J Cruit wrote: > Cool beans, just to update you the site is now: > http://www.dataevolution.com/dectop%20info%202.htm > <http://www.dataevolution.com/dectop%20info%202.htm> as apparently > they bought Norhtek. And the device is a dectop for only 99$ (or buy > 3 get one free, anybody want to split an order?). So other than the > fact that it doesn't have a flash drive as a hard drive and starts out > at 128MB of memory thats a pretty good deal. But you can swap out the > hard drive for a larger one and upgrade the memory too if you want. > Plus the Norhtek sounds like it uses an AMD chip so there may be > better compatibility than the unknown one in the Zonbu. Plus the > Zonbu is theoretically "greener". > > But at 99$ versus 249$ I'm probably down with the Norhtek. Any other > super small cheap systems out there? > > --j I'd be in for an order. 2 people x $150 or 4 people x $75? Now that's the question. :) Regards, Nick "All unix, all the time." http://npt.ath.cx > > On 10/2/07, * Spence Morris* <spence.morris at gmail.com > <mailto:spence.morris at gmail.com>> wrote: > > Zonbu is pretty much a generic unit with their own variant of > Linux tacked on. > The idea of the network being the computer has yet to fully prove > itself> > There are other mini pc builders with fewer hooks and agendas- re > again, Norhtek- > based in Thailand. Michael C. Barnes sells a lot of his units > here- At last look, > he had four or five nice models to choose from and good ideas > about use. > Check out Norhtek.com <http://Norhtek.com> before investing in Zonbu. > > On 10/2/07, *J Cruit* < j at packetgod.com <mailto:j at packetgod.com>> > wrote: > > So I e-mailed Zonbu and got a quick response, I think this may > be the exact platform I've been looking for to use for a small > quiet Mythfrontend system. I'll have to figure out some sort > of USB remote, and my TV does actually have a VGA input so I > should be good there. My other options were a repurposed > MacMini, a shuttle SD02 for 499$ (without memory, HD, > Processor, etc but with a remote port). > > This is the response from Zonbu: > > "Yes, you are free to do as you wish with the Zonbu hardware. > While we do not and cannot officially support running > alternate OSes on the Zonbu hardware, several users have > reported successfully installing other OSes (e.g. Ubuntu > Linux) on the hardware without any problems" > > Hey, thanks much TCLUG for putting me onto this. > > --j > > > On 10/2/07, *J * <j at packetgod.com <mailto:j at packetgod.com>> > wrote: > > I'm tempted to hit this for their "249$ without service > plan" and wipe > it clean with my own distro. They must be using commodity > hardware and > many of those SFF PC cases start at 100$ for something 10 > times the > size. Small ones like the Zonbu are generally even more > just for the > case. So a complete Linux friendly SFF quiet > environmentally friendly > PC for 249$, while a bit light on the specs I wouldn't > mind running a > little home web/e-mail/SSH server off of it or perhaps > just a mythfrontend? > > I think I'll do it, buy it and see if I can load my own > distro by hook > or by crook. I'm hoping by crook as I haven't had a good > project for a > while. > > --j > > Steve Cayford wrote: > > Chris Frederick wrote: > > > >> G. Scott Walters wrote: > >> > >>> Anyone ever heard of Zonbu? > >>> > >> [...] > >> > > > > > >> Looks interesting. I've been looking at small form > factor PCs for a > >> while. They look very similar to these: > >> > >> http://logisysus.com/product/smallest-pc.htm > <http://logisysus.com/product/smallest-pc.htm> > >> > >> >From the Zonbu site: > >> > >> Zonbu Desktop, Standard plan, Billing every two years = > $412.95 > >> > >> Thats standard options after all discounts, plus $358.80 > after two years > >> for more support. Also, their "Cancel anytime policy" > warns that if you > >> cancel the membership service, your device will not give > you access to > >> your data after 3 months. They do have a free/no > support option, but > >> I'd probably want to talk to a sales person before I > went with that. > >> > >> I guess it depends on what their support covers, but I > don't see much > >> there that strikes me as worth $180 a year. > >> > >> >From their site: > >> > >> Disaster proof storage - Very doable and cheap. > >> Free automatic software upgrades - Most linux distros > have this. > >> Unlimited Internet support - You are reading this on a > mailing list. ;-) > >> Remote file access "anywhere, anytime, any browser (no > plugins)" - That > >> just sounds scary to me. > >> Overnight free hardware replacement limited warranty - > Nice, but that's > >> an extra $60 a year. > >> > >> My $0.02 would be that everything looks nice, but > personally I'd rather > >> pay more up front for something without a huge service > contract, or > >> required membership service. > >> > >> ymmv, > >> Chris Frederick > >> > > > > It seems to me that there could be a pretty good market > for something > > like this. Not for us on this list, but for the > proverbial "my > > grandmother." Folks who want a web browser, email, office > suite, and > > some basic games and who don't want to deal with updates, > spyware, > > system administration, etc. Considering how much people > spend on > > services like Geek Squad the rates don't seem too outrageous. > > > > -Steve > > > > _______________________________________________ > > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > > tclug-list at mn-linux.org <mailto:tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > <http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list> > > > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org <mailto:tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org <mailto:tclug-list at mn-linux.org> > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > <http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list >