The computer thread

Disabled Account
Joined 2017
What are your current adventures in computers?
I'm currently installing ubuntu mate desktop on a raspberry pi 3 so that I can use it instead of my power hungry pc for basic email/web/netflix/vlc/steam gaming streaming tasks.

I have an on-grid solar power system and will turn my old pc into a fileserver and steam game streaming platform so that I can play videogames on my raspberry pi. The fileserver will turn off every day in the afternoon and turn on in the morning to save on power. The raspberry pi will stay on 24/7.

Going to try this trick for a chromium port for netflix: YouTube

I will eventually get a smaller monitor for power consumption reasons but I'm waiting on the energy efficiency of LCD monitors to improve, I doubt I will be able to ever get a 44" LCD television that consumes 25 watts however you can always dream. I currently have a 44" lcd tv hooked up to my main pc but I want to reduce its power consumption greatly and replace it eventually, once technology improves.

I am also in discussions to buy a vintage Apple iMac G3 so that I can play some of the old games that are on that machine that I used to play and explore the performance of the powerpc architecture.

Anyone else? :cool:
 
Last edited:
Ubuntu is the "windows/microsoft" of the linux world.
If you want to go linux you are better off using slackware (arm), no shitstemd and pulseaudio, etc. is easily ripped out of it.
Because of systemd/poettering/red hat crap and performance reasons I am creating my own linux-based os.
Also a tv as monitor will have major input lag.
For serious work 1 or 2 21~24 inch monitor(s) is/are the sweet spot.
27 inch is almost too big already.
And I wouldn`t buy anything crApple.
If you want/need serious reliable performance it is better to get a used (dual) xeon cpu workstation for cheap and upgrade.
 
Disabled Account
Joined 2017
Ubuntu is the "windows/microsoft" of the linux world.
If you want to go linux you are better off using slackware (arm), no shitstemd and pulseaudio, etc. is easily ripped out of it.
Because of systemd/poettering/red hat crap and performance reasons I am creating my own linux-based os.

Have you tried:
gNewSense 4 Ucclia - gNewSense GNU/Linux
Welcome to devuan.org | Devuan GNU+Linux Free Operating System

or a *BSD variant?

I would have to agree with you on your opinions of redhat and systemd, however redhat has been writing supporting code for distributions for quite a while now so to ensure that you aren't getting their code running on your system you should probably consider a BSD distro.

As for the Raspberry Pi you are kind of limited in what distros you can run, if there was a BSD or Libre-Linux distro released tomorrow I would jump ship.

I just wanted to use ubuntu for its nice shiney desktop anyway but that can be ignored.

Also a tv as monitor will have major input lag.
Mine thankfully doesn't.

For serious work 1 or 2 21~24 inch monitor(s) is/are the sweet spot.
27 inch is almost too big already.
I sit in bed all day and the tv is at the end of my bed sitting atop two large speakers. I lay in bed to rest my back.

And I wouldn`t buy anything crApple.
I just bought it so I can take a walk down memory lane, I got it for $30 :)

I've probably owned at some point every single version of a x86 system including everything from 8086-8088-286-386-486-586-686-pentium 1-pentium pro-pentium 2-pentium 3-pentium 4-amd athlon, amd athlon xp, amd athlon x2, x4, bulldozer core, APU generations. core 2 duo, core 2 quad, core i3, core i7. 68k based systems, powerpc variants. amiga/mac. etc. 6502's commodore 64 for example. vic 20, etc.

I've also owned in the past a few various rare systems that were based on the RISC architecture and also the R4000: R4000 - Wikipedia

I think the only cpu I haven't owned so far is a core i5.

I have also so-far never owned a system with a libreboot bios, but I might change that in the future, there are a few libreboot compatible motherboards for sale for cheap on ebay.

If you want/need serious reliable performance it is better to get a used (dual) xeon cpu workstation for cheap and upgrade.
I already have a LGA1151 system which I'll repurpose for a fileserver once I get this rasberry pi up and running and doing my daily tasks.

Thanks for replying.
 
Last edited:
I know (have run in the past) Debian/Devuan(=Debian without systemd).
gNewSense is new to me, will check that one out, thanks.
Although I will roll my own.
Gaming monitors have around 3-5ms input lag.
Tvs around 15-50ms.
I guess a 15 ms one will be tolerable.
Ah ok.
For memory reasons, nice.
Nice list although xeons are missing. You will be impressed by a serious workstation, no comparison to a regular desktop pc.
AMD has caught up now with EPYC and Threadripper.
Amiga has been the best overall anyway imho.
R4000, not bad.
And yes, if it gets much "worse" BSD will be the way to go.
 
OK, I don't understand the term crApple. I've owed many since 1994 and the only problem in all those years has been one iMac that had a cap problem in the PSU about 5 years ago. That's it. I use these computers all day. My office currently has 4 of them. I'm not familiar with a track record from any PC that comes close to this level of trouble free quality. To me, they are what Toyota was in the 80's and 90's.

27" is the smallest you can use and be productive in my line of work. You need a screen wide enough to have multiple pages open without overlap. You also need that 'multiple desktop' (iMac) for going between files that you pluck from all the time, or if you want to keep certain files separate and reduce clutter. Basically you can have 10 or more screens if you want.

A second monitor can be nice but in my case it's superfluous with the multiple desktop option.

EDIT: I just checked and I can activate up to 15 desktop screens.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
crApple only in the sense of overpriced and limited in function, upgradeability and performance compared to a (linux) pc of the same price.

And then you even won`t get the full/complete apple.

Apple-Logo.png



Someone already ate from it.

You can get a pc for less money that has higher quality components and is performing a lot better.

In a office, etc. environment they might do well if initial cost and cost of replacing instead of upgrading is of no concern. Although in the long run cost might be relative compared to a windows machine and its troubles.

Also pc problems are mostly software related (windows).

A correctly setup linux machine will run forever without problems if the hardware is alright.

Well I guess it depends on what you use it for.
At home I wouldn`t want a apple box though.

I think it`s just because I don`t like microsoft and apple much...
 
GP - save yourself the grief and accept that some folks love their Apple devices - my wife and I have a total of over 20 all told. I've also been using MS based PCs at work for over 25yrs for bookkeeping and payroll applications - for which there's far more software than in the Mac world. Those have given me far more grief than any of the Apples.

My boss is far more of a techie than I, and in those 25yrs has worn through at least a dozen PC based laptops by every maker extant, and about 5(?) years ago switched to a MacBook Pro, with Parallels to run various MS based software. He swears by it - not at it - and even on a wi-fi connection, it's no slower and certainly less problematic than any of the 8 Windows desktop machines in our office / production network.
 
I run two 24" monitors at home, one vertical for PDFs and text documents, one horizontal for browsing and schematics.

At work I run three 24" monitors and wish I could run a fourth.

As for differences between Apple vs PC systems, I like the open architecture of the PC and competition it fosters among manufacturers.

Apple is good, but as a monopolistic product family it is overpriced.
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
Paid Member
I am a purebread Mac user. I get more done in less time with less hassle and a much better reliability. You can buya PC for less, but similar quality costs similar (or more) money.

A solid UNIX based OS with a well thot out user interface. I use 2 Macs in my office, a MacBook Pro upstairs, and a macMini as a music server. The music server and the machines downstairs are exclusivily or often used via the MacBook over the network. A coherent software/hardware environment is what give it a lot of its power. I run Windows XP when needed on my Xenon tower when needed — it is a crap OS, but i have one piece of software that i need.

And i have a collection of othe macs.

I am interested in the raspberry pi (or similar) but really want a native FORTH OS.

dave

Note: Cal’s cap issue was an issue for almost all PC makers because of a bunch of conterfiet caps that hit the market… it was longer ago than 5 years. We repaired a lot of these (get the machine for free, add about $100 in parts & labour and pass on a useful computer to someone that could not otherwise afford one).
 
Administrator
Joined 2004
Paid Member
If you want to (be forced to) learn how computers work - Buy a Windows PC
If you want to geek out and spend your time with ultra-geeking - Install Linix
If you want to get work done - Buy a Mac.



disclaimer, I have all 3. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user