in the kernel so >>>> far >>>> as I can tell... >>>> >>>> On Tue, 9 Feb 2010, Samuel Thibault wrote: >>>> >>>>> Bill Cox, le Tue 09 Feb 2010 14:23:25 -0500, a ?crit : >>>>>> I hear that it doesn't follow kernel >>>>>> programming conventions, for example in how it interfaces to the COM >>>>>> ports. >>>>> >>>>> Yes, because no such thing exists (yet). >>>>> >>>>> Samuel >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Speakup mailing list >>>>> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> >>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Speakup mailing list >>>>> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Speakup mailing list >>>> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Speakup mailing list >>> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Speakup mailing list >> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >
