[WEB4LIB] pc's for Web browser workstations

[Walt_Crawford at notes.rlg.org]

Calvin,

Other than the 256mb RAM, those specs are at or below entry level for new
PCs.

I don't believe that either Dell or Gateway offers a desktop with a CPU
slower than 900MHz at this point (there's one Celeron 900MHz CPU), and only
the most bare-bones will be slower than 1GHz. (Or "less absurdly fast than
1GHz," in real-world terms.) Similarly, 10GB is the smallest desktop hard
disk that anyone's building, and I wouldn't be surprised if those were all
old-stock. In other words, 700Mhz/10GB (for a Windows machine) is awfully
lowball for a new system.

I do wonder about the 256mb RAM. That seems like a lot for public
workstations unless your local software needs that much.

Right now, a typical budget system would probably use a 1.4GHz CPU (or
maybe an Athlon-1.1GHz) and a 20GB hard disk, with 128MB RAM. Do you need
that much speed? Almost certainly not.

Only my own opinions and market-following experience.
-walt crawford-


                                                                                                                        
                    "Calvin Boyer"                                                                                      
                    <cboyer at longwood.l       To:     Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>         
                    wc.edu>                  cc:                                                                        
                    Sent by:                 Subject:     [WEB4LIB] pc's for Web browser workstations                   
                    web4lib at sunsite.be                                                                                  
                    rkeley.edu                                                                                          
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        
                    09/21/2001 06:09                                                                                    
                    AM                                                                                                  
                    Please respond to                                                                                   
                    cboyer                                                                                              
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                        






We are beginning the process of replacing en mass the 30 assorted public
workstations in our reference room area.

These workstations are largely devoted to accessing information on the Web
through Netscape Communicator and Internet Explorer available with a full
range of plugins already loaded before the first user sits down.  In
addition, each station will host necessary software to make use of some
services (e.g., SCI FINDER from ACS) and each station will have security
software to keep users from changing settings, etc.  Each will support CD
ROM products (obtained from the reference desk which we can not load on the
local net).

Before we ask IT and campus administration for approval to purchase this
equipment, I would like a second opinion that our benchmark pc capability
is neither ludicrously low end or high end.

700mhz, 256 mb memory and a 10 gig hard drive



Thanks in advance.

Cal

Calvin Boyer
Library Director
Longwood College






*********************************************************************
Due to deletion of content types excluded from this list by policy,
this multipart message was reduced to a single part, and from there
to a plain text message.
*********************************************************************