Series 10 - 12.11.24 Waxing Crescent ☾ Digital Obsolescence Demystifying how not to get bullied into buying new computers

1700hrs AEST / or Your timezone here To attend Register on a low-traffic announcement list.

Jason Gareth James discusses his recent investigations to resist the insane growth logic in computation that bullies many of us into buying new computers, case in point is Microsoft 365 apps is no longer supported on Windows 10 from October 14 2025. The onflow effects of destroying the world’s most extensively used operating system, is necro-capitalist. Besides the fact that there are costs involved materially and fiscally the upgrade enforces a start menu with ads in it is a most abhorrent privacy breach

To this end, he will detail his tinkering explorations, such as how he has been buying $20 thin clients from the tip shop. They come without power supplies or hard drives. Some drives are in a custom short format; through tinkering, he discovered that he could break open an SSD to get it to fit, as it shares the same interface. He will take us through touching the hardware and feeling the metal, feeling how the power supply connectors seem to be a custom shape, and the tactic knowledge of applying a bit of hands-on electronic sculpturing; he turns up the heat and solders a 19v power supply to the inside of the connection. Then, install a lightweight desktop Linux like Mint Xfce that uses Ubuntu long-term support version and features long-term use of cutting edge features. Recently, Jason Gareth James bought an RPi 5 and has been considering getting an SSD hat. But thin clients are way cheaper and have more power.

These dilemas listed here reflect and embody the spirit of the permacomputing movement

Photons the exhibition, installation shot Jason Gareth James
Tinkering shot by Jason Gareth James

A polymath, lighting designer, artist, curator, musician, the beloved Jason Gareth James uses electrons in wires to make art and designs of varying scales. He draws on experiences in electronics, network engineering, performing arts, visual arts, music, wilderness, drinking in pubs, driving, education, community events, and festivals. He lost count about ten years ago at around the 3000 mark on the number of events he has worked on.

Forever a reluctant punk rocker, Jason plays bass guitar and spends more time making funny wet sounds on modular synth than he does practising. Every two years, he curates an exhibition new media. The most recent one was Photons in 2023 at Moonah Arts Centre.


I have used computers since the TRS-80, but my first real computer was a Commodore 64. I have 152 TAFE subjects but only one degree. I have a close family and only one cat.
Jason Gareth James 2024


Jason Gareth James is deeply involved in several projects and is a lighting designer for the upcoming theatre work, ‘Past the Shallows,’ which will tour Australia. Currently he is doing lights and projection for the premiere of a First Nations dance work, ‘Charcoal,’ at the Junction Festival, which will then tour to Hobart. Jason is also working on a site-specific youth dance project by Drill, and there are creative developments for a new theatre and puppetry work in the pipeline. Recently, he installed the AV for a science and art exhibition at TMAG for the Antarctica Festival, ‘Women of Antarctica ‘. In addition, he’s teaching workshops for Theatre Machine at the School of Creative Arts and Media at the University of Tasmania. He works at Contemporary Art Tasmania as their exhibitions and touring coordinator. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Blue Cow Theatre company, which is gearing up for its grand finale.

Jason G. James portfolio Media Mixed