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He needs a PC that works like a TV: plug it in, turn it on, and use it. Sure, it needs to know some basic information about who's using it (email address, etc.), but beyond that it should just work.

Sounds almost like the original idea behind Zonbu.

I never tried the OS, so I can't say how well it manages it.

There is even a commercial Linux that has a monthly fee to continuously backup over Amazon S3 (Zonbu). If fully automated and continuous and transparent backups are not good enough for them, then there is no pleasing them.

Someone did, it's called http://www.zonbu.com/ Maybe not exactly what you're thinking, but pretty darn close.

Must be another CO day here. While we are at it, let me add my totally obvious comments. Instead of spending atleast 400-450$ on a PS3, you can build yourself a proper PC with components from newegg and download Ubuntu and install it for a superior Linux experience. What's that you say? You want a Blu-ray drive? Here's one that's not so expensive.

You don't want a BDROM and you can't be bothered to put together a PC? Say hello to Zonbu and their line of line of cheaper machines.

Zonbu not upto your taste? Perhaps Madtux might help.

That was from 3mins of Googling - you get my drift. Linux on PS3 is almost as old as Linux on PS2 (one with HDD). Anyone remember Linux on xbox?

I am not sure who or what I should be insulting here - the selection of this story or Popular Mechanics. Oh and 129$ from newegg for a BDROM drive is cheap enough for me (HTPC and all) - Give it a couple of months and you will get sub 100$ BDROM drives and as any serious gamer knows, it's not the console price that will get ya - it's the games as they come out but I digress. Back to watching Monty Python on Hulu...

Must be another CO day here. While we are at it, let me add my totally obvious comments. Instead of spending atleast 400-450$ on a PS3, you can build yourself a proper PC with components from newegg and download Ubuntu and install it for a superior Linux experience. What's that you say? You want a Blu-ray drive? Here's one that's not so expensive.

You don't want a BDROM and you can't be bothered to put together a PC? Say hello to Zonbu and their line of line of cheaper machines.

Zonbu not upto your taste? Perhaps Madtux might help.

That was from 3mins of Googling - you get my drift. Linux on PS3 is almost as old as Linux on PS2 (one with HDD). Anyone remember Linux on xbox?

I am not sure who or what I should be insulting here - the selection of this story or Popular Mechanics. Oh and 129$ from newegg for a BDROM drive is cheap enough for me (HTPC and all) - Give it a couple of months and you will get sub 100$ BDROM drives and as any serious gamer knows, it's not the console price that will get ya - it's the games as they come out but I digress. Back to watching Monty Python on Hulu...

Hm, imagine that. Having a workstation that from the ground up is equipped to handle roaming users, even across the internet. There would be issues with compatibility and installed software, but assuming the basics (OS login, browser bookmarks, yadda yadda) it would be a fair step towards ubiquitous computing. Ah, the future ... are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?...

Thanks, that's a decent approximation. However, it costs $249 if you don't subscribe to their Internet service (their real business), or $338 if you subscribe and immediately cancel, while the service costs $13:mo for 2 years minimum (cancelable) prepaid.

It's also kind of overkill for my app. It's got a bunch of SW preloaded, which has some kind of cost in installation/maintenance even if it's FOSS. It's got QXGA display, which I don't need, kbd/mouse ports (in addition to USB), and the 4GB Flash is costs about $30 (though power saving), which could probably buy a 40GB SATA HD - $15 buys 20GB SCSI HDs. Even the CF slot is probably a few extra unnecessary bucks.

I bet that the $249 is full of not only profit, but also higher to balance the loss of profit from the network business. And the extra HW could be another $50-75. If this box, stripped down, could sell for $100-150, then it would be exactly what I want. As long as I can telnet into it and force it to install Linux from across the ethernet.

Meanwhile, the Gumstix waysmall 200 is almost exactly what I want, for $129, but no soundchip. All the cheaper Gumstix have client-only USB, so can't take expansions. Though the $186 200xm-cf has CompactFlash, into which soundcards or CF/USB adapters can plug. And the waysmall 400m-bt has Bluetooth, which might send audio data to Bluetooth speakers or audio adapter, which could be even better, for only $200. But the audio module is $40, and the USB host module is $27, so $197 does get me all I want. Even if the extra $52 for the Zonbu gets a lot more (in a larger package). I wonder whether the Zonbu has 25% more processing power.

Since Gumstix is so close, there's probably a competitor. My app is basically an "ethernet to stereo/5.1/7.1 audio" adapter, which has got to be a popular app (at least a . Probably there's one that has either soundchip or just USB host (for external DAC), with options for either ethernet or WiFi. For under $200, if not yet under $150.

Zonbu

That looks like it has most everything you want.

You can compare it with the Zonbu http://www.zonbu.com/home/index.htm/ . The Zonbu PC has no HD, just 4 GB of flash and online storage (for a fee). The Fit-PC has a 40 GB HD; similar pricing for the hardware.

Just aware of it, I have no ties to them at all

Zonbu

Yes, there's a subscription fee, but if you compare it to the price of off-site storage (which it is, plus more), you'll see it's quite reasonable.