Jeff: If there is any way you can get your IT dept. to agree to this, do it:
1) Find a local PC shop that also builds, maintains, and warranties Linux servers. 2) Get them to build you a standard white box PC with your choice of CPU, RAM, video, and storage. 3) Tell them to load Windows 2000 on it. 4) Run Autocad and Protel on it. The reason I say you want to find a local shop that builds Linux servers is that they know what works reliably. The guys that build the servers should be the same ones that carry pagers around and do service calls. The guys that build the servers don't want to hear their pagers beeping at 2 a.m. because some server flaked out. So, they are going to find the best parts and build them into the PCs. For 3 years now we have done this and have had no problems with those PCs. One is a Win98SE machine, one is our Linux server, and the third is my current workstation. The reason I say you want a standard white box PC is that it is easy to change configuration and upgrade. The major PC makers (Dell, Compaq, HP) have the goofiest-looking cases in their quest to be the coolest eye candy. These cases are proprietary in some way and make it more difficult to modify and upgrade. I personally prefer the "truck chassis" concept for PC cases. With a standard ATX or micro-ATX case, you can use any motherboard you want (5 PCI, 1 AGP4X), power supply connections are standard, and you've got lots of drive bays. My PCs are custom built with exactly the parts I want. My latest one has dual-PIII CPU 1 GHz, 60 MB ATA100 HDD, floppy, 2 serial ports, 1 parallel port, 2 USB, 2 PCMCIA slots, CD-RW, Matrox G450 video (dual-head), Sound Blaster Live 5.1 sound card, legacy PS/2 mouse, legacy keyboard, 10/100 ethernet card, Windows 2000 SP2. Rock stable! In 5 months, only had 1 W2K crash, and 3 Protel crashes. Best regards, Ivan Baggett Bagotronix Inc. website: www.bagotronix.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Adolphs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Protel EDA Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2001 2:44 PM Subject: Re: [PEDA] Another Compacting Design Question Ivan, Here's how it went: I was needing a computer upgrade to run AutoCAD 2000 (I had a old Dell 233Mhz). The IT person says I can get him a Compaq IPAQ for XXX dollars (I concerned I can't get a more expensive Dell, but getting any hardware can be difficult and figured they knew what they were doing). I get the new Compaq and it is fast but I get crashes (stripped screen crashes). The Mother board gets replaced. Later I get more RAM and I replace the 4 Gig with a 40 Gig IBM hard drive. I now continue to get the Protel and AutoCAD crashes before mentioned. I don't have a high opinion of Compaq (HP doesn't appear very smart either). I have a high opinion of Dell. Jeff Adolphs Lake Shore Cryotronics, Inc. Westerville, Ohio, USA * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
