[ale] Building the perfect Linux end-user systems.

[Michael B. Trausch]

Brian Pitts wrote:
>> I have been talking with a friend of mine, and we've had this idea for a
>> little while to determine what would be a set of ideal configurations
>> for Linux machines that would be targeted to end-users.  Something along
>> the lines of a low/medium/high end set of configurations, to be able to
>> fit different target "audiences."
>>
> I think it's best to create configurations targeting different uses than 
> to have simple low/medium/high configurations. The average user doesn't 
> need more than a "low end" configuration, and  "high end" configurations 
> should be tailored to the specific reason someone needs more than what 
> the "low end" provides.

You're probably right on that, though I am not sure how varied
configurations should be for various tasks.  As I said, I am not much of
an "all around" user -- I am mostly versed in things like server and
basic workstation stuff.  Those things, I have no issue with dealing
with.  The only games that I really play are things like Solitaire.  :-)

>> The major problem with this idea is that neither of us really know where
>> to start -- neither of us are typical end-users, and so we don't really
>> know what to look for in terms of putting together something for a
>> target audience.  Of course, we know that people like to play games, and
>> that is a bit of a problem, it would seem.
>>
> I can only guess since I can't find data that disaggregates video and 
> computer games sales, but I think that the amount of people who play 3D 
> games is small percentage of the number of people who have personal 
> computers.

Games seem to be a big thing.  Most people I know that are still running
Windows are only doing so for the games that they can play on it.

It is something of a silly, stupid, catch 22 -- game companies won't
support Linux unless their user base shows that it is a viable market,
and users won't switch unless the game companies start to support it. Gah!

>> Given that not all games run on Wine or even CrossOver, it would seem
>> that for die-hard gamers, the only real considerable solution would be
>> to include a copy of Windows under an emulator or something.  That is a
>> pretty ugly scenario, though.  Anyway, it would seem that no matter what
>> targets we are looking at, we cannot really build a machine for a gamer,
>> because there is no real way to make 3D intensive Windows games run at
>> native speeds under a Linux system.
>>
> Windows in vmware will provide horrible 3d performance if it works at 
> all. If gamers are really one of your targets, here's what I would do. 
> Load the machines with great free native games 
> (http://doc.gwos.org/index.php/Native_Games) and explain that they can 
> buy Transgaming's Cedega (http://tinyurl.com/ekprh) to play many of 
> their old Windows games.
> 

I will have to check out Cedega.  I wonder how many more games it
supports compared to, say, CrossOver or vanilla Wine.

>> Anyway, in building systems, what have y'all found to be the best
>> hardware, both in terms of performance and compatibility, for running
>> Linux systems?  Motherboards, 3D-graphics hardware, chipsets, etc.?
> Obviously there is some hardware that stands out, such as Prism2-based 
> wireless and Ati R200-based video, for having great linux support when 
> other devices in their category often don't. Still, I think that as long 
> as you stay away from the very latest and uncommon hardware (i.e. don't 
> try to rebrand Macbooks as Tuxbooks), you can expect linux to be 
> functional on anything. This doesn't mean you shouldn't check and see if 
> Google or a list like this can tell you otherwise for some specific 
> piece of hardware you might like to use, but I do think it meas that 
> your question isn't practically much different than asking "what's good 
> hardware to buy?" My answer to that is usually revolves around the 
> charts at tomshardware.com and the prices at newegg.com.
> 

Yeah, I have looked there before.  I was just wondering what experiences
people had.  For example, I know that Intel graphics works *really*
well.  Except that I want to use AMD based systems.  And I would prefer,
if possible, to stay away from things like ATI and nVidia because I want
something that works with Linux and fits in the OSS world; neither
really do.  i8x0 is a good example that does, and I am guessing that the
particular ATI card that you mentioned above probably does, too; I will
look at it and see.  Mostly, though, it would be nice to just sell
machines that people can use, and not really need much in the way of "it
broked!" support on.

Not to mention the ever-evil agenda to push Linux out more.  :-)

	-- Mike

-- 
Michael B. Trausch <fd0man at gmail.com> - Jabber: fd0man at livejournal.com

Demand freedom: Use open and free protocols, standards, and software.

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