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Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

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Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#11

Post by dagobart »

jrockway wrote: post #10
rbanffy wrote: post #4

desktop ? You know... You could hook up VGA and a couple USB ports to a microcontroller, run Linux and call it a desktop computer, but you would be lying.

Yeah, because how could anyone use a computer without wobbly windows!? (Go back in time 20 years, and multiuser timesharing systems had lower specs than this. And a lot of good CS work was done on these systems; UNIX written, Emacs written, Vi written, gcc written, etc.)

Well, and then there was Firefox. Which simply won't run on old hardware, at least not in a current version. And not at all to mention YouTube or anything a more powerful computer requiring site. (GMail anyone?)

As much as I love keeping old computers alive using Linux, the nowadays common way using the web puts the spoke into the wheel.

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#12

Post by ssp »

mooism2 wrote: post #9
rsheridan6 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll bet that's the future of the desktop/notebook, when cell phones become a little more powerful.

The hard bit isn't even the hardware. It's the ui. Phone ui and desktop ui going are always going to be different, so how jarring is it going to be to have two different uis on the same machine?

That seems very solvable though, and importantly: solvable in ways that could be a real competitive advantage if done well.

The hard problem is how to get cell phones into people's hands that would work with it.

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#13

Post by rbanffy »

jrockway wrote: post #10
rbanffy wrote: post #4

desktop ? You know... You could hook up VGA and a couple USB ports to a microcontroller, run Linux and call it a desktop computer, but you would be lying.

Yeah, because how could anyone use a computer without wobbly windows!? (Go back in time 20 years, and multiuser timesharing systems had lower specs than this. And a lot of good CS work was done on these systems; UNIX written, Emacs written, Vi written, gcc written, etc.)

> (Go back in time 20 years, and multiuser timesharing systems had lower specs than this. And a lot of good CS work was done on these systems; UNIX written, Emacs written, Vi written, gcc written, etc.)

I was there. That doesn't change the fact people expect different things from a desktop computer these days.

You know... You could run CP/M out of something the size of a coin if you really wanted to.

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#15

Post by jrockway »

dagobart wrote: post #11
jrockway wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, because how could anyone use a computer without wobbly windows!? (Go back in time 20 years, and multiuser timesharing systems had lower specs than this. And a lot of good CS work was done on these systems; UNIX written, Emacs written, Vi written, gcc written, etc.)

Well, and then there was Firefox. Which simply won't run on old hardware, at least not in a current version. And not at all to mention YouTube or anything a more powerful computer requiring site. (GMail anyone?) As much as I love keeping old computers alive using Linux, the nowadays common way using the web puts the spoke into the wheel.

the common way using the web puts the spoke into the wheel

Wheels fall apart if you take the spokes out. Pretty sure this was not the analogy you were looking for.

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#16

Post by rsheridan6 »

mooism2 wrote: post #9
rsheridan6 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll bet that's the future of the desktop/notebook, when cell phones become a little more powerful.

The hard bit isn't even the hardware. It's the ui. Phone ui and desktop ui going are always going to be different, so how jarring is it going to be to have two different uis on the same machine?

Smart phone users already have to switch between their computers and their phones. At the very worst, combining them would mean using two incompatible UIs as we do already, but your data would all be in the same place and you would save money. Any integration of the two UIs would be the icing on the cake.

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#17

Post by stcredzero »

You can get this thing for $200. Not quite as small, but it has a 1.6 GHz Atom and it will handle streaming of HD video.

http://amzn.com/B002O3W44Q

If I were Apple, I'd be releasing an upgraded Apple TV using the tech that went into the iPad. (But trade off a bunch of speed for efficfiency.) Otherwise things like the Acer AspireRevo are going to eat away at sales of the Mac Mini and Apple TV.

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#18

Post by stcredzero »

mooism2 wrote: post #9
rsheridan6 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll bet that's the future of the desktop/notebook, when cell phones become a little more powerful.

The hard bit isn't even the hardware. It's the ui. Phone ui and desktop ui going are always going to be different, so how jarring is it going to be to have two different uis on the same machine?

If you have a Mac and an iPhone, it's all OS X. Just have the system start up the "Desktop" window/UI management system when you dock the phone. Lots of Linux users are familiar with the same machine, with the same OS having 2, 3 or a dozen different window managers.

People are already used to having one set of UI conventions on their phone and another on their laptop/desktop. Doesn't seem to jar too many from where I'm sitting.

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#19

Post by [deleted] »

jrockway wrote: post #10
rbanffy wrote: post #4

desktop ? You know... You could hook up VGA and a couple USB ports to a microcontroller, run Linux and call it a desktop computer, but you would be lying.

Yeah, because how could anyone use a computer without wobbly windows!? (Go back in time 20 years, and multiuser timesharing systems had lower specs than this. And a lot of good CS work was done on these systems; UNIX written, Emacs written, Vi written, gcc written, etc.)

[deleted]

Re: Smallest Linux desktop PC, smaller than an apple (fruit)

#20

Post by icefox »

stcredzero wrote: post #17

You can get this thing for $200. Not quite as small, but it has a 1.6 GHz Atom and it will handle streaming of HD video. http://amzn.com/B002O3W44Q If I were Apple, I'd be releasing an upgraded Apple TV using the tech that went into the iPad. (But trade off a bunch of speed for efficfiency.) Otherwise things like the Acer AspireRevo are going to eat away at sales of the Mac Mini and Apple TV.

Speaking of the Atom I have noticed that just about everyone had put out little mac mini type computers except that they use the Atom. The mac mini on the other hand is pretty much a laptop in a box. It uses a mobile core 2 duo which results in better power usage and way better performance. Why hasn't any manufacture out there created a mac mini clone? I spent last weekend trying to find one to buy, but in the end it looks like I will be buying a mini to put Linux. The closest I came on the PC side was to get a laptop and turn off the screen.... I was honestly expecting it to be easy to find a PC version of the mac mini.
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