Re: Sunday Morning idle queries ??

William Case wrote:

Thanks Patrick;

Just a little note below that does not require a response.

On Mon, 2008-07-07 at 08:12 -0430, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:

On Sun, 2008-07-06 at 13:05 -0400, William Case wrote:

Hi Max and Patrick;

On Sun, 2008-07-06 at 10:40 -0430, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:

On Sun, 2008-07-06 at 10:16 -0400, William Case wrote:

Hi;

[snip]

I have been thinking about your suggestions all morning.  I have decided
to develop the following strategy.  If you have a better suggestion let
me know.

1) Start by using mainly cut and paste from wherever I can find info.
2) Using NoteCase in conjunction with FreeMind to begin organizing data
conceptually and storing the details.
3) Begin with hardware (and perhaps the prerequisite drivers even if
drivers are technically software) so that I can develop a basic
understanding of the physical limitations and problems that software has
to overcome for each different type of use.
4) As I go through the hardware list, perhaps I will pickup the
applicability and use of various pieces of software.
5) So far I have the following list of hardware, off the top of my head,
that seems to play a role:
        RJ45; Twisted Pair Cable
        CATV; Coaxial Cable
        USB
        Wireless
        NIC
        RAM (how used for sockets, caches, DMA etc. by media hardware)
        Audio Card/Chip
        Video Card/chip
        CD/DVD Drive
        CD Disk
        DVD Disk
        Digital Still Picture Camera
        Digital Video Camera
        WebCam
        TV Tuners

Any suggestions of additions or deletions gratefully accepted.

You'll end up writing the Encyclopedia of Computer Hardware. Very much
off the top if my head, I think it would be better first to establish a
frame of reference: start with a quick survey of the basic principles of
digital media, such as the A/D and D/A conversion, compression and
packetizing techniques, streaming, buffering and synchronization, then a
discussion of the various popular wrapper formats (Quicktime, Real,
Flash, DVD etc.). After that, you can get into specifics of how the
multiple architectures that have evolved allow us to deal with all this
(or not).

I have popped your suggestions into my outline.  I have to find out what
A/D and D/A conversion is.  (I haven't looked it up yet).

Actually, I have managed to read and cut and paste about half the
hardware specs and/or data sheets since yesterday.  It is not that
difficult for me.  I have traced already how basic I/O, how CPU and
memory work; from wall plug to initd.  I now know where to look for
tutorials, manuals, data sheets and schematics for most computer
hardware and software parts and pieces now.  I have taught myself C so I
could read source code.  I used to make my living analyzing programs,
policies and businesses; pulling them apart and putting them back
together looking for logic gaps and then documenting my findings.  I am
retired so I have the time; and I enjoy coming to understand new things;
and get extremely frustrated when I don't.

If I keep everything focused on my own system, as it currently exists,
it shouldn't be that difficult and could be useful to others.  My system
is no where out of the norm.

Bragging a little; and putting things into perspective for me and you.

--
Bill Davidsen <davidsen@xxxxxxx>
  "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot

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