best gaming pc setup under 500 image
nonlinear
As I am looking to build or buy a new home, I started planning a home computing system for the house from scratch. What I have in my head is some beefy server and cheap workstations (graphical diskless thin-clients) throughout the house. I have read some up on the Linux Terminal Server Project and envisioned an amazing system possibly involving intercom (VoIP), home chat, controlled web access (I have kids), Myth TV, word processing, presentation and central fax & print. The software seems to be there for the right price. The hardware is another story. I have not been able to put together this architecture cheaper than just buying and networking full fledged Windows systems for each room. Isn't there supposed to be a cost savings with this architecture? Am I after a 2001 dream that everyone else knows has already failed? I am tired of spyware and viruses and updating multiple systems with various patches. Is it going to cost more for less?
Answer
This is a tough one. I know what you mean about wanting one central point for updates, and your VoIP dream can be realized no matter which platform you pick.
The cost savings for the thin client scenario I think was meant to be realized in ease of deployment, management and service. In your case, it's neither difficult to deploy, nor manage, nor service your PCs, since you are where the machines are and you don't have another location to support remotely.
It's easy to ship another Thin Client overnight to anywhere and have it up and running in no time. Or a spare can simply be kept on site and plugged in when another fails.
I've worked where thin clients were deployed, and my opinion is that they're a lot more trouble than they're worth for home use. Now, that's partly because they began to use the browser IN the thin client instead of JUST the remote desktop feature, so the performance was dismal.
They repurposed the terminals in a way that they weren't designed to be fast since many of the modern web controls run on the client side. The built-in browser was miserably slow, and everyone hated the setup.
Had they stuck with just Citrix ICA or MS RDP, I think the experience would have been far more robust as expected. If you can be firm and only use them as remote displays as they were meant to be, you might also have the good experience.
The licensing, as you mentioned, can be a little expensive. Although if you use Microsoft Small Business Server, you can kill some of the licensing costs and probably come out ahead overall.
Unfortunately, I haven't read up on the Linux TS project, so I'm not sure what that client and server system would entail.
What I do know is that if your kids are using computers at school for assignments or get homework, they will likely be working on Windows systems there. MS makes it cheap and easy for students and schools to have and use their products.
If you want them to have a more seamless experience at home, it's going to mean using Windows in some flavor. But if you do it at the SBS, that's a win. It's also unlikely that games or learning tools on their favorite web sites will work outside of MS Internet Explorer, just because when games are developed, they do it for the largest common denominator, and that's Windows with MSIE.
The one big thing I would caution on is peripherals... Will you have a way to use iTunes through remote desktop? Where does the Pod plug in? Mobile MP3 devices, CDROMs, DVDs. flash drives, cameras, scanners? Your kids have a game that requires the CD to play (nearly all games require the CD to play)? Someone's going to have to run to the big beefy server every time and swap discs. That's your blessing and your curse with a dumb terminal - all you get is redirected display, keyboard and mouse. No PnP.
That said, the Wyse S10 Thin Client looks like a good fit if you can live with the limitations.
It's priced under $300 and comes with Windows CE that supports RDP up to version 5.5.
Windows Small Business Server is around $500-$600 with 5 clients included.
You might find a used server with the SBS bundled for less if you're into bargain shopping.
I can't imagine that you'll find solid Windows desktop computers for $300 if you mean to license them legally.
I think the cost savings is there, overall, even if you decide to use Windows server and thin clients. But there's a huge tradeoff in usability when you go down that road.
One thing that can save some time if you decide to use regular Windows XP machines instead of thin clients is "cloning" software. Get 5 machines the same, build it right once, get it all patched up and happy, then clone it. Save the entire hard disk to an image file so that if you ever need to fix up a virus or spyware infested machine, you just pop in a DVD with the cloned image and forget it. You have a new machine in 10 minutes. Makes troubleshooting a moot point.
But then you have to be diligent about saving unique documents and files OFF the machine on CDs or some other media or server. One way to do this would be to redirect all the My Documents folders to a cheap RAID NAS and keeping all the files there.
It's a lot to think about. I don't envy your situation. Good luck!
This is a tough one. I know what you mean about wanting one central point for updates, and your VoIP dream can be realized no matter which platform you pick.
The cost savings for the thin client scenario I think was meant to be realized in ease of deployment, management and service. In your case, it's neither difficult to deploy, nor manage, nor service your PCs, since you are where the machines are and you don't have another location to support remotely.
It's easy to ship another Thin Client overnight to anywhere and have it up and running in no time. Or a spare can simply be kept on site and plugged in when another fails.
I've worked where thin clients were deployed, and my opinion is that they're a lot more trouble than they're worth for home use. Now, that's partly because they began to use the browser IN the thin client instead of JUST the remote desktop feature, so the performance was dismal.
They repurposed the terminals in a way that they weren't designed to be fast since many of the modern web controls run on the client side. The built-in browser was miserably slow, and everyone hated the setup.
Had they stuck with just Citrix ICA or MS RDP, I think the experience would have been far more robust as expected. If you can be firm and only use them as remote displays as they were meant to be, you might also have the good experience.
The licensing, as you mentioned, can be a little expensive. Although if you use Microsoft Small Business Server, you can kill some of the licensing costs and probably come out ahead overall.
Unfortunately, I haven't read up on the Linux TS project, so I'm not sure what that client and server system would entail.
What I do know is that if your kids are using computers at school for assignments or get homework, they will likely be working on Windows systems there. MS makes it cheap and easy for students and schools to have and use their products.
If you want them to have a more seamless experience at home, it's going to mean using Windows in some flavor. But if you do it at the SBS, that's a win. It's also unlikely that games or learning tools on their favorite web sites will work outside of MS Internet Explorer, just because when games are developed, they do it for the largest common denominator, and that's Windows with MSIE.
The one big thing I would caution on is peripherals... Will you have a way to use iTunes through remote desktop? Where does the Pod plug in? Mobile MP3 devices, CDROMs, DVDs. flash drives, cameras, scanners? Your kids have a game that requires the CD to play (nearly all games require the CD to play)? Someone's going to have to run to the big beefy server every time and swap discs. That's your blessing and your curse with a dumb terminal - all you get is redirected display, keyboard and mouse. No PnP.
That said, the Wyse S10 Thin Client looks like a good fit if you can live with the limitations.
It's priced under $300 and comes with Windows CE that supports RDP up to version 5.5.
Windows Small Business Server is around $500-$600 with 5 clients included.
You might find a used server with the SBS bundled for less if you're into bargain shopping.
I can't imagine that you'll find solid Windows desktop computers for $300 if you mean to license them legally.
I think the cost savings is there, overall, even if you decide to use Windows server and thin clients. But there's a huge tradeoff in usability when you go down that road.
One thing that can save some time if you decide to use regular Windows XP machines instead of thin clients is "cloning" software. Get 5 machines the same, build it right once, get it all patched up and happy, then clone it. Save the entire hard disk to an image file so that if you ever need to fix up a virus or spyware infested machine, you just pop in a DVD with the cloned image and forget it. You have a new machine in 10 minutes. Makes troubleshooting a moot point.
But then you have to be diligent about saving unique documents and files OFF the machine on CDs or some other media or server. One way to do this would be to redirect all the My Documents folders to a cheap RAID NAS and keeping all the files there.
It's a lot to think about. I don't envy your situation. Good luck!
My uploaded video on youtube only plays sound no movie?
Justin C
I have uploaded several gaming movies i captured using pinnacle and it works fine on that program but when i upload it on youtube it only has sound no movie playing how do i fix this? The other movies work fine on my computer but just the movies i uploaded are a problem.
Answer
To make sure that you hear sound while watching videos, please try the following:
-Adjust the volume control on your computer and speakers.
-Adjust the volume control located in the lower right corner of the YouTube Video Player.
-Ensure that the volume is up on other video players, such as Quicktime, Real Player, or Windows Media player, as this might affect the video player sound.
-If these steps don't correct the issue, you may want to try the steps below.
For Mac users:
Open "Applications" > "Utilities" > "Audio MIDI Setup"
Check the properties for "Built In Output". Make sure it's set to 44.1 KHz.
For PC users:
Click "Start".
Select "Run".
Type: sndvol32
Click "OK".
Make sure the following are not muted and the volume is up for "Volume Control" and "Wave".
Make sure you have your sound card selected as the Default device:
Click "Start".
Select "Control Panel".
Open the "Sound and Audio Devices" icon.
Click the "Audio" Tab.
Under "Sound playback" set the Default device to your sound card not your webcam/modem.
Click "OK"
If you're still having trouble, check to see if your system meets these requirements for running the video player:
Macromedia Flash Player 7.0+ plug-in
Windows 2000 or higher with latest updates installed
Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
Firefox 1.1+, Internet Explorer 5.0+, or Safari 1.0+
Broadband connection with 500+ Kbps
Videos on YouTube are streamed through an Adobe Flash player. For the best viewing experience, we suggest you install the latest version of Adobe Flash after removing any old versions you've installed.
Please completely uninstall Flash before reinstalling the latest version.
Then, restart your computer and follow Adobe's instructions for reinstalling Flash, listed here.
If your system meets all the requirements, but the video player still isn't working properly, please try troubleshooting with a different browser. Remember to test the audio on multiple videos!
If you can't hear sound within videos embedded on other websites or blogs, your computer may be blocking third-party Flash content. To correct this, follow the steps below:
Visit
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager03.html
The Adobe Flash Player Settings Manager should display.
Check the box labeled: "Allow third-party Flash content to store data on your computer."
To ensure the check sticks please click one of the tabs at the top of that box and then click back to the (Global Storage Settings Panel). The box should still be checked.
Once this is complete, close all browser windows and try playing an embedded video.
Please be advised that this action stores a Flash cookie on your computer. Flash enables this by default upon install.
If this step doesn't help, please check your Antivirus and Firewall software to see if you're blocking third-party Flash content.
I hope that it serves you, bye-bye! =).
To make sure that you hear sound while watching videos, please try the following:
-Adjust the volume control on your computer and speakers.
-Adjust the volume control located in the lower right corner of the YouTube Video Player.
-Ensure that the volume is up on other video players, such as Quicktime, Real Player, or Windows Media player, as this might affect the video player sound.
-If these steps don't correct the issue, you may want to try the steps below.
For Mac users:
Open "Applications" > "Utilities" > "Audio MIDI Setup"
Check the properties for "Built In Output". Make sure it's set to 44.1 KHz.
For PC users:
Click "Start".
Select "Run".
Type: sndvol32
Click "OK".
Make sure the following are not muted and the volume is up for "Volume Control" and "Wave".
Make sure you have your sound card selected as the Default device:
Click "Start".
Select "Control Panel".
Open the "Sound and Audio Devices" icon.
Click the "Audio" Tab.
Under "Sound playback" set the Default device to your sound card not your webcam/modem.
Click "OK"
If you're still having trouble, check to see if your system meets these requirements for running the video player:
Macromedia Flash Player 7.0+ plug-in
Windows 2000 or higher with latest updates installed
Mac OS X 10.3 or higher
Firefox 1.1+, Internet Explorer 5.0+, or Safari 1.0+
Broadband connection with 500+ Kbps
Videos on YouTube are streamed through an Adobe Flash player. For the best viewing experience, we suggest you install the latest version of Adobe Flash after removing any old versions you've installed.
Please completely uninstall Flash before reinstalling the latest version.
Then, restart your computer and follow Adobe's instructions for reinstalling Flash, listed here.
If your system meets all the requirements, but the video player still isn't working properly, please try troubleshooting with a different browser. Remember to test the audio on multiple videos!
If you can't hear sound within videos embedded on other websites or blogs, your computer may be blocking third-party Flash content. To correct this, follow the steps below:
Visit
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager03.html
The Adobe Flash Player Settings Manager should display.
Check the box labeled: "Allow third-party Flash content to store data on your computer."
To ensure the check sticks please click one of the tabs at the top of that box and then click back to the (Global Storage Settings Panel). The box should still be checked.
Once this is complete, close all browser windows and try playing an embedded video.
Please be advised that this action stores a Flash cookie on your computer. Flash enables this by default upon install.
If this step doesn't help, please check your Antivirus and Firewall software to see if you're blocking third-party Flash content.
I hope that it serves you, bye-bye! =).
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title Post: Where are the cost effective (cheaper than a PC), graphical, diskless network appliances/X terminals?
Rating: 95% based on 99438 ratings. 4,5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 95% based on 99438 ratings. 4,5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment