cheap linux box ?

[geoffrey mendelson]

On Oct 11, 2010, at 10:30 AM, Erez D wrote:


>
> I am actually looking for a cheap linux box, with usb2 and lan,  
> which I can install a general purpose linux distribution on (e.g.  
> debian and such. not openwrt which is good for routers, but not for  
> other things like hosting a mail server etc ...)

Do you want small or cheap?

There are several motherboards with dual core ATOM processors on them  
that fit in a standard case. You can buy a complete system for 800 to  
900 NIS, including motherboard, powersupply, case, hard drive, etc.  
The price varies from vendor to vendor and model to model, depending  
on which ATOM chip is on it, what hard drive, amount of RAM, etc.

They all have a low grade (GMA 950 or 3x00) video card on the board,  
audio in and out, USB 2 ports, (2 or 3), 10/100 ethernet, one DDR2 RAM  
slot, an IDE port and 2 SATA ports. I think (I have never really  
looked) they may have PS/2 keyboard and mouse, and a parallel and  
serial port (or not).

They usually include one PCI slot for expansion.

By the time you buy a $149 cheap ARM system, pay for shipping and VAT  
at customs, the price is pretty close, and you are getting an Intel  
system that will run just about any standard distro (maybe not UBUNTU  
this week, but that's their fault) is much faster than anything with  
an ARM processor and has a lot more IO options.

The downside is that is the size of small PC motherboard, sold in a PC  
case and has a fan cooled PC power supply instead of a "brick".

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson,  N3OWJ/4X1GM
To help restaurants, as part of the "stimulus package", everyone must  
order dessert. As part of the socialized health plan, you are  
forbidden to eat it. :-)