Public demand for inexpensive computers?

[je_fro]

I have a great resource here in town where computers are available practically by the pound. P-2's and P-3's are almost without value here. In fact, theyre a hazardous waste liability. I've proposed installing something like Debian on 50 or so of these computers and selling them as complete systems, but I was informed that they just won't ever sell. Everyone wants XP. If it's not windows, it seems people just don't want it. Period. After doing a little research, it seems that people here in the US, and particularly in my town, have a lot more money than sense. What do you think about something like E-bay for selling older GNU/Linux systems. Would you buy one for your kid? Or yourself? If you could get a complete 400 MHz system running Debian for $50 would you be interested?
Does anyone have any other ideas? Pallets of P-2's and P-3's are just going to be crushed and buried in a HazMat site, while Fry's is doing a BOOMING business selling the latest gizmo, and I think it's a terrible shame.

[Suramya]

Its a good idea. I would put it up on ebay and see what happens. Also you might want to try hooking them up together in a beowolf cluster and play around with it.

Keep us posted on your progress.

- Suramya

[hlrguy]

You might be trying for the wrong market. I would be willing to bet that the local school board would be interested in $200 complete systems for their students to use/learn on. Make sure OpenOffice is installed and you save them, what $800-$1200 on a new XP wizbang system with Office so that kids can surf the web and instant message.

hlrguy

[YorkshireYank]

i know a few people who would be interested in that deal - they're kinda interested in linux but don't want to repartition and don't have a seperate box to dedicate, a cheap linux box would be perfect for them to play around with at first, once they're comfortable with it and ready to install on their main system, the cheap box could double as a file server so something like that.. i definitely believe there would be a market, you just have to find a way to target it specifically

[twilli227]

Check into some poorer school districts. Would be a great learning experience for you and the children. Heck, maybe you could become the IT admin for the schools.:D

[mart_man00]

Im in a high school, this wont fly in most.

Alot of them are strictly windows people. Most of them fear linux and people into this kind of stuff.

I heard crap from fixing a printer once.

Plus some class are design use for windows. The design/cad, accounting, keyboarding, MOUSE and some MS only office thing. Sure it can all be done in linux, but the already bought books are for windows. Just like the tests and the already made lessons plans(not many teachers know this stuff, of course they dont come up with alot on their own.

Its a good idea, id get one(really, if you post some links here you would sell a couple), but Windows is the OS right now.

Im also for the Beowolfing :p

[janet loves bill]

Pay no attention to the Nay sayers, when Paladium/Longhorn hits the shelves and M$ tells everyone they have to buy new equipment to support their garbage you will see a big change in peoples spending habits, they will tell bill to shove it!! They will see Linux supporting their current hardware and it will appeal to all who are trying to save cash and keep IT budgets low. just wait and see!!:p

[sclebo05]

i think the market to sell systems like the ones mentioned above is right here - people like me who need a second, third, or fourth :) system for around the house to serve files, host a small-time website or just to mess around with. if you decide to sell some off, i think a simple post could generate some business for you.

[bwkaz]

If you do decide you want to do this, there's a hardware trading forum right here:

http://www.justlinux.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=30

Of course, standard disclaimers apply: buyer beware, the JL admins / mods can't really help you if you get ripped off, yadda yadda yadda...

Or eBay would always work.

[ookami01]

i would be interested in buying one.

i am in iraq right now with the army and would like to expand my linux knowlege on an extreemly cheap - as in price desktop so that when i get back to the states i can get a more high speed system to expand on.

well sounds like a great idea to me.:)

[twilli227]

If you decide to sell them, let us know. I would be interested in a couple of them.

[ricstr]

When you say a full system for $50 that would be monitor and keyboard too? either way its an excelent deal.

[je_fro]

Keep them coming.... when I get some more posts, I'll print this list and go make a proposal...maybe I can get this going after all....

Yes, ricstr, that's monitor and all......a complete system.

[hlrguy]

Originally posted by je_fro
Keep them coming.... when I get some more posts, I'll print this list and go make a proposal...maybe I can get this going after all....

Yes, ricstr, that's monitor and all......a complete system.

Sign me up for 2 @ that price.

hlrguy

[adhall02]

I'd take one if i had $50. What would shipping/handling costs be like/how far would you ship them?

[terribleRobbo]

Me likes.

Too bad I'm in Australia - the shipping price and currency-conversion rates rule it out as a worthwhile option for me. *Sigh*

Back to the Computer Markets. :D

[sarah31]

well selling them is a good idea. preloaded with debian.....or any other distro for that matter. i don't know if that would be breaching any laws or not. i was under the impression that to repackage and resell debian you had to meet certain requirements.

not criticizing i think it is a good idea but i am just warning you to be careful.

[deanrantala]

Where are you located? I'm looking for 20 or so bare-bones 400/500 mhz systems - no OS needed.

[The Whizzard]

Let me know when you get this thing going. I'm interested in a couple of the PIII boxen. I have a few friends who asked me to build them a system who are financialy challanged. The bad part is, I may have to ditch Linux on these boxen. :( But then again, they have little contact with computers, so starting them on Linux could be a good thing. ;)

PM, email, or just post here when you get things going.

[MorphiusFaydal]

I'm just north of dallas, texas..

id take a couple, for me and my friends..

let us know...

chris

[je_fro]

I'm heading to Hawaii for 9 days (sniff, sniff...:p) so I won't be able to move until I get back. Looks like there's enough interest, so I'm going to give it a shot.
I'll talk to y'all in 9 days!

[hlrguy]

Originally posted by adhall02
I'd take one if i had $50. What would shipping/handling costs be like/how far would you ship them?

Got a real edge there. Austin is only 80 miles away and I toodle that way about once a month. Heck, may take 3 and use them as Christmas gifts. :D

hlrguy

[psi42]

They WILL sell on e-bay. People there will buy a PIII system with no OS or even with missing parts, and will pay over $50 for it. Add linux and advertise it as a fully working and internet-ready (except for....) box, and you'll probably get much more.


But remember, a $50 computer with $80 shipping isn't much fun for the buyer. :)


I'd suggest you also send all the source code for any software you include, just to ensure you are 100% GPL compliant. :):D

~psi42

[o0zi]

Sign me up, but make sure the systems aren't too low-end: make it 400MHz or higher. A lot of people will just see a 200MHz as unacceptable. Then again, I'm the one running a 200MHz with a modified, mangled and twisted version of CollegeLinux:(

[terribleRobbo]

Originally posted by o0zi
Someone remove my other post - I double-posted.

Do it yourself. Should be a box the main 'Post Reply' box that allows you to delete it (while editing the post, of course).

[plattypus1]

Will ya ship to CA? I've got a small web server and file server right now- P133Mhz's. With Linux, nothing much is garbage. Lemme know the details when you get this set up.

Most people need three things on their computer- E-mail, web browsing and word processing. These systems'll do that for them pretty easily and cheaply.
Then there are those who just want to learn Linux and not ditch their XP box just yet.
Then there are those who want another server/cheap workstation/toy (like me!).
Then there are those who see it as an opportunity to get cheap parts.

So yeah, there's certainly a market for 'em. Luck to ya!

[Kaligraphic]

I'd think something more along the lines of Red Hat would sell better - It's a gentler (if you can apply that word here) introduction to linux for winsies, and more common in business. But of course, experiment will tell more accurately than prognostication, so you'll know what sells before most of us.

In any case, spread the word about Linux.

[Nuada Storm]

Originally posted by je_fro
Would you buy one for your kid? Or yourself? If you could get a complete 400 MHz system running Debian for $50 would you be interested?

Would I buy one for my kid? Nope... Nothing of value in linux for a child. All the software they want runs on Windows.

Would I buy one for myself? Possibly. I might be able to use one as a print server or X-10 server. Wouldn't use it for my main machine though because I like compiling Apache in less than 5 minutes and all the gizmos and toys available on a faster machine. But then again the slowest machine in my house right now is 1.5 Ghz with 1 gig of RAM with the fastest being 2.8 Ghz with 2 gigs of RAM.

[hlrguy]

Originally posted by Nuada Storm
Would I buy one for my kid? Nope... Nothing of value in linux for a child. All the software they want runs on Windows.


Rats, I better get my son of his Redhat box right now, blow $600 for a new computer because 95 is the last version of Windows that will run on his computer so that he can surf the web, burn CDs, play games and listen to music. Wait, he does all that now...uh oh, caught up in a moibus loop. If Linux has nothing for kids, and my kid is using linux, is my kid not a kid or is linux not linux...

http://www.linuxforkids.org/

I better call my sister too and tell her the games that I installed on her system for her 7 and 4 year old that they enjoy playing are no good too. Just when I thought I was on the right track, someone sets me straight. :D

hlrguy

[JohnT]

I'm just south of DFW, so P.M. me and let me know when your ready to let go of these. I'll take them without OS installation.

[Sepero]

The "Cost / Shipping" ratio is bad. This is the reason I don't sell more things on ebay. As someone earlier said, people don't want to pay more for shipping than the actual product. (Actually most of them don't even want to pay 1/4 that amount)

[unbound18]

I'd be interested in another system. Could be great to play around with and learn the ropes some more. Let me know what's up.

[sclebo05]

Is this guy back from Hawaii yet? :)

[JamminJoeyB]

Yes there is public demand for this.

This sounds interesting. I've been looking for a cheap PIII to put up a full time web server.

I'd have to say to keep my sanity, the lowest I would go on processor power would be 500mhz.

[Nuada Storm]

Originally posted by hlrguy
Rats, I better get my son of his Redhat box right now, blow $600 for a new computer because 95 is the last version of Windows that will run on his computer so that he can surf the web, burn CDs, play games and listen to music. Wait, he does all that now...uh oh, caught up in a moibus loop. If Linux has nothing for kids, and my kid is using linux, is my kid not a kid or is linux not linux...

http://www.linuxforkids.org/

I better call my sister too and tell her the games that I installed on her system for her 7 and 4 year old that they enjoy playing are no good too. Just when I thought I was on the right track, someone sets me straight. :D

hlrguy

I specifically said that the software my children want is on Windows. This software includes things like Living Books, the Reader Rabbit series, The Jumpstart Series, Barbie branded games, plus other games like Red Alert II -Yuri's Revenge, Command and Conquer Renegades, and more...

Didn't see any of that at Linuxforkids.org. Sure they can use tuxpaint and simple games like mahjongg and tetris but that doesn't help with the thousands of dollars invested in software alone for my children over the years.

If it works for your kids, fine then use it. Doesn't work for my children. Never said anything about your children or your sisters children. Maybe you should get over yourself.

[JohnT]

Barbie branded games

That's my number one reason for maintaining an installation of Win.:p

[Sepero]

To Nuada Storm:
Careful now. Lash-backs like that might feel good in the moment, but can come back to bite you when you need help. Hlrguy wasn't to hard on you and he even gave you a free link to gnu/linux games. Hlrguy helps out quite a bit around here. Let's play nice, k. ;) Thanks

[hlrguy]

Originally posted by Nuada Storm
I specifically said that the software my children want is on Windows.
...
Maybe you should get over yourself.

No, you specifically said...
Would I buy one for my kid? Nope... Nothing of value in linux for a child. All the software they want runs on Windows.

I take exception at 'Nothing of value in linux for a child'. Now, if you HAD said 'Nothing of value in linux for my kids'..well, you get the point.

hlrguy

[DerekKraan]

About these uber-cheap computers, I would definately try to set up a beowulf cluster(is that how you spell it?) Then you wouldn't waste too too much room in your house with the computers(no monitors) and you'd have a powerful computing environment. All the software is free. All you'd have to do is buy some networking stuff. Then you could do some cool demos with it, etc. I bet you could make your money back with that kind of stuff.

[bones996]

Nice idea, I'll take 2 or maybe 3 :). Might make it easier for me to learn some of the things about networking linux if I had more than one box.

[madmonkey]

I'm moving to Austin in a couple of weeks... I might be interested in one of these too.

[JamminJoeyB]

I can see it now. 50 JLC members set up clusters.

I wonder how seti@home would run? LOL

[Suramya]

err... what happened to the poll? Now so many people want to donate these computers to wombats... which is wierd.

- Suramya

[TheGiantPotato]

Are you serious? $50?!?!? If I could find a few P2s or P3s for around $50 I'd definitely buy two of them just so I could screw around with one and replace my router with the other and dedicate my current 486DX2 (yeah, baby, that's with a math co-processor... $3000 in 1990) to hosting a stupid telnet game.

Hell, I might even buy three just because I could eventually think up a reason to use the other one.

What would shipping be??? If you do put them up on eBay, list the auction # here, please.

[TheGiantPotato]

Ummm... I think the vote got cajiggered just a little... There is no way 4568786 votes were cast... the bulk of those registering extreme concern for the education of young wombat at that.

Actually, that's clearly a big enough social issue that I just might win the California election if I run with that as my major platform issue... hmm... Today the wombats, tomorrow California!!!

[psi42]

Originally posted by TheGiantPotato
Actually, that's clearly a big enough social issue that I just might win the California election if I run with that as my major platform issue... hmm... Today the wombats, tomorrow California!!!

Haven't you heard? There are already 4568786 wombats running for CA governor!

That means the ballot is going to cost only $648275694328941789643 now. But it's what must be done to get the economy running again. :D