tl;dr - Dear TH, this is a shameless plug I know, but you guys might get a kick out of it. Check out my new computer manuals/documents site. --> www.thehardwareproject.org
Useless back-story / filler:
In the span of my many years as a computer nerd, I've encountered an untold amount of computer equipment. Being the tinkerer that I am, I've collected, used, recycled, and generally wallowed in said equipment. One of the biggest issues I've had is finding information and support for keeping some of this gear alive. There are others who have this same problem. The outcome is the creation of countless websites dedicated to every aspect of computer history. Despite the abundance of user generated resources, my discerning nerdery continued in its discontent.
Get to the point:
The result is the accumulation of a mountain of computer hardware related documentation, shoe horned into a website. The madness spans 340 manufacturers, 60,000+ files, and over 100GB of text (some of which is currently unsorted). Many of these documents have been hand sorted and labeled by myself.
They can generally be broken down into the following categories:
Datasheets/Brochures - Quick, 1 or 2 page introductions to product X. A quick list of specifications and some pictures.
User Manuals - Self explanatory.
Maintenance/Service Guides - Take it apart. Put it back together.
Miscellaneous - Anything that doesn't fit above but still provides value.
Every single one of these is first party (produced by the original manufacturer), so the quality is mostly excellent/consistent. While the mountain is only a small dent in the industry as a whole, it has served me well.
The website:
There's no point in keeping this stuff to myself. It started out free and available and I think it should stay that way. Go have a look at the results of my labors:
---->www.thehardwareproject.org
As of right now, there are just under 40,000 documents spanning 136 manufacturers loaded into the site. I've tried to get some of the big names (HP, Apple, Dell, IBM, Intel, etc.) finished first.
I'm looking for feedback on the site. Whether or not you love or it, any suggestions are welcome. The site is still in its "beta" stages, having been up/down/broken for the last month or two.
Why should I go to your computer website?:
1.) It's all free. (Until my bandwidth runs out or the server gives up the ghost.)
2.) No signup. (There isn't even an option to sign up...)
3.) It's computer hardware specific and run by a huge nerd.
4.) All of the junk documents have been sifted out.
5.) There's some stuff you won't find anywhere else. (Bold claim, Trebek!)
My God, you are an impossibly huge nerd...
Indeed
Useless back-story / filler:
In the span of my many years as a computer nerd, I've encountered an untold amount of computer equipment. Being the tinkerer that I am, I've collected, used, recycled, and generally wallowed in said equipment. One of the biggest issues I've had is finding information and support for keeping some of this gear alive. There are others who have this same problem. The outcome is the creation of countless websites dedicated to every aspect of computer history. Despite the abundance of user generated resources, my discerning nerdery continued in its discontent.
Get to the point:
The result is the accumulation of a mountain of computer hardware related documentation, shoe horned into a website. The madness spans 340 manufacturers, 60,000+ files, and over 100GB of text (some of which is currently unsorted). Many of these documents have been hand sorted and labeled by myself.
They can generally be broken down into the following categories:
Datasheets/Brochures - Quick, 1 or 2 page introductions to product X. A quick list of specifications and some pictures.
User Manuals - Self explanatory.
Maintenance/Service Guides - Take it apart. Put it back together.
Miscellaneous - Anything that doesn't fit above but still provides value.
Every single one of these is first party (produced by the original manufacturer), so the quality is mostly excellent/consistent. While the mountain is only a small dent in the industry as a whole, it has served me well.
The website:
There's no point in keeping this stuff to myself. It started out free and available and I think it should stay that way. Go have a look at the results of my labors:
---->www.thehardwareproject.org
As of right now, there are just under 40,000 documents spanning 136 manufacturers loaded into the site. I've tried to get some of the big names (HP, Apple, Dell, IBM, Intel, etc.) finished first.
I'm looking for feedback on the site. Whether or not you love or it, any suggestions are welcome. The site is still in its "beta" stages, having been up/down/broken for the last month or two.
Why should I go to your computer website?:
1.) It's all free. (Until my bandwidth runs out or the server gives up the ghost.)
2.) No signup. (There isn't even an option to sign up...)
3.) It's computer hardware specific and run by a huge nerd.
4.) All of the junk documents have been sifted out.
5.) There's some stuff you won't find anywhere else. (Bold claim, Trebek!)
My God, you are an impossibly huge nerd...
Indeed
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