robin wrote: > dfox wrote: > >I imagine Mandrake would work OK with such a system. But personally I > >shy away with 'branded' computers - isn't there a way you can upgrade > >the system you have, just get the components you need, and then install > >on that? HPs a respected brand but I wouldn't buy a P4 system from any- > >one - the processor is just too da*n crippled and too expensive. AMD is > >far better choice. And you probably have some good HD space left, but if > >not, you can save your orig drive(s) and move them into a new home.
I understand Walmart is now selling computers, either with no operating system, or with Lindows preinstalled -- it could be worth looking at. BTW, I like cheap motherboards. I've used TX-Pro II motherboards with onboard sound and video for a number of years without problems on Windows. (I've had difficulty with Linux, but some of that is probably my problem. I am stuck at Xfree 3.3.6 on those motherboards, IIRC, and don't have sound working. (I normally don't use sound, don't have speakers plugged in -- there is a slight possibility that sound does now work (with some more recent installs) but I really haven't checked. The newer motherboard I'm using is a Matsonic MS8308-E (or EP?). On board sound, video (works with the new Xfree -- 4.2.x?), NIC, and special LMR slot for a modem. (On board stuff is based on the SiS 730 chipset.) One nice feature of the board is that the on board video is AGP, but there is also an AGP "slot", so if I want to plug in a better video card I can. I originally installed Mandrake 7.2 (after being unsuccessful with Mandrake 8.0), and sound did not work. Since then I've upgraded to Mandrake 8.1 and then 8.2 but never tested the sound. I understand that the NIC does not work with Linux -- I've never tried as I use coax on my network, and the on board NIC is RJ-45 (10/100). Aside: The reason I switched motherboards is that the TX-Pro II could handle a max of two 64 MB DIMMS (plus two SIMMs, IIRC, 32 MB each). I needed more memory. Randy Kramer
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