syslog - A journal of my machine history

Though it may feel like nostalgia, this post is honeslty just an article I’ve been meaning to write for ages. I have loved and have been very fortunate to have had access to computers and what they can do since I was maybe 6 years old. I still remember putting in a Pokemon card into the floppy drive of the first ever desktop, hoping that a wild Pikachu would appear, and never hearing the end of it from my Dad haha.

This is just a list of all the laptops and (who am I kidding, one) desktops, in the reverse order of purchase year, I have owned over the years.

MacBook M1 Pro - 2022 (my current machine)

This MacBook is possibly the best machine that I’ve had in my brief time with computers. It has allowed me to render more than 20 Chrome tabs at once. WhoooopdeHOOOOO!🎉. Honestly, the amount of freedom, this machine has given me to explore different areas of technology, and not have to worry about the speed of execution is insane

Even though initially a lot of applications(majorly docker) did not support ARM architecture, and took quite some to develop a compatible version, it was worth the wait. Rosetta v2 provided great transcompilation for some applications that ran the previous configuration, but with a slight latency(unnoticeable at times tbvh).

This machine has honestly changed my view of Apple computers. I was skeptical about paying such a high price for the machine, but honestly, it’s been worth every penny, maybe even more.

Specifications:

Model : MacBook Pro - 2021
Screen Size: 16.2"
CPU: Apple M1 Pro
Memory: 16 GB
Core: 10 Core (2 Efficiency Cores + 8 Performance Cores)
OS: macOS Ventura

Dell Inspiron 15 5577 - 2018 (the bane of my existence)

My relationship with this laptop was complicated, to say the least. Sometimes, I’d be in love with it, and others, I’d want to strip it down and sell its parts away. Don’t get me wrong, the laptop gave me the base I needed for my freshman year of college. However, after the first year, I just couldn’t stand the fact that it was just SO difficult to run different software on it.

I wanted the flexibility of running docker and other applications that required docker. So naturally, I decided to dual-boot my system and install a Linux-based OS on my system, which is usually a simple operation. Partition the drive, boot with a live USB, and install the OS on the empty partition. Boy was I wrong. What I did not realize was that, when you have a graphics card, it takes a lot of trouble to install a second OS.

I ended up mistakenly wiping out FIFA, then installing Manjaro, which is an Arch Linux-based OS, realizing that my laptop did not render it properly, and then finally wiping the entire laptop, and installing Ubuntu, which used Intel graphics for the rest of the laptop’s life. Yes, a GeForce GTX 1050 was rendered useless. Also, did I tell you guys the hinges of the laptop just kept giving way every year? Yeah, I had a torrid time.

Honestly, even though this system still haunts me, it gave me some of my happiest memories. The late-night Counter Strike with my friends, the laptop I cracked my first job offer on, and the machine that kept me company throughout the pandemic. We had a good time.

Specifications:

Model : Dell Inspiron 15 - 5577 Gaming Laptop
Screen Size: 15.6"
CPU: Intel Quad-Core i5-7300HQ
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB VRAM
Memory:  8GB DDR4
Disk: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
OS: Windows 10 - 64 bit

HP Notebook 15-ac101tu - 2016 (what was I even thinking)

I have no idea why I had this laptop. It had just enough RAM to boot up. Bought this mainly for the purpose of using a system that could help me get through high school, and help prep for college. When it was time to go to college, I realized this laptop did not match the base criteria required for the courses at college and decided to buy one that had better specs.

Specifications:

Model : HP Notebook 15-ac101tu
Screen Size: 15.6"
CPU: Intel Core i3-5005U with Intel HD Graphics 5500
Memory:  4GB DDR3L + 4GB DDR3L(Later extended)
Disk: 1TB HDD
OS: Windows 10 Home - 64 bit

Dell Inspiron 15R - 2010 (first laptop in the household)

This beast of a machine was the top of the line back in 2012. With 2 Gigs of RAM and its metallic peacock blue color, it was one of the greatest things young Swadhin had ever seen. You have to remember, Laptops were very very new in households. This laptop taught me the importance of antiviruses and introduced me to the heavenly world of games. Possibly my point of fascination for the longest time was how the laptop still ran if there was no power cord attached to it. yes, the concept of batteries was something I did not understand.

I still remember my mother crying when she saw her sister’s newborn baby(my cousin), who was in the USA, from across the world in India. I believe that was the day when I realized, this weird little portable CPU box, is something that can truly change lives. Possibly the day when I fell in love with the world of computers.

Specifications:

Model : Dell Inspiron 15R
Screen Size: 15.6"
CPU: Intel Core i3-370M
Memory: 2GB DDR3
Disk: 500GB HDD
OS: Windows 7

Compaq Presario - 2006 (time to play cricket’07)

Spilled coffee, dropped ramen, faulty wires, and an uneven power supply. This computer really went through it all. Can you imagine a six-year-old child completing his homework, taking a shower, eating his greens, and drinking his milk on time, just to spend 15 mins allotted to him on the computer, every single day? Yeah, still dumbfounded by how disciplined I was to be very honest. But really, can you gauge the level of excitement?

My father used this system for office work, but eventually, bought it so that we could enjoy the system at home. It was one of the happiest days of my life. I had a personal PC. It was amazing. And yes, I used a poke card to see if Pikachu would come to life on my screen. This is what brought my computer time down from 30 to 15 minutes haha.

Specifications:

Model : Compaq Presario - SG3053IL
CPU: Intel Pentium (I have no clue which version)
Memory: 256GB (extendable to 2G, which I belive we got?)