I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

N. Dan Smith

Fri Jun 01 23:23:11 -0700 2007

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I suppose if I want to buy a machine from a big box OEM, I will grab one of these Dell Ubuntu machines.  I will probably not keep Ubuntu on there for long, but it is a way to vote with my dollars, and I would rather avoid paying for MS Windows.

Side note:  As somebody who enjoys using the command-line so much, I wonder just what it is that seems so intimidating to users.  Do text-only interfaces seems more complicated to normal users?  I am out of touch...

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

Uncle Entity

Sat Jun 02 01:08:33 -0700 2007

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Do text-only interfaces seems more complicated to normal users?

I think its the learning curve, how many times do you have to type iwconfig before you remember the command. That said, there's tons of stuff that I do that doesn't have a pretty GUI interface or is a lot easier to do from the command line. Just try to get the latest Dr Who eposide from the newsgroup to mplayer only using GUI tools, probably not gonna happen. Or fix a wifi connection where the wrong driver grabs the card.

There's still some work to do to get Linux ready for the unwashed masses but that's ok, computers that are too easy to use end up being in somebody's botnet.

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

Scott

Sat Jun 02 03:04:48 -0700 2007

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You can get a Dell with essentially a clean hard drive and install whatever you want.

Long before they offered Ubuntu they offered a few PC models with FreeDOS (they just give you the disk - you have to install it). So basically you can install whatever you want, but you're on your own support wise.

Details are here.

why it's important

zogger

Sat Jun 02 23:03:52 -0700 2007

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Hardware compatibility. And Dell is big.

If dell sells a system that works with linux, it works with linux. Getting a raw system you have to go look up every single component, etc to make sure it will all work with your distro, etc.and is a PITA for most people. *Plus*, it is telling the various hardware component manufacturing folks that it might be a good idea to start to think about linux compatibility, sort of a serious nudge and reminder that this "linux/open source thing" should be taken seriously, because love em or hate em, Dell counts as a computer bigdog. There aren't many hardware vendors out there that would go "aw, shoot, just got an order for a million units from Dell, what a bummer....". That just doesn't happen too much I bet, and if dell happened to mention the order had to be at least half way supported under linux or no order, they'd sure think about it.

Absense of structure....

wowbagger

Sat Jun 02 07:35:12 -0700 2007

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I think it is the absence of structure. When you deal with a GUI, you immediately have a limited set of things you can do: there are only so many icons on the screen, and there are only so many things you can do to each icon (click, double click, drag, right click, etc.). As such, novice users are more comfortable because they have more structure.

Of course, we who like the command line want that absence of structure: we like being able to run any command on any file without any preliminaries. We find Start->Tools->Editors->Gedit->File->Open->~->myfile to be terribly slow when a simple "gedit ~/myfile" gets us there in a second.

But to a newbie

[wowbaggr@surfer ~]$

is terribly scary - "What do I do now?" is the first thought in their mind.

However, *if* the user is the type to get over their fear, they too quickly discover the power of a modeless interface.

I can answer that

zogger

Sat Jun 02 22:24:42 -0700 2007

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Being GUI centric and a non programmer, I can tell you what's wrong with the command line, it forces you to become a factory trained auto mechanic instead of just a car driver, that's what's wrong with it.

99% of folks who use computers just want to use a handful of applications, with the computer being just a normal household or office appliance, and an icon point and click interface is just *much much easier* to pick up on and use fast. And if it wasn't, we wouldn't be seeing it be the defacto standard for normal desktops now, it would have been abandoned, but it wasn't, it evolved and is in widespread use because it just works.

A billion people agree, humans think faster and easier in pictures. Think of directions you might be giving to someone, "turn left at the sunoco station,go three miles, then right at the big white church", etc. Don't even need to know the actual street names or numbers. It's just easier to pick up on and faster to navigate. A normal GUI menu tree is easy to zip though and mash what you want, rather than typing a buncha arcane stuff that has to be memorized *exactly* or it doesn't work. Miss one character out of place on the command line and joe noob is stuck in the mud with no tow truck to call.

That and unix-y manpages just *suck*, I mean s-u-c-k, for most people, it's like they get charged one hundred dollars a word or something, so they leave out all the bits that make instructions easier to understand for noobs. I mean, I can parse engrish instructions easier than most manpages I have looked at. I own a stout rack of technical manuals for this or that I have accumulated over the years, the linuxy-computer stuff is the worst. The phrase is "english, do you speak it???". It's not there, it's geekrish flavored with acronyms as half the entire sentence everywhere.

When I started using computers it was DOS on a 286 and I hated it with a passion, first Mac I touched (never used an Apple really) with a workable GUI I bought it on the spot (still own it, a 512K). I could do more after a few minutes fooling around with a mouse than some bignum days struggling with DOS and a stack of manuals. Now since then I switched to linux (open source in general, I dig the philosophy of it and like that the serious devs can really share with each other and make cool stuff), and occasionally need to use the command line, and have done a minimal amount of config file changing, but for the most part, no workable GUI would have been a deal breaker from the beginning, as in "what's the point again?".

The command line is obviously great for pros and admins and needs to be there, but don't expect the vast number of people out there to ever really like it or use it, not anymore seeing as how we do have GUI now, because being a programmer or admin is not everyone's primary job or hobby even.

HTH

No command lines were used in getting this going..

the_rajah

Sun Jun 03 13:44:23 -0700 2007

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Don't assume anymore that if you're using linux, you'll absolutely have to use command line.

The Dell I just got with pre-installed Ubuntu didn't require any command line useage at all to get up and running and to install additional applications, even ones that weren't in the ubuntu repositories like Opera.

I can answer that

stephan

Mon Jun 04 14:25:52 -0700 2007

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I would like to enforce this man/woman in this statement.

Also, better or worse is an opinion and really depends on how you use it! For example: the cross bow was more accurate, had greater range, much lighter, than the musket. But the musket won anyway, because it was easier to use. You could train platoons of scared peasants and teenagers to use a musket, and could thus, outnumber and out gun all the crossbowmen and archers. Just a parallel.

a mild reply to this

George

Fri Jun 08 12:38:41 -0700 2007

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Well, I normally prefer to use a gui as well ... The thing is ... when you start toing repetitive tasks ... or even derivative tasks ... that can be scripted ... you will find that scrpting (either bash, perl, or whatever) actually makes your life easier. In my job, Oracle DBA, i tend to use GUI tools when things are NOT repetitive. As soon as i see/sense an opportunity to make thinks easier ... out come the scripting vampire ... taking a bite out of the work that i have to do. SO ... please do not put down the command line, it has it's place, and some people prefer it ... some don't. THAT'S what choice is about.

now $379?

rubycodez

Fri Jun 01 23:58:04 -0700 2007

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I used Dell's configurator and got $379 (without S&H) for that machine.    That's amazing, and what's microsoft  going to do when the price of a normal useful home pc goes below $200, which will be very soon?   Their profit margins will tank if they have to slash prices of standard home OS/Office in half or a third

now $379?

Alan

Sat Jun 02 00:40:20 -0700 2007

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what's microsoft going to do when the price of a normal useful home pc goes below $200

They're trying to move to a subscription model: Pay $X/year to use Windows, Office, etc, with automatic updates. At least it would keep users to current patches. And lock them in hard.

three bucks

zogger

Sat Jun 02 22:53:22 -0700 2007

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MS started offering some sort of stripped down three dollar OS and office and edutainment combo to "the developing world" (I just looked it up, it's called the "Microsoft Student Innovation Suite"). Basically, the pirates set the price of what digital bits are worth on a global scale, so MS had to match them where that sort of thing is more common than not and the OLPC project threatens them. My best guess is MS will be forced to keep dropping prices-even subscriptions- as time goes on, they have no choice in the manner anymore.

Decades ago software was rare and very expensive and not a lot of choice in applications, etc, then it became more common with a diverse set of applications for about any purpose and just plain vanilla expensive, now it is everywhere,and you have dozens of choices for every conceivable sort of task you might need to do with a computer,and fully functioning computers can be found in the trash they are so cheap now and there are so many of them it is a planetary eco nightmare.

And that is what has happened, time moves on, stuff changes. Stasis only exists in the dictionary.

And replicator technology for digital bits (the true important innovation in the past few decades beyond just processing and storage) has completely changed the business models, and the only way they are keeping high prices is sheer blatant raw economic inertia and paying off/corrupting the justice system (that part I'll call an opinion). It's about the same with entertainment digital bits on disk or download, ultra high prices are just such an obvious pricing gouge to most people that so called "piracy" has become common and rampant, very generally, and not personally, speaking.

now $379? How did you do that? URL?

the_rajah

Sun Jun 03 13:40:28 -0700 2007

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I went to the generic E520 configuration and it doesn't show Ubuntu. It's also the Celeron processor with half the RAM and a 160 Gig HD for $369 with no monitor and Vista home basic.

now $379? How did you do that? URL?

bill_mcgonigle

Sun Jun 03 16:20:01 -0700 2007

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You have to start at the Ubuntu page I get:

    Dell Dimension E520N
Date & Time: June 03,2007 6:17 PM CST
    
      SYSTEM COMPONENTS
    
    Dell Dimension E520N    Qty          1     
     Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4300 (1.8GHz, 800 FSB), Ubuntu Desktop Edition version 7.04    Unit Price         $559.00     
    Dell Home Customers: Save $150 instant off on this Dell Dimension E520N!
Limited Time Offer!         View Details          
          - $150.00

Catalog Number:      29 DDCWAV3
 Module      Description    Show Details
Dimension E520n    Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4300 (1.8GHz, 800 FSB)
Operating System    Ubuntu Desktop Edition version 7.04
Memory    1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs
Keyboard    Dell USB Keyboard
Monitor    No Monitor
Video Cards    Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Hard Drives    250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Floppy Drive and Media Reader    No Floppy Drive Included
Mouse    Dell® 2-button USB mouse
Network Interface    Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Modem    No Modem
CD or DVD Drive    16x DVD+/-RW Drive
Sound Cards    Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Speakers    No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Warranty and Service    1Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor - Next Business Day
Miscellaneous    Award Winning Service and Support
Environmental Options    Recycle my old system with Dell (FREE)
TOTAL:$409.00

now $379? How did you do that? URL?

rubycodez

Sun Jun 03 21:36:42 -0700 2007

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now that's mysterious, we've got two people here with $409 and two with $379.

I believe this is the configurator URL to start.

now $379? How did you do that? URL?

the_rajah

Mon Jun 04 07:18:29 -0700 2007

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At that URL, I couldn't get it without a monitor so $629 was my price with the default configuration. I could have eliminated one of the two optical drives that this default included and would have saved another $40. I think they're still playing with the configurations so maybe you can't get the deal that I got, and especially not the $379 one.
<br><br>
BTW, I used my new machine a LOT over the weekend and continue to be very impressed. Now I need to get a second video card since I'm dual monitor spoiled on my XP system and I see this Ubuntu becoming my main computer.

did you miss a step?

rubycodez

Mon Jun 04 09:13:16 -0700 2007

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You go through each of the config steps starting at that URL and pick "no monitor" on the monitor choice screen.  Then you're at $379 (or maybe $409 apparently, what's up?)

did you miss a step?

the_rajah

Mon Jun 04 09:54:18 -0700 2007

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LOL... I'm a dummy or didn't have my caffeine quota yet. The no monitor option required me to scroll down.  By doing that and opting for the single optical drive, I can get the $409. When I ordered, the dual optical was an option, not the default. I don't see a way to get below $409, but I've already been wrong once...

did you miss a step?

tert

Mon Jun 04 21:21:21 -0700 2007

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The E520N (Linux) can only be reduced to $409 (by removing the monitor). The E520 (Windows) has *four* different versions: http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/cto_dimene520?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs Some of those are in the sub-$400 range w/o monitor, but the one that is basically identical in hardware to the E520N is the "Versatile Multimedia" one, which is $549 w/o monitor.

now $379? How did you do that? URL?

Jet Graphics

Wed Jun 06 02:50:59 -0700 2007

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$280 here
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=04&kc=6W300&l=en&oc=bdcwaen&s=bsd

Nice find, but somewhat not quite the same..

the_rajah

Wed Jun 06 06:05:43 -0700 2007

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Pentium D processor, much smaller HD, not writable optical drive and Ubuntu doesn't come pre-installed (not a big deal for us geeks.) At least it does say that it comes with the one year limited warranty which there is some question about on the subsequent sales of the version that I got.

Still a nice way to go. My point in buying what I did was to promote pre-installed Linux on a home oriented computer. BTW, I'm really enjoying using mine. It's very fast, at least compared to what I was using.

Nice find, indeed!

Jet Graphics

Wed Jun 06 06:28:10 -0700 2007

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You're right!
The $279 model is not in the same league (or cost). I can't approach that price performance with AMD parts and owner - builder labor.

 As configured, it would be a nice HTPC.
Just add an AverTV Combo tuner...

Curious, can anyone tell me what model is the mainboard used in the Dell E520N?

I'm not at home, so I can't look right now..

the_rajah

Wed Jun 06 08:42:12 -0700 2007

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I figured that it was something proprietary to Dell. The only manufacturer that I'm aware of that uses off-the-shelf Mobo's sometimes is eMachines. Doesn't mean there aren't others, just that I am unaware of them.

I'm not at home, so I can't look right now..

Jet Graphics

Wed Jun 06 21:24:25 -0700 2007

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The Intel Desktop Mother Board DG965MQ supports 6 SATA II drives, RAID, Viiv, and GMA X3000. The Dell website shows GMA950 (must be a typo!). There's no Intel 965 chipset motherboard with GMA950.

If you can verify that it IS a DG965MQ, that would be great news. Dell's outsourced Tech Support were unintelligible and unable to answer my specific questions as to the main board and features.

The other alternative is the DG965MS - but that doesn't have RAID or Viiv support.

Good luck, in any event.

addendum dee dum dum

Jet Graphics

Wed Jun 06 21:36:00 -0700 2007

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I forgot to mention that I got the Intel info from E520N FreeDOS version, and learned from tech support that the main board format is uBTX. That narrowed down the list of Intel main boards. If they are not incorrect, the DELL has RAID support, which means it is the DG965MQ, not the DG965MS - but I want confirmation.

I doubt that they offer different mother boards for the same E520 box. But I've been fooled in the past.

Now, I'm at home...

the_rajah

Wed Jun 06 22:02:04 -0700 2007

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I don't see any numbers that look like those. What I do see is that it has the Dell logo on it, not Intel. The number that I see screened on the board is E210882 and, on a label with a bar code is the number D38658-306. There are places for 6 SATA ports, but only 4 are populated. I took a picture of the MoBo just now. You can see it at http://myramp.net/images/Dell_mobo1.jpg

BTW, I've never used my camera with a Linux desktop before but thought I'd give it a shot. I connected it via the USB port, turned the camera on and it found it right away, asked if I wanted to d/l the pix files. I selected the one shot that I wanted and put it on my desktop. Then I opened it with GIMP which I've never used for resizing and reduced it to 600X800 within two minutes, saved it back to the desktop. Then I realized that I needed an FTP client to put it up on one of my servers. I went to add/remove programs and installed gFTP with a couple of clicks, uploaded to the server and BINGO!! Who says this linux stuff is hard.. LOL

It's not the Intel DG965MQ

Jet Graphics

Wed Jun 06 23:18:21 -0700 2007

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Thanks for the upload.
Definite discrepancies between SATA sockets and back panel I/O.
Apparently the Dell board is NOT an Intel product -- just uses their chipset. So much for "knowledgeable" customer service.
Sigh.

Perhaps there is a query function that returns the motherboard's mfg and id.
SiSoft Sandra can do that.

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

Scott

Sat Jun 02 02:56:51 -0700 2007

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I was impressed when Dell decided to re-introduce consumer Linux boxes and further impressed when they chose Ubuntu.

However, I so disliked Dell before all that that while the Ubuntu deal is good for the FLOSS community (exposure wise) and good for Ubuntu, it won't change my mind about Dell.

Not to mention, that the very same day Dell announced the Ubuntu boxes, they also announced they were going to sell PCs in that evil retail chain known as WalMart.

That kind of canceled out the goodness of the Ubuntu stuff.

Not to mention...

Have you taken a look at the options offered on their Windows boxes vs the Ubuntu boxes?

If you get Windows you can get AMD processors, bigger hard drives, multiple hard drives, Sound Cards, more video card options, RAID and so forth...

If I were gonna buy a Dell, I'd get a top-notch Dell Windows box and just install Ubuntu on my own and dual-boot (like I do now).

But....

If you wanna limit yourself to just Ubuntu and no Windows.. there are other, better options. :)

For example:http://www.system76.com/

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

Charles E Hill

Sat Jun 02 07:16:23 -0700 2007

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It is a start.  They are testing the waters.  If the program takes off, I'm fairly certain they'll go thru all the hassle of qualifying different hardware.

Keep in mind, Dell just started selling AMD processors last year.  They've been Intel-only since they started business.

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

Scott

Sat Jun 02 10:43:28 -0700 2007

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OK, forget the AMD issue. And go with the rest of what I said. :)

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

Charles E Hill

Sat Jun 02 16:29:40 -0700 2007

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Okay, let me take a shot.

1. Lack of options on Linux boxes.
A. They need to make sure that each option actually has supported drivers.  That will take time to QA each piece.

There is a decent selection of hard drives and RAM.  While they only offer you a choice of two graphics cards -- feel free to take the stock Intel GMA 950 and add your own nVidia card.  You can kiss ATI graphics cards goodbye, because their Linux drivers blow chunks compared to Intel and nVidia.

I'm not sure what else there is that is missing, other than all the bundled software choices.

2. Walmart.
A. Sorry, Walmart isn't that evil.  No one forces people to shop there.  They sell commodity items, and the very nature of commodity items is to move to the lowest price.  If Walmart was that bad then people wouldn't be shopping there in droves.

Low end computers are commodity items.  There is nothing special about them any more.

Think of it this way -- Walmart is the symptom, not the disease.  Bashing Walmart is like taking an aspirin for a headache when you have cancer.  Treat the disease, not the symptom if you want to solve the problem.

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

Uncle Entity

Sat Jun 02 14:06:28 -0700 2007

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they also announced they were going to sell PCs in that evil retail chain known as WalMart.

That's an incredibly high standard, not buy anything from any company that sells their goods at Walmart...good luck with that. What's so wrong with wallyworld anyway? They provide poor folks with a good selection of high quality, inexpensive products and they do it well. I guess if you believe all the FUD put out by the unions then yes they are evil but nobody puts a gun to people's heads to make them either work or shop there. Thanks to wallyworld our working poor == European middle class.

Don't Bash WalMart

Jet Graphics

Wed Jun 06 06:45:01 -0700 2007

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Contrary to what you hear in the media, Wal Mart is not bad. Or at least when ole Sam was running things.

They often were more accommodating than many other chains. For example, they have a national policy that allows RVs to park overnight without hassle. Try that at any other department store chain! You'll get rousted.

I know people who were nothing more than high school graduates, who are now pulling $15/hour at Wal Mart. Granted, $30k per year ain't rockin' the Casbah, but it sure beats $5.50 at Micky Dees with zero upward mobility.

If you don't like Wal Mart's prices or products, don't shop there. But don't bash them without cause.

Back to Linux -
I recall, a few years back, they offered bare bones PCs without OS, or with Lindows. Due to low demand or cost problems, they dropped them.

I got my Ubuntu pre-installed Dell E520N today!!

ChrisDavisTech.com

Sat Jun 02 14:15:48 -0700 2007

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That's great... I am in about the same boat you are as far as my level of experience with Ubuntu. I tried it with 5.whatever and loved it... I put it on my parents computer (my old shuttle I gave to them) and think this might be exactly what they need now that they are looking to buy a laptop.  Everytime one of my clients call up (I own a computer consulting business) asking my advice about a new pc and putting theirs out to pasture, I always take the time to enlighten them about Linux.  WiFi support and video card support has been the two trickiest things - but hopefully this will all change.  With Dell offering Ubuntu not only will the hardware be supported, but I can use them as ammo to build a solid case for Linux on the desktop.  So many people I work with really don't need 1/10 of what is offered on a new PC and I think could really benefit from what Ubuntu has to offer.
I was extremely pleased how easy it was to set up my network printer -- I didnt have to do anything! 
Thank you for mentioning about the lack of ps2, parallel, and serial ports -- not a huge deal, mind you, but good info to know and it's something I didn't think to ask Dell.

--
Christopher Davis
www.chrisdavistech.com

I didn't notice the lack of PS2 ports until after I ordered, but ...

the_rajah

Sat Jun 02 15:20:21 -0700 2007

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it wouldn't have kept me from ordering. There are cheap PS2 to USB converters if you have to have it. They send a USB rollerball mouse and USB keyboard with it, which should be fine for most folks.

I noticed a very small "glitch" with my mouse setup. When I boot up from scratch, the mouse doesn't work until I switch the KVM to another machine and then back. I haven't determined if it's a pecularity with the PS2/USB converter or what. No big deal once I figured out what to do.

Other things to keep in mind too are the lack of a parallel port or serial ports. That doesn't make much difference to the average user. Also there are no IDE ports on the Mobo, but, interestingly enough, there's a floppy port. Go figure.

I didn't notice the lack of PS2 ports until after I ordered, but ...

Matt Fulkerson

Sat Jun 02 18:05:49 -0700 2007

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How many PCI/PCI express slots does the MB have?  On the Dell website, I couldn't find any information about the motherboard.

On the theory that a picture is worth a lot of words..

the_rajah

Sat Jun 02 20:46:35 -0700 2007

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Please see: a picture .

On the theory that a picture is worth a lot of words..

Matt Fulkerson

Sun Jun 03 05:58:41 -0700 2007

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Thanks.  Looks like one so-called PCI Express x16 for the video card, one PCI Express, and two PCI slots.

1505 nearly here, 520 ordered today

Chuck Burgess

Sun Jun 03 06:47:01 -0700 2007

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The 1505N laptop I ordered for my wife is nearly here, and I just ordered a 520N for my son this morning.  I also got the $379 desktop price, though I've not calculated what the actual comparison savings are... my laptop comparison was $79 savings.

I do my own installs on the old computers I continue to reuse at home (many old desktops), and I seem to have settled on Ubuntu for non-tinker boxes (Gentoo is my tinker choice).  I therefore think their choice of Ubuntu, when limited to one choice to start with, was wise.

I hope the community continues sending Dell the message about Linux with their dollar voting, so that ultimately the hardware vendors have to face us and open their drivers.  I continue to think its up to us, as buyers of hardware, to make our choices based on openness.  As long as you continue to buy my oil, why I should I care if you complain about it?  What force acts upon me to change my business based on your complaints, since you're still buying my oil?  Until you stop, and the next guy stops, and the next guy stops... why should I, the seller, care?

1505 nearly here, 520 ordered today

the_rajah

Sun Jun 03 13:47:15 -0700 2007

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Let us know how it goes, Chuck. I don't really need a new laptop, but ...

Intel VT Support

Andrei

Thu Jun 07 10:35:30 -0700 2007

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Does anyone know if the E520N supports Intel VT? This would be awesome for running Virtualization software such as VMware or Xen.

Showing my ignorance here...

the_rajah

Thu Jun 07 12:01:15 -0700 2007

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People seem to be installing VMware on Ubuntu 7.04 as implied by the howtoforge article howtoforge.com/ubuntu_feisty_fawn_vmware_server_howto   It's on my list of things to try on my E520N with Feisty.

1505 nearly here, 520 ordered today

Chuck Burgess

Mon Jun 11 13:15:17 -0700 2007

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The hardware config on the laptop seems flawless so far... no issues with wireless, sound, even the dinky little play/rewind/fastforward/etc buttons on the front bottom ("below" the trackpad if you hold the laptop vertically) work correctly.

I'm pretty pleased so far.  The main gripe my wife is having with it is having to "enter my password twice", the second one being the keyring (that contains my wireless encryption key in it).  Aside from that extra typing, I'm not seeing any problems at all using it... not that the keyring authentication counts as a "problem" in my book.

1505 nearly here, 520 ordered today

the_rajah

Mon Jun 11 15:18:56 -0700 2007

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Thanks for the update, Chuck.. Glad you're having a good experience.  I'm loving mine.

I waiting on some more memory since it's so cheap. That will give me 3 gigs so I can play with virtual machines and have plenty of resources. I want to add another video card, too, so as to use my dual monitor setup. I'm addicted to dual monitors on my Windows machine. I'm also adding a DVD-RW drive which is on it's way.

1505 nearly here, 520 ordered today

Chuck Burgess

Mon Jun 11 13:19:16 -0700 2007

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They shipped my 520N today, and I see they substituted the "Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950" that I'd selected with  "NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Graphics GPU" instead, with no change in price.  I wonder why...