Good Cheap PC to play MP3s and MP4 video? (Was: OT Mac Mini obsolescent?)

[Steve Litt]

On Wed, 6 Dec 2017 10:46:44 -0700
Victor Odhner <vodhner at cox.net> wrote:

> OK, I’ve decided on Linux. (No longer OT!)
> 
> I need recommendations on an adequate PC to run stereo music and
> videos (1920x1080 projector) for a church.

Totally depends on your priorities. If you use Void Linux with the LXDE
(or even better Openbox) window manager, almost anything sold today
that's Linux video compatible will do the job. I have an 11 year old,
2GB RAM laptop with Void and LXDE that plays youtube videos just fine.

If you want Gnome or KDE and Thunderbird and Konqueror or Nautilus,
you'd better spend a fortune on processor and RAM.

Void Linux is famous for installing, by default, only the bare
necessities, and keeping dependencies to a minimum. That's why my 2011
laptop performs better than my daughter's 2014 laptop.

[snip]
 
> I’d like to keep this as cheap as reasonable, concentrating on solid
> quality (e.g. really adequate power supply) so that we wouldn’t have
> to worry about it for 5 to 10 years. I’d want all parts to be brand
> new, or almost.

5 years is barely doable, given obsolescence. No matter how good your
hardware, don't be surprised if you lose a hard drive, video interface,
or RAM after 5 years. 10 years is a totally unreasonable expectation:
Don't get me wrong, it can happen, as witnessed by my 2011 laptop, but
when it happens it's just a lucky fluke. Spend less money so you can
buy again in 5 years. Computers aren't made to last 10: Why should
they, they're pretty much obsolete after 5, no matter how high up on
the price curve you buy.
 
SteveT

Steve Litt 
December 2017 featured book: Thriving in Tough Times
http://www.troubleshooters.com/thrive