August 19, 2004

• mct, I have little to offer on the computer front, but I am happy to "take yr bait", as it were, re the smoking cessation. I quit over 4 years ago & its really SO worth the effort!! I rarely get sick, I smell nice & I get to spend all that money on other things, like hair dye, bourbon, spy novels and all the other things that make life so great without taking years off yr life (ok! maybe not the bourbon!) good luck & enjoy the new machine!
• Yeah build it yourself is a great idea. As for Linux friendly hardware, you can either peruse the lists of various distros or try knoppix first and see if the machine is happy with it. (That's contrary to building it yourself I know, but fwiw.)
• I've thought about that, but I'm not convinced I'll save much money that way. Plus I'll have to buy a new Windows, as the eMachine's running ME. (I said, judge me not!) In addition, I've never done it before, and I'm also currently hip-deep in paint, spackle, and wiring. That, and I'm fixing up my house. Don't know if I'll have the time to build and burn in my own.
• Look around for a local computer store. They'll be able to build you a machine in your price range that'll work just fine.
• Buy a Mac! Couldn't resist.
• Buy a Mac! If I had the cash, brother...
• I second the local computer store idea. If I can pass on one piece of experience - for best stability, choose a good motherboard. Costs a little more (sometimes) but worth every cent in reduced crashing.
• Why not a laptop and a WAP? I suppose it depends on what you do with your computer, but I much prefer using my tiny 850mhz p3 vaio on the couch, in my hammock (my current location as i write this), on the porch, on friend's couches, at coffee shops.. etc.. to using a 2ghz box with a 20" screen tied to a desk in the corner. I don't even have any desktops setup anymore, just my laptop and some servers. I bought the current laptop on ebay for around 800 bux. (and it works great with linux, which is all i use) </2 cents>
• I absolutely love laptops. The only problem is that they aren't as upgradable as a desktop, and that's a big point for me. This is a rare opportunity for me, money-wise, and I'd rather have something that I can upgrade down the road much more cheaply than buying a whole new computer. Which probably means that the local guys would be better, since they probably won't use stupid proprietary crap that requires me to buy the (e.g.) Compaq whoosiewhatsis. Plus I'd be keeping some of that money local, and I'd be able to find the guy and punch him, if he tries to screw me. I've just reached the point where I go looking on the internet first, without even thinking about the yellow pages. Anybody here use Xandros? It's debian-based, and everybody seems to think it's the best for crossover. That's what I'm leaning toward right now.
• Buy a refurbished Mac from the lovely people at Small Dog! You know you want it.
• I would love me some G5-ey goodness, but dear God, the cheapest they had up there was $1700US. Waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy over my price range.
• Well, I'd still lean towards a nice used laptop. If you get something nice but used, it won't depreciate nearly as fast as generic desktop hardware will, and when its time to upgrade, you spend the few hundred you would have spent upgrading your desktop, along with the money you get for selling your "old" laptop on a new-used one. </4 cents total now> Anything debian based has to be good!
• Actually, you can probably get a good deal on an iMac, since they're discontinuing the current line. I got a laptop at a steep discount on the last day they were selling 500 mHz iBooks. Of course, it was a floor model.
• I find that the buying guide at ArsTechnica is pretty much on the money for what you should be looking for at any given time. Hand the Budget Box spec or something similar to a local PC maker and you should be quite pleased. They update it pretty regularly. They also have an Ultimate budget box listed from April 2004 (scroll down a bit) which might be what you have in mind for later upgrading. Hope this helps. By the way, what happens in the event of this coming to pass? I ask only for information.
• what happens in the event of this coming to pass? *snickers*
• i love the freedom afforded by laptops, but my big problem is battery life. in my experience, after three or four years, lithium-ion batteries will simply cease to charge (or will only hold 10-20%). one way to increase longevity is to remove the battery when the machine is plugged into a power outlet. new batteries tend to be manufacturer-specific and tend to be expensive. if you're considering a secondhand laptop, think about the battery issue. ideally, test the machine by disconnecting it from the power supply and checking the "time remaining" over a couple of hours (if it decreases out of synch with real time, the battery has passed its best). this is a comprehensive directory of linux hardware compatibility resources. i haven't seen lindows/linspire in action, but i read recently that dell has started to ship machines. overall, i've found dell to be quite reliable (three laptops, four workstations). for mac, these people often have good deals on used/reconditioned machines. they're in oregon.
• By the way, what happens in the event of this coming to pass? The world will be a much better place, my friend, a much better place. Also, my wife will probably divorce me so she can be with an actual grownup.
• btw, thanks for the buying guide
• Glad to help. I know you don't really want a laptop, but for the sake of completeness take a look.