thelinuxlink.net

Wow, great job. Last nights show (most of which I caught live which doesn't happen often for me), was great. Peter was an excellent guest that is excited to seeing more and more people using Linux on their machines everyday. Sound was better last night then in other shows, even Patrick sounded better.

I checked out the Fry's machine for $149. What do others think about this machine. I noticed a few things, it won't take the fastest DDR memory out there. It also has a AGP 4x which is getting really old now. But I've been thinking about getting a cheap used machine for a file server, mp3 server, bit torrent files, and webserver. I've been looking at getting something a little faster than the machines I have right now laying around the house, 500 Pentiums with 128 megs of ram. Certainly the spare machines would work, but I thought a faster machine would be nice for reencoding MP3 for my cheap MP3 player that is so picky about the format of the files. By the time I buy a 2.0 Ghz + with a new motherboard and memory, I'm already way over the $149 mark. Also I've been thinking about getting a myth tv server and just stick a TV capture card in the Fry machine and you have it. With a cheap AGP 4x with TV out and you have a a myth front end too.

I keep thinking I could save money by building my own machine, then I hear about these rediculously cheap machines, and it makes it harder to justify. Anyone else want to chime in on the value of building your own verse getting a machine like this one and just adding a few components afterwards.

Steve
mowestusa

I would build your machine - I always like building because then I can get the best price on higher quaility parts.

will it cost more than the 149 machine at fry's - maybe - maybe not but from my experience if you buy better quaility parts that are totally compatible with linux they will last longer and you can swap them from machine to machine which gives you some added flexibility.

You won't save money by buying your own machine. Once upon a time you could, but those days are long gone. You will, however, almost certainly end up with a better machine. Also, many of the uber-cheap machines do not play nice w/ linux.

Isn't that just the point with the machine from Fry's. Here you have a low priced machine that will play nice with Linux because it comes preinstalled with Linspire.

I also agree that you will have higher quality parts if you build your own too, but for a file server, webserver, mp3 server or a mythtv backend or even a front end wouldn't this be the way to go? After all this wouldn't be my primary machine.

I have a sweet computer on my wish list at new egg that has a Pentium 64 3.2 Ghz, 1 gig or ram, quiet case, 160 gig hard drive, DVD burner but that will be $586, and it would run as my primary machine. (Even that machine has faults like using built in graphics and built in audio on an intel motherboard, and no Composite out to TV.)

Actually I just have plans to do to many things than I have money to spend on the ultimate computer set up.

Steve
mowestusa

;if you're looking for a small "appliance" type box, i'd check into those being sold over at DSL. i don't have any personal experience with them (yet), but they look pretty slick. i like the sound of a silent box (pun intended)...

the DSL Mini-ITX and Small Computer Store

;it looks like a few hundred bucks gets you a box about the size of three dvd cases stacked on top of each other that can run damn small linux:



;i'd like to see one with 2 NICs that i could use as a firewall.

;treehead

They had a motherboard on the site with dual nic ports. It is here:

http://damnsmalllinux.org/store/motherboards/PD_6000

Ya, I would love one of those too, but not a great system for encoding mp3's and mpegs too. So you would still need a beefy backend server.

The idea of fanless is cool.

mowestusa

My earlier comment was suppose to say *building* your own machine, not buying your own machine. I was way too busy to be posting earlier :/

mowestusa wrote:They had a motherboard on the site with dual nic ports. <snip>

mowestusa

/me smacks his forehead

;completely missed it. that looks pretty sweet.

;i think that computers are moving more and more towards single task usage. any thoughts?

;it's kind of a shame really, since the unix model was build around a multi-user configuration, but i think that heritage ended up being good in the long run if for no other reason than that security model is better for it.

;treehead

I tend to disagree with your guest and the fact that apple is doing all the innovation with dvd making.

Linux is quite popular with the movie makers in hollywood. I think there is great innovation going on there.

Also I am able to make some pretty good home dvd's on linux using qtauthdvd and dvdstyler.

I am sure they don't compare to whatever apple uses but they get the job done as far as I am concerned. I never had a toaster dvd yet with either one of them.

Also with the fact that you have to upgrade if you want to use apple's os. I was using jaguar on my daughter's 266 imac which ran okay but slow not like ubuntu and now they have stop patching it sometime last summer - so what are my options - pay to upgrade. So I don't have a choice unless I want to run an insecure operating that won't ever be updated again.

So to me it is just another os lockin upgrade cycle.

jsusanka wrote:I tend to disagree with your guest and the fact that apple is doing all the innovation with dvd making.

Our guests can believe anything they want. Personally, I won't be buying an Apple machine anytime soon or not so soon. I think they're worse than M$. They control the hardware, the software, the digital content.
No thanks, keep it.

here is the real reason why there is no desktop competition.

because of fricken shadow monopolist backroom deals like this.
fortunately one of the vendors had enough integrity to call
the Justice department and they didn't get away with it this time.

I just goes to show that Billy Gates has no respect for the court
system and he thinks the whole justice department anti-trust case was
a big joke. he is smiling all the way to the bank.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/breaking/ ... 25685.html

Patrick wrote:<snip>
I think they're worse than M$. They control the hardware, the software, the digital content.
No thanks, keep it.

;if they are worse than m$ (and i don't entirely disagree), then i think it's because of their slight of hand. m$ does what they want and they more or less tell everyone how it's going to be. apple tries to sidle up to its constituents and industry partners and convince those groups that they are simultaneously open and closed, hip and conservative. they aren't, and you cannot be all things to all people.

;as for their control of the hardware, software, and digital content, i think the original motive was pure: "if we control the entire system, we control the quality." and despite what jobs has become, i really do believe he was that idealistic in the beginning. i think he's idealistic now, but i think the more money apple gets tied up in, the more hypocritical that idealism becomes, and they burn everyone. worst of all they burn their users.

;i know. i escaped the steve jobs R.D.F. just a few short years ago.

;treehead

Linspire will now be sold at Micro Center stores as well:
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/47125/index.html

A small step in the right direction.