Re: [ProgSoc] buying computers

[jedd <jedd@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au>]

 Gabriela writes :

> non-bsd unixs.  As for xenix, afaik, it isn't really in use, and if i want
> to use microsoft stuff, i'll use windows :).  Minux, Linux was created to
> be a "Minux better than Minux", so i'll use linux :).

 JFTR, the xenix / minix recommendations were tongue-in-cheek.
 And I thought Linus created Linux as part of his attempt to learn
 386 assembler.  My history isn't that good.

 On the subject of history, NVIDIA does provide some pretty decent
 support for their cards -- I recall Tom's had a review (or two) of same
 a short while back.  <searches>  Here 'tis :

 http://www4.tomshardware.com/graphic/00q4/001002/index.html

 Support for XFree 4.0 too, I believe.  That story links back to the earlier
 one that did the benchmarking.

 I guess it depends if you take the hardline rms viewpoint, or the more
 moderate 'support is better than occlusion'.  Simply due to the nature
 of the 3D market, I don't think you'll find open-source 3D drivers for
 current hardware for quite a while.    In a similar way to state of the
 art games engines not being open-sourced, until they're no longer
 state of the art.

 Tel writes :
 > After all, we don't paint ourselves blue and throw ourselves
 > high up against the wall to make splat marks.

 So much for the power of advertising - I thought they painted
 themselves green.

 Gabriela writes :
 > Um, $1800-$2500 I think.  We spent $3300 last time.  I think we'd rather
 > spend more, to get something that will last longer.  But not above $3000.
 > Its not on a tight budget, we also have a modem and printer already.

 Rather than spend that money at one go, spend it over the life of the
 computer.  You simply will not be able to purchase a computer that will
 last longer than a year.  All you can do is try to purchase a system that
 lets you upgrade bits and pieces, to extend the lifetime to something
 that doesn't make you look back and cringe.  That is, it'll be easier in a year
 from now to discard a CPU that cost you $240, than one that cost you
 three times that amount.

 Of course, this implies that you don't buy a Pentium IIII.   (Though 10
 minutes on theregister or tomshardware will demonstrate why you
 shouldn't buy a P4 for performance reasons anyway.)

 Jedd.

-- 
 jedd == jedd at progsoc dot org
 "The unemployment queue is no longer just for philosophy
 majors - useful people are now being affected too."
			  -- Kent Brockman, The Simpsons.
-
You are subscribed to the progsoc mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a
message containing "unsubscribe" to progsoc-request@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au.
If you are having trouble, ask owner-progsoc@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au for help.