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Micro ATX and Linux?
Chasuk asks: "I work at a large computer retailer in a college town, and I've finally convinced the powers-that-be to sell PCs with Linux pre-installed. The catch is, it will only be installed on Micro ATX machines, which require half-height everything, and we can't find a source of half-height Linux compatible PCI modems. Even those universal, generic half-height replacement hangers/brackets would be acceptable, but I can't find those, either. Can anyone on Slashdot help? "
uh, maybe use external modems? what the hell do they need modems for on a college campus anyway?
-73, de n1ywb
www.n1ywb.com
external USB modems?
Also I once saw a thing that converts a PCI slot on a desktop machine into a PCMCIA slot. You could get a half-height one of those and put a laptop modem in it.
Or just use micro-atx motherboards that have builtin modems.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
It's more important to have an option of buying a box without any operating system pre-loaded and offer a discount to do so. i.e.
- Windows XP Home
- Windows XP Pro
- Linux (RedHat Whatever)
- None -- THIS IS WHAT WE NEED!!!
I doubt many average computer users would know what to do with Linux if they got it. I also doubt many of those who want it want it preloaded with whatever distribution you decide to load.
Offer some REAL modems that don't require software to run. i.e. a modem with an actual chip that does the work!
The only reason WinModems are successful is because they work (on Windows) and they cost slightly less. This is no big deal for a few machines, but it really adds up when you sell hundreds of thousands as DELL does monthly.
With broadband, modems are becoming more and more obsolete anyway. Sure there are many who still use them but not nearly as many as there once were. I personally haven't used a modem in years... I honestly haven't needed to.
What is really driving Broadband among those who would not have used it before is VPN and companies who are allowing their employee's to VPN into the network. I would say that most of the corporate users who don't have a computer at home except for their work laptop, are actually buying cable and DSL connections just so they can work at home.
It was just rolled out where I work recently, and there have been hundreds of users all getting signed up for broadband services. More and more they hear by word of mouth from coworkers on how great it is and they call us to get it setup. Most of them don't own a personal computer, they use only their work computer. Those that do own computers have very old computers. Few have up-to-date computers and few have broadband but tell them they can work at home just about as fast as it is in the office (faster for some WAN users) and they buy it on the spot!
Add wireless into the mix, i.e. they can work on a comfortable couch without wires and keep a broadband connection to work going and they freak out and want to do it right away!
Corporate America will soon be accelerating Work At Home as soon as the numbers of employee's able to do it reaches critical mass. They can save a fortune on office space. Heck, I could be doing my job from home if they would just get me a VoIP phone that connects to the company PBX.
Most adult Joe Users won't even notice the difference in other terms than stability and customizability. Believe me, I have done a Linux installation on almost every windows luser who comes to me and complains that their computer (windows) is broken and needs some repairing. : ) /home partition on a separate partiton, because the distro needs to be replaced or upgraded sometime in the future.
They won't complain as long as they have a DE (usually KDE or Gnome), some card games, a web browser (Mozilla Firebird) and email app (kmail).. And of course OpenOffice and some image viewers so they can open up email attachments.
Make sure to not give them the root passwd (and make sure you remember it). Also make sure to install the
Usual things to worry about: DEVICE DRIVERS! (Win lusers usually buy the cheapest and most incompatible hardware available).