From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Mon Dec 12 05:47:57 2005
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 816FF16A41F
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Mon, 12 Dec 2005 05:47:57 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from roberthuff@rcn.com)
Received: from smtp01.mrf.mail.rcn.net (smtp01.mrf.mail.rcn.net [207.172.4.61])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id ACDEC43D73
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Mon, 12 Dec 2005 05:47:50 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from roberthuff@rcn.com)
Received: from 209-6-203-192.c3-0.smr-ubr1.sbo-smr.ma.cable.rcn.com (HELO
	jerusalem.litteratus.org.litteratus.org) ([209.6.203.192])
	by smtp01.mrf.mail.rcn.net with ESMTP; 12 Dec 2005 00:47:49 -0500
X-IronPort-AV: i="3.99,240,1131339600"; 
	d="scan'208"; a="140624189:sNHT23453152"
From: Robert Huff <roberthuff@rcn.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Message-ID: <17309.3922.964718.852682@jerusalem.litteratus.org>
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 00:49:06 -0500
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
In-Reply-To: <20051211232229.E9320@tripel.monochrome.org>
References: <20051212040744.66038.qmail@web54201.mail.yahoo.com>
	<20051211232229.E9320@tripel.monochrome.org>
X-Mailer: VM 7.17 under 21.5  (beta23) "daikon" XEmacs Lucid
Subject: Re: FreeBSD starter machine
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 05:47:57 -0000


Chris Hill writes:

>  Here's a thought: Since it's the holiday season, many retailers
>  are offering deals on new computers. If your current Win* box is
>  a few years old, how about upgrading to a new machine?

	Or find a friend who's upgrading, and offer them a reasonable
price for their old machine.  Pentiums in the mid 1 ghz range are
disgustingly cheap.
	Some thoughts:
	1) _Big_ disk.  Even for a training machine, an installation
with the source tree and X will run larger than you think.
	2) Memory.  At least 256M, and 512M if you can get it.
	3) Unless you're planning on replacing it anyway, check the
ethernet card.  Some older cards are notorious for poor performance;
search the mailing list archives for discussions.


				Robert Huff