What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

I was just wondering what sort of computers people use for programming their robots. Last year we used an old 400 mhz amd processor with I dont know how much ram

That was one of our programmer's old computers. This year, since he graduated, I found an old p2 lying around with 128 MB ram (with a non-working CD Drive :mad: )running Windows 2000 Pro in one of our computer labs. So this year we are stuck with that unless we find another computer lol. Oh well, it get's our job done :D

But back to the original question...what computer do you (or your programmers) use to program on?

ps mods please relocate this thread if it is in the wrong place :o

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Whatever's handy.

I think I'm primarily going to use PCs in the Pentium 3 area, 500-600 MHz. RAM varying greatly.

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

A Pentium I 233 MHz laptop with a 3 gigabyte hard drive and 128Mb RAM, running Windows 2000 Professional. :yikes:

Laugh away :rolleyes:

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Pentium III 700 Mhz desktop with 128 MB of RAM for programming in class.
Pentiurm III 500 Mhz laptop (not sure about RAM) for programming at the competitions.

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Team Fusion has been using my personal laptop (Intel Celeron 1.8GHz w/ 512 mb RAM) for the past two years. Very handy to take into the shop where we do our building and driving. Also nice to have when we go to regionals. This year, I think we may downgrade to a laptop a friend gave me for being a really nice guy. (Any Team Fusion members should stop laughing right now! I mean it!) It's a 400 MHz with 256mb RAM. Not the fastest thing in the world, but if it gets busted then there's no big loss.

I mean really, does it matter if it takes 10 seconds to compile versus 20 seconds. You only have to do it once if you wrote it right the first time. :rolleyes:

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

We used my laptop last year.. dell inspirion 2600 -- 1.2 ghz, 128mb of ram. Its got a broken cdrom drive, and a dead battery, but it works fine for what I use it for :)

I've got a USB->Serial converter from cablestogo.com, works perfectly!

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

For most of my stuff, I use my desktop (AMD64 3500+ 2.21Ghz, 2 gig RAM, dual 80gig raptors) because it has two monitors (dual Dell 2001FP's). But at competition I use whatever old laptop I can find (usually the team's really really old inspiron).

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

We don't have any team computers, so the computes are all the programmers:

• 2.4 GHz P4 512 MB RAM (desktop)
• 2.4 GHz AMD Sempron 512 MB RAM (laptop)
• somereallylownumber P3 196 MB RAM (laptop)

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Our school computers, which are fairly good, in the basement (for school computers). They take for-hever to boot up and a long time to compile.


LINKING....

1 minute later(for a short program)

LINKING...
Building....

etc.

Anyway, I'm not sure about their exact RAM and processor numbers. We have a school wide server with 300 gigs of storage. The computers run windows 2000 I think. I would guess 128 ram and an 800 meg processor, but I could be wrong (probably not by much though).

Lesser of two weevils and all that.

Just my 2cp.

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Um, shouldn't that be building, then linking? ;)

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Heheh I wasn't paying to close attention when I wrote that. :( Cut me some slack.

+O=) The pope smiles on you.

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

I'll finally be ditching the fantastically terrible machine furnished by the school's apathetic "IT" deparment. I'm about to re-install Windows XP on my 3.02Ghz 1GB RAM Thinkpad G41. I also need to get a serial-USB adapter pronto. :ahh:

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

I mainly use my laptop:
AMD64 3700
1.5 gigs of ram
100gb HD
I have to use a serial port adapter :(

At school in the robotics lab, we have about 18 PIIIs with 256mb of ram as well a boatload of assorted older computers. We should be getting some P4s soon.

The other programmers mostly have their own laptops, mainly macs.

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

We have used, recently (as of last year) a P3 500ish MHz with about 256MB with NT. Several years ago (2001) I think we used this extreemly old laptop nicknamed "Ancient Power" 100 MHz (at the top end) with Win 3.1. The "mouse" was a detachable track ball, that could be swapped for a mouse, int he front of the computer. The most interesting item on the computer was Wolfenstine 3D. Yeah, that old. But that's OK. Old computers are fun. Oh, and yes, we have hauled the desktop to competition becuase of lack of serial ports on laptops (and lack of good USB to serial converters).

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

We were lucky enough to have had two 2.4 Ghz P4 (512 mb RAM) Dell Laptops donated to our cause. They're plenty fast enough to use for your everyday robotics programming and portable enough to take anywhere!

And, more perfectly, they're just old enough to still have serial ports built in. :)

That said, sometimes we're short machines... there are 5 of us in our department, and while 3 of us have our own pc laptops, sometimes they're forgotten.

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

wow you guys have it lucky! lol 5 for 3 is still pretty good...if we cant find another couple of comps, its going to be about 5 people and 1 computer :ahh:

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

I typically use my 2002 HP XH555 running XP Home
AMD A4 1ghz
512MB
20GB HD

Often, pending this year on if I get networked at the new school we're at, I usually log into my servers at home to store backups of each program I write. MY laptop might not last through another year but I am hoping it does, I will likely buy a new one for next year but buy new parts to keep this one going because it has all the ports I ever use.

-Mike

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

for anyone who is this old we're hoping to use a nice old 486 compaq our school had lieing around.. for you people who don't have working cdroms and what not.. try having no cdrom just a floppy drive! yes slow but like someone said before if you do it right it'll only have to be done once.. well thats not true no one could ever get autonomous perfect on one try but still.. the better u get it the first time the less your waiting for compiling and what not..

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

Would a 486 compile before ship date? :p

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

If you've got a PC laptop, you can get a USB-to-Serial converter (with drivers) that will allow you to program the RC or communicate to it like you would any run-of-the-mill serial port. You can find ones that work a fair amount of the time for around $20, or you can get the USB to RS-232 Converter National Instruments sells for $150.

-Danny

Re: What kind of computer do you use for programming?
 

we have the teachers laptop we've been using so if it won't we still have that.. he just doesn't like having it being run around at the competition for fear it'll get dropped and broken.. its worth a try to prove to everyone u don't need all that speed. we also don't use mplab or c18 we do code in notepad and our original programmer greg i(helped with open first) created a build program in dos that takes about10 seconds to build o our schools really really slow computers. so the only thing that will be on there is the code and the build program, which both can fit on a floppy togethor with lots of leftover space, and ifiloader which will fit on a floppy on its own. soo hmm thats what probably about 3-4 mb not gonna be that slow. this computer i'm on opens programs like word only a couple seconds faster than the 486 does. u just need to delete everything not needed.