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Little Linux Systems For Whatever Ails Ya
An Anonymous Coward writes: "Looking for small pre-built systems for custom Linux-based projects or products? Look no further. LinuxDevices.com has assembled a handy reference list of small systems that can serve as ready-made platforms for prototyping applications, or as the basis of application-specific Linux-based systems and devices. The style, performance, and costs of these systems vary greatly."
go check out nvidia's cards, as new as you want. Find a card that has a RCA/svideo out (option on all models). Now go grab nvidia's drivers, and read the TWINVIEW readme. It has directions for getting the TV out and the VGA out both seen by X, and the ability to run each display independant of the other.
Okay, I'm not that sure about this. But I think my Elsa Gladiac with the Geforce MX400 does 3D and TV at the same time. I am not sure because I don't really play 3D games, but at least a few 3D xmms plugins got significantly faster after I installed the card and recompiled them (without changing the cpu, which is a 333 MHz P2). And the card drivers at least claim to be "NVIDIA_GLX".
I really have only one thing to say:
3dfx Voodoo3 3500TV.
Support for 3D is pretty obvious, and open source. Support for the TV-out (and in) is HERE, and the sourceforge project page is HERE. The code is pretty hairy, but it works. Not only that, but the TV out works at the same time as the 3D. I've seen it myself on my box. Only one problem - good luck finding one of these cards, considering that poor 3dfx is defunkt.
This link was posted in the comments to the embeded linux article: http://www.soekris.com/
It's the 21st Century Do you know what your government is doing
ECS makes a micro-ATX MB - K7S5A, I think - with an onboard NIC (and audio) and 2 PCI slots. You can find it on pricewatch by clicking on Motherboards and SIS 735 - $66. Add a little DDRAM (64MB should be plenty), another NIC, and a cheap IDE disk, put it in some small case, load Linux and set up the Bastille firewall (which does IPsec VPN) and you've got a fairly cheap VPN firewall.
And... your users can load the HD with MP3s and listen to music of their choice, from their little DSL/Cable gateway!
OTOH, maybe you can find a NetWinder on Ebay....
Does everything you require, plus a whole bunch more, and it's portable.
Plus it has a sexy case :)
It's perhaps not the cheapest option, but then, you do get a free, very powerful PDA thrown in with your MP3/Vorbis player...