----- Original Message -----
From: "David Taylor" <david-taylor@blueyonder.co.uk>
To: <MSG-1@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 4:30 PM
Subject: [MSG-1] Re: Two PC's and MSG

I have four PC's and I wish to network two from the following to

receive MSG.

1. 900MHz/256Mb Win98SE
2. 2GHz/512Mb Win98SE
3. 1GHz/768Mb Win98SE
4. 1.8GHz/512Mb XP Pro

I am not sure which to choose to get optimum performance. As you

can see three use Win98SE and one XP Pro.

Basil,

My opinion, for what it's worth, would be to use the lowest spec PC
for the Receiver PC (900Mhz 256MB), and replace the Win98 SE with
Windows 2000, or perhaps XP home. Doubtless someone here will say
they use Win98 SE without a problem...., you could start that way.

For processing, either the 1.8GHz or the 2GHz would be fine. I
would recommend more memory, and have a preference for the Windows
XP Pro system.

So you could be networked for the cost of a couple of networks cards
and cable (�20?), and have a couple of upgrades in mind for your
next birthday!

This is just a suggestions, and I would welcome other people's input
and advice.

Douglas Deans has done something similar, so perhaps he will write
up a brief note on how to network? <G>

Cheers,
David

Ah yes, David knows about my expertise and joy in networking !!!

Much depends, Basil, on how you use the other computers. I only have 2.
So I use the lowest spec (1200 AMD, 512 RAM) for Tellique only. The
receiving of the files is what you most want on a computer doing nothing
else. I then use my better spec. computer (2000 AMD, 1024Mb DDR RAM) for
processing and everything else. Works a treat with a just a few frustrating
moments at the end of each 15 min scan when everything is saving......but
nothing is ever lost.
I do agree with David that if you do other things as I do, particularly
regular GSS 4 work (animations etc) then a minimum of 1Gb of RAM is useful
for the processing/other jobs computer.
Indeed I am considering going up to 1.5Gb at the moment.

Whatever you do just having a networked computer solely for receiving the
MSG data will work very well. (processing and other jobs on another).
Let me just qualify my comments by saying that my experiences are only with
Windows XP Home on both computers.
Networking across different Operating systems might be a challenge but
that's coming from the chap who finds just thinking about it a challenge !
As David says, a couple of cards and a cross over cable for under �20 is
ideal and works extremely well.

Hope it goes well.
Any network problems please speak to David (<grin>).

Regards
Douglas.