Replacing parts vs. getting a new computer

About 4 weeks ago, the power supply on my 12 years old Intel Pentium 4 computer started to emit smoke after I replaced the mobo CR-2032 Lithium battery. I don't know why, but the computer is dead now. It probably would cost me at least $15 just to replace the power supply when there is some discount sale from some local stores. For a temporarily fix, I pulled out an old AMD Sempron computer off the shelf and started using it.

Today, Dell has this Inspiron Small Desktop on sale for $329.99 - $130 coupon (56W24HB5?CWVQK) - $75 Rebate from SlickDeals = $124.99. AFAICT, this really is not a bad deal, especially it is a 2.4 GHz 4-core Intel N3700 CPU + 4 GB DDR3L (1600MHz) RAM + 500 GB 3.5" SATA HDD (7200 Rpm) + DVDRW Optical drive + keyboard/mouse. The mobo has 4 USB2 + VGA + HDMI ports on the back and 2 USB3 ports on the front with 5:1 Micro Card Reader DIMM Slot. BTW, this comparisson review (don't know if biased or not) is not bad either. For $125, I think this is not a bad idea, especially I am in a need for a far better computer than my 12+ years old AMD Sempro.

Pull the trigger and tame the OS, you might even be able to copy your old OS partition over and keep using it.
For the money it's a good deal for the hardware. Habibie mind telling us what operating system you used for the 12 years?

According to reviews, the computer you're looking at might need a bit of attention to cooling, but its limitations are well within what I think it takes to rock in 90% of my computing needs. Quadcores feel powerful too, nothing like your last one.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2016 03:25PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pull the trigger and tame the OS, you might even
> be able to copy your old OS partition over and
> keep using it.
> For the money it's a good deal for the hardware.
> Habibie mind telling us what operating system you
> used for the 12 years?
>

Our 12-years old defunct Pentium 4 computer came with a Windows XP pre-installed and was used in our home office with MS Office to print on a Canon D480 network printer/scanner. When 1st installed, it ran fast, but gradually slowing down when more and more software got installed and/or upgraded. The reason we still kept Windows OS and did not migrate to Linux OS was because users on this computer were afraid to using Linux and prefered to experience with the unresponsive Windows XP. So, when this computer went dead, they had no choice but to put up with an old Sempron computer (running on OpenSuSE 13.2 + Libre Office) I put in to replace the dead one. When they first tried the Sempron, they did not see and/or feel any differences with the Libre Office software, except noticed its performance is more responsive. They have no probme to import all the MS Office data to Libre Open Office and print out to our network printer. We still have problem to connect to our network scanner, but that is not important at the moment.

> According to reviews, the computer you're looking
> at might need a bit of attention to cooling, but
> its limitations are well within what I think it
> takes to rock in 90% of my computing needs.
> Quadcores feel powerful too, nothing like your
> last one.
>

Since the users have been exposed to and are comfortable with Linux, we will be using OpenSuSE 42 (64-bit) even though it does come with a Windows 10. With a Linux OS, the computer will only use up the needed resources to run the needed task for an office usage, i.e. Libre Office. In this case, it should run lighter than the intended Windows 10 OS.

Since this is a 4-core system with plenty of storage, I may as well configure it in such a way so that I can use it to compile OpenWRT and/or LEDE during the off office hours. ;)

Most of that is out of my league because I know nothing about OpenSUSE or compiling, but from a hardware standpoint I know Windows x64 OSs really open up at 3GB RAM and higher.
On ThinClient right now I love Mint 17.3 x86. It has a problem getting update mirrors and won't play video without choppiness but everything else is perfect. I really dig it. Even Gimp - for someone formally trained on Photoshop at a decent Uni, Gimp doesn't lack. Or Stellarium, 4K video Downloader, uGet, on and on...

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2016 01:00AM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

I forgot to mention that I have an old 128 MB GeForce FX 5700 video card installed on my AMD Sempron with 1.2 GB (even with 512 MB) RAM running on OpenSuSE 13.2 and Kodi v16.1 plays very smooth. Before I installed OpenSuSE 13.2, the RSS streamed out very sluggish in old version of Kodi v15.2 when it had SuSE 10.1 I installed back in 2005.

Wikipedia states OpenSUSE is maintained by large community for the benefit of one user. Is that you?

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wikipedia states OpenSUSE is maintained by large
> community for the benefit of one user. Is that
> you?

LOL ..., I wished. I think it rather means for a single user.

I'm just kidding. Hey does OpenSUSE have Kodi included by default? I believe Bodhi when he says Kodi has a chance to work on my ThinClient, but I have an irrational superstition against Ubuntu.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-

Joey

No standard distro has Kodi by default. Except for specialized distro such as OpenELEC.

But you can always install Kodi on Mint.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2016 04:49PM by bodhi.

Joey,

Bodhi is right that the released version of an OpenSuSE distro does not come with Kodi. One will need to add a 3rd-party addons in software package manager to include Kodi.

At long last I was able to get Kodi to install. The downer is my hardware/drivers aren't enough on this ThinClient, at least for that. The video doesn't lag far away from the audio, but it keeps better sync by choppy, slow frames.
I can see why people love Kodi though. Something to try if I get Linux on higher end hardware. When Linux loves your hardware you can do no wrong, but I have too much VIA and nVidia around here - which is the realm of Windows and spiffy firewall like Net Limiter.

Like Habibie is saying too about XP - I wouldn't hesitate to run XP in a lot of circumstances if the drivers are better developed for hardware. A light AV like Avast set correctly, and Net Limiter firewall, add Ghostery to all browsers and backup plan. More work and maintenance but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2016 11:52PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

> wouldn't
> hesitate to run XP in a lot of circumstances if
> the drivers are better developed for hardware.

Actually, the most supported platform and easiest to get good peformance out of Kodi is Win 7. The second easiest is Linux OpenELEC.

No matter which OS and which hardware, you'll need to make sure it can run with video acceleration.

-bodhi
===========================
Forum Wiki
bodhi's corner (buy bodhi a beer)

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At long last I was able to get Kodi to install.
> The downer is my hardware/drivers aren't enough on
> this ThinClient, at least for that. The video
> doesn't lag far away from the audio, but it keeps
> better sync by choppy, slow frames.
> I can see why people love Kodi though. Something
> to try if I get Linux on higher end hardware.
> When Linux loves your hardware you can do no
> wrong, but I have too much VIA and nVidia around
> here - which is the realm of Windows and spiffy
> firewall like Net Limiter.
>

I gathered your ThinClient system runs on a Linux distro. If so and while watching/listening any video/music streams, you may wanna toggle the '\' key to put Kodi in a window mode. Then, launch any terminal shell to run top command to see how much CPU/IO/RAM resources are used by all programs, i.e. Kodi, etc.

There are some things I never intend to use, like printing, that I turn off from starting in Linux, and that's how I can get mint to run pretty well. But Kodi, like Bodhi says, must need hardware acceleration and Linux goes so far. FWIW, since I talk a lot about the ThinClient, here's the typical bootup scenarios, and this after a STACK of any Linux that would boot:
1. Bootable Linux Mint x86 from USB stick
2. Bootable Win 7 x86 from another USB stick
3. A SATA II interface to run Windows 7 x86 from a copy of a partition I used for over 7 (not 10, I checked) years and perfected to the nth degree. Except Ethernet, that's whacked and my best skillz couldn't save me. So if I can network out of it with that USB 3 > Ethernet adapter I can't tell you how happy that one goes. Should be here in a day or two.

Still I'm so used to Mint and the way that's customized, even with Winamp on WINE - I can't see throwing this away any time soon.

OpenELEC is a watershed too - that's what we should be trying to hack into an Orange Pi Plus. Deadline: Black Friday. No, before :-D

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2016 09:14PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

JoeyPogoPlugE02 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> OpenELEC is a watershed too - that's what we
> should be trying to hack into an Orange Pi Plus.
> Deadline: Black Friday. No, before

@Joey been done and the image is downloadable - jump on the OrangePi facebook page.

Now I need THREE OPi+s! That would be a seriously nice gift for my mom for the holidays, her own little TV box with access to all her CDs and DVDs ripped to local storage. I went though her CDs last year if such an occasion arises. And that could be a Guinea pig for my own stuff.

You know what a Jitterbug is? In the States it's a popular cellphone made to be simple, and I used to love configuring Windows computers to be that way, just get rid of anything that complicates things or anything stock that's inferior to 3rd party freeware or low-cost ware. And to the four potential clients who told me "I'm not paying $30 for a firewall" well, they were out of luck for my services because some corners you never cut, right?
A: Right ;-)

=========
-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2016 12:52AM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.