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  • =?UTF-8?Q?Re:_Modern_blinkenlights:_(was:_Re:_Engineer_Identifie?= =?UTF-8?Q?s_&_Explains_Every_=E2=80=9990s_Computer_Seen_In_?= =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=9CJurassic_Park=E2=80=9D)?=

    From SpallsHurgenson(NG)@user14325@newsgrouper.org.invalid to alt.folklore.computers on Thu Aug 20 16:41:38 2026
    From Newsgroup: alt.folklore.computers


    John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> posted:

    On Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:12:09 +0800
    Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:

    My /white tower/ of blinkenlights has the fan blinking, and the two
    RAM sticks. The /graphical prognostication unit/ also blinks an
    arrow and a Gigabyte.

    It's a veritable /industrial computer/!

    AFAIK those lights don't *tell* you anything, though, other than that
    the power's on. I know the BeBox blinkenlights would indicate CPU load
    in either of the dual processors, but I don't think anyone has done an equivalent for modern motherboards and their surfeit of LED pulsers...?


    Nah, they're mostly bling.
    Still, the LEDs on my AIO cooler (on my CPU) can be configured to (roughly) indicate CPU load; green if the load is low and passing through yellow and then to red as CPU-load increases. I think LEDs on the RAM could be
    configured to do something similar.

    [I don't like all these LEDs on the hardware, but it was actually
    cheaper to get blinged-out hardware than without. So I just seal
    it all inside the chassis and pretend it's dark within]

    Of course, all this functionality was through third-party software rather
    than built into the hardware itself. It's not intrinsic to the hardware and thus its accuracy (and therefore actual utility) is marginal. But you
    CAN do it if you really want.
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