Need New PC recommendations/info

Tom Scales wrote in message ...

I'd love to drive the Mercedes (or anything faster (racer blood in me)),
BUT, some of us can't even afford a used Toy' Echo.

I was simply showing an option for those on a short budget. I built this
P4-2.4Ghz, 512Meg, 4xAGP(32M), for approx. $500.us (should take me to 2008,
using the 5 year rule)(I prefer Adventure games when not learning C++, so I
don't need a screaming-fast machine.).

To answer some other posts;
Yeah, Linux ain't the easiest to install, but, I think us newbies have put a
bug in the GNU ear and they are working on making a push-button install. May
not slay the giant, but has him worried! Even 'Big Blue' is joining the
GNU/Linux bandwagon. <G>

[ I'll limit any further posts in this thread to the ...pc.homebuilt NG.]

 

Al Smith:

You have three choices: pay for the product, nothing wrong with that; use
an alternative, nothing wrong with that; or steal a copy of Windows and
then run around whining about MS. Frank Herbert once wrote something
similiar to, 'we despise those we have wronged' and I have found it
generally to be true.

 

So, you stole XP? If you haven't paid in six years, and XP hasn't been out
that long.....

 

It's like all systems, rarely are they perfect but until someone invents a
viable alternative that solves the same problems, then the current system
will likely continue. MS sells to a wide range of customers, requiring a
variety of licensing schemes that are fair to BOTH the customer and MS.

 

BobR:

I never had any problems installing it, it's getting it to work after you
install it.

 

ROTFLLMAO at the very idea of MS being wronged. 'Tis a consumation
devoutly to be wished.

 

what the hell! what happened to the op? 54 posts of build your own and
amd vs intel! listen dan, get your dell. it's a fine deal and you can
probably get it for under fourteen hundred dollars from them. full
warranty, tech support,6 months free internet, the whole she-bang.
although that lcd may cost ya, if you wait for the right time(much of
the time these days)dell throws one in at no extra cost. the size
depends on the system you choose. for a machine with the above
mentioned specs, it would be a seventeen inch

 

That's a bit presumptuous?
Plenty of people who pay for windows in one way or another
aren't particularly happy either.

 

install.

Recent Linux distributions are really easy to install (except for
the purposefully geeky "hardcore" distributions). LiveCD distributions
like Knoppix can even be run directly off of the CD. The only button
you need to push to "install" is the CD drive button (and not even
that if your optical drive is a slot loader). Windows has never been
so easy to install!

If nothing else, Knoppix and other liveCDs make life a LOT nicer
for a technician working on a Windows PC when the OS gets fubar'd.
Without even opening up the case, you can pop in a working OS and
get at data; transfer it over the net; download drivers; whatever...

For me, Knoppix is worth if for QTParted alone. It's a Partition
Magic clone. I have long simply lived without a decent partitioning
utility because I neither wanted to spend the money on Partition
Magic nor did I want to pirate it.

I would heartily recommend dual booting Windows/Linux for anyone
who is currently used to Windows but who also likes to tinker with
his computer. You literally have nothing to lose, and it's fun to
play around with. The biggest difference in the Linux experience
is software installation--it's such a breeze compared to Windows
and you DON'T have to deal with nagware/crippleware pop-ups or
restrictions. There are just so many nice little utilities in
Windows which are nice but not spend-the-$20-shareware-fee nice.
It takes a little while getting used to the Linux software world
where virtually all of those nice little utilities are of the
freeware--just-install-it-and-that's-it-it-just-works-no-strings-attached
variety. Once you get used to it, though, it's hard to go back to
Windows.

Isaac Kuo

 

You have three choices: pay for the product, nothing wrong with that; use

Frank Herbert got the cart before the horse. You're more apt to
wrong someone you dispise. This doesn't apply to large
corporations, which wrong people to make greater profits.

 

I wish I had your determination. I took a long look at Mandrake but

I looked at it this way. Microsoft pissed me off so royally, I
vowed never to give them another dime. On the other hand,
Microsoft was forcing me to upgrade by phasing out Windows 98 and
phasing in Windows XP. I tested out Linux and found it wasn't
ready for the desktop. What were my choices?

 

kony:

I was aiming my comment specifically at Al who justifies stealing because
he was 'pissed off'. Sure, there were lots of reasons to be pissed off
back in 95/98 days because those were defective products IMO and quite
frankly I could care less if people bitch but it starts chapping my ass
when people just make shit up to bitch about.

 

If you can live with stealing, then that's your choice. My suggestion is
that you talk to your mother and your children and explain to them that
stealing is OK if you don't like the person or company from whom you are
stealing. I think that would be a particularly powerful message for you to
impart on your children.

 

Odd. The few times I've installed linux, it's been easier to install AND
use than any version of windows, including windows XP. The only thing
that's stopping linux from dominating the OS market is Microsoft Office*.
The "compatible" programs for linux will never be compatible enough,
unfortunately. Yes, they can open and save files in Microsoft office
format. The problem is, you don't know UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE if anybody ELSE
can open those files. -Dave

*That, and games. But if most businesses switched to linux, you'd see more
games ported to linux soon enough.

 

Dave C.:

You're a Linux phenom.

 

IsaacKuo wrote in message

When I first got my Debian CDs, I had to use Parted(command-line) before I
could do anything. I was so impressed, I will never use ms fdisk if I have a
choice(parted, cfdisk, etc.)!

The real mind-blower for me was the fact you can change the kernel to what
you want.
I took out things I knew this machine would never need, 'moduled' the things
I thought I may need in the future, and 'built-in' the things I do need.
Stock kernel booted in about 40 seconds, my kernel boots in about 10 seconds
and has never crashed (knock on wood.).

Then I have another partition on another drive (hdb) with Debian
Sid(unstable) installed, which runs much more stable than the Woody(release)
install.
My lilo-conf is a real mess, but, it all works, {linux, linux-old, linuxSid,
win98[1]}.

I go back, and forth. I'm learning/working in C++ with wxWidgets, and want
to be sure my programs compile/run in Linux and windows.

Well, enough babble, I think I'll fire up an IDE somewhere and tinker!

[1] - I successfully installed win95b on this Pentium 4, but it wouldn't
run, wonder why (duh! <G>). I won't go winXP!!

 

Even so, you just gave them justification...
If the prior version is defective, they're entitled to money
back or a working replacement. User can't steal what they
paid for right? If they pay for an OS (like XP) that's
marketed as secure, and the email client can't even open an
email without risk of infection, unless
patched/safeguarded/virus-scanned, extra measures, it's not
secure. XP is defective too, IMO. I don't think anyone
should steal windows, rather that MS should be forced to
patch it. They should be fined so severely for every day
these issues go unaddressed that within a year, if all but
the obscure problems aren't fixed then they're bankrupt.

In a way this kinda parallels the whole situation with the
RIAA, people stealing MP3s. Some may just do it because
they can, but others aren't willing to pay $15+ for a CD
with only one or two songs they want. Same people might not
be willing to pay MS over $100 for defect pathes, USB2, or
48bit LBA support (and still not get defect resolution??),
they just want what they paid for already to be supported,
not in a half-assed fashion but appropriate to the profits
made, the price of it.

I don't think WInXP brings enough value-added featues
(beyond those things that should've be patched in past OS)
that most people would pay over $100 if they already have a
prior OS license. Well actually I think it's detrimental to
add the features to 2K that MS did then call it XP, but I
digress. Perhaps some had OEM license that is
non-transferrible, but others didn't. A complex issue with
so many variables, and it doesn't help that some people may
feel cheated. It is complex because it is legally stealing,
by a government that does not hold MS to the standards of
defect or monopoly seen elsewhere, many people ARE forced to
choose windows as Linux is not a viable alternative for
them.

Then again I can't read minds, some might just do it because
they can. I'd heard that MS is checking licenses now for
some of (all but the most critical?) windows updates and
denying people, so at least those "stealing" windows aren't
able to continually update it, but that doesn't diminish
that I still think MS should have to patch their past
versions of windows for _paying_ customers. They did make
billion$ off of them, is that too much to expect even if it
weren't legally necessary (excepting that our goverment
seems to apply different standards to the software industry,
and MS in particular, compared to other industries). I
suppose my advice is to pay for windows but jump ship as
soon as linux meets one's needs. That is, if one doesn't
feel Windows is worth paying for.

 

Linux has patches to
http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletinsByType/vndr_linux_bulletins.html

Craig

 

Translation: I can put the disc in the drive. -Dave

 

All non-trivial software has bugs. Windows, OTOH, seems to have been
designed by hackers for hackers.