Re: [Hampshire] Hellow

Paul Tansom wrote:
> ** 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]
>
>
Very true there are some silly specs available new now for around £200
Dell Vostro comes to mind INSANE

I myself scored quite well when a customer threw out a HP/Compaq nx6325
Turion x2 1.6 4GB RAM(only sees 3GB grrr) it had a broken screen but
found one for £110 so I think that was a pretty good deal for me :)

--
Aaron West

Dr. Zachary Smith: Sarcasm is the recourse of the weak mind.