** Vic <lug@???> [2008-06-16 19:03]:
> > I've been keeping my eye out for another N160 on eBay or
> > similar
>
> You'll be competing with me, then. My N160 is probably my most useful
> machine (if a little slow when trying to rebuild an entire distribution
> from source :-)
Thankfully I'm lazy and tend to stick with binary packages these days. I
never found enough improvement from compiling to be worth the effort.
I've not seen many on there, and none that have gone for little enough
to catch my interest yet. I guess given that it is only the hinge gone
on mine I could rig something up purely for TV based use. I could still
do with a laptop though.
> > but I am constantly surprised at the cost of second hand
> > laptops.
>
> The problem is that laptops were incredibly expensive until recently, and
> people remember what they paid for them, not what they would pay for
> something similar now. So if you paid £800 for a machine 2 years ago,
> would you really be satisfied with £50 now?
True, but people actually buy them, that's what gets me! Actually on
a quick look prices do seem to have dropped a bit now. There are some
C600 units going for less than £100, but there was still one at £157 for
a PIII-750 with 512M, 30G HD and a 14" screen. Another £100 and you
could get to a 1.7GHz Celeron with 1G, 120G and a 15.4" screen as well
as DVDRW, card reader and WiFi - no OS, which for the average eBayer may
be an issue, but not for us :)
> > I have no intention of running a dedicated decoder on anything other
> > than Linux, don't worry :) This just the best spec hardware I'd have
> > 'spare'
>
> Your N160 will do a good job if you can put it in front of the telly from
> time to time. That's exactly my setup.
It could do with more memory, I did have 128M which was a bit slow, but
when I upped it to 256M the modules must have been slightly incompatible
because it wasn't quite so stable. I'd just bought a pair of 512M
SODIMMs, but unfortunatly they weren't compatible :(
> > I have an access point just inside the door to my
> > office, and a PC about 6 feet away just inside the dining room door. The
> > signal is of poor quality
>
> I have an AP sat on top of my monitor in my office (back room, 1st floor).
> I can get coverage to the front door, and all the way to the end of the
> back garden. And I have a Victorian house with proper brick :-)
I get good reception on the drive outside my office Window!
> > according to the driver utility (Windows I'm
> > afraid)
>
> Throw the Windows stuff away. Windows is a method of extracting cash from
> punters. Linux will make your life much easier.
Working on it, but this box doesn't seem to like Linux much. When it is
left for a while it disables an IRQ that controls the USB keyboard and
mouse - not nice. I really need a complete strip down and rebuild,
hopefully with a bit more memory, and maybe other improved components
once I've been through my bits boxes.
> > the 'route' to the TV would be through the
> > chimney breast, so lots of brick!
>
> Same for my setup. The direct path will narrowly miss one chimney, I
> suuspect, but go straight through the other. Works for me...
>
> > Anyway, I have an ethernet point just behind the TV :)
>
> So life is even easier.
It will be, one day, just need 48 hour days, 14 day weeks and 730 day
years ;) Either that or a lottery win so I can give up work - although
that doesn't fit too well with my £1 win each week from not doing the
lottery! Perhaps I could not enter 10 times a week and win more :o
** end quote [Vic]
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