best boxen?

[Stuart Biggerstaff]

I got kind of off ATI for low-end applications (and I suppose if 
someone's cheap stuff is nasty are you really going to trust them 
when you're spending more?) with a bunch of cards that proved to be 
not so good AND to have driver problems.  They would pretty often 
cause video to fail just as Windows NT started the GUI, and they were 
really ugly when someone wanted to use 800 x 600 with large fonts 
because their eyes weren't very good.  We thought it was just the 
driver for a while, but these things didn't do much better with 
Linux, or with Microsoft-supplied drivers in 2000 or XP.

And those HP Intel workstations Lonni suggested are indeed nice.  We 
got a bunch of Compaq Evo W4000s at PC prices about the time they 
started badging workstations as HP, and we have one of the XWs.  They 
seem like they have all the support and QC advantages that come with 
a big company, but none of proprietary hardware that so often comes 
with their servers and their cheaper desktops.

At 08:40 AM 8/23/2006, Michael Hipp wrote:

> > From: "Collins Richey" <crichey at gmail.com>
> >
> > If you're planning to run M$ on the box, you'll be ok. My
> > understanding is that ATI windows drivers actually work.
>
>I guess I'd disagree. I've had fits with ATI drivers under Windows. 
>When they work, they work pretty well.  But *very* often they won't 
>work at all. Above all else, their installer seems to be perpetually broken.
>
>But, frankly, I wouldn't pin this on ATI alone. It's a general 
>problem: hardware makers have awful software. Case in point: HP. 
>They make wonderful printers, but their software is pure garbage. 
>And I've seen nothing better from the other printer manufacturers. 
>Bloated, buggy, spyware-laden garbage is what usually comes on the 
>disk in the box.
>
>That's one odd advantage of running Linux: few of the hardware 
>manufacturers support it. So you have neither the privilege or 
>burden of using their software.
>
>Michael
>
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Stuart Biggerstaff
Systems Technician
Linda Hall Library of Science Engineering & Technology
5109 Cherry St.
Kansas City, Missouri 64110-2498

Phone:  (816) 926-8748
         (800) 662-1545 x748
FAX:    (816) 926-8785
URL:    www.lindahall.org