[plug] SME PC hardware linux supplier?

[Chris Caston]

On Wed, 2004-11-10 at 21:48, Harry wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 20:25:39 +0800 Chris Caston <caston at arach.net.au> wrote:
> 
> > Spyware filled computers are destroying the environment?
> 
> Of course! All those cycles running spyware :-D
> 
> Seriously tho', every PC that you chuck away is an energy investment in
> starting with some rusty rocks in the Pilbara and sand from somewhere
> else and pouring energy at it to rearrange it as a computing engine.
> 
> The performance of the computers has reached an acceptable speed for most
> computing needs. (Based on what we can achieve out of an old box at Computer
> Angels we could be doing most things with 200MHz as long as there is
> reasonable RAM).
> 
> A handy metric would be to know "energy input for manufacturing a new box"
> vs "extra energy consumption of retaining a less efficient older one".
> Because the machines don't stop. Computer Angels has people _really_
> wanting to give us their 486 box because "it still has all the software
> and still runs fine". 
> 
> But, like yesterday, I get a call from a young lady who is dropping off
> a 733MHz PIII or somesuch because "Well, everything is XP now so
> I_need_to_update" *Screams AAAAARGH silently* "Sure, drop it down" I say,
> "We'll be able to make use of it." My main 800Mz desktop sits at 99%
> idle when the mouse is stationary!
> 
> This whole computer waste problem doesn't need bigger metal recyclers
> it just needs more intelligence. But it _does_ threaten the economic model
> that relies on building stuff to discard it periodically for another one.
> 
> Consider in the post that you responded to, Chris, that HP still wants to sell
> you a new bunch of hardware. I'm interested in LTSP-in-a-box with reused
> equipment.
> 
> *stops for breath* Ok, I feel better now :)
> 

The problem is that humans have to charge high prices for their time and
effort maintaining computers because they in turn get charged high
prices for telco and bandwidth use, pizza, electricity (ok!), rent and
petrol which they consume driving out to fix the old machine.
 
Of course a faster computer will never save time but then again not much
*really* does I had a quote somewhere (and I have posted it to the list
before) that any time that man saves ultimately he wastes.

> Here's another rabid rant on why an OSS service model is the future 
> (so I don't keep repeating myself):
> http://www.plug.org.au/archives/message/20020611.143503.48a9385c.html