ejsaunders

CPC sell various models, either a dongle type for keyboards/mice or a more advanced one for things like barcode scanners (altho I have had luck once with one, but it emulated a keyboard so it worked with a keyboard adaptor - note too, that KEYBOARD PS2 and MOUSE PS2 are sometimes wired differently depending on manufacturer, so sometimes using the correct type, i.e. keyboard for keyboard type devices, or moose for mice type, works better than genericly taking the green mouse one off a MS mouse). CPC | CPC - Over 100, 000 products from one of the worlds leading distributors of electronic and related products.

Do you have an onsite tester for NIC/cables? I'd try checking one of the known working ones and then test the port on the faulty laptop and see if anything's crossed or whatever, and if you have a more expensive tester than just whats connected to what, run that on it and check it out. Also, have you tried a X-patch cable (crossed), I had one Realtek card once that NEVER liked uncrossed pair cable, it only worked on crossed, and I took months to figure it out, and even RT couldn't tell me why it made any difference to the NIC. Worth a try to save you sending it back.

Whats your network running on? My first thought was touchscreen, but kids will be kids, and parent's are parents, this makes it more a 'if I won the lotto and was being nice' scenario in my book. Yeah, it does cut down on mice/keyboards, leads, H&S, and people breaking stuff by tripping over things that someone's unplugged and decided to wind around something (depends if its to be left on all day too?) but its expensive. What about a customised ITX box, with say on-board proc, gc, snd, etc in a locked cabinet, with a TFT and a trackerball-keyboard combo? You could get a local cabinet maker to make a nice surround for mounting it all in as a kiosk, and if you don't fancy trackballs, well CPC I know do keyboards with trackpads, which most people are used to these days. I would go with a computer that would boot into Kiosk mode or at least some type of locked-down browser that was perhaps linked directly to the Intranet for the info, so they can't run programs, etc, its just iexplore as the shell or whatever (maybe one of those safer secure, cut down browsers). Or, something running Linux that could boot over the NIC, pickup the gubbins, and then display a special desktop or the Intranet page. I'd certainly go with locking down everything into one easy to manage space though, as I say, probably a section of the school Intranet that I'd catered specifically for THAT PC, change the browser ID to something so its auto redirected to that content. So, sorry to waffle, but I'd say, get a cheap ITX or such mobo deal, build a nice case, mount a TFT at suitable height, cut hole for keyboard and mount that in the case too so it can't be messed with or unplugged and get it to boot straight from NIC to Intranet if its purely for info purposes. Its one of those things that sounds amazing, but never works in practice though I can tell you.. Unless you have a lot of very inquisitive parents and your school has no annual report and they have to come and see it in person, I doubt it's gonna get much use aside from a novelty. Oh, and there are those touchscreen adaptors that fit over TFTs... A future upgrade if it takes off perhaps?

Ah sorry I was really busy when I read through, got the NAS but not the story, so I'd say, if its storage, add more drives or replace the current for larger, on existing or use external storage like eSATA to add space. Is it necessary for everyone to intergrate with the existing logins, or can people share space?

I've been using the ICYBOX at home for (well more than one tbh), for a while now, and they're amazing. Not sure if it works on a network with integration into its authenticaton systems, but it works fine for simple users. Could you have people access the NAS with a simple login, or is it that you want more secure, no delete other's files, type of storage? They do however also make network boxes that can take upto 8Tb. And I would recommend them through and through. Have used Buffer Low, and tbh, they don't do what it says on the tin, except maybe you should 'recycle' it. If you have the space however, I'd probably just add more storage to the existing hardware you have than to add a NAS, but it depends on what you're intending to do with it? Is it for pupils, staff, media storage (i.e. for say VirtualDrive?)

Other thought, Mozilla Sunbird, unless you're really tied into Outlook?

Adding a time zone to Outlook - Office Watch Try this, you can make custom time-zones as far as I've been able to read with the program listed.

I found someone trying exactly the same thing on another forum, but there was a guy from MS suggested it was impossible in general, without some sort of custom scripting if at all but this was in an earlier version, what version are you currently using?

Clarke Mini Air Compressor - Wiz - Machine Mart Clarke Air Spray Kit - Indy - Machine Mart I use the second one, with a moisture trap, its not silent, so if you have the budget, buy a silent one if you intend to use it while the room is empty but there are still lessons going on, but its portable and well priced. Clarke Shhh Air 30 Quiet Run Compressor - Machine Mart The last is silent, with a built in moisture trap, and doesn't need oil (always a PITA and possibly a contaminant when spraying electrical equipment). THIS: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Palmgren-92102-Tankless-Shoulder-Compressor/dp/B00068U8BW]Amazon.com: Palmgren 92102 HipShot 2 Amp Tankless Shoulder Strap Compressor: Home Improvement[/ame] is the one I was thinking about that is new, but I can only find it in the states atm, if anyone finds a UK link, please post it as its got amazing reviews from several US schools (which is where I heard about it).

But, bear in mind, that an airbrush operates at the most at 50-80PSI, not at 3000 like a SCUBA tank. There's plenty of literature on filling old tanks at the garage pump online if you want to go that route, but I'd still say, portable compressor is easier to carry than a cylinder.

Haha, I just read that Diflouro can actually catch fire... FROM STATIC! How muppety is that, apparently they use Triflouro mostly these days, especially if it says "static safe" on the can. Most have bittering agents added, and are Triflo so they are safe for use on electrical equipment, but both are still asphyxiants, and while its unlikely you'll die in a large volume of air (its heavier than air), you could possibly die (several reported cases in the states where muppets have used it to get a high from oxygen starvation) if you inhaled it directly from the can. Also, apparently, don't shake, as its compressed at a LOW PSI, so it will mix the air and gas and defeat the purpose of it, and therefore spray more liquid than gas, wasting it. Store below 25 degrees C and it'll last longer too.

I've got friends who do airbrushing with SCUBA, and they refill at the pumps (you know the air comp at the garage), dunno if they change the connector, or they refill at home in the garage if they have a big compressor for doing stuff like cars, or whatever.

There is NO air at all in there, there is only the gas, which is self-propelling in most cans. Its highly dangerous as it is a bit like Monoxide, if you inhale enough, it will replace your oxygen and you can't oxygenate your blood, so *bump*... Usually its an ethane, like Difluoroethane

God, third today, I've been searching since I've nothing better to do today, and as far as I can tell, there appears to be no major imperative for cleaning aside from parents evening or some sort of formal event. The only things I can think of are: * Outbreaks of something contagious (i.e. give the keyboards a wipe after you know the dude had haemorragic fever) * Hygiene for kids/staff who (cough) smoke (cough) and leave your keyboards nicotine yellow * Monitors (mostly non TFTs) CAN cause headaches at the best of times, if there's filth all over it, its likely to make it worse * Whiteboards/etc vandalised are a nuisance, or if teachers PERSIST in using permanent marker on them, get THEM to clean it off with IPA wipes I generally give them a wipe at all the term breaks if I'm feeling generous and not on holiday and ask some of the kids who're interested/lustful (you know the ones, usually called Nick Rogeringam-Sideways or Cecil) of IT to come in and then they get a game of quake2 to test the machines are working or last class of term helps me. Just obviously if you get kids involved, wear protection, make THEM wear it, and don't let them inhale compressed air since its not really air in the sense you can breath it and not die. Reminds me of the time I forgot to lock the cleaning cupboard door and found a sixth former...

This stuff: http://cpc.farnell.com/servisol/100002000-400ml/servisol-foamcleanser-30-400ml/dp/SAFOAMCLEANSER is fantastic. Spray, leave it on a bit, let it foam off (it goes intoa liquid), then wipe, removes almost anything. Probably take the hair of bill bailey's back! It smells funky too, it used to say "lavender" on the can, now it doesn't, but meh, I like it whatever. Some smell like incontinent cats, the CPC own brand isn't bad either, its cheaper and works the same, but the smell is different.

Just a FYI since someone might want to know, you can get a moisture trap for a compressor, and there IS one for computers, its a transportable compressor with a strap to wear it too, but personally, I like the INDY 5000, but I'm unsure if its still manufactured. Its a bit heavy, but it has a handle for carrying and you generally leave it on the floor if you start spraying. Also, a tank-based is best for long-term jobs, there isn't enough pressure for a good blow if its really clogged on a non-tank (I'm also an artist, and use airbrushes regularly) model. If you don't have a tank, let it 'charge' between blows so there's some air in the tinky built-in tank, and the hose, or do short sharp blasts. Don't use a huge 2Ltr tank one tho, unless you're alone, it'll sound like a tank being humped by a rhino. B&Q do two these days that are portable, but this one has a small tank: http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9376648&bqrefcmp=AW&bqrefcre=AW_AFFILIATES&ecamp=aff-p9-awin-001

Get a couple of the nerdy kids (if you're a secondary) and some valved mist masks, goggles from the science dept and a variety of cleaning fluids (i.e. antistatic foaming cleaner, Isopropyl alcohol, etc) and scrub away. H&S wise, if you wanna be more boring, only you should handle it, using the correct things like a valved mask for vapours and VOCs, I use the 3M half-face mask for painting, the blue one you can get in B&Q. Wear gloves, preferably chemical resistant ones (also available from B&Q, but most places sell vinyl gloves that look like rubber gloves for washing up). Use foaming cleaner for stains on cases, screens etc use antistatic screen cleaner for TFTs and monitors of the normal persuasion use isopropyl alcohol for pens, inks, whiteboard markers on IWBs or permanent ink on anything use static reduction polish for a nice smell, a shine, and less dust in your babies afterwards Suggest plenty of J-cloth (CPC do rolls), or pop in the pound shop, some dusters, some long-sticked cotton buds (CPC), plenty of rubber gloves if you don't want to use the more restrictive vinyl gauntlet type (I prefer latex), a waterproof overall (B&Q, CPC) so you don't mess your clothes up, a portable compressor and attachment for blowing the shite out of stuff, goggles, the mask, and your selection of music, since its VERY boring, particularly if you do it on your own.

Here's a pic of my version: ICYBOX 2X3.5" RAID0,1 GIGABIT LAN + 2 XUSB2.0 SATA HDD KUTU [iB-NAS4220-B] - $189.00 : Dijital Trend : Teknoloji Distribütörü It runs a variety of server softwares for things like music, downloading torrents (ahem), allows you to share printers via the USB ports (one front one back, but both seem to accept hubs and dont moan), RAID or JBOD, plenty of options and very easy to setup.

Hated Corel, and don't get me started on that damn Gallery of theirs. Eventually we used Xara or Visio for layout of technical drawings and charts. Some of the stations still use Corel Draw 4-10, but none use 12 its just a waste of your time to support IMO. I did at one point give the dude a disconnected machine that was ONLY connected to the CNC and that had #12 on it, but fool let kids use it unsupervised and it was constantly needing ghosting. Shame I only learnt about those Reborn cards of late, that'd be most useful for it, but the comp no longer exists now. Not sure about supporting the files in something else, I'll try loading on 12 and seeing if it opens in Xara if I get a moment.

Its a bit more expensive but I went with a ICYBOX and two 1Tb hard drives (so, two 500Gb would be cheaper). CPC also do a lot of configurable NAS boxes that you add your own hard drives to: Drives - Flash/Hard/Floppy/CD/DVD | CPC Bought the ICYBOX from Overclockers, its got the faster HITATCHI Tb drives, but I usually buy Seagate.

First suggestion, EPS9 lines, try and get community/other schools involved (its a type of leased line), my old job had them run the line from the ISP to the school, then we provided the lines for other schools in the area (i.e. to the primary schools). You choose the line driver then, so you can manage the modem, our first one was 512Kb, but the connection was Ethernet (so ~10Mb). Or broadband-over-satellite would be my second suggestion, or, and hit me if I'm confused, but BT used to do leased lines for schools, that were reasonable, at the time, BT could do a 1Mb for about a grand a year, and we were paying a grand (from the NGfL slush) for a 512Kb EPS9... You could bridge several 512Kb lines of BB together, thats the other thing, if you have the funds and only 512Kb line speeds.

Alas they seem to love SATA, but not PATA: Drives - Flash/Hard/Floppy/CD/DVD | CPC I'll keep my eyes on the weekly sales catalogues, maybe they're not listed yet.

I use these personally, it does SATA and IDE, OK its not a dock, but it works fine for me. Takes both 2.5 and 3.5" IDE and SATA UNBRANDED|PSG02625|CONVERTOR, SATA/IDE TO USB 2.0 | CPC

Best your gonna get in PATA is a 750Gb, I'd recommend the Seagate's SEAGATE|ST3750640A|DRIVE,3.5" ATA100 750GB 16MB,SEAGATE | CPC