Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

Does anyone have a photo of "Windows 2000" on the ad screens? If so, please post it. A few people on my team want one and didn't manage a picture.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

It's on the blurry side... but:





The computers controlling the ad screens obviously run Windows 2000... what we saw on the screen was the default Win2k screensaver, where the 2000 logo moves around the screen.

(The picture was from Thursday night's driver meeting... but it's the same thing that happened during the finals).

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

Thanks, Marc. A blurry picture is worth a lot more than none. It was one of those priceless Windows moments we had to have.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

That's hilarious. You think they would have had that figured out when the system was installed.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

The "ads" was the computer system failing, rebooting, and then the screen saver going on. I think Woz got a kick out of seeing it...

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

Yeah. I didn't even expect that these ad boards would be treated as displays for screen savers to be shown on. I'd guess at a special serial connection or something.

Somehow, I always think that systems like this (in this case displaying lo-rez, low- depth images with transitions) would be run by some tiny box with little or no software — like scrolling message boards. Then I see a blue screen, screen saver... It seems like a waste and misuse of an already bad computer. Still funny.

------------EDIT-------------
Bah! Slow typing.
That's why I put "ads" in quotes ;)
I forgot about Woz being there... Heh.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

I thought it was pretty funny when I first saw it during the drivers meeting, then pointed it out to a few other students on our team (coach/driver) who also thought it was funny.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

General purpose computers are cheaper, especially when you don't pay the maintenance person enough! ;)

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

I noticed it also, I thought it was really funny to watch all the ads stop then Windows pop up then crash. I started to laugh when it kept doing it for a few mins, but then it just got sad.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

Man, that was funny. I dunno how many people noticed, but it was also going on during the finals! Go GNU/Linux!

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

I saw it too, but I couldn't figure out what was causing it to crash. Also, different screens had different parts of the splash screen. Whatever the case, it was pretty funny.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

I don't think it was crashing. It looked like the default screen saver, the one where the logo pops up in different parts of the screen.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

Yes,
it was the "middle" strip out of a 640x480 PC display. It had the MS-Windows 2000 generic screen saver slowly bouncing around the screen.

So, sometimes the sign board were black, sometimes they showed the windows logo, and sometimes they showed just a sliver.

I've got it on video and will upload a fram grab as a JPEG tonight.

I wish I could have done "ctrl, alt, del" and fixed it. It drove us crazy. I thought somebody was messing with the house lights.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

Everything that ad server computer does can be done by Windows, it was just configured incorrectly. No need for Linux...

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

Like someone said, I would think that they would have a simple microcontroller like the scrolling marquees you can buy for like $30. This is just another example of someone trying to over-complicate something that doesn't need to be. I guess Georgia needs to learn the KISS rule :rolleyes:

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

It's really not fair to judge their system without knowing what all it is made of. I'm sure whatever company the Georiga Dome had install the system made will-informed decisions for a reason.

Besides, do you really want $XX,XXX of ads runing on a $30 microcontroller?

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

The computer is probably easier to update. When you are building a multi-million dollar facility, is a single <$1,000 computer really going to hurt that much?

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

If these microcontrollers I was talking about were tied into a network that had a server which communicated with the microcontrollers and telling them which LED's to light and which color. It would probably be more reliable, and simpler. If I'm not mistaken, right now they are basically just using the boards as a second monitor (which is why the screensaver showed up). My way would be a lot simpler.

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

I also second why a "$30 microcontroler" would not work. If you watch the messages they contain company logos and other complex pictures that would be eaiser upload with a typical Windows/Mac computer. they may be used as a single moniter with each screen a diferent part of the "master screen"

Re: Picture Request: Microsoft "Ads" at Finals
 

They used the computer and look what happens all the time. A microcontroller wouldn't crash, get viruses, or show a screensaver. Think of the digital picture frames being sold. You can just load the image onto a memory card and insert it. What could be easier then that? A $30 microcontroller could be, in the end, better then a $1,000 computer.