[SLUG] Cheap Linux Box

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

> Hi
>
> Here is some text for part1 (draft) of the £100 Linux computer
> offerred for
> comments.  It could do with plenty of checking, especially the
> declaimer.  It
> is about 2 A4 sides.
>
> 						A £100 Linux Computer.
>
> DISCLAIMER.  The advice in this leaflet has been carefully researched
> by the
> author and checked by others.  It is offered in good faith, but
> neither the
> author, nor Scarborough Linux User Group can accept any liability
> whatsoever
> for costs arising out of following it.  YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.

Maybe we need a disclaimer on all the leaflets, but perhaps less
intimidating. Maybe just "Neither SLUG nor the authors of this
document accept any liability for any consequences arising from your
application of the information contained". Still too long ..
improvements?

> Do you need a computer?  What sort?  How much will it cost?  The
> answers
> depend on what you want it for.  This leaflet is about a computer that
> will
> do these things and more: surf the internet, send and receive e-mail:
> write
> letters, newsletters and even novels: use spreadsheets and databases
> to run a
> small business: play games with you that are sophisticated enough for
> adults,
> but not necessarily for teenagers.  It uses Linux as its operating
> system.

because?

Would GnuCash work on this, in which case you could do the family or
simple business accounts too.

> Most people and families need some of the things it can do.  If you
> want more
> you will need to investigate further.
>
> Why is  £100 a sensible amount?.  Because it provides a simple
> computer that
> does what 99% of individuals and families actually need.   If you have
> less,
> or can reuse parts of an older computer, you can.  But it's harder,
> and
> explaining that comes later.  If you want to spend a bit more to make
> life
> easier, you can do that too, and that will be explained as well.
>
> What sort of computer do you get for around £100?  Second user
> obviously.  An
> all new system costs at least double even if you know where to look,
> and more
> if you buy on the High Street.  Notice the second user.  Second user,
> for
> this leaflet means reconditioned by a reputable dealer, and offered
> with a
> six month guarantee.  Second hand can be a pitfall.  This is due to an
> iron
> law in computing, know as Moore's Law, which says (roughly) that
> computers
> double in power every year.  So each year your computer loses half its
> value.

At least

> Buy a computer for £800 and after 1 year it is worth £400, 2 years
> £200, 3
> years £100 and so on.  Extras (except perhaps for printers, of which
> more
> later) make no difference.  A second user computer from a reputable
> dealer
> will take this into account.  A local second hand shop,  that is not a
> specialist computer shop, or someone who puts an ad in the local
> paper, may
> not.

Out of interest, and I'm sure this is obvious to all but me, I worked
out how to decide the age of a computer using this
<http://www.johnallsopp.co.uk/blog200510.php4#benchmarking>, 9th para.
Probably not worth mentioning, either here or in your leaflet, but I
thought I would anyway.

> Why can you get  a perfectly usable computer for £100?  Because
> government,
> both local and central, likes to spend money.  And business often, if
> it has
> money to spare likes to spend it.  They spend it on machines, because
> you can
> take pictures of machines and show them to your friends.  If you spend
> it on
> training  you might end up with questions.

:-) Possibly rejig this :-)

> Why should you buy a computer for £100?  Because government and
> business throw
> out thousands of perfectly good computers every year, and if we do not
> stop
> throwing them out, and start reusing them, there will be big problems
> for our
> landfill sites very soon.

It's not just that, many of the components go to third world countries
.. hang on ..

the article, in Ethical Consumer #84, says (I'll type it fast so
forgive the typos) "Constand upgrading and replacing of computers for
newer and faster models meant htat IT waste contributes 39% of the 1m
tonnes of electronic waste generated in Britain every year. European
nations have signed a total ban on toxic waste exports, but teh USA
has not. This means that mounds of toxis e-waste are shipped out to
Asia (from the US) causing severe pollution and health problems for
local communitied.

A recent report by US campaign groups took as a case study an area in
China that has been transformed from a poor, rural, rice growing
community to a major e-waste processing centre. An estimated 100,000
people work in the industry, mostly commuting from outlyuing agrarian
regions, for an average wage of $1.50 a day. Many of the workers are
women and children. Most of the recycling is done by hand or with
basic tools, using little or no protective equipment.

According to the report, the most environmentally destructive
operation is recycling electronic circuit boards. Lead-tin solder is
collected and melted, exposing those in the area to damaging fumes.
Lead levels in one spot were found to be 190 times higher than World
Health Organisation Drinking Water Guidelines. The acid recovery, used
to extract gold, also leads to high levels of acid in the water
supply. The area now brings in its drinking water supplies on trucks
as the local supply has become so polluted. The report concludes that
"market forces, if left unregulated, dictate that toxic waste will
always run 'downhill' on an economic path of least resistance".

Then to summaries, Dell uses the US prison population to recucle, HP
seems better.

Dixons, part of the same group as PC World, was criticised by teh
Local Authority Pension Fund Forum for "unnecessary secrecy" over its
supply chain ethical policy, which had not been published or targets
set for its implementation.

Sony is fighting allegations of pollution.

Hmm, not sure how much of that is useful .. got myself on a roll.
Interesting, but since it's the US that sends to China, we seem to
have relatively clean hands. You might want to mention the toxic
contents of a PC, anyway.

Ah, hang on, this is more interesting:

The production of chips for one computer can generate 89lb of waste,
of a circuit board 46lb of waste, 40lb of which is hazardous.

A 2001 study conducted by the Scottish Health and Safety Executive
documented elevated rtes of cancer and premature death among the
mostly female factory workers at a semiconductor factory in Greenock,
Scotland.

Toxins in your computer include Lead (damage to brain, esp children,
bioaccumulative), Cadmium (toxic, with irreversible effects), Mercury
(can damage the brain and kidneys), Hexavalent Chromium / Chromium VI
(can cause damage to DNA), Beryllium (carcinogen), Barium (organ
damage), Brominated Flame Retardants (suspected endocrine disruptors)

OK, enough ..

(the point being, keep your computer for longer, don't buy new when
you can buy secondhand)


> What do you buy? These components.  Do not worry too much if the terms
> are not
> clear to you . This is what you want.
>
> 		Base unit.  This is the computer itself.  The bit that does the
> business is
> called the processor.  Ask for a P3 processor.  A P4, which is a more
> modern
> processor, is probably not so good a bet second user as it uses much
> more
> power and needs much more cooling.  The processor speed needs to be
> about 600
> megahertz or higher, although less is possible.  If they say 1 gig,
> this
> means 1000 megahertz and is fine.  It must have fast memory (RAM) of
> at least
> 128 Megabytes (Mb). This is critical.  More is better.  If you buy
> less you
> will need to read the section on what to to with a really old
> computer.  The
> hard drive can be any size from 5 Gigabytes (Gb) up.  It doesn't need
> to be
> more, but if you get more that is good as it is likely to be newer,
> and as
> this is the bit with moving parts, it is this that will wear out
> first.
>
> 		A mouse and keyboard.  If they say PS/2 that is great, otherwise
> ask.
>
> 		A monitor.  Flat screen TFT monitors are great, but what makes our
> £100
> budget possible is that there are thousands of old CRT screens out
> there that
> have decades of life left in them.  They are heavy, but cheap.  17" is
> usually the minimum recommended, but many people could probably manage
> with a
> 15", which saves space, and if you are on good terms with the local
> rugby
> team 19" or higher are great bargains now.

Overall, however, they use more electricity, and LCD monitors last
three years longer on average than CRT, apparently.

> 		A modem.  This is critical, it is the bit you need to connect to the
> internet.  There are things around called Winmodems - treat as avian
> flu
> carriers.

Maybe replace that as it will date, and these materials will stick
around on our website.

> They will not work with Linux.  You need an external modem,
> which
> attaches to the outside of your computer, or you must ask for cast
> iron
> guarantees from your supplier that if it has an internal modem (one
> you can't
> see) then there are drivers (software) that come with it to make it
> work with
> Linux.
>
> What might you expect to pay?  These are figures from suppliers that
> advertise
> nationally in magazines.
>
> 		Base unit.  700Mhz  128Mb  6Gb hard drive       £49
>                 (above includes mouse and keyboard)
> 		17" CRT monitor                                                 £20
> 		Linux compatible modem                                  £12.50
>    		Carriage
>     £18
>
> 				Total   (inc VAT)                                  £99.50
>
>
> Part 2 will explain where to buy,  how to get by on less, what to
> spend on if
> you have more and a note on printers.

Good stuff :-)

J