[lug] Linux Distr. Size (was: no fun with the sun)

[socket at peakpeak.com]

"Harris, James A (Jim)" <HarriJA at LOUISVILLE.STORTEK.COM> writes:
> Please don't take this as a personal attack:
> 	I think the ideal of keeping memory requirements trimmed is
> wonderful, but I think it's time we all recognize that a workstation really
> needs to have 64MB of RAM these days.

Sure. My desktop system has 64 MB of RAM. My laptop has 8, but I'm not
exactly running OpenGL things on it.  I don't mind that people have
applications that really need lots of memory (*any* modern netscape
would choke and die on my laptop) as long as the low-end is still
being served.  Slackware people might be moving the minimum memory
requirements to 8 megs, if they haven't already, which would put my
laptop in a little more of a pinch.  I hope Linus and kernel crowd
don't forget the little guys when they make design compromises... if
it takes a larger memory footprint in the kernel to handle >2G files
(for example, I don't know if it's the case or not), I'd like to see
options that let the *user* make those compromises, if they see fit.

> I think certain applications of machines can run off of 32 or less
> very well, (routers, DNS, DHCP, etc.  servers) but I would never
> imagine running a personal X workstation off of anything less than
> 64.

Neither would I.

> Just out of curiosity, why $100 for RAM.  32 should only run ya around $60
> at the most these days.  The prices appear to have come down a tiny bit from
> their high.

My laptop unfortunately has a very funky kind of memory slot... in
order to put in a 16 meg 'card', bringing the total to 24 (it seems my
8 are hardwired to the motherboard), it would cost me ~$130.  Going
for the maximum 40 megs, I couldn't find prices for it.  (Didn't look
very hard, though)

I was eyeing laptop hard drives the other day, and saw one that would
fit in my laptop, 350 meg capacity, for $75.  It kinda makes more
sense for me to use what I've got now, rather than try to upgrade it.
I doubt the whole laptop could sell for $200, even with those
upgrades.  But I keep it around, and use it a lot.  Sentimental value?
Plenty.

On the other hand, those prices will be going up instead of down at
some point, if they aren't already.  It *might* be worth upgrading, if
I couldn't otherwise continue using Linux with the hardware.

--
Chris Riddoch                  socket at peakpeak.com
Will provide pseudo-insightful commentary for food
                   http://www.peakpeak.com/~socket

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