# What else do you (should you) use your PC for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 19, 2000, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180 "2000-04-19T13:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MLAW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@MLAW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLAW)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/1 "2000-04-19T13:36:00Z")
Besides posting, what other things do you do on your PC (ie the one you’re posting from)? Since I post mainly from work (can’t beat those T1s), it goes without saying this PC’s main function is for my job (software tester for those that are curious). My PC at home is strickly a gaming machine of which I spend WAY too much time on 🙂 and my laptop gets carried back and forth for downloading demos to. TTFN Lynn ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/2 "2000-04-19T13:38:00Z")
the downloading of pornographic material. ---
**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/3 "2000-04-19T14:02:00Z")
Pretty much boring, mundane pointless stuff: flyers, newsletters, business letters, sales reports, blah, blah. I like my job. Really, I do 😉 **The SDMB Smoke-Out Continues** _Delta-9 Stats_ 1 week, 2 days, 10 hours, 59 minutes and 43 seconds 189 cigarettes not smoked, saving me $37.83 Life Saved: 15 hours, 45 minutes ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/4 "2000-04-19T14:43:00Z")
I’m at work, but I also use my PC to print personal material to submit to publishers and agents. One of these days I’m gonna get caught. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/5 "2000-04-19T15:25:00Z")
Everything… If I lost my work or home computers, I would be fucked. :: Knocking on wood :: * * * Yer pal, Satan [http://www.raleighmusic.com/board/Images/devil.gif](http://www.raleighmusic.com/board/Images/devil.gif) _I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR: One week, three days, 13 hours, 24 minutes and 53 seconds. 422 cigarettes not smoked, saving $52.79. Life saved: 1 day, 11 hours, 10 minutes._ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/6 "2000-04-19T15:29:00Z")
I make phone calls with it, using it as a TTY. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/7 "2000-04-19T15:52:00Z")
Boat anchor. ---
**Author:** ![WillGolfForFood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/82dd89/32.png) [@WillGolfForFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillGolfForFood)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/8 "2000-04-20T05:52:00Z")
I have a friend who has his computers set up to assist in the SETI search whenever he’s not using them for other purposes. I’m not entirely clear on the concept, but I believe that involves 1) the one-time download of a mathematical analysis program from the SETI folks and then 2) periodic downloading of a chunk of their data to analyze, number-crunching on your PC, then uploading the results to SETI. The upload/download parts are all done via your Internet connection. Apparently a lot of folks are involved in this particular project. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/9 "2000-04-19T18:03:00Z")
I overwork this poor beast horribly. I use my computer for graphic design, web design, for streaming audio and video to the web, for email, for bookkeeping for my business, for faxes… an a lot more that I’ll have an easier time remembering once I’ve slept. Oh, and I generally do it all at the same time. If there is any kind of pause in a program (email downloading, image saving, web page loading) I spend that time in another application. If I don’t, I feel bored. * * * – I have over 2000 posts, dammit! Show some respect. [http://fathom.org/opalcat/showmerespect.jpg](http://fathom.org/opalcat/showmerespect.jpg) O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) NEW UBB board, all are welcome: [http://fathom.org/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro](http://fathom.org/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/10 "2000-04-19T19:43:00Z")
I use my PC (Mac) to absorb any spare cash I might have that is in danger of actually contributing signicantly to my net worth. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/11 "2000-04-19T20:23:00Z")
Creating overly complicated database applications to catalog an incredibly vast collection of pornographic materials into succinct descriptive categories. Hmmmm… oh, and work. ## 😃 The Sleeper has AWAKENED! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/12 "2000-04-19T20:51:00Z")
[hijack] > [@](#): > > Originally posted by WillGolfForFood: > \*\*I have a friend who has his computers set up to assist in the SETI search whenever he’s not using them for other purposes… > \*\* Yeah, there’s a ton of them, allright. forgive my relative inexperience with html as I post this here link: [http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/](http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/) You can even create teams of people to run the darn thing collaboratively, and watch the team climb the ladder as your members rack up more work units. Lest ye get any ideas, keep in mind that all the big boys (e.g. Sun, Compaq) have this thing running on their absolute hottest machines, full labs at a time. What takes my PII 300 10 hours to burn through, they can crunch in less than an hour. ZAP! [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/13 "2000-04-19T21:02:00Z")
I use mine to check news. Locate my homework for class. I web serve. I chat. I email. I watch movies, and I even use it as my personal stereo. Its also my gaming machine. So its pretty high end it can handle all this crap i put it through. The Urge ---
**Author:** ![Kvallulf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@Kvallulf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kvallulf)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/14 "2000-04-19T21:16:00Z")
Everquest. ---
**Author:** ![xekul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/838e76/32.png) [@xekul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xekul)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2000, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/15 "2000-04-19T21:21:00Z")
This is my home machine. I do most of my homework on it, both for production and research. I chat, and read USENET and the web. Sometimes I read longer texts that are available, either because they’re out of copyright or because someone bothered to violate the copyright (right now, for example, I’m reading an e-text of _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_). My computer’s basically a big toy. I don’t play a lot of games, just a little NetHack or Quake, but I like playing around with Linux and all the crazy stuff I have installed. A little programming, too, and I’ve been messing with BeOS and Windows recently. My computer also acts as my stereo system. * * * ``You’re just an empty cage girl if you kill the bird.’’ – Tori Amos. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/16 "2000-04-20T00:55:00Z")
Ooh, lotsa stuff. [ul][li]Web Design[/li][li]A few games[/li][li]Sometimes I write (rarely)[/li][li]3D Animation[/li][li]Chat on ICQ[/li][li]Visit SF genre movie websites[/li][li]Porn[/li]and stuff…[/ul] * * * [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - **Shadow of the Pigeon** - Weirdo of the Night ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/17 "2000-04-20T08:56:00Z")
My PC is pretty much a Fun Machine. It’s a Pentium III 550 MHz with all the usual gadgets. I play some games (Tomb Raider, Racing Sims mainly), but most of my time is wasted surfing the Net (well, the SD, really) and downloading songs with Napster. Last time I checked, my mostly Cheezy 80’s Collection was about 1.2 Gigabyte in size. And then there’s of course the wonderful world of ICQ. Hi Moosie 😉 ---
**Author:** ![sorrel554](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@sorrel554](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sorrel554)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/18 "2000-04-20T12:45:00Z")
I **should** be writing my master’s thesis on this computer. Not much progress there, I have to admit. _sigh_ I use this 'puter for e-mail, papers for school, occasional games, and the Straight Dope (as well as whatever paltry and inferior websites I used to visit before I became addicted here.) I am hoping to use this computer to help my friend with his new website startup. * * * Those who do not learn from history are condemned to fail the class. --A **WallyM7** creation ---
**Author:** ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2000, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-else-do-you-should-you-use-your-pc-for/16180/19 "2000-04-20T15:31:00Z")
During business hours, I try to use my office computer for my employer’s business when I’m not posting on SDMB or lurking. At home, it’s for email, genealogical research, playing with photos, games, news & stuff.