Rocksolid Light

Welcome to novaBBS (click a section below)

mail  files  register  newsreader  groups  login

Message-ID:  

"I'm a mean green mother from outer space" -- Audrey II, The Little Shop of Horrors


computers / alt.os.linux.mint / Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

SubjectAuthor
* (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Nic
+- Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Dan Purgert
`* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
 `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
  +* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Dan Purgert
  |`* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
  | `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Dan Purgert
  |  `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
  |   `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Big Al
  |    `- Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Dan Purgert
  `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
   `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Nic
    +* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
    |+- Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
    |`* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Nic
    | `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
    |  `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
    |   `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
    |    `* Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
    |     `- Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Mike Easter
    `- Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?Paul

1
(OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7219&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7219

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!rocksolid2!news.neodome.net!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!3.eu.feeder.erje.net!1.us.feeder.erje.net!feeder.erje.net!usenet.blueworldhosting.com!diablo1.usenet.blueworldhosting.com!peer01.iad!feed-me.highwinds-media.com!news.highwinds-media.com!fx18.iad.POSTED!not-for-mail
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:102.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/102.13.0
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Reply-To: Nic@none.net
Content-Language: en-US
From: Nic...@none.net (Nic)
Subject: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Organization: Arm Chair Observer
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Lines: 7
Message-ID: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
X-Complaints-To: abuse(at)newshosting.com
NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2023 16:53:14 UTC
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 11:53:14 -0500
X-Received-Bytes: 759
 by: Nic - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 16:53 UTC

https://www.centralcomputer.com/custom-pc

They ship US only!

--
Pity the fool who followed his GPS over the cliff

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<slrnumum2c.6f2.dan@djph.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7220&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7220

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!paganini.bofh.team!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: dan...@djph.net (Dan Purgert)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 17:03:30 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 15
Message-ID: <slrnumum2c.6f2.dan@djph.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
Injection-Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 17:03:30 -0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="fccd2ec5fb1dbdef68e99a9331d80b74";
logging-data="253323"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+2b+MQFdg5AJYn9yCGdawdyewDBp+gcFQ="
User-Agent: slrn/1.0.3 (Linux)
Cancel-Lock: sha1:s3gvRY/ysYkiE2qELZcbo3OOVZo=
 by: Dan Purgert - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 17:03 UTC

On 2023-12-05, Nic wrote:
> https://www.centralcomputer.com/custom-pc
>
> They ship US only!
>

never heard of them. I'd stick with the normal players (Dell/HP/etc.),
or for something a little more OS-agnostic, Framework
(https://frame.work).

--
|_|O|_|
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7221&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7221

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!usenet.goja.nl.eu.org!3.eu.feeder.erje.net!feeder.erje.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 10:58:16 -0800
Lines: 20
Message-ID: <kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net JyymyUO/xyXWNMyAzGhXEQcLeKkiPQAsrdFD011bLXoN7arMiB
Cancel-Lock: sha1:PcHfZV8reYzW2JlxOwC9nERVZzI= sha256:Ig8FS3PompqxJIbndOrQrVVuHkcn3mBVexEz7XTgrko=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 18:58 UTC

Nic wrote:
> https://www.centralcomputer.com/custom-pc
>
> They ship US only!
>
They have 5 stores in the Bay Area (US CA). That kind of operation was
very popular back in the 90s when a large city would have scores of them
in a 'district'.

https://www.centralcomputer.com/about-us

My first Win 95 computer (after my Atari ST decade) came from a local
'assembly' store like that before I started building my own from
assembled parts I bought on sale locally from such big storefronts as Fry's.

I spent a few minutes looking around; I didn't see any great deals there.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7222&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7222

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 11:10:23 -0800
Lines: 22
Message-ID: <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net dnaUh8tI/lAJ3S9nVVBCkA1DB/ngPSNVI5kevAUAzPcKL7o6Qj
Cancel-Lock: sha1:XKBY8f7pYnbQzT8P69OwXaukDOM= sha256:X8bdt8pC2C0hk2db+h9AxmYMICR6/DIj7Kj0FOJ1CTY=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 19:10 UTC

Mike Easter wrote:
> I spent a few minutes looking around; I didn't see any great deals there.

Their prices for 'parts' aren't great; then they charge $99 for a simple
desktop build + $30 to install a Win (not incl license) or $50 to
install a linux !?.

What's up w/ that?

I've found my best deals on buying refurbs, but that is a 'tricky'
maneuver that needs to have an 'escape hatch' such as being able to
return to a storefront instead of some other mechanism like shipping.
Each one of my refurbs has been 'wonderful' condition, but if it isn't,
it needs to be /easy/ to say, I don't want this, either give me another
one or give me all my money back. Storefront return even if the
'original' was shipped.

eg you can do that w/ such as WalMart.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7223&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7223

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!paganini.bofh.team!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: dan...@djph.net (Dan Purgert)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 19:13:21 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 17
Message-ID: <slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
Injection-Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 19:13:21 -0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="fccd2ec5fb1dbdef68e99a9331d80b74";
logging-data="382336"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18M7ncYSGta3jXAZUbpmQSn2mywQtL40lU="
User-Agent: slrn/1.0.3 (Linux)
Cancel-Lock: sha1:Fvxy7kXo0izsi4eEmZ7LA9NEdMQ=
 by: Dan Purgert - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 19:13 UTC

On 2023-12-05, Mike Easter wrote:
> Mike Easter wrote:
>> I spent a few minutes looking around; I didn't see any great deals there.
>
> Their prices for 'parts' aren't great; then they charge $99 for a simple
> desktop build + $30 to install a Win (not incl license) or $50 to
> install a linux !?.
>
> What's up w/ that?

Services cost money, and given it's more expensive; they don't know
Linux very well (i.e. it takes them longer to install Linux).

--
|_|O|_|
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<kt9i9aFam5cU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7224&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7224

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 13:16:24 -0800
Lines: 28
Message-ID: <kt9i9aFam5cU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net 9IQi9hIq4TNYTVTTi70vNAGc3DtV9zw+hVigpy8etOV6SPUMUG
Cancel-Lock: sha1:+F6dgD13y98eyjMv2zZdGahMp5k= sha256:J/X37YPUBYBFazu8Ml5iiUtvhARPXMF2NJRBGGSnkcY=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 21:16 UTC

Dan Purgert wrote:
> Mike Easter wrote:
>> Mike Easter wrote:
>>> I spent a few minutes looking around; I didn't see any great deals there.
>>
>> Their prices for 'parts' aren't great; then they charge $99 for a simple
>> desktop build + $30 to install a Win (not incl license) or $50 to
>> install a linux !?.
>>
>> What's up w/ that?
>
> Services cost money, and given it's more expensive; they don't know
> Linux very well (i.e. it takes them longer to install Linux).
>
I understand the concept, but I don't consider their 'markup' and
pricing strategy to be 'worth it' to me.

They markup the price of their 'parts' too much; they markup their
'fixed' pricing for services too much.

The non-local customer is paying too much for their choice of running 5
storefronts in the pricey Bay Area.

I 'understand' their problem (business), but I wouldn't accept it as 'my
own' problem to pay for.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7225&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7225

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!usenet.goja.nl.eu.org!3.eu.feeder.erje.net!feeder.erje.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 13:30:21 -0800
Lines: 16
Message-ID: <kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net Sgqcz/QPXdAe5w0HTIk47gcdx74KqS5gS5rvfEzgShZwfMZT5e
Cancel-Lock: sha1:eOjmxzcO9+5BG/qMLTghMUkkOUw= sha256:xzhhfXXBIoLHyqGDvdI98wfj3a9wYfprNZtxfpYGIxg=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 21:30 UTC

Mike Easter wrote:
> $50 to install a linux !?.
>
> What's up w/ that?

Besides, what happened to the old-fashioned (linux) install-fest? That
idea has advantages WAY beyond the install.

This is a linux group. At the outset, I /assume/ that it isn't about a
gaming machine, but it could be.

What kind of 'machine' is Nic looking for? I guess that is what he
should figure out before he starts looking for some place to buy 'it'.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<slrnumv6qt.hsj.dan@djph.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7226&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7226

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: dan...@djph.net (Dan Purgert)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 21:49:40 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 28
Message-ID: <slrnumv6qt.hsj.dan@djph.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net> <kt9i9aFam5cU1@mid.individual.net>
Injection-Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 21:49:40 -0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="fccd2ec5fb1dbdef68e99a9331d80b74";
logging-data="440183"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/mDCrMw71ek5it44ZcBBq0Dk5uK8hBkr8="
User-Agent: slrn/1.0.3 (Linux)
Cancel-Lock: sha1:beRHjtZjp0Yf2yzAyUxanxkGXAU=
 by: Dan Purgert - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 21:49 UTC

On 2023-12-05, Mike Easter wrote:
> Dan Purgert wrote:
>> Mike Easter wrote:
>>> Mike Easter wrote:
>>>> I spent a few minutes looking around; I didn't see any great deals there.
>>>
>>> Their prices for 'parts' aren't great; then they charge $99 for a simple
>>> desktop build + $30 to install a Win (not incl license) or $50 to
>>> install a linux !?.
>>>
>>> What's up w/ that?
>>
>> Services cost money, and given it's more expensive; they don't know
>> Linux very well (i.e. it takes them longer to install Linux).
>>
> I understand the concept, but I don't consider their 'markup' and
> pricing strategy to be 'worth it' to me.

And some people have more money than time (and/or simply lack the
requisite skills). So, they pay someone else to do it -- inclusive of
the "oh they have a physical place I can walk/drive/take transit to, to
get these services for a reasonable-to-me price" that this operation
seems to do (even if it's crazy expensive to my/our reckoning).

--
|_|O|_|
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<kt9lbpFbe6tU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7227&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7227

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!news.chmurka.net!usenet.goja.nl.eu.org!3.eu.feeder.erje.net!feeder.erje.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 14:08:55 -0800
Lines: 32
Message-ID: <kt9lbpFbe6tU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net> <kt9i9aFam5cU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumv6qt.hsj.dan@djph.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net /8oxz2LZbtlxj/ewHFEFBQ4E2Glob/b+oAyuc2WBn5r5iegEM4
Cancel-Lock: sha1:DJTJKT9gF/G725rG737OUbUegnA= sha256:xsiI7xdbaKDxiycXkHVJM4WjrMhXac2KXy8UoSda7P8=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <slrnumv6qt.hsj.dan@djph.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 22:08 UTC

Dan Purgert wrote:
> And some people have more money than time (and/or simply lack the
> requisite skills). So, they pay someone else to do it -- inclusive of
> the "oh they have a physical place I can walk/drive/take transit to, to
> get these services for a reasonable-to-me price" that this operation
> seems to do (even if it's crazy expensive to my/our reckoning).

Back when I bought the one and only computer I ever bought for myself
from an assembly storefront place, I was 'newspaper ad' (and Computer
Shopper) shopping and the store's sales environment was highly
competitive. I had never bought parts and assembled them; my previous
Atari STs were all preassembled. And its OS on eprom.

So I chose my configuration based on my reading and the shop assembled
it, installed W95 & MS Office and gave me the disks.

I was fortunate that my cable TV company had just started providing
broadband internet service, so that was all wonderful.

By the time WinMe came along, my parents in a small town in TX wanted a
computer. I similarly shopped and found a reasonable assembly place in
their nearest decent sized city, San Antonio, and communicated w/ that
store and they built the computer and installed W98se (rather than Me,
my choice) for them and when I came to visit them we drove to SAT &
picked it up and I set it up for them. Shortly after that is when I
came to the shocking discovery that dial-up internet in small-town TX
was a completely different animal than broadband in my city :-(

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<uko91u$dtt6$1@dont-email.me>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7228&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7228

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!rocksolid2!news.neodome.net!news.mixmin.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Bea...@invalid.com (Big Al)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 17:43:09 -0500
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 19
Message-ID: <uko91u$dtt6$1@dont-email.me>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net> <kt9i9aFam5cU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumv6qt.hsj.dan@djph.net> <kt9lbpFbe6tU1@mid.individual.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 22:43:10 -0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="d9a37dae735afdf190a0ae06f6111c05";
logging-data="456614"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+Rx+l5bJed0Yl85mOGHm5luROT8ftsEbI="
User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird
Cancel-Lock: sha1:pbMsBUkvgpCN70l5i2BNSXw0gBA=
In-Reply-To: <kt9lbpFbe6tU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Big Al - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 22:43 UTC

On 12/5/23 05:08 PM, this is what Mike Easter wrote:
> Dan Purgert wrote:
>> And some people have more money than time (and/or simply lack the
>> requisite skills).  So, they pay someone else to do it -- inclusive of
>> the "oh they have a physical place I can walk/drive/take transit to, to
>> get these services for a reasonable-to-me price" that this operation
>> seems to do (even if it's crazy expensive to my/our reckoning).
>
> Back when I bought the one and only computer I ever bought for myself from an assembly storefront place, I was
> 'newspaper ad' (and Computer Shopper) shopping and the store's sales environment was highly competitive.  I had never
> bought parts and assembled them; my previous Atari STs were all preassembled.  And its OS on eprom.
MicroCenter around here is good for buying parts, with a BYO counter. (build your own).
I too kinda knew what I wanted (or didn't want), and I asked, and the techs and I tossed ideas around and I came up with
a cart full of parts. I'm sure they might build it for you, but I never asked, it was a new adventure for me.

--
Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon
Al

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<slrnumvbqj.hsj.dan@djph.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7229&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7229

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: dan...@djph.net (Dan Purgert)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 23:14:49 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <slrnumvbqj.hsj.dan@djph.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumutlq.hsj.dan@djph.net> <kt9i9aFam5cU1@mid.individual.net>
<slrnumv6qt.hsj.dan@djph.net> <kt9lbpFbe6tU1@mid.individual.net>
<uko91u$dtt6$1@dont-email.me>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2023 23:14:49 -0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="73ba5a53c768c499b2fbab4a59f9bbb5";
logging-data="461410"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+tp0oWPI9U9RxG4rAcHdkFl4oQT89Qw3U="
User-Agent: slrn/1.0.3 (Linux)
Cancel-Lock: sha1:T1C0W69LOBZeW26Z+xUK9BHdwEg=
 by: Dan Purgert - Tue, 5 Dec 2023 23:14 UTC

On 2023-12-05, Big Al wrote:
> On 12/5/23 05:08 PM, this is what Mike Easter wrote:
>> Dan Purgert wrote:
>>> And some people have more money than time (and/or simply lack the
>>> requisite skills).  So, they pay someone else to do it -- inclusive of
>>> the "oh they have a physical place I can walk/drive/take transit to, to
>>> get these services for a reasonable-to-me price" that this operation
>>> seems to do (even if it's crazy expensive to my/our reckoning).
>>
>> Back when I bought the one and only computer I ever bought for myself
>> from an assembly storefront place, I was 'newspaper ad' (and Computer
>> Shopper) shopping and the store's sales environment was highly
>> competitive.  I had never bought parts and assembled them; my
>> previous Atari STs were all preassembled.  And its OS on eprom..
> MicroCenter around here is good for buying parts, with a BYO counter.
> (build your own). I too kinda knew what I wanted (or didn't want), and
> I asked, and the techs and I tossed ideas around and I came up with a
> cart full of parts. I'm sure they might build it for you, but I never
> asked, it was a new adventure for me.

The only problem with the one around here is the losers who put their
salesdroid stickers on your stuff when you need someone to unlock the
cabinet (e.g. RAM )

They get SO MAD when you peel it off and stick it to the shelving unit
for some reason...

--
|_|O|_|
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7230&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7230

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!usenet.blueworldhosting.com!diablo1.usenet.blueworldhosting.com!peer02.iad!feed-me.highwinds-media.com!news.highwinds-media.com!fx15.iad.POSTED!not-for-mail
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:102.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/102.13.0
Reply-To: Nic@none.net
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
From: Nic...@none.net (Nic)
Organization: Arm Chair Observer
In-Reply-To: <kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Lines: 21
Message-ID: <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
X-Complaints-To: abuse(at)newshosting.com
NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2023 07:22:22 UTC
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 02:22:22 -0500
X-Received-Bytes: 1780
 by: Nic - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 07:22 UTC

On 12/5/23 4:30 PM, Mike Easter wrote:
> Mike Easter wrote:
>> $50 to install a linux !?.
>>
>> What's up w/ that?
>
> Besides, what happened to the old-fashioned (linux) install-fest? That
> idea has advantages WAY beyond the install.
>
> This is a linux group.  At the outset, I /assume/ that it isn't about
> a gaming machine, but it could be.
>
> What kind of 'machine' is Nic looking for?  I guess that is what he
> should figure out before he starts looking for some place to buy 'it'.
>
I was just window shopping. If I were to buy a machine today I would
want it to be able to run Linux Mint exclusively, not alongside M$
Windows. For now this old egg beater serves my needs, and I have a brand
new Linux only machine setup and ready to go. Also mentioned are the 3
or 4 used laptops that I have with W7 and W10 for simple hidden object
games (of which none will work in Linux-Wine) and email.

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7231&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7231

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!news.samoylyk.net!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 07:36:04 -0800
Lines: 35
Message-ID: <ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net d6TnKEzPDkPeNke9Bv438ANc1KENojAEJ+BA2nhl0C9W8KguNx
Cancel-Lock: sha1:XM32NPeSUqzQAQjUghIR99/zFIA= sha256:cc4B9mx6KhZv2zW1hD2L6mINtYG/E70VzDtxpRXfpkU=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 15:36 UTC

Nic wrote:
> I was just window shopping. If I were to buy a machine today I would
> want it to be able to run Linux Mint exclusively, not alongside M$
> Windows. For now this old egg beater serves my needs, and I have a brand
> new Linux only machine setup and ready to go. Also mentioned are the 3
> or 4 used laptops that I have with W7 and W10 for simple hidden object
> games (of which none will work in Linux-Wine) and email.

Almost always (excluding those machines I've built from parts I bought)
whenever I buy a computer for the purpose of running linux, it 'comes
with' a Win installed. My 'responsibility' is to make sure that it is
able to run whichever linux I want.

The concept of there being a 'MS tax' in which the user buying a machine
is 'forced' to pay 'extra' for a MS license is bogus. The OEMs who
assemble machines get a dirt cheap MS license because of its
restrictions and then they get payola to junk it up w/ bloatware to
*more than* cover the cost of their OEM license, so they can actually
sell a machine w/ MS OS and Win bloatware for *LESS* than they can sell
a linux-loaded box, like Dell has done. That is, you can get more
hardware for less money by buying one w/ Win-ware than w/ linux.

The last 3 machines I've bought, 2 desktops and 1 laptop, have all been
refurbs w/ Win preinstalled. Also, it turns out that an official
refurber gets to have their own special 'refurb' Win license so they
don't 'bother w/' installing any bloat ware.

When I'm window shopping, the first type of window shopping I ever do is
for refurbs. I don't need the latest and greatest; I'm looking for the
good deals. But, I'm also very selective how I buy refurbs; the world
is full of refurb dogs that are beat-up and over-the-hill. Mine have all
been pristine, like brand new.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ktbk35F9vkU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7232&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7232

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 07:59:31 -0800
Lines: 27
Message-ID: <ktbk35F9vkU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-Trace: individual.net sqf0NgXV587s7isB9o7FNA3eoPWfnzV9M4as7kEIySrIRtCvTV
Cancel-Lock: sha1:dmU236A2Ps9FWlXCCK02shaud0c= sha256:wirwrpeJVkZN96HoAH6tfn48Kww5O06M1HE+fB8GLcM=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 15:59 UTC

Mike Easter wrote:
>
> Almost always (excluding those machines I've built from parts I bought)
> whenever I buy a computer for the purpose of running linux, it 'comes
> with' a Win installed.  My 'responsibility' is to make sure that it is
> able to run whichever linux I want.
>
More on this subject, regarding the last laptop I bought, which was a W10.

(If it is any clue how 'unfond' I am of laptops, preferring desktops,
the previous 2 laptops I bought were a Vista one and a Chromebox. The
Vista machine died a display death a while back and the Chromebox is
alive and 'kicking', but its ability to update its OS is over).

The W10 Lenovo has a Broadcom wifi which most linux distro/s (but not
all, and incl Mint) cannot solve at the time of a live boot, so if wifi
connectivity is expected at boot, it isn't there. That is an
inconvenience to solve. The easiest (but not the only) way to solve it
is to boot w/ ethernet connected and work out the broadcom puzzle. An
alternative solution is to boot MX Linux which is able to solve the wifi
out-of-the-box.

So, the point about linux and hardware incompatibilities is not one to
be completely ignored.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7233&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7233

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!usenet.blueworldhosting.com!diablo1.usenet.blueworldhosting.com!peer01.iad!feed-me.highwinds-media.com!news.highwinds-media.com!fx18.iad.POSTED!not-for-mail
MIME-Version: 1.0
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:102.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/102.13.0
Reply-To: Nic@none.net
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Content-Language: en-US
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net>
From: Nic...@none.net (Nic)
Organization: Arm Chair Observer
In-Reply-To: <ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Lines: 41
Message-ID: <kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>
X-Complaints-To: abuse(at)newshosting.com
NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2023 16:47:12 UTC
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 11:47:12 -0500
X-Received-Bytes: 3347
 by: Nic - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 16:47 UTC

On 12/6/23 10:36 AM, Mike Easter wrote:
> Nic wrote:
>> I was just window shopping. If I were to buy a machine today I would
>> want it to be able to run Linux Mint exclusively, not alongside M$
>> Windows. For now this old egg beater serves my needs, and I have a
>> brand new Linux only machine setup and ready to go. Also mentioned
>> are the 3 or 4 used laptops that I have with W7 and W10 for simple
>> hidden object games (of which none will work in Linux-Wine) and email.
>
> Almost always (excluding those machines I've built from parts I
> bought) whenever I buy a computer for the purpose of running linux, it
> 'comes with' a Win installed.  My 'responsibility' is to make sure
> that it is able to run whichever linux I want.
>
> The concept of there being a 'MS tax' in which the user buying a
> machine is 'forced' to pay 'extra' for a MS license is bogus.  The
> OEMs who assemble machines get a dirt cheap MS license because of its
> restrictions and then they get payola to junk it up w/ bloatware to
> *more than* cover the cost of their OEM license, so they can actually
> sell a machine w/ MS OS and Win bloatware for *LESS* than they can
> sell a linux-loaded box, like Dell has done. That is, you can get more
> hardware for less money by buying one w/ Win-ware than w/ linux.
>
> The last 3 machines I've bought, 2 desktops and 1 laptop, have all
> been refurbs w/ Win preinstalled.  Also, it turns out that an official
> refurber gets to have their own special 'refurb' Win license so they
> don't 'bother w/' installing any bloat ware.
>
> When I'm window shopping, the first type of window shopping I ever do
> is for refurbs.  I don't need the latest and greatest; I'm looking for
> the good deals.  But, I'm also very selective how I buy refurbs; the
> world is full of refurb dogs that are beat-up and over-the-hill. Mine
> have all been pristine, like brand new.
>
That is why I was so explicit, I really do not want anything to do with
any M$ products. I also realize that a lot of the new hardware being
manufactured is heavily compromised by M$. You have been lucky with your
purchases of refurbished devices. It would be nice to have a list of
motherboards that are ok with Linux. I also gave up on Intel chips, ever
since they moved their operation to Israel I have had my suspicions that
Intel is the core of spyware.

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ktbpjlF21hsU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7234&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7234

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 09:33:39 -0800
Lines: 75
Message-ID: <ktbpjlF21hsU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net> <kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net 0FK9oZXkfaoXKp6zOqh8JQEkmQsjyzhedEfzRWWMbJoFfXeX8E
Cancel-Lock: sha1:Ek/TDP0Cs/7SPvZSYiL1bM4THmE= sha256:3vzaqKoA/H0s+3mcm9zNmO2aiE9DxNQZwiHaIVoui4E=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 17:33 UTC

Nic wrote:
> That is why I was so explicit,

Well, I wouldn't call what we know so far to be explicit.

> I really do not want anything to do with any M$ products.

The 'products' are not MS products. The products are either hardware
mfr/s or hardware 'assemblers' incl OEMs. The fact that hw mrf/s are
'in bed w/' MS makes perfectly good sense, in that they get MS help w/
drivers for their hw products.

Hw people are 'befuddled' by the confusion of a lot of different linux
distro/s and desktops and toolkits and display tech. But for those of
us who are looking for savings in the form of a sufficiently wide
distribution of hw sales, it makes more sense to me to find hw that
suits Win and linux both than a hw that is sold w/ linux only. These
days, it isn't that hard to find hw sold w/ Win-ware that suits linux
perfectly well.

> I also realize that a lot of the new hardware being manufactured is
> heavily compromised by M$.

I don't think 'compromised' is exactly the correct term, but I
understand the concept. Historically, it would make MS perfectly happy
if hw would ONLY work w/ Win. But the reality of today is that it isn't
hard at all to find hw and computers compatible w/ linux.

> You have been lucky with your purchases of refurbished devices.

That is 'luck by design'. The last refurb laptop I bought from Fry's
storefront was in beautiful shape, but when I brought it home and
'tested it', I found its CPU to be running pretty warm. I drove back to
the Fry's, told them the problem, and traded that one for another one in
equally good shape that didn't have that problem. I'm glad I didn't
have to deal w/ some kind of big bad shipping and RMA argument problem.
Frys (no longer in biz) and WalMart are both storefronts that have
excellent return/exchange policies.

> It would be nice to have a list of motherboards that are ok with
> Linux.

Well, I think one could do that kind of research, but that isn't the way
I go about it.

The way I do it is to do my shopping first, to find the deal I'm
interested in. Then I determine everything about its hardware. Then I
determine if all that hardware is compatible w/ linux; rather than
trying to do it 'the other way around' - creating some kind of giant
list of linux compatible hardware then holding that list while I do my
shopping.

> I also gave up on Intel chips,

I've always 'preferred' AMD over Intel; but not exclusively. I just
look there first.

> ever since they moved their operation to Israel I have had my
> suspicions that Intel is the core of spyware.

I have no idea what that sentence means.

If I go to wp and ask it 'Intel fab plants' I find an article on that
very subject.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_manufacturing_sites

> Intel has claimed that approximately 75% of their semiconductor
> fabrication is performed in the United States

Intel has a few plants, past and present, in .il, also a few other
countries, but mostly .us.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ktbvn9F3orrU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7235&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7235

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 11:18:00 -0800
Lines: 18
Message-ID: <ktbvn9F3orrU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net> <kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>
<ktbpjlF21hsU1@mid.individual.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net wEfbBTVW8i0ylR/4x7tkigWxI/lUA4C2Kq1ZhHee4cK7tNFVij
Cancel-Lock: sha1:RKk/5/yyfnP7tDiDeWko4+5SvyU= sha256:agjlhFUt8aMzSixE00ZdiXSztp1cZ6Vk4Lv/GDcZosw=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <ktbpjlF21hsU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 19:18 UTC

Mike Easter wrote:
> I've always 'preferred' AMD over Intel; but not exclusively.

Considering what I do and what hw I have sitting around, if I were going
to setup another desktop 'right now', I would likely go w/ ARM instead
of AMD and do such as an RPi 5, maybe a 4 if there is a problem w/ some
linux distro/s doing 5.

I have a currently operational RPi3B w/ 1G ram, but the 5 w/ 8G looks a
lot better. I might try to do something else w/ the 3B as headless
because it has a monitor, mouse & kb I would use for the 5. In the
past, I've used a KVM switch and used 1 kb monitor & mouse for 2 central
units, but I don't have a spare KVM that would suit the Pi/s as my spare
is PS/2 not USB and it wouldn 't be worth the cost of a USB kvm to keep
the 3B 'going' as a conventional desktop.

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ukqpc3$u23i$1@dont-email.me>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7236&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7236

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: nos...@needed.invalid (Paul)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 16:33:54 -0500
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 97
Message-ID: <ukqpc3$u23i$1@dont-email.me>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 21:33:56 -0000 (UTC)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="643af663640f12299641b9cac202df5a";
logging-data="985202"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/kKQN9PFW0y3ZbCUnshM9Bg2udAbjkNmo="
User-Agent: Ratcatcher/2.0.0.25 (Windows/20130802)
Cancel-Lock: sha1:Eg3wwNbw3UlNTERm+nZVcpC11zk=
In-Reply-To: <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Paul - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 21:33 UTC

On 12/6/2023 2:22 AM, Nic wrote:
> On 12/5/23 4:30 PM, Mike Easter wrote:
>> Mike Easter wrote:
>>> $50 to install a linux !?.
>>>
>>> What's up w/ that?
>>
>> Besides, what happened to the old-fashioned (linux) install-fest? That idea has advantages WAY beyond the install.
>>
>> This is a linux group.  At the outset, I /assume/ that it isn't about a gaming machine, but it could be.
>>
>> What kind of 'machine' is Nic looking for?  I guess that is what he should figure out before he starts looking for some place to buy 'it'.
>>
> I was just window shopping. If I were to buy a machine today I would want it to be able to run Linux Mint
> exclusively, not alongside M$ Windows. For now this old egg beater serves my needs, and I have a brand new
> Linux only machine setup and ready to go. Also mentioned are the 3 or 4 used laptops that I have with
> W7 and W10 for simple hidden object games (of which none will work in Linux-Wine) and email.

All it takes, is a screwdriver to build a PC.

I built an entire PC, yesterday :-) Well, sorta.

[Picture]

https://i.postimg.cc/9FnM28yF/new-build.gif

Now, that's not finished. But, the hard parts are done.
Some of the junk on the right of the casing, is left-overs
from the previous build in the case.

The memtest running on the right, is proof it is working.
I picked up the motherboard downtown yesterday, and the
rest of the stuff was sitting in the junk room. The PC case used,
had a dead motherboard, and so I could remove the dead motherboard
and put in new stuff. Fitting the cooler (a Noctua in this example),
is anywhere from "tricky" to "miserable", as getting the screws
to mate is an "adventure". The Noctua is a blow-down cooler.

The default Stealth Wraith (the cooler that ships with the
CPU in this example), is easy to install, by comparison to some
of the aftermarket ones. One of the coolers I fitted several
months ago, you have to feel with your fingers, behind the cooler,
to get the screw and its mate, to line up. In other words, you have
to "invent a method", to even get the thing installed. That's
what I mean about a "hard part". When you install a cooler, the
CPU and the cooler are buttered with Arctic Silver Five and you're
trying to not smear that shit all over the place :-) That is why,
you practice handling the item when it is "dry", and when you feel
you know how to screw it down, then it's show time, "butter up" and go.

When do you use an after-market cooler ? For high-power (224 watt turbo) CPUs.
This particular cooler was a "left-over" when I discovered it just
didn't have the cooling power required. I thought I could get away with it,
but the closed loop cooling "didn't like it". It is too much cooler for
the CPU it is sitting on now. I could probably turn off the fan and
it would not overheat.

*******

Even the table the PC sits on, I built the table too :-)

Summary: You don't need a hole-in-the-wall company to build you a PC.
(Some of these companies, are actually rat-bastards. Beware!
One company claimed there were "no user serviceable parts inside",
which is of course bullshit, and is not a reason to invalidate a
warranty.)

In fact, your local computer store will build a PC from parts,
for somewhere around $150 to $200, over and above the parts cost.
If you tell them "test it, but don't install an OS", then the
build cost could be lower. You'll notice mine is just running memtest
right now. Writing this post, is preventing me from fitting an OS.

The purpose of picking the components, is to "get what you want".
For example, my motherboard cost $200, but as it turns out, it
worked with a low end CPU. And when I decided to stick a high end CPU
in it, it behaved like a champ. If I'd bought a motherboard for $85,
it might not have liked that (the high end CPU). You can look at the
number of phases on the motherboard, as one of the indications of
what kind of power it can put out. The "CPU Compatibility Table" on the
motherboard web site, is your proof it can power the CPU you are selecting.

When you're building a Linux PC, you, Nic, know which items are
trouble makers. You would not select a non-Linux Wifi for example.
Rather than tasking a hole-in-the-wall company to assemble random
components, you can use your knowledge of the trouble-makers, to select
items suited for Linux. Wifi would be a key one.

Dell - OEM machines can be the cheapest, especially clearance items
Hole-In-Wall - A bit more expensive than Dell, random parts, questionable service
Home Build - Could be double
Local Computer Store Build - Home Build plus $200, guaranteed to work,
they work with you to do your custom build.

Paul

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ktc839F5tn7U1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7237&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7237

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!newsfeed.endofthelinebbs.com!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 13:40:55 -0800
Lines: 33
Message-ID: <ktc839F5tn7U1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net> <kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>
<ktbpjlF21hsU1@mid.individual.net> <ktbvn9F3orrU1@mid.individual.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net kiPe6O/iuyvmkZ9cCIx4JgNUn6RPQO0Cd1V7aiOCJWuqD0zfn6
Cancel-Lock: sha1:UQSMGH81ynZh9MnvNaeaGh1dbys= sha256:dBUI8qHNoi3bk/DxCqKi0rq2Lx7fswaz7NURfGbuZPk=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <ktbvn9F3orrU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 21:40 UTC

Mike Easter wrote:
> I might try to do something else w/ the 3B as headless

I found something I 'need'/could use.

Problem: My LAN currently consists of: cable modem, an ethernet + wifi
router, ethernet switch for more ports, several ethernet devices and
several wifi devices. The location of the wifi-ethernet router is not
optimal, as it is 'buried' in a corner surrounded by walls and
computers. Away from that 'computer room' I have occasion to use wifi
devices. Because I had concern about the shading of the wifi by its
location, I located an access point not too far distant from the
ethernet switch but whose location was MUCH better than everything in
the computer room, and that was the point that the wifi devices in the
rest of the house accessed. It made for a strong signal everywhere I
needed it.

But... my AP died. It turns out that the signal from the buried wifi
router is 'good enough' but not 'strong' in the other parts of the house
where it is wanted.

I found an article about making an RPi a headless AP. I could put it
where I had the AP which location has ethernet and power.

https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2662
> This guide will show you how to configure a Raspberry Pi as an access
> point and connect it to your local Ethernet network to share Internet
> to other WiFi devices.

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/setting-up-a-raspberry-pi-3-as-an-access-point

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ktc91fF64l4U1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7238&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7238

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!news.hispagatos.org!news.nntp4.net!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 13:57:01 -0800
Lines: 20
Message-ID: <ktc91fF64l4U1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net> <kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>
<ktbpjlF21hsU1@mid.individual.net> <ktbvn9F3orrU1@mid.individual.net>
<ktc839F5tn7U1@mid.individual.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-Trace: individual.net Cj+t9eGuWPlxakEqWXdPIwwF3qgDrJ0u9dIh+wIll/8M1xXFN0
Cancel-Lock: sha1:sTtW7fZ0yKNWD6V9EyDSsMT90xM= sha256:Tu6uWoHNn42+Z1MDIF1PcF6SHtGystW9EIa6d3HkWYI=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <ktc839F5tn7U1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 21:57 UTC

Mike Easter wrote:
> I found an article about making an RPi a headless AP.  I could put it
> where I had the AP which location has ethernet and power.

I was wishing that my RPi 3B had a connection for a little wifi antenna;
I have several of them sitting around here.

I found this:

https://web.archive.org/web/20181019182655im_/https://www.dorkbotpdx.org/blog/wramsdell/external_antenna_modifications_for_the_raspberry_pi_3

and

https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/downloads/pdf/setting-up-a-raspberry-pi-as-a-wifi-access-point.pdf
> Setting up a Raspberry Pi as a WiFiAccess Point

(the pic at the .pdf looks like a 'real' AP incl antenna :-)

--
Mike Easter

Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?

<ktcaf9F6fvtU1@mid.individual.net>

 copy mid

https://www.novabbs.com/computers/article-flat.php?id=7239&group=alt.os.linux.mint#7239

 copy link   Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Path: i2pn2.org!i2pn.org!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mik...@ster.invalid (Mike Easter)
Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mint
Subject: Re: (OT) Has anybody here used this company?
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2023 14:21:28 -0800
Lines: 16
Message-ID: <ktcaf9F6fvtU1@mid.individual.net>
References: <_zIbN.190233$cAm7.18310@fx18.iad>
<kt9a69F8j8gU1@mid.individual.net> <kt9at0F8oopU1@mid.individual.net>
<kt9j3fFasuoU1@mid.individual.net> <OiVbN.230490$_Oab.217892@fx15.iad>
<ktbin6Fuds7U1@mid.individual.net> <kA1cN.192323$cAm7.17786@fx18.iad>
<ktbpjlF21hsU1@mid.individual.net> <ktbvn9F3orrU1@mid.individual.net>
<ktc839F5tn7U1@mid.individual.net> <ktc91fF64l4U1@mid.individual.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net rzKr/hIi51bqE9gSCBPFpwBB3mf5MGKpQL2YiGmZ4mqOx+RVmd
Cancel-Lock: sha1:r+Vz8z99lC0u+SMBQ4KxqQasgS8= sha256:9Ya0xcZ5fAYej5g7kiEPyS4lPlgeu2XP8jGifJp6Wxs=
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:68.0) Gecko/20100101
Thunderbird/68.10.0
In-Reply-To: <ktc91fF64l4U1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
 by: Mike Easter - Wed, 6 Dec 2023 22:21 UTC

Mike Easter wrote:
> I was wishing that my RPi 3B had a connection for a little wifi antenna;
> I have several of them sitting around here.

Alternatively, I could use a USB (w/ antenna) wifi dongle, which I
believe is the same (or better) speed as the onboard wifi, even tho' the
3B's USB is just 2.

So far I'm thinking I would rather spend my money on a newer RPi and
recommission the 3B as a headless AP than spend it on another AP.

The RPi 5 seems to be virtually as serviceable for my purposes as a
conventional desktop.

--
Mike Easter

1
server_pubkey.txt

rocksolid light 0.9.7
clearnet tor