Very Computer

I'm getting very close to buying a new PC on which I plan to install
both Win95 and Linux, but I wanted to solicit some advice from anyone
who would care to offer it.  I also plan to use XFree86 in Linux.  Other
miscellaneous information: I plan to dual boot Linux and Win95 (probably
with LILO), and will spend most of my time in Linux.

  At the moment, I'm thinking of purchasing a Quantex Pentium 200 (with
or without MMX?), 32 Mb EDO RAM / 512 Kb Pipelined Burst cache, 4 Gb
EIDE HD, 12x Toshiba 125ms EIDE CD-ROM, Matrox Millennium 3D w/4Mb WRAM,
33.6 voice/fax modem, and a 17" Mag Monitor.

  What do you think of this setup?  Any pros or cons I should know
about? Any good alternatives? I would like to stay somewhere in the
$2500 price range. Any advice is appreciated.

Quote:

> I'm getting very close to buying a new PC on which I plan to install
> both Win95 and Linux, but I wanted to solicit some advice from anyone
> who would care to offer it.  I also plan to use XFree86 in Linux.  Other
> miscellaneous information: I plan to dual boot Linux and Win95 (probably
> with LILO), and will spend most of my time in Linux.

>   At the moment, I'm thinking of purchasing a Quantex Pentium 200 (with
> or without MMX?), 32 Mb EDO RAM / 512 Kb Pipelined Burst cache, 4 Gb
> EIDE HD, 12x Toshiba 125ms EIDE CD-ROM, Matrox Millennium 3D w/4Mb WRAM,
> 33.6 voice/fax modem, and a 17" Mag Monitor.

1) The Matrox Millennium is only partially supported in Xfree86 3.2, but
it is very well supported in the beta release 3.2a.  To get the most
out of your Millennium under Xfree86, you will need to run the
beta releases until the next full release comes out.  (No big problem
IMHO.)

2.)  Make sure that modem is a real modem and not a God-forsaken Winmodem.
They don't work in Linux.  (But, you probably knew that!  BTW do any of
the Winmodems even support voice? Just wonderin...)

The issue of "MMX vs. non-MMX Hype or something real?"  has become a religious
issue.  I'm not gonna touch it!  Suffice to say, either one works with Linux.

Quote:>   What do you think of this setup?  Any pros or cons I should know
> about? Any good alternatives? I would like to stay somewhere in the
> $2500 price range. Any advice is appreciated.

Incidentally, when I purchased the machine, I had specifically mentioned
that I was going to load Linux on it, and CompUSA (which was where I
bought it) neglected to mention that the Winmodem would not work in
Linux. So I went back after I discovered this fact (the hard way) and
got them to give me another modem (Newcom) - which works like a charm in
Linux.

] Incidentally, when I purchased the machine, I had specifically
] mentioned that I was going to load Linux on it, and CompUSA (which
] was where I bought it) neglected to mention that the Winmodem would
] not work in Linux.

You makes it sound like they knew it wouldn't work and just
decided not to tell you.  Highly unlikely.
--
David Fox            http://www.cat.nyu.edu/fox            xoF divaD