Sep 21
13
This is a batch update about a bunch of new devices / retirements over the past 2 years or so.
One thing I struggle with is the question of: when I get a new device, does it count as being part of my fleet of computers (and get a name and page on this site)? Some things are obvious — a new laptop, or a new file server, for example, obviously are part of my computer family. My rule of thumb has been that if something is either obviously part of my computer family, or fundamentally replaces something that was, then it’s considered part of my fleet of computers.
That last part is what sometimes causes me pause. For example, I got two new Apple TVs recently. My original Apple TV (Beauregard) replaced a home theater PC, and so was considered part of my technology family. I was unsure of whether to count these latest Apple TVs, and so dragged my feet on giving them names and adding them to this site. But eventually I decided that they should be considered on-par with my other computers and devices — they get a huge amount of use, they integrate with other computers I have (like streaming from my Plex server), and giving them a name helps to track them over time (how old they are, what room they’re currently in, etc.).
So this update retroactively assigns a name and creates a page for many devices:
My original iPad, Clifford, was retired in August, 2017, and replaced by a new 5th generation iPad named Cardea. Cardea is exclusively for use by my older son, just like Clifford was before he was retired.
In September, 2020, My primary Apple TV, Persephone, was moved to my bedroom, and a new Apple TV 4K, Electra, was acquired for my family room.
In December, 2020, a new Apple TV HD, Pandora, was acquired for my basement. At this time, my older basement Apple TV, Aloysius, was retired (Aloysius was the last device named under my old Muppet naming scheme!).
In June, 2021, a new eighth-generation iPad, Asteria, was acquired for my younger son.