MicroCenter Systems

[zscoundrel]

In his original note he asked about using it as a Desktop workstation 
system, not a server, so that is how I responded.  This machine, as 
equipped, would work well enough for many server applications, but it 
would be pretty much topped out.  Why blow the bucks unless there is NO 
chance of an expanding work load and you just want a test system to play 
on.  In my experience, most places are constantly adding functions and 
processes, so it would be pretty easy to overload a under equipped system.

I just parted out a server not much smaller than the one he asked about 
because it took 4 to 6 hours to install an OS (RH 7.3) upgrade.  I had 
used this machine for a Linux desktop until almost 3 years ago when it 
just couldn't run Xwindows and Star Office 5.2 without huge delays - and 
I had more RAM than the example.

As far as history goes, I remember running Banyan on 386's.  That don't 
mean I still want to do it today just because the hardware is really 
cheap!

To take history one step further, I started in the biz running an IBM 
system/360 that had less memory and DISK DRIVE storage added together 
than the available storage in a $500 PalmPilot.

While we can always figure out a way to get something done, sometimes we 
need to stop and think about it to see if it actually make sense to do 
them.

IMHO a desktop system on a 0.1ghz P1 might not be the best use of Ben 
Franklin's portrait.  (Or someone's time!)

On another note:  a CD drive would not be required to load the OS to 
this machine.  Red Hat and several other flavors of OS can be configured 
to do a network install after booting from a floppy.

Lucas Peet wrote:

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> Lets keep in mind here that back in the day, many people and companies
> were using boxes just like this as 'High-End' servers.  It would run
> Text-mode Linux just great, and probably a light weight Window Manager
> pretty well too.
> 
> - -Lucas
> 
> zscoundrel wrote:
> | I don't know, I have a 433mhz PII that I am getting read to give to the
> | kids.  100mhz seems a little slow for desktop work. Running a GUI seems
> | to slow things up a bit.
> |
> | As a DNS/file/printer server it would work great with a little more
> | memory!  Leave the 1.2 gb drive in for the swap file and as a place to
> | backup important data and add another hard drive for primary and it
> | would be a decent server.
> |
> | Dustin Decker wrote:
> |
> |> On Wed, 18 Sep 2002 mbsmith at dstsystems.com wrote:
> |>
> |>
> |>> I'm amazed someone can still put together such low spec machines.
> |>> 100MHz?? 1.7GB HD??  They must have come across an old stockpile of
> |>> parts.  I imagine you could add $100 and come up with a machine at
> |>> least 5 times as fast/large.  Your A) scenario would not fly.
> |>>
> |>
> |> Clarification is obviously missing, but my hunch is these are the
> |> systems at MicroCenter up front near the exit.  If I'm correct, then
> |> we're talking about used systems here - not new hardware.
> |> As such you know the drill, no warranty, etc.
> |>
> |> Let us all know - if they're really "new" I might bite.
> |> Dustin
> |>
> |>
> |
> |
> |
> |
> 
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