Oh I completly agree with A.C., old computers running relativly old software (open or closed source) can be quite effective, but when it comes to having to make a major software upgrade on a great deal or computers is when problems arrise. If you use a program like Ghost (like the board does), then imaging may not work, or work entirly due to hardware differences (sometimes even caused by those "mechanical wear-out phenomenom"). Over time, the computers slowly become different, and as such, more difficult to keep working.
The other bonus of non-recycled computers is getting a warrenty, even if its just 3 months, so that it can get a bit of practical use in to test all it's functions. (If I'm wrong about no warrenty on recycled, then oops, but they hardware still ends up being differnt, unlike most manufacures warrenties)
One of few cases this applies to me: "Standardisation is the way to go!"
I'm at a high school in Toronto, and sometimes I help with computer maintenance and things like that, and the entire department agrees, computer labs like these, with recycled computers can't stay! We get mabey 15 times more requests for help from those labs than any other in the building! Open-source is great, but look into off-lease Dell's, in the long run, it is much easier to use, and easier to make sure they work, and if you're going open-source anyway, the price is quite reasonable.
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Oh I completly agree with A.C., old computers running relativly old software (open or closed source) can be quite effective, but when it comes to having to make a major software upgrade on a great deal or computers is when problems arrise. If you use a program like Ghost (like the board does), then imaging may not work, or work entirly due to hardware differences (sometimes even caused by those "mechanical wear-out phenomenom"). Over time, the computers slowly become different, and as such, more difficult to keep working. The other bonus of non-recycled computers is getting a warrenty, even if its just 3 months, so that it can get a bit of practical use in to test all it's functions. (If I'm wrong about no warrenty on recycled, then oops, but they hardware still ends up being differnt, unlike most manufacures warrenties) One of few cases this applies to me: "Standardisation is the way to go!"
I'm at a high school in Toronto, and sometimes I help with computer maintenance and things like that, and the entire department agrees, computer labs like these, with recycled computers can't stay! We get mabey 15 times more requests for help from those labs than any other in the building! Open-source is great, but look into off-lease Dell's, in the long run, it is much easier to use, and easier to make sure they work, and if you're going open-source anyway, the price is quite reasonable.