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Date:      Tue, 10 Apr 2001 11:07:40 -0400
From:      "Andrew C. Hornback" <hornback@wireco.net>
To:        "Salvo Bartolotta" <bartequi@neomedia.it>
Cc:        "FreeBSD Questions" <questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   The big hardware discussion (was: RE: BSDi Acquired by Embedded Computing Firm Wind River)
Message-ID:  <004c01c0c1cf$fc45d580$0e00000a@tomcat>
In-Reply-To: <986837767.3ad1f3075e017@webmail.neomedia.it>

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> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG]On Behalf Of Salvo
> Bartolotta
> Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 1:36 PM
> To: Ted Mittelstaedt
> Cc: Duke Normandin; freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
> Subject: RE: BSDi Acquired by Embedded Computing Firm Wind River
>=20
> > Many's the time I've seen people complain that FreeBSD didn't =
support
> their pet Wonkulating Gronkulator and that Linux did - and after you
> get into it with them, it always seems to come out in the discussion =
that
> their Wonkulating Gronkulator card costs $14, and the card that =
FreeBSD
> _does_ support that does the same thing, costs $25.  (and is =
technically
> a better card)
>=20
> BTW, I have been applying the following Rules Of Thumb:
>=20
> 1) do NOT buy the cheapest hardware out there (without good reason);
> 2) do NOT (usually/normally) buy the most expensive hardware out =
there;
> 3) gnothi sauton^W^W know your hardware & buy it at a trustworthy=20
> shop/whatever.

	While these are wonderful tips, I have one that I follow that may be a =
bit easier to follow.  Basically, I look at what is on the list of =
supported hardware, and see what has been in circulation for a couple of =
years and compare that to the number of complaints/problems that people =
have using it under FreeBSD and use that to decide what I'm going to =
use. =20

	Using this strategy, I've changed the hardware build defintion that I =
keep for my machines to fit, and especially my major workstation =
machine.  I was all ready to run out and buy the newest and best (?) =
video hardware and sound hardware until I got to looking at things.  As =
it turns out, I'm specifying a pair of Oxygen GVX1 cards and a pair of =
SoundBlaster AWE 32s (with 32 Megs of Parity memory each) for that =
machine.  You're almost always hearing about people with problems with =
other sound cards even the newer SoundBlaster cards on here, but any =
problems with the older AWEs?  Nope.
=20
	Basically, my advice is this... don't reinvent the wheel, and don't be =
the first to immediately adopt new technology if slightly older hardware =
will get the job done just as well and without the gray hair.

--- Andy


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