From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat May 8 05:50:31 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D3763106566B for ; Sat, 8 May 2010 05:50:31 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@optimis.net) Received: from mail.optimis.net (mail.optimis.net [69.104.191.124]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A171F8FC12 for ; Sat, 8 May 2010 05:50:31 +0000 (UTC) Received: from marvin.optimis.net (marvin.optimis.net [192.168.1.3]) by mail.optimis.net (8.14.3/8.14.3) with ESMTP id o485oVlm009490 for ; Fri, 7 May 2010 22:50:31 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from freebsd@optimis.net) Received: from marvin.optimis.net (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by marvin.optimis.net (8.14.3/8.14.3) with ESMTP id o485oUJd093008; Fri, 7 May 2010 22:50:30 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from freebsd@optimis.net) Received: (from george@localhost) by marvin.optimis.net (8.14.3/8.14.3/Submit) id o485oUxt093007; Fri, 7 May 2010 22:50:30 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from freebsd@optimis.net) Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 22:50:30 -0700 From: George Davidovich To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20100508055030.GA92770@marvin.optimis.net> References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.19 (2009-01-05) Subject: Re: Small computer to run a GUI? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 08 May 2010 05:50:31 -0000 On Fri, May 07, 2010 at 06:41:16PM -0700, Liontaur wrote: > I'm looking for a small (and relatively inexpensive) computer to run a > GUI, I don't much care if it's KDE or Gnome or one of the others. Just > so that I can browse the Internet using Firefox (unfortunately I may > need to look at some flash). So they need to be able to run FreeBSD > (obviously), a GUI, have a Cat5 port (10/100 is fine), and PS/2s for > mouse and keyboard. USB is a bonus but not necessary. > > I remember seeing some kind of small terminals at the local library > but I can't remember now who made them I think it was Weis or Weir or > something like that but a google brings up nothing. I was hoping to > either boot them over a network or using a CF card or something with a > small footprint as well. "WYSE". Do a search on eBay for either "network terminal" or "thin client" and and you'll probably find the same model you saw in the library. > I went checking out Soekris but couldn't really see if they offer a > GUI, the models I looked at didn't have a VGA port though. I was > hoping for something about 9 inches square and three inches thick, or > smaller. The lack of video on Soekris boxes is deliberate, and is considered a feature. Sounds to me like you probably want either a Mac Mini or a mini-ITX system. I've never been that impressed by mini-ITX, but the newer Atom-based models look promising, and are certainly more affordable than a Mac Mini. -- George