VA research Linux Systems Catalog

Linux Systems Catalog

Contents

What's New at a Glance

4/28/95
See us in the May 1995 issue of Advanced Systems, pg. 42.
4/27/95
We are moving! Please be patient with us. We are moving to a new, larger facility this week, and we may not always be able to respond to you as quickly as we would like until we are settled into our new offices. Our apologies to those of you who have been kept waiting while we move.
4/18/95
All of the Pentiums we are shipping are "fixed". We have added a new line of notebooks from AMS which have a lower price and more features then the previous line.
2/16/95
Pentium 60/66 systems are back due to popular demand.
8/23/94
See us in the Sept. 1994 issue of Byte, pg. 167.

Introduction

Un*x-clone workstations for PC prices. We install and configure Linux on PC hardware providing you a cost effective alternative to high priced Unix workstations. Linux is a publicly available, nearly-POSIX compliant operating system authored by Linus Torvalds with the help of many other contributors on the Internet. As shipped from us, Linux has many of the features of commercial Un*x implementations including networking and X11. Our systems are tuned to support the hardware. You could spend hours downloading and swapping floppies, then days configuring Linux. Or you could buy a fully configured, ready to network machine from us. You could spend thousands of dollars more for a Unix workstation from other vendors and end up with a proprietary, non-upgradable architecture. PC hardware provides the most hardware bang for the buck, and a VA Research Linux workstation provides the best performance for the buck.

How to Design Your System

Our catalog is organized to allow you the greatest flexibility in custom designing your system. See our benchmarks section if you're having trouble deciding what is the best price/performance option for you.

Designing a Desktop System

For desktop systems, the first piece you will need is a Basic System, This includes components such as the motherboard, CPU, case, mouse, keyboard, RAM, floppy disk, IDE controller, serial amd parallel ports, etc. (See the descriptions of individual basic systems for details.)

At a minimum, you will need to add to this a disk drive, video card, and monitor to make a complete system. We offer a wide selection of each. See the individual catalog sections for the components we offer. You may also want to add options such as CDROM, tape, audio, extra serial ports, etc. The choices we offer for each kind of component are listed in the catalog sections for that component.

Unlike other vendors, we don't include the monitor, video card, and disk drive in the basic system price because many people have strong feelings about those components and want to be able to choose from a variety of options. Note that our systems do not include Microsoft DOS/Windows by default. You must purchase DOS/Windows as an add-on software option if you want them.

Since the number of choices can be overwhelming for people not familiar with PC hardware, here are some sample configurations we have assembled that you can use as a starting point. We've also started to offer them as a bundle at a reduced price (See the VArStation mentions below)

For a starter (low-end) system, we suggest: 

basic system - AMD 486DX2-66MHz VLB basic system
monitor - CTX 1565M, 15", configured at 1024x768@74Hz
video card - Cirrus CL-GD5428, VLB, 1MB, 1024x768@74Hz
disk - Western Digital WD2420, 420MB 14ms
(See sections on the individual components for latest prices. Also, take a quick glance at the description of the basic system later in this catalog so you know what's included. We won't repeat it here.) Although we call this our ``low-end'' system, it is by no means slow. Many people would call this a mid-range system. Odds are that unless you're doing heavy development or putting together a machine for a lot of users, you will be quite happy with this.

For a mid-range system, something that is comparable in many ways to a SparcStation 2, consider: 

basic system - Intel 486DX2-66MHz PCI basic system
monitor - Viewsonic 17, 17", configured at
    1152x900@76Hz
video card - #9 GXE64, VLB, 2MB, S3-864
disk - Quantum Lighting 730, 730MB 11ms SCSI disk
For the disk we need a SCSI controller. The 486DX PCI basic system includes a SCSI controller, so we don't need to add one. All basic systems except the VLB system include a SCSI controller. It's usually the case that by the time you add SCSI to a VLB system, you're pretty close in price to the comparable PCI system. So it usually makes sense to go straight to PCI once you need SCSI.

Ok, now let's start pulling out the stops. Let's build a barn-burner: 

basic system - Pentium PCI 90MHz
monitor - Nokia 447X, configured at 1280x1024@74Hz
video card - Number Nine GXE64Pro 2MB PCI
disk - Hewlett Packard C3323SE, 1GB SCSI disk
CD ROM - Toshiba 3601 quad-speed CDROM
tape - Conner Python 4320RT, 2GB, 4mm DAT SCSI tape
The Pentium-90 basic system includes a SCSI controller, so we don't have to add one. A package of this type of machine is our VArStation 10/90. It consists of: 
90Mhz Pentium Processor
Linux pre-installed and pre-configured
1GB fast SCSI disk
Quad-speed SCSI CDROM
32MB RAM
17" Trinitron monitor
16-bit stero sound
Ethernet (BNC/RJ-45)
All for $5199.

Ordering

You can submit orders by email, US mail, fax, or phone. If you plan to use a credit card, you may want to fax or phone in your credit card number instead of emailing it. Many people dislike sending credit card numbers by email because of the potential for credit card number theft. 

    fax: +1.415.964.7668
    phone: +1.415.934.3666
    US mail: VA Research, Inc.
             1235 Pear Ave., Suite 109
             Mountain View, CA 94043
Please, please, be sure to tell us how you want your disk partitioned. Your order may be delayed if we do not have partitioning instructions from you. Prices do not include shipping and any applicable sales tax. We accept MC/VISA. Purchase orders accepted subject to credit approval. See the section later in this ad for complete terms.

Desktop Systems

All desktop systems offer include Northgate Omnikey 101 keyboards. These are high-quality keyboards w/ tactile feedback. All desktop systems use Logitech serial mice. It doesn't make sense to skimp by using a cheap keyboard and mouse on a $2000 machine. The Northgate Omni 101 can be configured with the ``Ctrl'' key to the left of the ``A'' key. (The way keyboards were meant to be...) We use only Teac floppy disk drives. We've had enough problems with other brands of floppy disks that we think the slight extra cost for Teac drives is well worth it.

486DX VLB Basic Systems


US$ 1222    AMD 486DX2-66MHz VLB basic system
US$ 1250    Intel 486DX2-66MHz VLB basic system
US$ 1393    Intel 486DX4-100MHz VLB basic system
US$   96    Upgrade to 512K cache for Genoa 486DX VLB systems
All 486DX VLB Basic Systems Include: CPU, Genoa TurboExpress VLB motherboard, 1.44MB 3.5" Teac floppy disk drive, CPU cooling fan, 16MB RAM (1 4MBx36 70ns) (64MB max), 256K cache (512K max), 2 serial ports (16550A), 1 parallel port (bi-directional), 1 game port, VLB IDE/floppy disk controller, 6 bay medium tower case (230W, bays: 3 5.25", 1 visible/2 internal 3.5"), 2nd case cooling fan Northgate OmniKey keyboard, Logitech 3-button serial mouse. Motherboard: 4 72-pin SIMM sockets, 64MB memory max, 3 VLB slots, 5 ISA slots, ZIF socket, SIS 471 chipset, Award BIOS, DX4 compatible. Linux documentation: The Linux Bible - 1176 pages of Linux documentation.
Notes: We include cooling fans on all CPUs. Our cooling fans are thermally bonded to the CPU to guarantee the best cooling results. AMD DX2-66 CPUs require a cooling fan.

486DX PCI Basic Systems


US$ 1493    AMD 486DX2-66MHz PCI basic system
US$ 1521    Intel 486DX2-66MHz PCI basic system
US$ 1615    Intel 486DX4-100MHz PCI basic system
US$   96    Upgrade to 512K cache for 486DX PCI systems
All 486DX PCI Basic Systems Include: CPU, ASUS PCI/I-486SP3G motherboard, 1.44MB 3.5" Teac floppy disk drive, CPU cooling fan, 16MB RAM (2 2MBx36 70ns) (64MB max), 256K cache (512K max), 2 serial ports (16550A), 1 parallel port (bi-directional), NCR 53c810 PCI Fast SCSI-2 controller with mini-DB50 external connector, IDE/floppy disk controller, 6 bay medium tower case (230W, 6 bays: 3 5.25", 1 visible/2 internal 3.5"), 2nd case cooling fan Northgate OmniKey keyboard, Logitech 3-button serial mouse. Motherboard: ASUS PCI/I-486SP3G, Intel Saturn II Chipset (Intel 82420ZX PCIset), ZIF socket, 4 72-pin SIMM sockets, 64MB memory max, 2 PCI slots, 1 PCI/ISA slot, 3 16-bit ISA slots, Award BIOS, DX4 compatible. Linux documentation: The Linux Bible - 1176 pages of Linux documentation.
Notes: The SCSI controller, serial ports and parallel ports are on the motherboard and take up no slots. We provide a mini-db50 external SCSI connector so that you may connect external devices to your machine.

Pentium P5 60/66 PCI Basic Systems


US$ 1664    Intel Pentium P5 60MHz PCI basic system
US$ 1706    Intel Pentium P5 66MHz PCI basic system
All Pentium P5 PCI Basic Systems Include: Intel Pentium CPU, Intel Premier/PCI motherboard, 1.44MB 3.5" Teac floppy disk drive, CPU cooling fan, 16MB RAM (2 2MBx36 70ns) (128MB max), 256K cache (256K max), 2 serial ports (16550A), 1 parallel port (bi-directional), NCR 53c810 PCI Fast SCSI-2 controller, IDE/floppy controller, 6 bay medium tower case (230W, bays: 3 5.25", 1 visible/2 internal 3.5"), 2nd case cooling fan, Northgate OmniKey keyboard, Logitech 3-button serial mouse, Motherboard: Intel Premier/PCI motherboard, Intel Mercury Chipset (Intel 82430LX PCIset), ZIF socket, 4 72-pin SIMM slots (128MB max), SIMMs must be added in pairs, 4 16-bit ISA, 2 PCI, 1 shared PCI/ISA (7 slots total), 256K cache. Linux documentation: The Linux Bible - 1176 pages of Linux documentation.
Notes: The IDE, floppy, serial, and parallel ports are all on the motherboard. The NCR PCI SCSI controller occupies 1 PCI slot.

Pentium P54 75/90/100 PCI Basic Systems


US$ 1877    Intel Pentium P54 75MHz PCI basic system
US$ 2235    Intel Pentium P54 90MHz PCI basic system
US$ 2338    Intel Pentium P54 100MHz PCI basic system
All Pentium P54 PCI Basic Systems Include: Intel Pentium CPU, Intel Premier/PCI II (Plato) motherboard, 1.44MB 3.5" Teac floppy disk drive, CPU cooling fan, 16MB RAM (2 2MBx36 70ns) (128MB max), 256K cache (256K max), 2 serial ports (16550A), 1 parallel port (bi-directional), NCR 53c810 PCI Fast SCSI-2 controller, IDE/floppy controller, 6 bay medium tower case (230W, bays: 3 5.25", 1 visible/2 internal 3.5"), 2nd case cooling fan, Northgate OmniKey keyboard, Logitech 3-button serial mouse, Motherboard: Intel Premier/PCI II (Plato) motherboard, Intel Neptune Chipset (Intel 82430NX PCIset), ZIF socket, 4 72-pin SIMM slots (128MB max), SIMMs must be added in pairs, 4 16-bit ISA, 2 PCI, 1 shared PCI/ISA (7 slots total), 256K cache. Linux documentation: The Linux Bible - 1176 pages of Linux documentation.
Notes: The IDE, floppy, serial, and parallel ports are all on the motherboard. The NCR PCI SCSI controller occupies 1 PCI slot.

Misc Options


US$    5    bracket for additional internal 3.5" drive bay for standard medium tower case (giving 4 3.5" bays, 7 bays total)
US$   40    tower case upgrade, 250W UL/CSA, 9 bays: 4 visible 5.25", 2 visible/3 hidden 3.5", 2nd case cooling fan included
US$   47    5.25" 1.2MB Teac floppy disk drive
US$  ask    Memory upgrades (prices change more often then we update this document, sorry)
Notes: The tower case also includes a 2nd cooling fan. There is one fan built into the power supply, and the second fan mounts in an opening on the front of the case.

I/O Controller Options


US$  120    STB 4-COM, 16b ISA, 4 16550A serial ports
US$  139    QuickPath FourPlex 42P, 4 16550 serial ports & 2 parallel ports
US$  247    Boca Research BocaBoard 2016, 16 16550A serial ports
US$   17    2 RJ-45 to DB-25 adapter cables for BocaBoard 2016
US$  259    Cyclades 8YO 8-port DB-25M intelligent RISC based serial port card
US$  542    Cyclades 16-port RJ-45 intelligent RISC based serial port card
US$    6    1 8pin RJ-45 to DB-25M adapter cable for Cyclades 16-port
Notes: The STB 4-COM supports 4 16550A compatible serial ports. The ports can be configured to any of 8 I/O addresses and 8 irq combinations. The ports have DB-9 connectors. The BB-2016 supports 16 serial ports on a single interrupt. A DB-37 connector on the board connects to an external concentrator box with one RJ-45 connector for each serial port. Boca uses 10-pin RJ-45 connectors, not the more common 8-pin RJ-45 connector. Adapter cables are available to convert from RJ-45 to DB-25. Two adapter cables are included in one package. Details on the RJ-45 wiring scheme are available from Boca's Fax server at (407) 995-9456. The Cyclades 8YO supports 8 serial ports with an on-board RISC processor to offload serial interface processing from the CPU. It has DB-25 connectors and supports full modem control. The Cyclades 16-port card supports 16 serial ports with an on-board RISC processor to offload serial interface processing from the CPU. It has 8-pin RJ-45 connectors and supports full modem control.

SCSI Cabling Options


US$   45    3' 50 pin mini-DB50 (SCSI 2) to Centronics 50 cable
US$   40    External mini-DB50 (SCSI 2) terminator
Notes: If you going to get a SCSI machine, we recommend getting one of our PCI machines (all of which come with SCSI controllers). It doesn't make sense to add a SCSI controller to our VLB when you can get a PCI machine for about the cost of a SCSI controller which will have much faster SCSI performance.

Ethernet Options


US$   99    3C509-Combo, 3COM Etherlink III, 16-bit ISA, AUI/BNC/RJ-45

Video Options, Monitors


US$  110    Arcus DM-14SV, 14", 800x600 monochrome monitor
US$  359    CTX 1565GM, 15", 1024x768
US$  399    OptiQuest 2000DC, 15", 1280x1024
US$  369    Viewsonic 15es, 15", 1024x768, limited availability
US$  429    Viewsonic 15, 15", 1280x1024, limited availability
US$  859    Viewsonic 17, 17", 1280x1024
US$ 1385    Viewsonic 20g, 20", 1280x1024
US$ 1758    Viewsonic 21, 21", 1280x1024
US$  629    Nanao F340iw, 15", 1024x768
US$  925    Nanao F550iw, 17", 1280x1024
US$ 1885    Nanao F760iw, 21", 1280x1024
US$ 1267    Nanao T2-17, 17"
US$ 1965    Nanao T2-20, 20"
US$ 1250    Nanao 6500, 21" Grayscale monitor 1280x1024
US$  499    Nokia 449E, 15", 1024x768
US$  789    Nokia 447L, 17", 1024x768
US$  999    Nokia 447X, 17", 1280x1024
US$ 1999    Nokia 445M, 21", 1280x1024
US$ 2258    Nokia 445X, 21", 1600x1280
US$  769    Idek VisionMaster MF-8617, 17", 1280x1024

The choice of monitor is a very individual decision. What one person prefers, another person may strongly dislike. So we carry 4 monitor lines (Viewsonic, Nanao, Idek, and Nokia) to give you a wide selection. Nothing can replace hands-on experience, so if you have the opportunity, find a local retail store that has the model you are considering on display.

However, the large selection can be bewildering to some people. If you don't know where to begin, we have some favorites we can suggest. For 17" monitors, we like the Viewsonic 17. Don't confuse this with the lesser Viewsonic 17G and 17E models. We feel it is a good quality display for the price.

A Word On Trinitron Monitors: A "trademark" of Trinitron monitors are two barely visble faint horizontal hairlines about 1/3 and 2/3 of the way down the CRT. Trinitron monitors have many thin vertical wires as part of the display. If you lightly tap the monitor, you can see these filaments vibrate slightly before settling. The hair lines are the shadows of two horizontal wires called "damper wires" that are used to fix the vertical filaments in position.

In spite of these hair lines, most people consider the Trinitron CRT to be superior to shadow mask and other CRTs

Notes: The resolution of your machine will depend on both your choice of monitor AND your choice of video card. The monitors we sell are "multisync" monitors. They will display at virtually any resolution and refresh rate within their specifications. Thus the best we can do when quoting resolution and refresh rates is give typical values.

Video Options, Graphics Cards


US$   80    Cirrus Logic ISA, 1MB, CL-GD5422
US$   90    Cirrus Logic, VLB, 1MB, CL-GD5428
US$  105    Cirrus Logic, PCI, 1MB, CL-GD5434
US$  154    Cirrus Logic, PCI, 2MB, CL-GD5434
US$  279    ATI Graphics Ultra Pro, PCI or VLB, 2MB, Mach32
US$  255    #9 GXE Level 10, VLB or ISA, 1MB, S3-928
US$  349    #9 GXE Level 11, VLB or ISA, 2MB, S3-928
US$  413    #9 GXE Level 12, VLB or ISA, 3MB, S3-928
US$  599    #9 GXE Level 14, VLB or ISA, 4MB, 135MHz TI RAMDAC, S3-928
US$  849    #9 GXE Level 16, VLB or ISA, 4MB, 200MHz TI RAMDAC, S3-928
US$  249    #9 GXE64, PCI or VLB, 2MB, S3-864
US$  339    #9 GXE64Pro, PCI or VLB, 2MB, S3-964
US$  499    #9 GXE64Pro, PCI or VLB, 4MB, S3-964
US$  589    #9 GXE64Pro1600, PCI or VLB, 2MB, 220MHz RAMDAC, S3-964
US$  729    #9 GXE64Pro1600, PCI or VLB, 4MB, 220MHz RAMDAC, S3-964
Notes: XStone numbers for VLB and ISA cards are on a 486DX2-66 w/ 16MB RAM. XStone numbers for PCI cards are on a Pentium 90 w/ 16MB RAM. We recommend the 2MB #9 GXE64 for low-to-medium range X graphics, the 2MB #9GXE64Pro for medium-to-high end graphics, and the #9 GXE64Pro1600 for very high-end applications. For text only, servers, low-end X graphics, and very limited budgets, we offer the Cirrus Logic cards. We do not recommend getting a 1MB PCI card. Both the Cirrus and S3 cards access their memory in such a way that a 1MB card has only about half the performance of its 2MB version. When using XStone numbers for comparison, remember that the performance of a card decreases as the display resolution increases (the card has to manipulate more pixels at higher resolutions).

Hard Disk Options

IDE Internal Disk Drives


US$  229    540MB, Quantum QM30540LTA, 11ms, 3.5x1"
US$  275    730MB, Quantum QM30730LTA, 11ms, 3.5x1
US$  198    420MB, Seagate ST3491A, 15ms, 3800rpm, 3.5x1"
US$  269    780MB, Seagate ST3780A, 12/14ms, 4500rpm, 3.5x1"
US$  399    1.0GB, Seagate ST31220A, 12/14ms, 4500rpm, 3.5x1"
US$  197    420MB, Western Digital, WD2420, 14ms
US$  225    540MB, Western Digital, WD2540, 12ms
US$  276    700MB, Western Digital, WD2700, 10ms
US$  326    850MB, Western Digital, WDAC2850, 10ms
US$  419    1.0GB, Western Digital, WDAC31000, 10ms, 256K cache, 3.5x1"

SCSI Internal Disk Drives


US$  569    1.0GB, HP C3323SE,  9.5ms, 256K cache, 5400rpm, 3.5x1", constrained
US$ 1039    2.1GB, HP C2490SE,  8.9ms, 256K cache, 6400rpm, 3.5"
US$  239    540MB, Quantum Maverick 540, 14ms, 3.5"x1
US$  285    730MB, Quantum Lightning 730, 11ms, 3.5x1"
US$  575    1.0GB, Quantum Empire 1080S, 9ms, 5400rpm, 512K cache, 3.5x1" constrained
US$  729    1.4GB, Quantum Empire 1440S, 9ms, 5400rpm, 512K cache, 3.5x1"
US$  949    2.1GB, Quantum Empire 2100S, 9ms, 5400rpm, 512K cache, 3.5"
US$ 1079    2.1GB, Quantum Atlas XP32150S, 8ms, 7200rpm, 1M cache, 3.5"
US$ 2189    4.2GB, Quantum Grand Prix XP34301S, 8.5ms, 7200rpm, 512K cache, 3.5"
US$  589    1.0GB, Seagate ST31200N,  9ms, 256K cache, 3.5x1", constrained
US$  569    1.0GB, Seagate ST31230N, 10.4/11.4ms, 512K cache, 3.5x1"
US$  969    2.1GB, Seagate ST32430N,  9ms, 512K cache, 5400rpm, 3.5"
US$ 1159    2.1GB, Seagate ST32550N,  8/9ms,  7200rpm, 512K cache, 3.5"
US$ 1969    4.3GB, Seagate ST15230N,  10.4/11.4ms, 5400rpm, 3.5", constrained
US$ 2299    4.1GB, Seagate ST15150N,  8/9ms, 7200rpm, 3.5"
US$ 3599    9.0GB  Seagate ST410800N, 11/12ms, 5400rpm, 5.25" full height
Notes: Our current Linux installation takes about 220MB. DOS/Windows takes about 30MB. The disks we sell are all good performers, particularly once you get to the 540MB+ sizes. HP drives have one of the best reputations in the business. There currently seems to be a shortage of 1GB SCSI drives. We tried to label those in short supply as "constrained" above. If you order one of those drives we will try out best to get it for you. But we may have to ask you to consider a different drive or have your machine's shipment delayed. Please do not ask us for Maxtor or Micropolis disk drives. Please note that Micropolis "does not recommend use of AV drives on Unix machines."
Warranties: THIS SECTION IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION All hard drive vendors quote 7 to 10 working days as the amount of time they need to repair a drive once they receive it. Some vendors will ship a replacement drive to you immediately (assuming they have it in stock). This is called a cross-ship. Some vendors do if for free, some vendors charge, some do it only in special circumstances. All that allow cross-ships require that you give them a credit card number to quarantee that you will send them the broken drive.

Tape Options



US$  317    Conner Viper 2150S QIC-150 1/4" SCSI tape, 150MB/250MB capacity (depending on tape), 112KB/sec transfer read/write: QIC-150, QIC-120, read only: QIC-24
US$  449    Conner Viper 2525S QIC-525 1/4" SCSI tape, 320MB/525MB capacity (depending on tape), 200KB/sec transfer read/write: QIC-525, QIC-150, QIC-120, read only: QIC-24
US$  799    Conner Anaconda 2750S 1.3GB 1/4" SCSI tape
US$  799    Conner Python 4320RT, DDS 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 2GB capacity, 183KB/sec transfer rate
US$  899    Conner Python 4324RP, DDS-DC 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 2GB native + compression, up to 8GB w/ compression, 366KB/sec native transfer rate, also read/write DDS format CONSTRAINED
US$ 1199    Conner Python 4326RP, DDS-2 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 4GB native + compression, up to 16GB w/ compression, 400KB/sec native transfer rate, also read/write DDS and DDS-DC format HIGHLY CONSTRAINED
US$  338    Rexon Wangtek 5150ES QIC-150 1/4" SCSI tape, 150MB/250MB capacity (depending on tape), 112KB/sec transfer read/write: QIC-150, QIC-120, read only: QIC-24
US$  489    Rexon Wangtek 5525ES QIC-525 1/4" SCSI tape, 320MB/525MB capacity (depending on tape), 200KB/sec transfer read/write: QIC-525, QIC-150, QIC-120, read only: QIC-24
US$  749    Rexon WangDAT 3100, DDS 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 2GB capacity, 183 KB/sec native transfer rate
US$  879    Rexon WangDAT 3200, DDS-DC 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 2GB native + compression, up to 8GB w/ compression, 183 KB/sec native transfer rate, also read/write DDS format
US$ 1185    Rexon WangDAT 3400, DDS-2 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 4GB native + compression, up to 16GB w/ compression, 366KB/sec native transfer rate, also read/write DDS and DDS-DC format
US$  749    HP 35470, DDS 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 2GB capacity,
US$  889    HP 35480, DDS-DC 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 2GB native + compression, up to 8GB w/ compression
US$ 1025    HP C1533,  DDS-2 4mm DAT SCSI tape, 4GB native + compression
US$ 1298    Exabyte 8205 2.5GB 8mm SCSI tape
US$ 1898    Exabyte 8505 5.0GB 8mm SCSI tape
Notes: Archive was recently purchased by Conner, so all the former Archive products are now Conner products. 4mm and 8mm are the formats of the future, but they're still expensive. If you're going to spend $800+ on a tape, we recommend going all the way to a 4mm or 8mm drive. All tape drives occupy a half-height 5.25" slot. All prices are for internal models.

CD ROM Options


US$  138    Sony CDU-55E, IDE (ATAPI) double speed, 200ms access, 300KB/sec transfer, caddyless
US$  159    Plextor DM3028, SCSI, double speed, 240ms access, 330KB/sec transfer [We have a limited number of these drives in stock. Please ask whether we have them in stock before ordering.]
US$  215    Chinon 535S, SCSI, double speed, 220ms access, 300KB/sec, transfer, 256KB buffer
US$  299    Toshiba 3601, SCSI, quad speed, 150ms access, 660KB/sec transfer, caddyless
US$  373    NEC 4Xi, SCSI, quad speed, 120ms access, 600KB/sec transfer, 256K cache
US$  379    Plextor 4PLEX SCSI, 150ms access, 600KB/sec transfer, 1MB cache
Notes: The Sony CDU-55E attaches to the IDE interface on a system. This allows you to add a CDROM to system that does not include SCSI (e.g. our VLB system) without purchasing a SCSI controller. The other CDROM drives require a SCSI adapter. All of our basic systems except the VLB systems include a SCSI adapter. The Chinon 535, Plextor DM3028 and Sony CDu-55E are what is referred to as a double speed drives. The Plextor 4PLEX, Toshiba 3601, and NEC 4Xi are quad speed drives.

Audio Options


US$   89    SoundBlaster 16 
US$  195    Advanced Gravis UltraSound Max, 512K
US$  230    Advanced Gravis UltraSound Max, 1MB

US$   19    Labtec CS 150 Speakers, 3.6W, 50Hz-15kHz, DC 6V input (or 2 C batties), individual volume control.  AC adapter NOT included.
US$   23    Labtec CS 180 Speakers, 4W, 60-14kHz, DC 6V input, monitor mount, AC adapter NOT included.
US$   28    Labtec CS 600 Speakers, 70-18kHz, DC 6V input (or 4 C batteries), AC adapter NOT included.
US$   36    Labtec CS 800 Speakers, 6W, 50-15kHz, AC adapter included
US$   59    Yamaha YST M5 Speakers, 3W, 90Hz-20kHz, AC adapter included
US$   79    Yamaha YST M10 Speakers, 10W, 80Hz-20kHz, AC adapter included
US$  169    Yamaha YST MSW10 25W Subwoofer
US$  209    Yamaha YST SS510 (includes both YST-M5 and YST-MSW10)
US$  239    Yamaha YST SS1010 (includes both YST-M10 and YST-MSW10)
Notes: The SoundBlaster seems to be a standard choice in the PC world. The Advanced Gravis boards seem to be the choice of those on the net. The Gravis UltraSound Max samples at 16bits. If you purchase both a CDROM drive and an audio card as part of your system we include the CDROM to audio card cable free.

Software Options


US$  110    DOS 6.22/WFW 3.11 installed with dual boot
US$  219    MetroLink Motif V 2.0
US$  170    OS/2 Warp, the version which requires DOS/Windows
US$  200    OS/2 Warp, the version which comes with DOS/Windows
Notes: All systems include Linux. If you purchase DOS or OS/2, we will setup Lilo to prompt for DOS, OS/2, or Linux at boot time, and time out to Linux if no response. We also install the SCSI and/or video drivers for your DOS or OS/2 configuration.

Modem Options


US$  109    USRobotics Sportster 14.4k V.32bis internal data/fax modem
US$  129    USRobotics Sportster 14.4k V.32bis external data/fax modem
US$  239    USRobotics Sportster 28.8k V.34 internal data/fax modem
US$  259    USRobotics Sportster 28.8k V.34 external data/fax modem
US$  299    ZyXEL U-1496E 16.8k external data/fax modem
Notes: We include a serial cable with external modems. The USRobotics 14.4 is a standard 14.4k, V.32bis modem. The ZyXEL is a V.32bis (14.4k) compliant modem with a lot of additional features. It can talk 16.8k bps with another ZyXEL. It has built in support for voice, distinitive dial detection, caller id, and group 2 fax. There is Linux support for its extended features (see the mgetty program). We don't have much experience yet with 28.8k bps modems but we're offering the USRobotics to satisfy demand. We've been happy with the 14.4k bps Sportsters and expect the same quality for the 28.8k bps versions. Note that these 28.8k bps modems are true V.34, not V.fast. V.fast is a ``sorta but not quite'' standard which will go away none too soon. V.34 is where you'll want to put your money, at least eventually. Lastly is the decision of internal vs. external modem. Each has its advantages and disadvantages which I will try to summarize. On balance I would choose an external modem but its certainly not a clear choice. 
         Internal                      External
    
    Doesn't take room on        Takes up desk room
     one's desk
    Doesn't need a power        Needs a power cord
     cord
    Doesn't take up a serial    Takes up a serial
     port                        port
    Takes up an IRQ             Doesn't take an IRQ
    Takes up a card slot        Doesn't take a slot
    Doesn't have helpful LEDs   Has helpful LEDs
    Can't be easily moved       Can be easily moved
     between computers           to another computer
    Costs a little less         Costs a little more

Notebooks

All of our notebooks have been carefully configured to guarantee support for a wide range of features under Linux. This includes most power management (disk, processor, and screen idle detection and power-down), speed selection, remaining battery time indicators, internal/external monitor toggling, X11, and PCMCIA expansion options.

AMS/Arima Notebooks

Notes: The AMS SoundPro/E is a new version of the AMS TravelPro 5300 we used to carry with a new fully 3.3v designed. Physically, it looks identical to the old 5300, but internally has been resigned. Features: Full 3.3v design for better battery life, 128K external cache, 1.44MB floppy drive, size: 8.5"x11"x2", 5/9 lbs mono w/ battery, 6.3 lbs color w/ battery, 1 PCMCIA slot type III or 2 PCMCIA slots type II, simultaneous LCD & external CRT, 16 mm front-mounted, centered trackball with palm rest, WD-90C24A accelerated video with 1 MB VRAM, 16550A UARTs, 85-key keyboard w/ full size keys and 4mm key travel, carrying case included, 3-year parts and labor warranty from AMS. The optional internal modem does not use a PCMCIA slot. It plugs into a custom internal connector. As with all of the notebook machines we offer, X11 works and Linux PCMCIA drivers are included. We install and configure Linux drivers for the PCMCIA options you order. Internal/external monitoring toggling can only be done at boot time under Linux. The hot key sequence for selecting processor speed does not work under Linux. Disk and screen idle detection and power down do work. We cannot guarantee that active matrix displays will be defect free. AMS has a policy that active matrix screens with up to 3 bad pixels are considered OK and will not be replaced. About half of the active matrix machines we see have 1 bad pixel. We almost never see machines with more than 1 bad pixel.
Pricing for the base models of all AMS notebooks is for 8MB RAM and 340MB hard disk. DOS/Windows is not included in the base system price. 

US$ 2055    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX2-50, Monochrome
US$ 2498    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX2-50, Dual Scan Color
US$ 3674    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX2-50, Active Color
US$ 2338    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX4-75, Monochrome
US$ 2781    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX4-75, Dual Scan Color
US$ 3957    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX4-75, Active Color
US$ 2365    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX4-100, Monochrome
US$ 2808    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX4-100, Dual Scan Color
US$ 3984    AMS SoundPro E, 486DX4-100, Active Color



US$  212    Upgrade to 520MB disk
US$  359    Upgrade to 700MB disk
US$  519    Upgrade to 800MB disk



US$  353    Upgrade to 16MB ram
US$  556    Upgrade to 20MB ram
US$ 1056    Upgrade to 32MB ram



US$  201    Internal 14.4K data/fax modem
US$  140    Extra NiMh battery (1 NiMh Battery is included with system)
US$   83    Extra AC Adapter (1 AC Adapter is included with system)
US$   49    External Battery charger (requires AC adapter)
US$   90    DOS/Windows for AMS preinstalled w/ Linux dual boot

PCMCIA Expansion Options


US$  189    PCMCIA Ethernet 10baseT (RJ-45 Twisted Pair) and 10base2 (BNC Coax Thinnet) Ethernet
US$  200    QLogic SCSI interface
US$  479    Megahertz CC3288 28.8k Data/Fax Modem
US$  479    Megahertz XJ3288 18.8k Data/Fax Modem w/ XJACK connector
Notes: Linux drivers are included for all installed PCMCIA options. The PCMCIA Ethernet card has both twisted pair and thinnet coax connectors. The difference between the 2 models of Megahertz modems is the connector. The XJ3288 (XJACK) modem has a tiny retractable RJ-11 jack that pops straight out from the PCMCIA card. The CC3288 model has a separate pigtail connector that connects to the PCMCIA card and has an RJ-11 plug on the end. If you have 2 PCMCIA cards, the XJACK connector will likely block access to any external connector on the 2nd PCMCIA card. The advantage to XJACK is that you don't have to carry the external cable.

System Benchmarks

We provide these benchmarks in the hope that our customers, and the Linux community in general, can make better choices in hardware purchases as a result. Unfortunately, we don't have the time or resources to do the kind of systematic benchmark analysis of different components that we would like. As a result, the particular system you have in mind is likely not represented here. Unfortunately, there is little we can do about that. But we will continue to fill in additional benchmark results as we are able. Enjoy.

Selected Benchmark Results

Plato Pentium 90, 32MB RAM, Seagate st31200n, Linux 1.1.49

 
Byte UNIX Benchmarks Version 3.11:
                     INDEX VALUES
TEST                          BASELINE    RESULT INDEX
Arithmetic Test (double)       2541.7    15937.5   6.3
Dhrystone 2 no register vars  22366.3   132809.9   5.9
Execl Throughput Test            16.5      102.4   6.2
File Copy  (30 seconds)         179.0     2447.0  13.7
Pipe-based Context Switching   1318.5    14451.8  11.0
Shell scripts (8 concurrent)      4.0       23.0   5.8
                                                  ====
     SUM of  6 items                              48.8
     AVERAGE                                       8.1

Bonnie        --------Sequential Output----------
              -Per Char-- ---Block--- --Rewrite--
           MB K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU
Average   120  1237  92.1  2337  54.6   921  17.0

              ---Sequential Input---- ---Random--
              -Per Char-- ---Block--- ---Seeks---
           MB K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU  /sec %CPU
Average   120   948  62.9  2073  28.0  70.7  20.0

Iozone     Size  Rec Length Read Rate  Write Rate
          Mbytes   bytes    Kbytes/sec Kbytes/sec
Average    120        512    1694.45    2329.21

Genoa DX4-100, 16MB RAM, Adaptec 1542CF, DEC DSP-3160S, #9gxe Level 14 VLB 4MB, Linux 1.0.9

 
Byte UNIX Benchmarks Version 3.11: 
TEST                         BASELINE   RESULT INDEX

Arithmetic Test (double)       2541.7   7589.5   3.0
Dhrystone 2, no register vars 22366.3  77983.6   3.5
Execl Throughput Test            16.5     81.2   4.9
File Copy  (30 seconds)         179.0    840.0   4.7
Pipe-based Context Switching   1318.5  15912.7  12.1
Shell scripts (8 concurrent)      4.0     16.0   4.0
                                               =====
     SUM of  6 items                            32.2
     AVERAGE                                     5.4

Bonnie        --------Sequential Output----------
              -Per Char-- ---Block--- --Rewrite--
           MB K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU
Average    56   419  59.2   711  30.6   375  21.1

              ---Sequential Input---- ---Random--
              -Per Char-- ---Block--- ---Seeks---
           MB K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU  /sec %CPU
Average    56    33  97.7    33  97.9   6.4 365.4

Iozone     Size  Rec Length Read Rate  Write Rate
          Mbytes   bytes    Kbytes/sec Kbytes/sec
Average       56        512     134.77     420.91

XStones:
1280x1024, 135MHz dot clock, XFree86 2.1.1
TOTAL    554151 lineStones
TOTAL    102445 fillStones
TOTAL     68781 blitStones
TOTAL   6683925 arcStones
TOTAL    109656 textStones
TOTAL    146013 complexStones
TOTAL    123166 xStones

Genoa DX2-66, 16MB RAM, Adaptec 1542CF, Quantum Empire 540S, #9gxe Level 12 VLB 2MB, Linux 1.0.9 

  BYTE UNIX Benchmarks (Version 3.11)
TEST                         BASELINE   RESULT INDEX

Arithmetic Test (double)       2541.7   5061.9   2.0
Dhrystone 2, no register vars 22366.3  58777.4   2.6
Execl Throughput Test            16.5     70.3   4.3
File Copy  (30 seconds)         179.0    834.0   4.7
Pipe-based Context Switching   1318.5  11127.7   8.4
Shell scripts (8 concurrent)      4.0     13.0   3.2
                                               =====
     SUM of  6 items                            25.2
     AVERAGE                                     4.2

Bonnie        --------Sequential Output----------
              -Per Char-- ---Block--- --Rewrite--
           MB K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU
Average    56   329  74.0   802  37.9   419  26.1

              ---Sequential Input---- ---Random--
              -Per Char-- ---Block--- ---Seeks---
           MB K/sec  %CPU K/sec  %CPU  /sec %CPU
Average    56  115  90.0   146  88.5  13.7 3309.1

Iozone     Size  Rec Length Read Rate  Write Rate
          Mbytes   bytes    Kbytes/sec Kbytes/sec
Average       56        512     116.83     445.80

XStones:
1280x1024, 135MHz dot clock, XFree86 2.1.1
TOTAL    358613 lineStones
TOTAL     74729 fillStones
TOTAL     58980 blitStones
TOTAL   6731200 arcStones
TOTAL    180125 textStones
TOTAL    140457 complexStones
TOTAL    118639 xStones

ASUS PCI/I-SP3G, 16MB RAM, DEC DSP3160, 256K cache 

  BYTE UNIX Benchmarks (Version 3.11)
                     INDEX VALUES            
TEST                        BASELINE   RESULT INDEX
Arithmetic Test (double)      2541.7   5064.8   2.0
Dhrystone 2 no register vars 22366.3  60715.2   2.7
Execl Throughput Test           16.5     77.7   4.7
File Copy  (30 seconds)        179.0   1993.0  11.1
Pipe-based Context Switching  1318.5   8304.6   6.3
Shell scripts (8 concurrent)     4.0     14.3   3.6
                                               ====
     SUM of  6 items                           30.4
     AVERAGE                                    5.1

ASUS PCI/I-P54SP4, 16MB RAM, HP C3323SE, 512K cache 

  BYTE UNIX Benchmarks (Version 3.11)
                     INDEX VALUES            
TEST                        BASELINE   RESULT INDEX
Arithmetic Test (double)      2541.7  15886.1   6.3
Dhrystone 2 no register vars 22366.3 129854.2   5.8
Execl Throughput Test           16.5    113.7   6.9
File Copy  (30 seconds)        179.0   3149.0  17.6
Pipe-based Context Switching  1318.5  11538.4   8.8
Shell scripts (8 concurrent)     4.0     24.0   6.0
                                               ====
     SUM of  6 items                           51.3
     AVERAGE                                    8.5

Linux System Configuration

We partition your disk to your specifications. Unless you purchase the dual boot DOS/Windows option, we recommend configuring your disk with 1 16MB swap partition and 1 ext2fs Linux partition for the rest of the disk.

Linux System Features + X11R6 (XFree86/XS3) + C, C++, Objective-C, Pascal, Lisp, f77 + Tk/Tcl + TCP/IP, SLIP, NFS, UUCP + csh, bash, tcsh, perl + emacs, vi, TeX/LaTeX, xdvi, ghostscript, idraw + POSIX libraries and utilities + System V IPC + full man pages + Seyon + 100's of standard Un*x utilities - awk, grep, sed, etc. All Linux software is freely available on the Internet and on many BBS's. You may FTP Linux from the Internet sites TSX-11.MIT.EDU or SUNSITE.UNC.EDU. Unless otherwise stated all Linux software is Copyright under the GNU GPL.

We do *NOT* simply install SLS, TAMU, Slackware, or one of the other freely available distributions and ship you the result. We do track the latest distributions, so you can be assured of getting an up-to-date release. Your kernel is custom configured to your hardware. Your XServer is custom configured to your video card and monitor. Many minor system configuration files are correctly set up for you. All of our binaries work. We include free software not usually part of any of the standard Linux releases.

The complete source of the software we install is available from us for a minimal fee.

We're constantly searching for new options to offer our customers. Don't see what you want? Ask and we'll tell you if we can do it.

Terms

We begin processing credit card orders as soon as they are received. We try to ship all orders within 10 working days. If your order is not shipped within 10 working days, we will notify you of the delay. Your credit card is not billed until your order actually ships. There is no surcharge for credit card orders.

Cash orders (personal or cashier check) begin processing as soon as we receive your check. We cash (deposit) your check immediately. Your order will not ship until your check clears. We try to ship all orders within 10 working days, subject to your check clearing prior to shipment. If your order has not shipped after 10 working days, we will notify you. We offer a cash discount of 1.5%.

We will ship COD if requested. You pay COD charges as part of shipping. Cash discounts apply to COD orders.

Purchase Orders accepted subject to credit approval. Cash discounts apply to prepaid or COD purchase orders only.

Questions To Ask

We try to be competitive with street prices for clone PC hardware. But we put a considerable amount of testing into our components to guarantee that you get a well integrated, hassle free working system. Our prices reflect that effort. You can put together a comparable system yourself for less. But before you buy a system from the lowest bidder, ask your vendor some of these questions:

  1. Do they preinstall Linux?
  2. Will they guarantee that all the components are supported by Linux?
  3. What special drivers, patches, or setup is need to use the components with Linux?
  4. What resolution and refresh rate is supported with their video card under XFree? Do they know what a dot clock is?
  5. What's the performance like for their various components? Xstones? Iozone?
  6. Do they know the difference between a 16450 and a 16550A?
  7. Do they know what it means to probe a SCSI device for a logical unit greater than 0? Do they know what a ``blacklisted'' SCSI device is?
  8. Are their heatsinks thermally bonded to the CPU?
  9. Can they tell you if their cache is direct mapped or set associative, and the number of lines/set?
We know the answers.

Consider the time you have to invest in downloading and installing Linux. Consider the time wasted discovering that that cheap NE2000 clone wasn't quite compatible, that the serial ports are really 16450s and are not 16550A compatible, that the VLB video card is slower and has lower resolution than the ISA version, or that only half your memory is cached.

We've already done the work for you. We've run the benchmarks. We've tried all the dip switch settings and setup options. All under Linux. If you buy from us you get the advantage of our experience.

Who Are We?

We are a small software development company that discovered that purchasing generic x86 hardware running Linux for software development was often more economical than purchasing workstations from Sun, DEC, HP, or IBM. However, we discovered the hard way that purchasing and configuring a Linux or commercial Un*x system is not a task for the novice. You need a combination of Un*x guru and PC hardware guru. We decided to put our experience to use by selling pre-installed configured systems.

We also got tired of vendors whose definition of compatibility was that ``it works under DOS,'' and whose knowledge of their products extended to the advertising copy on the package, and decided we could do better.

If you're considering purchasing an x86 machine to run Linux, or a commercial Un*x, we suggest you look at the September 1993 and October 1993 issues of SunWorld. They decided to install and review 4 different commercial Un*x variants. It took them a month to do all the installations. We've installed MicroPort, Interactive, Linux, UnixWare, and several other variants, and the people at SunWorld are right - it's a painful process. Save yourself the pain by purchasing a pre-installed system from us.

Warranty

One year warranty on hardware. You pay shipping costs to us on warranty returns. Selected components may have longer warranties from the manufacturer. Inquire about specific components for details.

ALL SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE. BECAUSE THE SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARES), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice. Specifications subject to change without notice. Not responsible for typographical errors. Let us know if you would like to be on our email distribution list.