OT: Computer makes

[ppslim]

Until reciently, I thought I was pretty clued up when it came to hardware. But this is obviously not true, and I doubt any1 can say they are know at least 50% of technology created in the past 2 years. ANd there is no way, even if you spent 100% of your time devoted to it, you could read up on all technology that will be made in the future.

Now I have actualy found a home I can move into, after I found my new job, I have somwhere to tincker with networks and what not.

Part of my job is to change our current working conditions from simple computers, running MS Windows with file and printer sharing, into a system, where we can tele-work, both via modem, and broadband based VPN connections.

Part of the network is to be based here, in our main office. Backup systems will placed in a second office 5 miles away. Instead of using raid, we will use a mirrored server environment, where we can simply unplug the backup sever, move it to our mai office, plug the network into the second network card in in, and it would be setup as if it was the primary system.

While this is all fun a games for me, I also get a second line and boradband paid for at home. This will be used as a fax server.

While this is all going on, I want to add a few bit and peices to the puzzle, for my private pleasure (this part is eggdrop realted ). There would also be a test system, for testing new configurations for the work system.

This is where I am stuck.

I want to purchase to systems, to run linux on. When it come to hardware, I am stuck (I usualy send our needs to a company, and they do the work for us).

I will be using (hopfully) 2 700 Athlon systems. (I don't cae if the tasks they do take 3 days, so long as tests complete, and are sucesful, they can go into a production environment).

I have been offered (at the moment) 2 Compaq, or 2 IBM systems.

I worked with Compaq systems years ago and hated them, due to the fact, they are there own hardware, that you could not do much with yourself, addon wise, and most of it would have to come froma Compaq approved retailer.

As for IBM, allthough they made the PC. I don't know mich about there hardware.

Is IBM's hardware simalar to Compaq's, in a way, that they use there own hardware, that can't be upgraded, without going through a IBM approved retailer, or is it 100% purchase-from-any-retailer friendly?

If need be, I will pruchase all components seperatly, from a list of linux friendly hardware. but I am hoping not to use that route.

Thanks idvance.

[Petersen]

why tie yourself into proprietry systems, when you can build a decent linux server for less than 200 quid from scratch? Personally I hate the linux kernel (for reasons I'm not gonna go into here), but if there's any hardware it won't run on, I'll be very supprised. Just buy yaself a case (20 quid), keyboard and mouse (tenner), cheap mobo, proc and ram (less than 100), old vid card (tenner at most) and then a hard drive (easily get a decent size one for 60 quid). And thus you have a cheap base system with no monitor. You could build it even cheaper if you get second hand stuff (mate of mine built a nice 700 system for less than 80 quid)

[tainted]

Quid? Where are you guys?

[ppslim]

England.

We have many names for our money, it all depends where you are in the country.

Dosh, money, quid, squid.

And if your in Liverpool, it called "My god given right to own!"