[conspire] (forw) Re: Would like to have Linux on a PC

[Rick Moen]

----- Forwarded message from Dave Boyce <boyce.dave at gmail.com> -----

Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:44:25 -0700
From: Dave Boyce <boyce.dave at gmail.com>
To: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
Subject: Re: Would like to have Linux on a PC

Thank you, Rick. Very good.

I will get the information you request as to RAM. This is a "Toughbook" that
is less than a year old and I paid $1,000 at a 50% sale because it was being
phased out, so I expect it will have more than 1 GB.

I'll also let you know if I want to stop by. I am an Almanac reporter, and
our offices were next to Luttickens for a long time. I used your
neighborhood for walks to relieve stress.

Dave

-- 
Dave Boyce
Menlo Park, CA

----- End forwarded message -----
----- Forwarded message from Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> -----

Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:15:33 -0700
From: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
To: Dave Boyce <boyce.dave at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Would like to have Linux on a PC
Organization: If you lived here, you'd be $HOME already.

Quoting Dave Boyce (boyce.dave at gmail.com):

> Thank you, Rick. Very good.
> 
> I will get the information you request as to RAM. This is a
> "Toughbook" that is less than a year old and I paid $1,000 at a 50%
> sale because it was being phased out, so I expect it will have more
> than 1 GB.

Yes.  Practically all recent Toughbooks (a line of wireless-connectable
ruggedised/MilSpec laptop machines from Panasonic) have come with 2 GB
of RAM.  It's been a pretty long-lived product line, having existed
since 1998.

Typically, they deliberately omit cooling fans (for ruggedness, and
because the magnesium alloy hard case doesn't have vents), and
compensate by using power-saving CPUs.  One from 1-2 years ago,
Panasonic's model Toughbook 30[1], used a 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 model
SL9300 CPU, a 160 GB hard drive, and a 13.3" LCD display with an Intel
GS45 video chip.  

Typically, they don't come with optical drives (CD/DVD), so (if that's 
the case) we'll connect my external USB-connected drive and install from
it.

Perfectly fine little computer, anyway, and fine for Linux.  I don't
anticipate any problems.


> I'll also let you know if I want to stop by. I am an Almanac reporter, and
> our offices were next to Luttickens for a long time. I used your
> neighborhood for walks to relieve stress.

A lot of people seem to enjoy walking down Altschul Ave.  ;->

You probably saw, on your walks, the entrance to the garden and
vegetable beds next to our house.  It's a metal latticework arch
with climbing roses on it, and a sign hanging from the top saying
'Invited guests welcome.  1105 Altschul Gardens is private property.'
(That was to put on notice people we used to find wandering through 
our property with their dogs, without being rude about it.)

There are, anyway, lots of little differences among Linux distributions, 
which are of Coke/Pepsi, Ford/GM dimensions and not worth obsessing 
over.[2]  We'd in fact be glad to cut you CDs or DVDs of several (i.e.,
give you copies to take home -- which is quite lawful) and let you try
any you have interest in, at your leisure, but very likely you just want
to try _one_ and keep matters simple.


[1] ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/toughbook/specsheets/TB-30_ss.pdf

[2] If curious, see:  http://linuxmafia.com/cabal/installfest/#distros
All of the distibutions mentioned there, those being CABAL's library
of discs, are available to duplicate and take home (your copies, not 
CABAL's originals).



----- End forwarded message -----