Yes, I know that I'm lazy.

I'm bad at the whole blogging thing...I somehow assume that if I know that I'm going to do something, or am in the process of doing something, that everyone who should have any interest in it whatsoever already knows that I'm working on it...thus, I don't tend to, say, keep anyone updated on the status of things...

Ok-with that being said, I've made a bit of progress on both my projects. I have:

A) Secured a unit to work with my second project, a re-config of a Tablet PC to work with Ubuntu.

B) Further worked on my guidelines for my first project (and yes, I do know that I'm mentioning it second), just a simple, down-home, 500G Raid 1 (or possibly 0+1, depending on how I feel from day to day) Semi Media-Centric desktop setup.

Again, the tablet that I'm going to be working with is an older version HP Compaq TC-1000 (various information is available on this website-great resource, btw, whomever came up with this my thanks to you...), I'm just working on getting Ubuntu to load on a flash drive (which seems a fairly easy process, detailed here, if you'd like further linkus directus, you can also find some here). Once I get this functional, there are of course tons of things that I'll be letting go horribly wrong, so...er...stay tuned, I guess.

The desktop that I'll be trying to build has been refined in the past little bit...I realized that I was going a way too costly route (yep, lazy AND cheap), so I decided to get a bit of help from Ye Olde Internet...I checked out LifeHacker and remembered that they had done a build on a "Hackintosh", i.e. a PC built to use the OSx86 protocols & run OSX (specifically Leopard) on standard PC hardware...I then realized that I desperately needed to be able to dual-boot OSX with my new desktop (it's just so purty...and functional, easy to use, etc...) along with the Penguin. Thanks be unto Adam Pash who has handed this knowledge down to us (and, yes, I do know that it's available elsewhere on the intarweb, but LifeHacker puts a much more user friendly spin on it, and has fairly detailed instructions). Anyway, long story short, I'm just about to put in my order with the Newegg (after another day or two of bitching to myself about the cost...again, cheap AND lazy), we'll see how it goes from there.

Projecto Numero Dos...

Ok, so you might be saying "WTF-why is this guy starting on his 'second' project before completing (or, hell, let's be honest, really STARTING) his first project?"...well, the answer is two-fold:

I was inspired to do this project, because of its complexity and all the interesting things that might go...well, not wrong, but...sideways.

I got an opportunity to get my starting materials...inexpensively. Ok...cheap as hell.

What the basic gist of this is, is that I've purchased an HP Compaq TC-1000 Tablet PC and I'm planning to a) install Ubuntu on it (which has, shall we say, not the best Tablet PC support, though I've found helpful things for on-screen keyboards, screen rotation, and pen support, links to follow in later posts...probably) and b) mod the hell out of the case (I really don't like the whole grey-box-with-random-logos-and-stupid-stylings thing...I prefer a blacker/shinier/sleeker style, with as few buttons/protrusions as possible...maybe that's why I've been a Mac guy for years...well, one of the reasons). I plan on using lacquered carbon fiber for the body, with probably the same material for the face (if I can figure out the best way to install it, that is).

The bright side of all this is that I might (time/money permitting) have TWO projects to work on at the same time, and be able to take time off from one when it's bothering me and work on the other and that you, dear reader, will have two things to occupy your (otherwise obviously wasted) attention...