New File Server!

[Rootstonian]

Went to Best Buy today looking to replace my Dell 2400 going to my step daughter for college.

Cheapest units there were Compaqs...

SR5130 Dual Core AMD 3800, 1 gig RAM, 160 Gig hd...$444
SR5110 AMD Single Core, 512K RAM, 120 Gig hd...$345

Saw this lone Compaq box..SR5010...hmmm. lower model #, good price? So I hunt down a guy and have them check price............ $199 SOLD!!!!!!!!!!

Celeron D, 512 RAM, 120 Gig drive. I'm going through and removing the bloatware that installed with Vista Home Basic (must have been 20 icons on the desktop at boot!) What a pain. Just had to click 32 boxes to remove "HP games".

I'll see how this runs after all the BS is gone...if I don't like it, I'll just throw XP Pro on it.

I just have the family store all programs on a shared folder(s) on my file server, plus software and some music and stuff. For $200, if this box lasts 1 year, then it cost me 54 cents a day to own it! LOL. All the stuff that goes to the file server gets burned to CD/DVD too.

[EXreaction]

Nice find.

I'd look at getting a cheap server box as well, but I'd need one that is energy efficient, not the 100W+ beasts that most idle at from what I have seen.

When I can get one for less than $200 that uses less than 20W I'll probably jump on it (well, as long as it has gigabit ethernet).

[RamonGTP]

You'd need a laptop for that, but it isn't going to happen for $200.

[Sixpac_XP]

Yeah.. for a file server that's not a bad find at all.

good job..!

[Rootstonian]

Thanks guys

Yeah, I lucked-out. All the bloatware is gone...runs pretty decent. I'll get it up to 1 gig RAM for a little boost. It's a 3.4 Ghz Celeron D chip, my old Dell server was a 2.4 with a gig of RAM and did what I wanted it to for a couple of years 24x7.

[EXreaction]

You'd need a laptop for that, but it isn't going to happen for $200.

I have a laptop now that I use as a server when needed.

But then you run into problems when you want to keep it a dedicated server, but then use it for work some place where you do not have net access.

AMD has a mini system they released that uses only 8W of power for about $200. But it doesn't have a hdd (well, the problem there is that the hdd is IDE only, no SATA support), and it doesn't have gigabit.

If it had gigabit ethernet I don't think I could hold myself back (I'd use my extra 80GB hdd and plug in my external 400GB drive).

[EXreaction]

Here you go...AMD Geode.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813153052

...just need gigabit and I'd bite, either that or if the price was a bit cheaper.

[Rootstonian]

Dang MS and their multi-tier OS that is Vista....

Would it hurt them that much to put Remote Desktop in all the offerings? Ugh
Or just had, hmmm, dare we say "Home" and "Business" (aka XP Home and XP Pro)!!

So if I want to log into server from other PC's, I"ll have to install PCAnywhere or whatsitsname on my other pcs. Not a HUGE deal, just a nuisance and a rant against MS

[RamonGTP]

Well... you DID only pay $199 afterall

[Rootstonian]

LOL...and I can get Vista Business from University for $90; still $50 more than I want to pay

Ewww..this mobo has support for Dual Core E4x support...hmmm. how much is THAT chip?

[EXreaction]

http://www.tightvnc.com/

[Rootstonian]

Ah, thank you very much...just couldn't remember the name VNC!