[frgeek-michiana] Fw: Message submitted to 'frgeek-michiana' LAB NOTES, Dec. 5, 2002

From: "Mike Cook" <mikecook@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "FreeGeek Michiana" <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 20:36:24 -0500
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> To: FreeGeek Michiana <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <MAILER-DAEMON@xxxxxxxxxxxx>(by way of Tom
Brown <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxx>)
> Subject: Lab Notes, Dec. 5, 2002
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> LAB NOTES, Dec. 5, 2002
>
> :: New Hardware
>
> Mike's company gave him some old hardware which he brought
> to the lab. Most of it belongs in the recycle bin. However there
> were a few devices which may be useful.
>
> Action: Mike and I sorted the components into useful and junk
> piles.
>
> :: Questions Re Low Resource Boxen
>
> Q1: Should we try to sell the cleaned up IBM 330/350 boxen
> on Ebay and on our web site? Mike can supply us with shipping
> boxes. Is it worth the effort?
>
> Q2: Should we give the computers away to make room for new
> boxes and coordinate a publicity campaign around the event to
> gain donors and volunteers?
>
> Q3: Should we simply recycle the old hardware and make
> room for better gear?
>
> :: Pricing Low Resource Boxen
>
> JohnB had suggested we set a price for low resource boxes
> should we decide to sell then or ask a donation for them.
>
> Action: I searched Ebay's completed auctions. Whole IBM
> 350 systems sell for more than barebones boxes. Nine times
> as many bids were offered for whole systems versus barebones
> boxes. Usually only one bid, the minimum bid, was submitted
> for barebones boxes. IBM 350s with P133-166 cpu sold for
> $16 + $22 shipping. Barebones P75-90 350's sold for $6 + $22
> shipping. I figure the seller was making money on shipping.
> Most sales of IBM 350s came from a single vendor in MN.
>
> Action: I will query UPS re cost of shipping IBM 350s (25 lbs.)
> in continental U.S.
>
> :: Router/Firewalls
>
> We decided that making router/firewalls out of low resource
> boxes is feasible. But we have a very limited market for them,
> basically local LUGs and labs we install.
>
> Businesses are unlikely to purchase old refurbs from an
> unfamiliar startup vendor. Somebody would have to make
> cold calls to find a market for the product. None of us has
> the time to cold call nor would the likely revenue justify the
> effort at this point.
>
> Action: none.
>
> :: Diskless Workstations
>
> The IBM 330/350 boxes make marginal LTSP workstations.
> They are poor at web browsing because of the video
> subsystem (unreadable small fonts), and they have no nics.
> It costs us to bring them up to minimum workstation specs
> (2-4mb video card, nic).
>
> Action: none.
>
> :: Child's Computer
>
> The low resource boxen suck at Internet browsing. And
> they make a marginal first computer for young children
> because there are no sound cards or cd-rom drives.
>
> On the other hand young kids aren't likely to browse the
> Net. So day care centers might accept the boxes if there
> are a few basic educational games aimed at young children,
> a word processor and some introductory training for staff
> at the lab. Could be part of Adopt-A-FreeBox program.
>
> Action: none. Might check with day care centers to see
> if they are interested in adopting a FreeBox.
>
> :: Recyclers
>
> If there is no revenue or too little revenue from recycling, then
> we can dispose of the boxes through the St. Joseph Co. Solid
> Waste District's recycling program, after stripping any
> components worth keeping.
>
> Action: I will contact recyclers and find out if we can make
> any money at all on recycling and at what volume and effort
> on our part.
>
> :: Vector Linux
>
> Vector Linux is the best distro so far for low resource boxes.
> We discussed installing VL over a network to the low resource
> boxes to automate the process. We can use a 10 mbps hub,
> isa nics and one of our server boxes to do the grunt work at
> less cost than installing via CD-ROM and more efficiently too.
>
> VL v3.x is Slackware v8.x. Slack has good facility for network
> installs, but we aren't certain VL retained network installs in
> their distro.
>
> Action: Mike researched VL and Slackware sites. Mike will
> contact VL maintainers re network installs.
>
> Tom
> tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxx





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[frgeek-michiana] Fw: Message submitted to 'frgeek-michiana' LAB NOTES, Dec. 5, 2002

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