alloydog
- DIY
The $72 PC
With antiquated components flooding the surplus-parts market and free operating systems only a click away, building a fully functional computer has never been such a bargain. No, the $72 PC won´t replace your new dual-core, Vista-shredding laptop. But with its compact size and solid-state components (no hard drive or CD drive), it´s perfect for building into custom enclosures and for specific tasks like Web surfing or playing games. The computer boots from a USB flash drive running an operating system called Damn Small Linux that can handle just about any job.
1.8.2009 at 02:24am - Comment by alloydogCan't get the parts... I think the idea is that it is a "suggestion" - you can do it with virtually any old PC bits, maybe even stuff with other folk have thrown out so it costs less than $72. I have and old 500 MHz Fujitsu Siemens Lifebook, rescued it from a company's scrap bin. Runs a small Linux distribution just fine. Performance and features is on a par with a newer* PC running XP. *not, really new, just a a bit newer ;) I have also been given an old 450 MHz PII PC - that will make a nice file server running DSL. Use your imagination a bit more...
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December 2009: Best of What's New
In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.
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