[TenTec] (ham station computer choice)

[Jim Brown]

On 5/8/2014 9:15 AM, Mike Schatzberg wrote:
> There were numerous bugs with Parallels that made this a challenge with HRD, version 5.

The question I've tried to answer is about contest logging, not general 
logging. The demands can be different, depending on what you are asking 
the computer to do.

For contest logging, the logging software (N1MM is the most popular, 
followed by WriteLog) can connect to the cluster system, download and 
display spots, generate and decode RTTY (even multiple decoders looking 
at the same signal), compare calls with your log so you don't waste time 
calling someone you've already worked on the band/mode, compare partial 
or complete calls against a database to check for possible errors, even 
upload your QSOs to a real time scores website so that stations can see 
in real time how they''re doing compared to the competition. These 
logging programs also play back voice files, mostly used for calling CQ 
while you grab a sip or a munchie.

For general logging, the most demanding thing the software does is 
process, filter, and display spots, comparing them with your log to look 
for new countries, band-countries, grids, states, islands, and so on. If 
you're not using that feature, general loggers are not at all demanding.

Another thing that burns a lot of processor is the Skimmer software.

My point here is that how a computer and OS (or OS simulator) works with 
an undemanding application is not necessarily an indicator of how it 
will work with a more demanding one.

73, Jim K9YC