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

 

On Sat, May 21, 2011 at 1:31 PM, Gordon Henderson
<gordon+dcglug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 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.


The only comparison I can make is with my atom net book, with stock
ubuntu (sorry lol) 9.04. Firefox does not perform too badly. Video
works ok, but with a just acceptable delay whilst it is initially
loading.

If FF is really on a go-slow, I flip to epiphany which always seems
zippy. Incidently this is FF3.6. I have not tried 4 yet.

It remains heaps faster than my girlfriends identical netbook with a
windows on it. I guess that's a given though.


> 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.


Gordon, I'm shocked and appauled that you even have a window manager
:-p ;-) haha


> 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.


iPlayer is satisfactory on mine. Slow to start, as mentioned.


> 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

Best wishes
roly :-)

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