Re: low-power x86 computer
From: David Brown (david_at_no.westcontrol.spam.com)
Date: 02/23/04
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Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 08:42:56 +0100
"Joris Dobbelsteen" <none.of@your.business> wrote in message
news:40392823$0$2432$4a441750@news.euronet.nl...
> Hi,
>
> I'm looking for a very low-power computer to be used as a simple server.
> Simply my focus is on:
> * low-power (< 15W typical usage preferably)
> * low-cost
> * performance
>
> It must actually run Windows 2000/2003. It will be used as a router with
> some extra storage and running some simple applications (download apps,
FTP,
> stuff).
> Currently I'm impressed by the power and cost of the VIA Epia mini-itx
> boards (www.viaembedded.com), choosing a VE5000, having a Via Eden 533 MHz
> (PII-266 equivelent) and power usage between 10 to 15 Watt (unfortunally
Via
> did not mention wether this usage was only the board (with I believe) or
> includes external hardware, such as a HDD).
> It costs arround EUR 100 for the board and CPU.
>
> Does anyone have another good suggestion for such a system?
>
> - Joris
>
Have you considered running Linux, or even one of the BSDs? You might have
good reasons for picking windows, but in case you haven't thought about your
choices...
You will be able to get a linux system acting as a firewall, router and
simple server for a fraction of the price and power of a Windows-based
system. If you don't need much file storage space for the servers, you
could get it running from a 16M compact flash card, or something similar,
for very much lower power (alternatively, your hard drive would be
powered-down most of the time). Your hardware costs would be lower (far
less memory and cpu power required, no need for a display, mouse or
keyboard), your software costs would be lower (W2K or W2K3 is going to cost
more than your hardware - you also avoid worrying about "client access
licenses"), and your system will be vastly more secure and reliable
(assuming it is configured reasonably well, of course). If you haven't any
experiance with linux, then you will have to do a bit of reading of how-tos,
but then, if you haven't the experiance of hardening W2K for a
firewall/router than you'll have more than enough work there too. Post at
comp.os.linux.networking for useful information about setting up such a
system, or to comp.os.linux.advocacy for a sometimes entertaining flame war
about the rational and irrational reasons for choosing between OSes.
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- In reply to: Joris Dobbelsteen: "low-power x86 computer"
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