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Gizmo Turns Old PCs Into Linux-Based Thin Clients

Posted by timothy on from the reclaim-the-old-and-make-it-new dept.

An anonymous reader writes "LinuxDevices has published an article about the 'PC Reviver', a small device that replaces hard drives in aging computers with a solid-state flash memory drive that boots an embedded Linux OS. The 'revived' computer can then be used as a thin-client network appliance for Citrix, Windows, Linux, and/or browser-based server-centric computing networks."

7 of 32 comments (clear)

  1. I can do that by Apreche · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Take a Compact Flash card, put it in a very simple converter that allows it to be put directly into an IDE slot sans ribbon cable. Mount it, partition it, format it. Build custom linux system on it, possibly based on knoppix. Put a whole bunch of kernel in there with not a lot of userspace. Use dd to make a bunch more of these things.

    The only difference is I don't think compact flash drives are solid state.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
    1. Re:I can do that by baywulf · · Score: 2, Interesting

      On a CF card, if the OEb pin is tied to ground, the card follows the IDE protocol on powerup. It is just a matter of slight wiring change which is what the converter does. BTW from personal experience you get much better performance using a CF card in USB2.0 bus instead of IDE bus.

  2. I don't get it by BCoates · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It looks like all this thing does is replace the hard drive. Even if you don't have a drive sitting around with your semi-old computer, they cost less than the $150 this does, and it'll probably work on a weaker system than a pentium with 64MB ram.

    Or are you paying for the software on the flash drive, too?

  3. Pointless by Kris_J · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Working sub-4Gig hard drives are not hard to come by. For that matter, Win98 boxen complete with valid licenses are hardly rare. What exactly does this do that someone who understands the concept couldn't put together themselves?

    1. Re:Pointless by Thag · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Working sub-4Gig hard drives are not hard to come by.
      In NIB condition? In lots of 50 or more?

      They stopped making full-sized drives under 4 gig years ago. You might scrounge a couple, but to be useful for a real business you need a lot more, and worn-out old drives are going to be an immediate maintenance problem.

      Bigger newer drives aren't going to be addressable by older BIOS chips.

      Jon Acheson

      --
      All opinions expressed herein are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled.
  4. Not pointless at all by StillDocked · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The point is that it would make a great tool for offices that have a need for a larger number and are unwilling to have someone spend the time prefabricating them indiviually. It is a question of convienence for me.

    That being said, from a convienece point of view, Win98 boxes just don't work in my (our) environment here (antivirus issues, et cetera) and I would be loathe to have any hoisted upon me. We already have embedded Linux thin clients, and if we could convert older machines at $150 per, that would be wonderful. It would save us money and time.

    I think we are going to order a couple of units as test units to see if they work in our thin client environment.

  5. Damn... $150 for this thing... by GreenKiwi · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Wow! They want you to spend $150 to revive an old PC? Why not spend $150 more and buy a brand new one. You can pick up a Dell PowerEdge server for $300. And it'll have a 2.4ghz Celeron and a 40gb drive.

    Ah well... just doesn't seem worth upgrading the other.

    kiwi