moved the P4 3.2 to work, added 2x 1.5Tb internal HD ($130 each as of Dec 2008)
ubuntu as primary OS on 25 Gb HD
virtualbox to host "gaming", "work", "testWin", "testUbuntu" sessions
makes backup/restore easy
work box: Dell Dimension 8200, 2.2Ghz 1Gb RAM, 80Gb HD, dual monitor (22" widescreen ($200) and 17" ($3 @ garage sale)
home box: P4 3.2 Ghz, 2Gb RAM running WinXP Pro
3Tb of external storage
5 Dell optiplex 2.0Ghz 512Mb RAM clustered using ClusterKnoppix
purchased with no HD for $20/box (total $100)
a comparable Intel quad core 2.0Ghz box would go for at least $600
Admittedly, the setup isn't quite as easy, but for the cost savings and scalability (10 cores would be $200,
whereas a nice 2x quad core can go for $2000+) make the extra space/power well worth it.
first purchased desktop: AMD 3000+, 1Gb RAM, WinXP Pro
first purchased laptop: Dell Inspiron 4100, 1.2 Ghz, 512 Mb RAM
broke screen hinge
upgraded HD from 20Gb to 40Gb
First and last time I bought Windows XP
first laptop: ran DOS 3.1, constantly rebooted
first box: 800 Mhz, 128 Mb RAM, Fedora (given by customer after upgrading their box)