[frgeek-michiana] Lab Notes 1/23/2007
- From: Tom Brown <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: FreeGeek Michiana <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:57:37 -0500
:: FreeBox Test Setup
Dale and I drove to the warehouse and brought back a half dozen
Gateway computers of about the same vintage, mostly Pentium 2/400-500
Mhz. We also dug through the inventory and found extra sets of
keyboard, mouse and monitor cables to use with KVMs. We set the
computers on the spare table in the lab, and Mike connected four of
the computers to the KVM Rick loaned us.
The point of the exercise is to do side-by-side comparisons of
distros to select one to install on all our FreeBoxes for at least
the next year. The favorite contender is Ubuntu. We will compare all
other distros to Ubuntu. Is it better or worse than Ubuntu on about
10 factors such as look and feel, installation time, hardware
detection, ease of use, modem support, multimedia ability, etc.
Mike fired up Puppy and Damn Small on two of the computers and demoed
them for Dale.
:: Distro Roundup
Next Tuesday bring a CD of any distro you've downloaded recently.
Here is a list of likely prospects. To minimize duplication of
effort, please post to the mailing list the distros you can bring to the lab.
- Ubuntu (baseline distro, current version is Edgy Eft)
- Xubuntu
- Edubuntu
- Kubuntu
- Damn Small
- Vector
- Zenwalk
- Puppy
- Freespire/Linspire (for multimedia comparisons)
I generated the list from http://distrowatch.com/. If we find no
distro which matches our needs, then we must contemplate rolling our
own distro.
:: Virtualization Project
Nothing to report.
:: Chicago-land Vendor Fired
Forest brought in invoices for the two most recent shipments to our
Chicago-land recycling vendor. The invoices were outrageously
expensive, about $1500 for two shipments of monitors, plastic and
other low-value or no-value material.
Forest has tried repeatedly to get itemized lists of shipping costs
and recycling costs. The vendor simply refuses to give us any
information other than lump sum, non-itemized invoices or checks.
There is no way we can plan for costs (or revenue) unless we have a
list of costs and prices, including shipping. The consensus is to
stop doing business with this vendor and look for alternatives.
So be it. They're fired.
:: Mother Goose
Goose's mother is visiting from Florida. She and Goose stopped by the
lab for a quick look-see.
-- EXTRA --
:: New Recycling Vendor ???
Thursday morning I called a potential vendor, which is not local but
makes pickups in South Bend. The pickups require a minimum $250 fee
and 1 week advance notice.
I am negotiating waiving the minimum fee because I can imagine a
scenario where we are up to our elbows in plastic and printers. We
certainly don't want to pay $250 to ship plastic and printers if we
can avoid it. We might offset the expense by charging a drop-off fee
for every computer and printer given to us or operating a successful
used computers business. FG in Porland asks for a drop-off fee for
almost everything (see below). And, they operate a successful used
equipment store.
1. monitors
The charge for monitors is $12.50 each, whole or separated
(demanned). The minimum pickup is 20 monitors. Any time we ship 20
monitors, the minimum pickup fee ($250) is covered. We can add the
following to the truck as long as the minimum fee is met.
2. unsorted plastic
No charge for unsorted plastic.
3. printers
No charge for desktop printers. $50 for floor standing printers and
copiers unless separated (demanned), then no charge. We may be able
to recover circuit boards and steel if we deman printers.
The vendor rep is sending me a list of materials they accept and
prices. I have not explored dropping off material to avoid shipping
fees. The vendor is located 90 minutes from South Bend.
:: FG Porland Recycling Fees
Required fees:
. monitors ($10.00 ea.)
. terminals ($10.00 ea.)
. CPU/CRT combos ($10.00 ea.)
Suggested fees:
. computers ($5.00 ea.)
. external modems ($2.00)
. printers ($4.00)
. scanners ($4.00)
. keyboards and mice ($1.00 ea.)
. fax machines ($4.00 ea.)
. stereo components ($4.00 ea.
. VCRs/DVD players ($3.00 ea.)
. media
- floppy diskettes ($2.00/donation)
- DAT tapes ($2.00/donation)
- CDs ($1.00/donation)
- computer cables ($1.00/donation)
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