When Linux provides so many high-quality operating systems of many varieties free of...? - Quora

[Eric Oyen]

hehe. I have a number of older model desktops (including an old Intel pentium 3 Ghz cpu) that can run the latest versions of Linux easily. That is generally what happens to a lot of my older equipment. I dump windows (or OS X) for the latest working Linux.

Hell, I still have that old toshiba satellite laptop with the semi working screen here. it gets used to control my ham station by remote. Not bad , all things considered. BTW< that laptop was donated by a fellow plug member over 8 years ago. It still works and still does its job. :)

-eric

On Oct 25, 2015, at 5:35 PM, Michael Havens wrote:

> why in the world would anyone buy new equipment if they use Linux? (not counting laptops---- used laptops suck! Though I did put Linux on an xp laptop for a lady I knew when i lived in Cottonwood)
> 
> On Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 7:58 PM, Keith Smith <techlists at phpcoderusa.com> wrote:
> Most of what you talk about is outside the scope of a data center.
> 
> On 2015-10-25 15:42, Eric Oyen wrote:
> time may be money, but sometimes its worth it to have alternatives.
> 
> I like alternatives.  I run Mint on my desktop.  I've been fortunate enough that it just worked so it was cost effective.  I like buying discounted hardware and putting Linux on it.  I would have difficulty leaving home with a Mac that might cost $2k or more.... yikes.
> 
> Still time is money.  All things being equal, a top end programmer might make $40 - $60 plus per hour W2 plus benefits.  Is it cost effective to have that person or someone else compile a driver for their hardware?  Probably not unless they have a very specific need. They need something that gets them to work as fast as possible.  I think that was the one of the points of the article.
> 
> I used Windows for years, even though I have never been a fan of M$.  Why because it did the job.  Until several years ago I did not like Linux on my desktop, even though I tried to go M$ free on two prior occasions dating back to 2000.
> 
> I think what you are describing is a business niche or someone with Linux admin skills messing with their own hardware.
> 
> 
> Sure, on a mac everything "just works" (well, mostly). The issue here
> is that all IT personnel need to know how to deal with any OS on their
> network, including being able to edit and compile drivers for
> specialized hardware. I have an old mac here (its a series 2007
> vintage white book) and I managed to get linux working on it. The key
> is finding the correct drivers. If one doesn't exist, but is close to
> another in the same chipset, it isn't that hard to modify it to work
> (or, it may just work anyway). The kicker is getting the source info
> from the manufacturer (in the case of apple, its Intel). SOmetimes
> they are helpful and sometimes they aren't .
> 
> -eric
> 
> On Oct 25, 2015, at 2:09 PM, Keith Smith wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> "Linux is only free if your time is worthless." - A guy that owns a data center told me he buys Mac because he does not have the time to fix driver issues.... etc.  Time is money!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> </snip>
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss at lists.phxlinux.org
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> :-)~MIKE~(-:
> ---------------------------------------------------
> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss at lists.phxlinux.org
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
> http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss