Hi All! I've been using Debian with my desktop replacement laptop HP Pavilion zv5260 for about 2 years now. This was the only computer I had for about 2.5 years. I got tired of using the laptop constantly. I want something more convenient with a bigger screen and that I can use more comfortably.
So I decided to get a desktop. I need some advices. I use computer primarily for reading/writing emails, browsing internet, occasional openoffice.org use, watching movies on dvds or any mpeg movies. Most other times I spend sitting in emacs writing some code. I don't play computer games or use any 3D graphics applications. So I figured, I don't need a very fast and expensive graphics card, a lot of memory, the latest CPU or biggest HDD. This Desktop Computer is going to be used primarily for writing and compiling my code. So, my first question is: does it make sense to build my own Debian box, or for my purposes it's not necessary? From what I checked on the internet today some manufacturers offer prebuild computers for less price than I think I will be able to build it using the same parts. Any comments would be appreciated. Also, I don't want hardware compatibility with linux to be an issue. I still remember that it took me a while before I managed to make my laptop work (with ndiswrapper for wireless, patches for touchpad and stuff). So, I found out that Dell offers Dimension n-series without preinstalled Windows, specifically for customers of open source operating systems. Dell claims that these computers should work with linux with no hardware compatibility issues. I am specifically interested in Dell Dimension n-series e521 model. It seems to be a good choice for me. Good value and not expensive. That's what I am thinking to get: ------------------------------------------------------------ Dell Dimension E521N: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+ Operating System: FreeDOS included in the box, ready to install Memory: 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs Keyboard and Mouse Bundles: Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse Monitor: 19 inch SP1908FP Silver Flat Panel Monitor w/TrueLife (Glossy Screen) Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA Geforce 7300LE TurboCache Hard Drive: 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache Floppy Drive and Media Reader: No Floppy Drive Included Network Interface: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet Modem: 56K PCI Data Fax Modem CD ROM/DVD ROM: 16x DVD+/-RW Drive Sound Cards: Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio Speakers: Dell AS501 10W Flat Panel Attached Spkrs for UltraSharp Flat Panels Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: 1Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor - Next Business Day* TOTAL:$689.00 ------------------------------------------------------------ Are there any other desktop computers I should consider buying instead of this one? Is there any configuration part I should consider changing? Should I upgrade to 2 GB of RAM ? 1GB seems to be enough for me, since I am using now etch on my laptop with 512MB and I don't see any problems. In general e521n seems to be enough for etch and everything I use, since I am running a 2.5 year old laptop and I don't see any real performance issues. But again, I am open to advices. I googled e521n and debian and found out that there was a problem with usb malfunction that froze mouse but that it was solved with the new bios update released by Dell in January, 2007. I didn't find any other issues. Everything else seems to work in Debian. So if somebody here is using this model with Debian, please, provide feedback. Do you have any issues? Something to be aware before bying it? Any compatibility issues with Debian? I would prefer to install on it Debian Stable (Etch) that goes with linux kernel 2.6.18 Will I be able to do that? Or I will need new kernel 2.6.20 from unstable? Thanks for help in advance... -- "From a little distance one can perceive an order in what at the time seemed confusion." - F. Scott Fitzgerald -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
