Nano ITX and the Damn Small Machine
Forum: Hardware Talk
Topic: Nano ITX and the Damn Small Machine
started by: brianez21
Posted by brianez21 on Jan. 19 2006,20:18
The DSM uses a nano ITX board, right?So why can't I just buy the board seperatly from the DSL Store?
I would really like to use one in a project of mine.
Thanks
Posted by Your Fuzzy God on Jan. 19 2006,22:33
There is a whole section of the store dedicated only to the motherboards...< http://damnsmalllinux.org/store/motherboards >
Posted by matrulesok on Jan. 19 2006,23:20
brianez21 is after the "nano" form factor board, not the "mini's" that are available seperatly....
Posted by brianez21 on Jan. 20 2006,00:56
I'm trying to be clear, sorry for the misunderstanding
Posted by jtiger on Jan. 20 2006,02:15
Hi--what's the usual delivery time for a DS Machine from the day you order one? It would be great if this information could be posted on one of the pages--I ordered a DS Machine earlier this week and am temperamentally impatient and excited to get it! DSL is the best thing--my roommate was talking with his friend in India last night online and couldn't believe that I can access wireless with DSL where Windows doesn't allow connecting with this low signal strength. It is really an amazing distro and fun to figure out...so I am waiting on pins and needles for my DS Machine to be shipped....
Posted by brianez21 on Jan. 20 2006,20:06
If the Damn Small Machine is shipping, why does this page (< http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/store....o_Drive >) say that it's on Pre-Order?Thanks again
Brian
Posted by jtiger on Jan. 21 2006,00:21
Well some people have received theirs (see post on the missing manual) and apparently it works great! Since this is such a volunteer effort, it takes time to update the pages.But if anyone reads this, I am really looking forward to getting my DS Damn Cool Machine so I can have the hippest, coolest dissertation workstation....DSL works very well and is so fast....It's time that I renew the gadget envy among my friends, but I'm not up for building my own box yet (maybe next year)....
Also, what kind of RAM does the DS Machine require if I want to upgrade it later on? I might be kind of a RAM hog with my extensions....
Posted by brianez21 on Jan. 21 2006,03:06
| Quote |
| what kind of RAM does the DS Machine require |
I believe 266Mhz DRR SO-DIMM, but there is only one slot on the board
Is the nano-ITX mainboard that the DSM uses in pre-production only? I can't seem to find a place to buy just the board itself online and I feel bad getting one just to rip out it's guts.
Posted by jtiger on Jan. 21 2006,06:38
It is definitely here before almost anywhere else--I don't think it is for sale anywhere else yet that I can find on the web.
Posted by John on Jan. 21 2006,08:15
A few points...We currently have units in stock.
The DSMs CAN take a laptop hardrive without any radical modifications, but you will have to take the unit completely apart to do it. First you will have to remove the top cover, then the back plate and the mother board. The drive will is mounted between the board and the back plate. I have not done this myself yet.
About the board...
The nano board in the DSM is not a pre-production run, but a one off built specifically for this application. It has the Via Eden-N nano-processor and chip set, but it has integrated ram, meaning the ram is built into the board and can not be replaced. It comes with 256MB DDR266.
Posted by brianez21 on Jan. 21 2006,15:46
| Quote (John @ Jan. 21 2006,03:15) |
| The nano board in the DSM is not a pre-production run, but a one off built specifically for this application. It has the Via Eden-N nano-processor and chip set, but it has integrated ram, meaning the ram is built into the board and can not be replaced. It comes with 256MB DDR266. |
Thanks for your reply John!
So that means I won't be making a nano-ITX-powered mod anytime soon. I'll be keeping an eye out for when the boards can be bought alone!
Thanks again
Brian
Posted by jtiger on Jan. 22 2006,06:32
John--I placed an order for one last week (as you must have read--any way to tell me the turn-around time? I realize this might be coming out of your house or when the person who works with the store can get to it, so it's cool, but some idea would help me be patient...). Also, how much can you run at one time on 256MB of RAM--I know that DSL itself will run with no problems, but will I be able to successfully run OpenOffice AND listen to some streaming music or attach a USB CD/DVDROM drive and rip some music or watch a movie? My current box runs 128MB RAM and hangs up quite a bit if I do too much at one time or leave it on for too long...what is the current extension/application load possible with that kind of RAM and running DSL on it?
Posted by John on Jan. 23 2006,01:35
A bunch of DSMs just went out last Friday, yours was probably in there, but send me an email with your order number and IŽll check.As from the ram question, yes you should be able to use OO.o and stream. IŽve done it without a hitch. Right now I have Firefox, OO.o, Dillo and an XMMS stream and I am at 32% RAM use.
Posted by DUCK on Jan. 23 2006,18:31
So a CF via IDE should work as a primary internal drive, right? Wouldn't this be cheaper and faster than a pen drive anyway?
Posted by DUCK on Jan. 23 2006,18:39
Actually, I just found the 1.0ghz nano retail board on mp3car.com, but you're going to pay through the nose for it: $400 for the board and included accesories (basic cables and such).-Quark
Posted by brianez21 on Jan. 23 2006,20:04
Pen drives are Flash media, so they should be just as fast I assume.I don't believe that the 1Ghz board is fanless
And wow, that's expensive - must be due to their limited stock.
They say it's sold out too. Must be a big-seller despite the price.
Posted by DUCK on Jan. 24 2006,01:08
Na. The insane price is because its a VIA. Overpriced, underproduced and underpowered, but its the only option.
Posted by jtiger on Jan. 24 2006,01:10
Yes, DUCK, the flash card can be used as an internal drive--but as its "true" lifetime write capability is limited, best to use frugal install and limit the # of writes possible. Lots of forum posts on the frugal install for your reading pleasure....My "dream" DSMachine will have the flash card for frugal install and extensions, wireless USB card and a USB stick in the front for my data
John--does it/will it work with USB hubs, at least for certain kinds of peripheral hardware?