🚀 go-pugleaf

On 23/11/04 3:44 PM, in article 2td5q098lkocs7dl3kim9ormjlvjpkue5n@4ax.com,
"Rev Turd Fredericks" <nick_ballsack@forcedshaving.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 08:37:23 +1100, Ribfeast <goaway@nospam.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> On 22/11/04 2:54 PM, in article 9dn2q0lgjng76ua7do3ep490uus9b02d21@4ax.com,
>> "Rev Turd Fredericks" <nick_ballsack@forcedshaving.com> wrote:
>> 
> SNIP>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>> 
>>> Almost 5 years ago now, I built a dual PIII machine with the "latest
>>> and greatest" parts available my total cost for it was $1300, a
>>> comaprable Mac was well over $5000. The gap is closing but PC's are
>>> still at least 50% cheaper. If you just want an "entry level PC" and
>>> want to run lindows on it, it will set you back only $199 USD.
>>>> 
>> 
>> PCs are still cheaper at this stage, but yes the gap is closing.  I'd rather
>> pay a bit more for an OS that is better than XP, with a better-styled
>> machine ;)  
>> My PC was $1500AU, hand built by myself 6 months ago, with combo drive,
>> Radeon 9600XT 256MB video, 120GB SATA, Antec 1080AMG case & Antec 480W PSU,
>> Asus wireless motherboard, 3GHz P4, 1GB RAM, gigabit ethernet etc.  Not as
>> quick as my G5 but still good for games which is what I bought it for.
> How much was the G5?
>> 
Dual 1.8Ghz 64bit, RRP for around $3599AU (but we get raped by Apple pricing
here compared to the USA).  I got mine at staff price though so saved a fair
swag of cash there.  $1799US according to that site you linked to below.
Aussie dollar is worth 78 US cents at the moment so someone is making a tidy
profit on the way to the shelves.

>> Hard to believe your dual P3 was $1300, but that is probably US dollars and
>> our exchange rate sucked back then.
> 
> $1300 USD in Jan 2000.
> 
Probably around $2000-2500AU at the time I'd say.  Not bad :)
>> 
> SNIP>>>
>>> I guess that must be why all I see are broken ones. The G5's are
>>> attractive, but I still don't think that justifies the
>>> price/performance you get for the money.
>> Put it this way - decent 20" LCD is around $2000-2500AU (use oanda.com to
>> convert the $ rates), a G5 iMac with 64 bit CPU with DVD burner, 256MB DDR
>> RAM, 160GB HDD SATA, GeForce FX5200, ethernet, modem, and the same 20" LCD
>> is $3199 AU all up.  Good value if you ask me.
> 
> The 20" LCD is the expensive part :-) You get a decent discount if you
> buy the computer along with it and I notice the price has come down
> quite a bit since the last time I looked
> http://www.book.uci.edu/computers/ but the macs are still priced 3
> times what a comparable PC costs. A 3.0Ghz system from Dell is $649,
> you can add another 256MB of memory to it for $25 (from a computer
> store not Dell) and you have a system that could easily kick the ass
> of a $2300 Apple. Not only that but it comes with a 17" flat panel
> display.

Yeah but that is a Dell system, built from the crappiest parts around, with
a dodgy MS OS ;)  I'm talking home-made PCs built with name brands, since
Apple is a name brand.  $649 for a system WITH an LCD seems a bit too good
to be true for me, I'd be a bit sketchy on the quality.

>>>>>> 
>>> SNIP>>>>>
>>>> 
> 
>>> SNIP>>>>>>>>>>>
>>> 
>>> Except that the same people that *wouldn't* regularly patch their
>>> systems are also the people that use weak passwords. I'm not an expert
>>> on mac security, because I don't really care that much, but some of
>>> the mac security holes and the failure to patch them quickly have made
>>> my jaw drop. It starts with somebody reporting a vulnerability to
>>> Apple, Apple denying it's a problem and then 6 to 8 months later
>>> releasing a patch for a problem that "didn't exist". (search on
>>> www.cotse.com for some stories about this, I'm not sure how long they
>>> keep the news items, but you should at least be able to find the
>>> original vulnerabilities). I just don't like Apple's attitude towards
>>> security, I don't like MS's much either.
>> 
>> Haven't heard too much about Apple's head-in-the-sand approach to security,
>> if it is true then I am not impressed.  I am yet to hear of anyone actually
>> being exploited by any of these security holes though.
> 
> It is certainly enough to make me wary of *ever* putting an Apple
> server on the internet.
Webstar under MacOS 9 used to make server software, and it has never been
hacked, they even offered a prize to anyone who could hack it (and it wasn't
a jail sentence ;) )  Not too sure about the current Apple server software,
haven't dealt much with that side of things, I work in repairs.

>> 
>>>>>>> 
> 
>>> Windows file sharing is an accident waiting to happen. If I have to
>>> share files I set up an ftp server and hand out accounts on a need to
>>> know basis. 
>> 
>> Yeah I do the same - FTP or HTTP, sometimes even Hotline or KDX.
> 
> Ftp seems to be the technology that time forgot. I have an ftp server
> running off my home machine and about 15 or 20 people use it for
> sharing files (mostly for online gaming mods) as well as family photos
> etc. and the occassional <cough> mp3. It's safe, secure and I won't
> end up getting sued by the music industry because it's also private,
> they have no way of knowing what I share :-) It's funny, because some
> people I have given accounts  to (namely 2 teenage cousins) thought
> that ftp is some new file sharing technology or something and they use
> it often.

I agree, FTP is a winner, very fast and secure, only problem is you can't
chat with other users that are logged in there.  That is where Hotline and
KDX etc are good.  KDX even has encrypted chats.

>>> SNIP>>>>>>>>>
> 
>>> Can you use just any old mouse?
>> 
>> Correct.  Even the $10 yum-cha ones, as long as they are USB or bluetooth.
>> 
> That's good, I seem to remember apple using a proprietary plug so only
> an apple mouse would work. That may have been a long time ago though
> :-)
Yeah that was back in the mid 90's, with the old ADB mice.  But they had
plug n play with that ADB technology back in the late 80's!  :)

>>>>> 
>>> SNIP>>>>>>>>
>>> 
>>> Mac or XP? ATI makes some decent products but they rush them to market
>>> with crappy drivers, it's too bad.
>> 
>> 
>> XP...I have a 9600XT in my PC and my G5.
> 
> I just found out that the father of a person I do work with is a VP at
> ATI, I think it might be time to hit her up for some free stuff :-) I
> want one of the newer all-in-wonder cards if they work with linux.
>> 
> 
>