[H-GEN] [Fwd: Sun Workstation for sale]

[Martin Pool]

(Note reply-to: being general at humbug.org.au vs Martin Pool <martinp at mincom.com>)

Ben Fowler wrote:

> > I want to run gimp and vmware (win95 runnning one Macromedia
> > application,
> > either flash or fireworks).  Also does this include a mouse, are sun
> > mice three or two button?
> 
> Since these machines are not very powerful (for $300, you can't expect
> much), you'll probably be wasting your time trying to run GIMP.  You might
> find the 8-bit framebuffers (video cards) that tend to come with these
> machines quite limiting.  Unfortunately, vmware will be completely out of
> the question on this sort of gear.

Of course, you can run X remotely from some other machine, but the Gimp
will be pretty unexciting in 8-bit colour.  Some of these machines (I'm
not sure about this configuration) have no fan or other moving parts if
you don't use the hard drive, and so they make very quiet terminals for
your bedroom / whatever.  emacs on a large 8-bit screen is pretty nice.

Buy this as entertainment rather than as a practical computer -- at $300
it's a reasonable price for such a thing.  You get:

 * slightly exotic hardware compared to stock-standard PCs

 * a challenging experience to set it up and run; good if you like
   learning about that sort of thing

 * a FORTH interpreter in ROM :-)

 * to play with running X remotely

 * a very cool-looking case and keyboard with Alt *and* Meta

 * to meditate on how $8k workstations fall in just a few years to being
$300 toys

-- 
 /\\\  Mincom | Martin Pool          | martinp at mincom.com
// \\\        | Software Engineer    | Phone: +61 7 3303-3333
\\ ///        | Mincom Ltd.          | 
 \///         | Teneriffe, Brisbane  | Speaking for myself only

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