What computer do you use as desktop/laptop?

[Witek Mozga]

VL light is supposed to work on older hardware for desktop usage. I wonder what kind of machines people use with graphical interface nowadays (not for server/router purposes).

[Sivatheja]

I'm under impression that AMD processors do not have enough cache and use RAM instead, that make them economical, and slow as well when compared to the ones in Intel.

[tomh38]

The only one I have that's not in pieces in the basement.

[caitlyn]

I don't have a desktop per se.  I use laptops exclusively at the moment.  A Nano-ITX box may change that soon.

Just because I own a faster machine which I use most of the time doesn't mean I don't want VL-Light or VL-Mini.  I still own two Toshiba Libretto SS1010s, each about the side of a paperback book.  I am considering an Asus Eee PC as a replacement for one or both, but... the Libretti still can do a lot of work.  Their specs:  Pentium 233MHz processor, 96MB or RAM in one, 64MB in the other.  I'm not about to throw them away.  Trimming down VL to run on them is a pain but it works well in the end.  A newcomer to Linux couldn't do it.  Having a ready-to-go slim VL is a wonderful thing.  Kudos to the developers of the light versions.

VL has a long history of catering to low end machines.  It's how this distro got it's start.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the new 64-bit version as well.  I just think having this variety of versions, all based on the same code, is a good thing.

[Witek Mozga]

I don't have a desktop per se.  I use laptops exclusively at the moment. 

I meant "desktop" for graphical interface usage - ergo: laptops included. I`ve just modified the poll title .

[BlueMage]

I'm actually thinking that, with the release of VL64, I may retire my old ex-work machine.  It's served me well and all, but now I can run a Vector on my beast that's going to take advantage of the hardware in it.  I couldn't ask for more.

Funnily enough, even on my beast, Ubububu lags.  That amuses me no end.

And despite the ridiculous power of my desktop, I'm considering a Eee to replace my now-four-years-old Acer Travelmate.

[rbistolfi]

BlueMage: VL in a quad-core must be amazing  , it really flies on my new 4200+ and I am planning to put my old Pentium-S up for experiments, btw.

[nubcnubdo]

My test box is a 450 MHz Pentium 3, 192 MB ram, 10.2 GB hdd. I have put VL on a 350 MHz P2 computer and sold it as a DVD player, more or less.

[nightflier]

My main box is a P4-2.4. I bought it specifically because it is the slowest P4 with the "800 MHz" FSB. As such it is a very cool running chip, typically running around 25 C.

I don't know if it's considered "very fast" compared to the newer chips which achieve better speed at much lower operating frequencies.

[BlueMage]

BlueMage: VL in a quad-core must be amazing  , it really flies on my new 4200+ and I am planning to put my old Pentium-S up for experiments, btw.

Funnily enough, Vista still boots faster, and is usable in less time than Vector is.  But damn, once Vector IS up and running ... man does that baby FLY!

[GrannyGeek]

I was going to suggest to people that they should put Vector on their *fastest* computer, not the old slug they're trying to figure out what to do with. Running VL on a fast computer is a tremendous pleasure.

I had been too busy of late to install VL 5.9 Standard Deluxe on my Athlon 64 desktop (it's on the other three computers). Yesterday I finally did it. I had actually been considering making my 1.3 GHz computer my main Linux computer because VL runs very well on it. One thing that was discouraging me was the noise the computer makes due to loud fans. I removed the case fan and have found that it was the worst noise source and isn't needed, as the heatsink fan moves a lot of air very fast and temperatures inside the computer are not hot. So that computer is now quiet enough for extensive use instead of primarily as a test bad and beta testing machine.

Well, that scheme changed when I installed VL on the Athlon desktop. It runs like a dream there and is noticeably faster than VL on the 1.3 GHz. VL is great on all my computers (specs below), but on the Athlon 64 desktop it's by far the best. Having a vast amount of disk space doesn't hurt, either.

I'd love to have an eee but absolutely don't need one, so until both of my laptops and my PDA flip their last bit, I'll be eee-less. By then I hope installing VL on an eee will be commonplace.
--GrannyGeek

[BlueMage]

I'd love to have an eee but absolutely don't need one, so until both of my laptops and my PDA flip their last bit, I'll be eee-less. By then I hope installing VL on an eee will be commonplace.
--GrannyGeek

That's exactly my problem - an Eee would be little more than an expensive toy for me, as I've really got no need of one.  That doesn't change the fact that I want one

[caitlyn]

GrannyGeek:  You might want to try the beta of VL64 on your Athlon.  It's looking quite good already...  Some bugs (see the relevant thread) but not bad at all for a beta. 

[GrannyGeek]

GrannyGeek:  You might want to try the beta of VL64 on your Athlon.  It's looking quite good already...  Some bugs (see the relevant thread) but not bad at all for a beta. 

Already in my plans! I have a major project that I hope to get wrapped up by early next week and then I'll install the 64-bit VL. When I installed 5.9 Standard Deluxe yesterday I repartitioned the space for Linux and left 13 gigs empty for testing VL64. That will be the first 64-bit software I've tried on this machine and you can imagine how curious I am to see whether I notice a difference.
--GrannyGeek

[caitlyn]

GrannyGeek:  For most everyday tasks you won't notice any real difference at all.  For tasks that hit the CPU very hard is where you see the advantages.  For example my housemate is a gamer and quite the artist.  She does a lot of multimedia work including some very intensive 3D rendering.  She definitely sees the improvement in running a 64-bit OS, both for multimedia work and some games.

I'm told if you have >4GB of RAM the difference is even more pronounced but I don't have a machine here with anywhere near that... yet.