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Re: [LUG] Cheap desktops - good value???

 

On Sat, 21 May 2011, Roland Tarver wrote:

http://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/pcs-home-office.asp?idcategory=95

Hi Folks,

I am not sure if the systems above are good value or not?

But they are cheap. (<£150 for a new desktop system). They give you
back £69 if you choose to install your own OS (click "customise and
buy"). Some units come with Ubuntu installed too.

Might be of interest to some...?

The cheap ones are Atom based... And I have to say, putting a full-on Linux distro on an Atom board, while it's usable, it is a bit clunky and slow at times.

My own desktop is Atom based - and it's as optimised as I can be boterhed to make it - I don't run anything that's not strictly needed - I have a very simple window manager (not a desktop manager!) no hot-plug, udev, etc. and while for the most part it's fine, something just drag. Mostly complex web sites.

It's possible that if you get all the hardware accelleration going in X (or Unity) that it might be better though, but pop-out BBC iPlayer is rubbish on my own Atom desktop under Firefox. Angry Birds in Chrome is not playable on some of the more complex levels too.

So while the Atom has it's place for low-power stuff, it's probably OK for most home office stuff, but anything else really is a bit slow.

Gordon
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