[BC] Automation and AoIP

[Tom Spencer]

Chuckle.

Look closely at the $2800 "server" motherboard.

Now look at that $800 PC's MB.

For under $200, you can get a rack-mount case.  Usually with a pretty 
hefty power supply and/or dual-redundant power supplies, and 8 - 12 
drive bays.  What else do you get for the extra $2 grand?  Buy the PC.  
Buy a rack-mount case and heftier power supply.  Migrate the guts.  Save 
the extra grand.

Case in point (pun intended):  I just bought a 4-rack-unit case with a 
650-watt power supply for $110; free shipping.  I'll be migrating my 
"Office" system to that case, and using the old case for the stream 
server, which is still in its desktop/tower case.  (The "Office" machine 
needs the heftier PS because it's the one with both CD and DVD burners, 
plus 2x 300 GB PATA and 2x 200 GB PATA drives, plus the 120 GB main PATA 
drive, a 100 GB secondary PATA drive, and both sizes of floppies... I 
calculated the total load one time, and it came out at about 470 watts.  
And no, because the MB doesn't support SATA drives.)

I have Station Playlist running in another one of those 4 RU cases, so 
this is the third 4-RU case I've bought, with no issues other than a 
missing carrier for the washable front filter, which they sent Priority 
Mail.

eBay "Arrowmax" is the seller.  They also have a plethora of 2-way 
replacement parts; mostly mics, antennas and batteries...

Tom Taggart wrote:
>   Since I'm the labor,
> I'll keep buying desktop computers. $800 vs. $2800 sounds
> attractive when I get to keep the cash. Even with a super
> fancy rackmount I would still be afraid that powers-that-be
> in Silicon Valley will find some way to obsolete the bigger
> machine. 

-- 
Tom Spencer