Comments on: Designing Computers for Small Business http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/ Linux, politics, and other interesting things Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:18:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: etbe http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2923 etbe Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:52:20 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2923 Don: The problem with manufacturers doing that is that they will have huge difficulty in competing with ISPs that are dedicated to such business. The larger manufacturers have a chance of getting some success (although Sun's Grid idea apparently didn't work). Xen based virtual servers are also significantly eating the margins of the manufacturers. Instead of getting a complete server you can just get a fraction of a Xen machine for much less money. Gernot: Great news about the Sony. Pity that they don't support the Trackpoint (IMHO the finest mouse-like device ever invented). My current Thinkpad should keep working until Lenovo releases a Flash-based Thinkpad. Don: The problem with manufacturers doing that is that they will have huge difficulty in competing with ISPs that are dedicated to such business. The larger manufacturers have a chance of getting some success (although Sun’s Grid idea apparently didn’t work).

Xen based virtual servers are also significantly eating the margins of the manufacturers. Instead of getting a complete server you can just get a fraction of a Xen machine for much less money.

Gernot: Great news about the Sony. Pity that they don’t support the Trackpoint (IMHO the finest mouse-like device ever invented). My current Thinkpad should keep working until Lenovo releases a Flash-based Thinkpad.

]]> By: Gernot Hassenpflug http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2922 Gernot Hassenpflug Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:26:51 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2922 Hello, your article caught my attention (on Planet Debian), partly because of the mention of ECC RAM laptops, something I too have been secretly wishing for, and also because you mention flash memory. The new Sony Vaio 4.5" models (90 series) have that option, of 30 or 40 GiB flash memory instead of HDD. I suppose other companies will be following suit. Hello, your article caught my attention (on Planet Debian), partly because of the mention of ECC RAM laptops, something I too have been secretly wishing for, and also because you mention flash memory. The new Sony Vaio 4.5″ models (90 series) have that option, of 30 or 40 GiB flash memory instead of HDD. I suppose other companies will be following suit.

]]> By: Don Marti http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2889 Don Marti Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:30:53 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2889 The number one option I predict manufacturers will offer for a small business server is "don't ship it, keep it." Instead of shipping the machine, the manufacturer sticks it in a rack for you, and instead of a big box with the server in it, you get a little box with a bootable CD that turns your desktop into the server console and your desktop machine's CD or DVD drive into a virtual drive on the server. The number one option I predict manufacturers will offer for a small business server is “don’t ship it, keep it.” Instead of shipping the machine, the manufacturer sticks it in a rack for you, and instead of a big box with the server in it, you get a little box with a bootable CD that turns your desktop into the server console and your desktop machine’s CD or DVD drive into a virtual drive on the server.

]]> By: News On Desktop PC: Review: Apple Mac Mini desktop computer.. » The PC Info http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2876 News On Desktop PC: Review: Apple Mac Mini desktop computer.. » The PC Info Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:19:16 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/2007/08/25/designing-computers-for-small-business/#comment-2876 [...] Designing Computers for Small Business He seemed convinced of the benefits of a better machine to replace his current desktop PC that is running as a server (it?s yet to be seen whether he considers the benefit to be worth the cost). I wonder if Matt Domsch reads my blog? … [...] [...] Designing Computers for Small Business He seemed convinced of the benefits of a better machine to replace his current desktop PC that is running as a server (it?s yet to be seen whether he considers the benefit to be worth the cost). I wonder if Matt Domsch reads my blog? … [...]

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