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Cheap Linux Development Hardware, In Spades

Posted by timothy on from the at-least-if-you-stick-it-in dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I was happy when I saw this $160 PPC NAS development system two days ago. I was surprised to notice this this $157 x86 router development hardware yesterday. And I'm floored to see this$199 MIPS thin client development system today." (Read on for more.)

"

All 3 are full of open-source goodness, and for a change the manufacturers actually *want* you to do development on them. The MIPS box even comes with schematics and the board layout.

This should be good news for everyone who hates replacing ancient fans, memory, and dying SCSI drives in their resurrected Sun, SGI, Apple, DEC, etc. workstations. Or anyone who's significant other dislikes them installing alternative operating systems on perfectly good consumer electronics.

A quote by well-known open source developer Erik Andersen about the Kuro Box (NAS device linked to above) sums it up pretty well:
'The great thing about a product like the Kuro Box is it gives me complete control so I can adapt the system as my needs change. Unlike single purpose devices that soon end up in the trash, the Kuro Box is built using 100% Open Source software. This gives me the power to customize, upgrade and enhance my Kuro Box to make it do whatever I can imagine.'"

3 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft and Trusted Computing by Mark_MF-WN · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Stuff like this is very encouraging -- the commercial viability of Linux and Linux-compatible hardware will help prevent Microsoft and Trusted Computing from ruining the computing experience for us tech-savvy types. And Linux's viability help ensure the viability of other operating systems.

  2. Re:Did I miss something? by I+confirm+I'm+not+a · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What's wrong with me digging that old celeron-400 out of the corner, installing smoothwall on it, and shoving it away in the cupboard to serve out it's days?

    Well, nothing, obviously, and many of us would no doubt do that rather than (or as well as ;) spending money. But... this little box draws no more than 5W power. That's certainly an argument my significant other can understand at electricity-bill time...

    --
    This is where the serious fun begins.
  3. Re:diskless nas server for $169? how about an xbox by really? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    your idea intrigues me, can I sub ... errr, I mean can you get me a couple hundred modded x-boxes by the weekend? Oh yeah, would you please make sure to include a cheque for the difference in my power bill over the life of the product. ;-)

    --

    "Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are the dead." A. Huxley