15 replies to this topic

[Alestance]

I want to have a list of reliable computer resellers that put Linux on the machines they sell, or give an option of having Linux.

This includes economy PCs of $400 or less.

[Xgadd]

http://www.psystar.com/

Open Computer:


Ubuntu Linux 8.04 included
no keyboard, mouse, or monitor included
2.0GHz Intel Dual-Core Pentium 2.0GHz Processor
2GB of DDR2 800 memory
PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 7200GS 256MB
20x DVD+/-RW SATA drive
Gigabit Ethernet
4 rear USB Ports
Integrated Audio

$399.99

Great for $400. The nVidia card is wonderful. For $60 more you could get a 2.4GHz Core2 instead of the 2.0GHz Pentium, which is dramatically better [in terms of both power and quality] for the price.
If you do happen to go with Psystar, it would be unwise to not take that deal if possible.

Edited by Xgadd, 17 June 2008 - 05:23 PM.

[Alestance]

Well, I'll be needing to purchase my own computer soon. My laptop is fine, but definitly not worth doing much with since it heats up fast, and wireless doesn't work correctly(thanks to the sky2 driver, which, to this day, no help has been given)

Anyway. I'll commit this to memory.

[Ben]

Beware of Psystar. They might not exist soon if they continue to sell "Open Computers" with OS X Leopard illegally installed.

Plus, OS X doesn't work properly with many features like software updates, etc. It's not worth the hassle.

[Alestance]

I just noticed that.

How do you install Leopard on non Mac computers anyway? I figure that since its not easy to do the hardware wouldn't work right either, or even the whole system wouldn't work at all.

Edited by Alestance, 17 June 2008 - 07:23 PM.

[Eurysilas]

http://system76.com/

They're the official Ubuntu forums pick. I hear they have wonderful customer support, not sure about anything else.

[Xgadd]

I just noticed that.

How do you install Leopard on non Mac computers anyway? I figure that since its not easy to do the hardware wouldn't work right either, or even the whole system wouldn't work at all.

Actually its very easy. Its almost exactly like installing Linux. You pop in a OSx86 distro, then you get a stripped down version of OS X with a few apps and follow a guided installation procedure until Leopard is installed. You can even get EFI and the vanilla kernel to make it perfect. If you want more information you could go to insanelymac.com (no illegal content) and ask there, thousands of people have done it.

Don't worry about Psystar being shut down. The most Apple can do is take away OS X.

[Alestance]

Well, either way, I'll be taking a Linux OS. I hope Fedora Core will be suitable, as Ubuntu 8.04 is having horrible glitches. Even My Kubuntu 8.04 is suffering a bit, though, its not crashing on me, at least.

Edited by Alestance, 18 June 2008 - 11:43 AM.

[sigtau]

Usually it's the X Window System/some graphics driver's fault in Ubuntu, Alestance. Are you using "restricted drivers" for your graphics?

Edited by TheMasterSwordsman, 18 June 2008 - 12:56 PM.

[Alestance]

Its not that, as Eurysilas explained to me in another thread. The problems for me right now is that some software won't install correctly because my CD's label isn't the same as what Kubuntu expects it to be(theres a random 4 digit number at the end of it.)

its very strange that it happened, I'm gonna have to burn a new CD.

Edited by Alestance, 18 June 2008 - 01:03 PM.

[Xgadd]

Fedora is a much better OS than Ubuntu anyways, in my opinion. Ubuntu is geared more towards people who aren't very computer saavy, and comes with many limitations.

[Alestance]

I'd still say I'm not very computer savvy.

[Eurysilas]

Ubuntu is geared more towards people who aren't very computer saavy, and comes with many limitations.

You know I hear this a lot. What gives you this impression, and what limitations are you referring to?

[Xgadd]

You know I hear this a lot. What gives you this impression, and what limitations are you referring to?

Drivers, mostly. Ubuntu wouldn't let me install my "restricted" ATI drivers, even logged in as @root. It's also, sorry for the language, hell to edit anything system-specific. Tweaking xorg.conf would do nothing either, so I couldn't get a resolution higher than 1024x768 on any display. Hundreds of people with ATI Radeon cards have the same problem with Ubuntu. It reminds me of Windows' UAC's "You could break something so we will try to prevent you from doing it at all" factor, except with UAC you can turn it off. In fact it reminds me of Windows in many ways, though I don't want to get into that discussion.

Fedora is much better for me. I downloaded the ATI drivers, ran "sh ./ati-driver-installer-8-5-x86.x86_64.run", and everything just worked. It is in my opinion an OS shouldn't place restrictions on administrative accounts anyways.

I'm not saying Ubuntu is a bad OS, it just seems more for people who haven't been using a computer long... I'd really rather not get in an OS argument if I can avoid it though.

[Nicholas Steel]

http://www.psystar.com/
Great for $400. The nVidia card is wonderful. For $60 more you could get a 2.4GHz Core2 instead of the 2.0GHz Pentium, which is dramatically better [in terms of both power and quality] for the price.
If you do happen to go with Psystar, it would be unwise to not take that deal if possible.

Yes, 20$ video cards are always wonderful -.-