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Survey Results

How old is your main development machine?

Survey period: 9 Sep 2019 to 15 Sep 2019

Even if you've replaced all the bits many times over, only count the date you purchased the initial unit.

OptionVotes% 
It's brand new474.63
Less than a year old10510.34
1 - 3 years old32932.41
3- 5 years old24524.14
5 - 7 years old15615.37
7 - 10 years old757.39
10 - 15 years old242.36
15 - 25 years old141.38
Over 25 years old80.79
I don't have a "main" work machine.121.18



 
GeneralI'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
OriginalGriff8-Sep-19 21:04
mveOriginalGriff8-Sep-19 21:04 
GeneralRe: I'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
Ed Attfield10-Sep-19 3:08
Ed Attfield10-Sep-19 3:08 
GeneralRe: I'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
OriginalGriff10-Sep-19 3:11
mveOriginalGriff10-Sep-19 3:11 
GeneralRe: I'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
kalberts10-Sep-19 3:42
kalberts10-Sep-19 3:42 
GeneralRe: I'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
OriginalGriff10-Sep-19 3:53
mveOriginalGriff10-Sep-19 3:53 
GeneralRe: I'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
kalberts10-Sep-19 5:03
kalberts10-Sep-19 5:03 
GeneralRe: I'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
OriginalGriff10-Sep-19 5:11
mveOriginalGriff10-Sep-19 5:11 
GeneralRe: I'm going with 15-25 but ... Pin
kalberts10-Sep-19 22:50
kalberts10-Sep-19 22:50 
OriginalGriff wrote:
About the most consistent connector I can think of is the mains lead - but even then, only at one end!
For stability over time: Yes. For consistency across the world: Well... For a small starter, take a look at Plug & socket types - World Standards[^]. If you travel a little around, you may need quite a selection of plug adapters. (I haven't met all of these, only A B C E F G).

But there are more. Nowadays, ceiling lamps have their own special sockets, called DCL. In Sweden, another socket (like a circle with a cap cut off) was used before DCL became a European standard. IKEA sold quite a few lamps with those plugs, so the buyers had to install that kind of socket. I never had any myself, but a couple of my friends have got them.

For three-phase power tools there are at least two sockets in use ("CEE"). Here in Norway it is because we use two different 3P connection schemes: IT uses three wires, 230V between any pair. TN adds a fourth "neutral" wire: Each of the three is 230V away from the neutral wire, between each pair of the three there is 400V. This requires two different plugs (although at any one location, only one is in use).

The last few years we have had an electrical car crazyness here in Norway (I haven't yet jumped into it myself). Thre has been a selection of sockets dedicated to char charging: "Mode 3 Type 1" and "Type 2", "CHAdeMO","CSS/Combo", and Tesla has got its own variant of "Type 2". Some cars may be charged from CEE sockets as well. If your family has two cars, there is a good chance that you have used at least two, maybe three different ones.

So even for mains connection, there is quite a selection. But you are right: Each country tend to have a single one of them as a very consistent socket for standard household appliances.

If you extend the scope beyond household AC from the power company, and look at eg. plugs for connecting solar panels, you've got another selection. Here in Norway, the market seems to stabilize on "MC4", but you should look out, especially when buying stuff abroad or "special offers": A few other sockets are in use, especially on older models. For low-voltage power distribution (e.g. in off-grid mountain cabins), another handful of alternatives are used, the most common being a socket-C-like variant with asymmetric pins so it can be inserted only one way. I have used that, but switched ower to BNC plugs. In my car, I have used both the old style "big" cigarette lighter socked and a smaller one (that never made any great success) for coolers, light and electronics.

And so it goes, on and on, more and more formats as you dig deeper down in your box of equipment that requires a power connection. Some are long-lived and stable, but along with that comes all those "special" or short-lived alternatives. I have got a significant collection of equipment that are no longer useful because I can't supply the power any more. (Or I can't buy that kind of storage media, or light bulb type, or mainboard with the right bus, or telephone service, or ...)
GeneralGot my new dev machine about a month ago. Pin
GKP19928-Sep-19 20:38
professionalGKP19928-Sep-19 20:38 
GeneralRe: Got my new dev machine about a month ago. Pin
Slacker0078-Sep-19 21:40
professionalSlacker0078-Sep-19 21:40 
GeneralRe: Got my new dev machine about a month ago. Pin
Johnny J.8-Sep-19 22:03
professionalJohnny J.8-Sep-19 22:03 
GeneralRe: Got my new dev machine about a month ago. Pin
GKP19928-Sep-19 22:48
professionalGKP19928-Sep-19 22:48 
GeneralRe: Got my new dev machine about a month ago. Pin
Johnny J.8-Sep-19 23:08
professionalJohnny J.8-Sep-19 23:08 
GeneralRe: Got my new dev machine about a month ago. Pin
GKP19928-Sep-19 23:32
professionalGKP19928-Sep-19 23:32 
GeneralI still have my first PC Pin
Daniel Pfeffer8-Sep-19 19:58
professionalDaniel Pfeffer8-Sep-19 19:58 
GeneralRe: I still have my first PC Pin
Slacker0078-Sep-19 21:41
professionalSlacker0078-Sep-19 21:41 
GeneralRe: I still have my first PC Pin
Daniel Pfeffer8-Sep-19 21:47
professionalDaniel Pfeffer8-Sep-19 21:47 
GeneralThree days Pin
PIEBALDconsult8-Sep-19 18:48
mvePIEBALDconsult8-Sep-19 18:48 
GeneralRe: Three days Pin
honey the codewitch9-Sep-19 0:35
mvahoney the codewitch9-Sep-19 0:35 

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