Another reason why Apple Computers kick ass!

[Mr. Anderson]

Ok, so some of you might know I'm out in Phoenix for work till the end of the month. One thing that really sucks is that we're in a hangar working on our robotic aircraft scanning system and that the facilities aren't exactly great - I'll try to post a pic so you can see.

Well the other thing is that we have all our computers but no network connection - you see where I'm going with this :D Well, I'm the only one with a mac and we've been fighting Honeywell to get the internet connection running - they even supplied us with a 300MHz IBM machine for internet use, but they've only hooked up the land lines and not configured the computer. Due to bureaucratic issues it requires more than one person to do the work. So while we're still waiting for the IT technician I hooked my TiPB up to the connection and started playing.

The DHCP server gave me an IP address, but Honeywell has some heavy net security and I need to have proxy servers set up for everything. I checked the servers list in the connect to menu off of the Finder and found dozens. One of them was named ISAPPLE, so I selected it. In there were a few machines, but one of them was a name of the users computer. Looking him up in the Honeywell directory I gave him a call.

Long story short: Honeywell got rid of anyone who officially supports macs, anyone of the few people who have Apple's support each other. So he passed me along to a guy who new the Proxy settings and hooked me up.

This morning I had one of the Honeywell employees working with us to provide a the login and password et voila! I'm the only one in my group here with an internet connection!! :D

Got to love macs!

D

[szark]

Great story, Duke!!

[hesdeadjim]

I syour work directly related in robotics? Do you actually desing the robots or do you just work on the circuitry? Sorry for the questions, is just kind of interesting to me since I'm studing it right now.

[Mr. Anderson]

I'm working on the 3D part of the robot. The robot needs to find its self and the aircraft in the hangar, all in 3D, so it can position the sensors at a known location on the airframe. This way the data can be used to determine where on the aircraft the problems are and what parts are needed to be fixed.

Here's a pic from the Hangar in Baltimore.

D

[eyelikeart]

he he he...excellent duke! :D

I love it whenever I'm able to tackle something that most pc users have a problem doing...

and it's even better when I'm able to do it with ease...such as u did... ;)

[yzeater]

Very cool story Duke. BTW, we made the trip from Northern VA to Pheonix this summer, there's really a stark contrast in the terrain, isn't there;)

[Mr. Anderson]

Yes it is a stark contrast and until I actually went to see some of the parks (Tonto National Forest this past weekend) I was really wondering why anyone would prefer to live here, especially when you hear about the heat and such that you get in the summer. But the surrounding area is truly amazing - I'm not going to have enough time to see everything I want. I'll have to come back.

D

[yzeater]

We stayed in Sedona and at the Phoenecian in Scottsdale. The Phoenecian was simply amazing. About the same level as the Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs. Sedona is a great town, we stayed at Enchantment, another wonderful place. If you like granola, they have THE ABSOLUTE BEST ever. We also drove out to Lake Powell. It's an amazing lake, but the accomodations were lacking. BTW, Arizona feels like a blowdryer in the summer:D

[ooagentbender]

I live in tucson and I make many trips up to phoenix when im home from college during the summer, not to mention my uncle lives up there. I have grown up in the desert all my life, and though it may get extremly hot during the summer and cold during the winter, I have always found it to be one of the most beautiful places ive been (I go to college in hawaii). I think the reason so many people move out to the two towns is because they get hooked once theyre there. Hope yaou enjoy your stay and get to go on a hike or two. Go check out camelback mountain if your looking for an easy trail.