Falcon

eh, Ima just run with this post/reply stuff here so i don’t repost… moveth the thread if you so desire.

(I’ll stir the pot more (with honest opinions) to hopefully kick off a good vibrant debate on the subject)

MasterP said:

This would be no different than existing rental options where people pay x-amount per month and simply return it after a year of use and swap for another.

 

For example, the average gaming computer that maintains top of the line status costs about $1000 per year, such as spending $2000 on a custom built computer that can still play top of the time games well for 2 years. This is about average if you use top of the line parts when building. So instead of spending $1000 year on a computer that devalues you can spend that same amount on a machine that gets upgraded to newest status every year.

 

I think this would be extremely bad for custom builders, but for everyone else it might actually be a benefit, depending on the costs.

ah, but QUITE a few people that I know (including myself) don’t have the budget to perpetually put even $200/year into a computer… the suggested rate in the article was $1/hour for a standard model computer, which I translate to easily vacuuming $2,000 (40hrs/week x 50weeks/yr x $1/hour) out of my wallet annually. at that rate, geez, I’ll buy a friggin IBM Blade Center and add onto that for a few years and be cheaper and have a whole heck of a lot more computer at the end of it all. the super-basic package was suggested at $0.80/hour, which is still $1,600.

Now, to some gamers that cycle through $3,000 rigs annually, sure this might be a deal. However, either they better set their rates much lower or they’re going to destroy the market for Windows PC’s, and give a huge golden gift to tech support companies. I would even predict a resurgence in the “antique” computing markets (Win98 and earlier) accompanied with a surge of newly found Linux users. Myself, I’m still rocking some old pentium 1 and pentium 2 systems with Win95 and Win98, i’ve decommissioned my baby I hand-built and brought to WCU, and for school and performance uses I’m running a $400-$500 rig (it made an appearance at my most recent lan, no gfx adapter but a decent discounted AMD Athlon X2 5000+ that can barely game, but compiles faster than I’ve ever seen before)

(/stir)

my favorites… they are too different to rank –

black knight, my love from back in the dos days. Fully functioning combat flight simulator I can almost guarantee y’all haven’t heard of

(close second place: Ace Combat 4 – PS2)

full throttle, my other love from back in the dos days.

a tie between Goldeneye 007 and perfect dark, from the nintendo 64

Final Fantasy X, for the PS2, from the RPG category

Super Smash Brothers – best multiplayer game in the history of ever.

(close second place: Unreal Tournament (classic, original) – PC)

Age of Empires or Civilization or something, don’t even remember the number – best strategy game ever. passed the time in many a high school class playing that.

JaValon said:

So I realize that a gaming forum is probably a bad place to talk about Linux, but I’ll try it anyway. I’m interested in getting together a Linux User’s Group on campus. I realize that there used to be one that did pretty well, but I heard people got bored and it died out. I was looking at jobs the other day, and a lot of them ask for or require Linux experience. Aside from CS students there isn’t a good way to get much of that here, other than just DIY. It would be great to have a group to promote the use of it and to have a group of people to collaborate with.

 

I realize it has failed in the past. I think we can come up with some fresh ideas to keep the group going. I think through Student Computing I can provide venues, discussions, and resources to make it work out. We could meet and have people present and discuss their latest projects in Linux, talk about what we like about each distro, etc. We can also put on presentations to other students, create podcasts, establish a forum, and more. The sky is the limit guys. NC State took their group so far that the University officially branded their own distro of Linux that the IT group supported. We can also probably copy some ideas from the MUG (Macintosh User’s Group) on campus, that I am also a part of.

 

If you’re interested or were a part of the old group, let me know. I’d like to know more about what has been done and what can be done to keep things active. I am NOT a Linux guru, but I’d really like to learn and help a group get on it’s feet.

 

Javalon@gmail.com

1> Dude, go talk to Scott Huffman in the Chemistry floor of the Natural Science building, he’d definitely help you with your efforts.

2> About jobs and linux experience – i know exactly what you mean

3> I’m a former member of the old club, and I’m thrilled to hear it might reappear on campus

4> You might be able to find in the forum archives or something mention of me gaming from a linux machine – wine + cs:s and cs1.6 was terrible but so much fun. my point – gaming and linux need not be enemies

5> I’m rarely on the internet, but if you have any questions, post me a forum PM or something and I’ll do what I can to get you answers

6> Lastly – Be careful around WCU’s IT and Student Computing talking about linux… they get nervous for some reason. Though not impossible to have a good conversation with them about it, the power structure of IT/SC leans heavily toward Windows. Or so it appears to me.

actually… I’m running an el-cheapo kit from tigerdirect and it roxors… only downside is the chassis vibrates from the optical drive spinning up cos the mount’s a pair of flimsy aluminum sides. Totally a pro in my book… very amusing at LANs to see neighbors get distracted (i.e. Kappamerc)

technically another downside is only onboard gfx, but only coz i’m too cheap to throw in a card. with a card, it’ll run perfectly competitive.

random pic to make y’all weep:

that’s right, fileshack apparently opened up the pipes on that download…

one thing, hate to be a heartbreaker, but double-check and make sure masks that cover the face are legal. I know in some states they ain’t.

still though, NoDice, those pics are 100% inspiring

I can pitch in. I’ll be there with a camera, but I can’t offer my services officially – I’ll still be tied up in many a tourney. When I get KO’d then I’ll snap away.

I’ve used many different flavors playing around… For the most part I use Fedora.

Also have experience with TomsRTBT or whatever it’s called, Mandriva, Gentoo, YellowDog Linux, Ubuntu, Knoppix, Red Hat, etc.

edit: I’ve also used DSL, almost forgot. ( *edited* Small Linux ) – I’d have to give that one props for being the best out-of-the-box.

BAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! withdrawal’s a b****, no?

but i guess the world has its warcrack back now

Audyo said:

Is the idea of 4 LANs a semester still rolling about or did that silently get shot down and I wasn’t aware of it?

4? as in 2 everyone, 2 console? or 4 everyone?

hope it turned out well!

yech. :sick01:

noooo! I missed Raine?

$0.02 – we have most certainly had people that didn’t register beforehand and just walked up and paid their way in… that’s how I got started

also, if y’all change the schedule, I’m calling dibs on any PC tournaments – UT2k4, TF2, CoD4, CS:S. I may not be back to re-register.

*cough* my new computer runs AMD, and I ain’t had a single reason to look back…

… plus with just a basic heatsink (no fan, nothing fancy, no liquids) it runs 20c cooler than my intel one did with the friggin thermaltake blue orb II (you shoulda seen that motha with the stock heatsink… it was bad.)