Linux for the People

[mdlbear]

Chinese company produces US$150 Linux PC (Ars Technica)

The Municator, which comes with 256MB of RAM, uses a unique 64-bit CPU with an instruction set based on a subset of the MIPS architecture. Designed by a Chinese company called BLX, the the cheap chip is clocked at 400 or 600MHZ and supposedly provides performance comparable to that of an Intel P3. Unlike MIT's laptop, the Municator is not designed to be a mobile computer. Rather than using an LCD display, it features support for S-video and VGA which will enable it to interface with televisions and monitors. For storage, the Municator comes with a 40 GB external USB drive and support for an optional external optical drive. With four USB 2.0 ports and built-in ethernet support, the Municator is quite capable of supporting other external devices and connecting to the Internet. According to the YellowSheepRiver web site, integrated WiFi and a lithium-ion battery pack are also available options.

The Municator comes with a lightweight Linux distribution based on RP Linux, a reference implementation for Chinese Linux distributors. The Municator also comes with a variety of commonly used Linux applications including Firefox, Gaim, Red Office, Thunderbird, and Mplayer. The Municator doesn't use a standard Linux desktop environment; instead it provides a very simple menu-based interface that can be operated with either the keyboard or the mouse.

I'm a little surprised it's not cheaper -- for only US$180 I can buy an x86-based Linspire box at Fry's (though with half as much RAM). In any case, I hope they catch on.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I'd just as soon the PRC didn't get even more of a lock on our technological appetite than they already have.

Red Office? OK, that settles it. The real name of the box is the commie-Municator. *sigh*

As for the little Linspire boxen... I dropped a half-gig PC2700 DIMM, a DVD+/-RW, and an Arctic Cool CPU fan/heatsink in the one I got for jenkitty, spammed the hard drive with Breezy Badger, and have a beautiful little machine that's given me zero trouble. Quiet as a churchmouse, too. (I also put silicone grommets on the power supply, which help the noise issue...)

[mdlbear]

On my cheap Fry's Windows boxen (which dual-boot to Etch with no trouble at all) the best noise-reduction mod turned out to be replacing the CPU fan with a quiet 80mm case fan. Worked like a charm.