[no subject]

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DUAL-BOOT PC UNDER $500
by Dave Murphy, member itrain org

While slumming the cheap end of the net tonight I saw a
$499 PC that comes with both Win98 and Red Hat Linux
preinstalled.

I've been waiting for someone to come out with a dual-
boot PC for the low-end market. The PC Shopping Planet
model is the first I've seen.

It's possible to find business-class machines that come
with dual-boot installations, but for 500 bucks, just about
anyone can afford to get a second PC to learn Linux. And
with Win98 installed too, you can at least make a half-
hearted attempt at rationalizing the purchase. (OK,
gearheads, no Winblows cracks... typical users still
prefer Windows.)

The components are probably scraped from the bottom
of the chip barrel, but you'll only pay the what you would
have for a new set of tires for the family sedan. And, you
won't have to go through the Linux installation process;
the PC will arrive ready for use.

One final caveat. I don't ever recommend low-end PCs
for business use, and I'm not recommending this model
in any way. I mention it only because $500 is a cheap
way to start to learn Linux without messing with your
primary box.
Call for Comments
If anyone gets one of these machines, let me know what
you think of it. Leave your comments on the message
center: http://itrain.org/msg/

References
PC Shopping Planet: http://www.shoppingplanet.com/

This article is posted to http://itrain.org/itinfo/2000/it000201.html

Live well, do good,

--Dave Murphy

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submitted via
Jim Armstrong