You are an absolute wealth of information. Thanks. I found the spec sheet for the computer (http://i.walmart.com/i/rb/0088611205066.pdf) and all seems to be good. So it will be a little slow. Can't be any slower than my desktop! On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 2:41 PM, Jim March <1.jim.march@gmail.com> wrote: > Dual-core means there's really, seriously two CPUs in there. The AMD > "Opteron" has eight "cores" - separate CPUs. > > There's some applications out there that are set up to run on two CPUs > at once. Most don't. It also helps some when you do "virtualization" > - run one OS such as, say, WinXP underneath another OS such as Linux. > > OK. Look. There ARE some low-end CPUs and GPUs (Graphics Processing > Units) that choke hard on Linux. A lot of CPUs (including the C-50) > are integrated with the graphics processor, which is why the CPU can > be trouble. > > AMD/ATI (same company) graphics tend to work well with Linux these > days. AMD has put out a lot of data on how their GPUs work, which has > let the open source community build good drivers. You should be OK > with any AMD/ATI GPU except the very highest end. Referring to this > page, it looks like you want the absolute latest Linux variants for > the 6250 card: > > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver > > That means run Oneiric, or Linux Mint 12, or the latest release Fedora > or similar. > > The Intel GMA500 is a total disaster. Intel bought it from a small > Linux-hostile company. Avoid at all costs. Some of the GPUs > integrated with the Core i3/5/7 series are messy but rapidly > improving...these are probably higher-end than you're looking for. > The Intel i945 graphics are still seen on a few micro-sized critters > and it's rock solid...not that fast, but it can still do basic Compiz > fr'instance. The 965/3000 series is one to avoid, the 4500 series > work great. > > NVidia has some integrated CPU/GPU combination chips that are also > very Linux-hostile and a total mess to deal with. Look for the word > "ION" and run away screaming if you see it. Some are integrated with > the Intel Atom series CPUs, either on-chip or nearby. Avoid all such > combinations at all cost - if you see "Atom" and "Nvidia" together, > run away. > > LISTEN UP: when you listed system specs in an earlier message in this > thread, you didn't list the video card/chipset. That's a serious > mistake. Pay close attention to the video chip and google it with the > word "Ubuntu" to see if the support is there. That's how I got the > ATI/AMD video driver support link I showed you above. > > The only other potential trouble spot is the WiFi chipset, and even > then you're usually OK. With Lenovo, HP and Compaq, the BIOS will > fail to start up if you swap WiFi chipsets with something else - so > you're stuck with the factory WiFi card. On Dells, Acers, Asus, > pretty much everything else, you can swap WiFi cards around. This can > be a lot of fun. Example...my Dell 1525 came with a Broadcom-based > 1390 (Dell part number) WiFi card. I've put the 1395 in for more > range. I also have an Intel in there that doesn't have as much range, > but it DOES have the ability to re-broadcast...which means I can take > in a signal off of my cellphone via USB in and re-broadcast that for > other users if I want to share my cellmodem connection...in other > words, create a WiFi hotspot. > > The very best Linux WiFi cards are usually Atheros. All have > re-broadcast support and excellent open-source driver support. Next > best is Intel - good drivers but only some can re-broadcast. > Broadcoms require connecting up some other way first to download the > right firmware, but once running they're pretty solid. > > Jim > > On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 2:17 PM, Michael Havens wrote: > > But what id 'dual core'? Or is that one of those things that can't > really be > > explained? > > > > On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 2:13 PM, Jim March <1.jim.march@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> > >> The C-50 is dual-core. Still a slow one though. > >> > >> Jim > >> > >> On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 1:50 PM, Michael Havens > wrote: > >> > I found the c-50 on your link jim but not the dual-core c-50. Or else > >> > does > >> > 'dual core' mean anything? > >> > > >> > On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 12:07 PM, Jim March <1.jim.march@gmail.com> > >> > wrote: > >> >> > >> >> Lemme show you something. The C-50 is a turd. Here's it's score of > >> >> 453 at CPUBench: > >> >> > >> >> http://www.cpubenchmark.net/low_end_cpus.html > >> >> > >> >> The T7400 found in some six year old Thinkpad T60p critters > >> >> fr'instance pulls over 1,200: > >> >> > >> >> http://www.cpubenchmark.net/mid_range_cpus.html > >> >> > >> >> Granted, the video chip isn't half bad that's integrated with the > >> >> C-50. It'll work. But the whole machine is built to a very low > price > >> >> point. > >> >> > >> >> Jim > >> >> > >> >> On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 11:50 AM, Michael Havens > >> >> wrote: > >> >> > Glad I didn't jump at any of the opportunities you guys presented > >> >> > because..... > >> >> > > >> >> > For BLACK Friday the Wal-Mart up here is selling a Compaq Presario > >> >> > with > >> >> > an > >> >> > AMD dual core processor with 2 gig of memory and 250 gig drive for > >> >> > $198. > >> >> > > >> >> > http://tinyurl.com/7ykallg > >> >> > > >> >> > hmmm,,,, it seems bestbuy has a better deal. but we don't have > >> >> > bestbuy > >> >> > up > >> >> > here. > >> >> > > >> >> > On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 6:08 AM, Stephen > >> >> > wrote: > >> >> >> > >> >> >> I just for a d630 from eBay for 95 shipped to my door. > >> >> >> > >> >> >> Not new but working and the are workhorses and are well supported > by > >> >> >> Linux. All I need is a hard drive for it. > >> >> >> > >> >> >> On Nov 21, 2011 11:52 PM, "Michael Havens" > wrote: > >> >> >>> > >> >> >>> My parents said they would get me a laptop. I asked how much they > >> >> >>> wanted > >> >> >>> to spend and figured I'd ask you guys because you might make a > >> >> >>> little > >> >> >>> money! > >> >> >>> Who wants to build me a laptop for about $200? > >> >> >>> > >> >> >>> -- > >> >> >>> :-)~MIKE~(-: > >> >> >>> > >> >> >>> --------------------------------------------------- > >> >> >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - > PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> >> >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> >> >>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >> >> >> > >> >> >> --------------------------------------------------- > >> >> >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> >> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> >> >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > -- > >> >> > :-)~MIKE~(-: > >> >> > > >> >> > --------------------------------------------------- > >> >> > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> >> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> >> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >> >> > > >> >> --------------------------------------------------- > >> >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > -- > >> > :-)~MIKE~(-: > >> > > >> > --------------------------------------------------- > >> > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >> > > >> --------------------------------------------------- > >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > > > > > -- > > :-)~MIKE~(-: > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > -- :-)~MIKE~(-: