Anyone use WalMart $200 PC - TC2502 ?

[bothari]

I'm thinking about creating a PVR with one of the new Everex TC2502 on sale for $200. I already have a Happauge USB PVR2 that I used to have working with GBPVR, but that box died due to an unrelated illness.

The specs online are 1.5 G processor, 1/2 Gig memory, 80 Gig hard drive, DVD player, CDRom Burner, and a linux distro.

I would re-use my old Windows 2000 for an OS, but I was hoping someone else had tried it first.

Whaddayathink?

Joe

[Bathman]

I have recently built a new client and I was considering building it using the same motherboard that ships in this PC.

VIA iDOT PC2500E PC-1 Mainboard - 1.5Ghz C7-D

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11878

What put me off however was the 1.5ghz processor which I believe will struggle to run GBPVR. Also VIA poor reputation for not delivering what the advertise so many people in the past have brought their ITX line only to find that there are no graphics drivers available on windows that accelerate MPEG2/4.

Personally I feel that this motherboard would be a better bet as it has a PCI-Express slot.

VIA iDOT PC3500G PC-1 Mainboard - 1.5Ghz C7-D

http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11881

In the end I brought an Intel D201GLY2 and a PCI Nvidia 6200. Review (of D201GLY) here

http://resources.mini-box.com/online/MBD...ption.html

It has a least double the performance, low energy use and is fanless. The downsides are no speedstep, crap onboard graphics and PCI not PCI-express however as it is made by intel so I expect it to be reliable. I have brought too many VIA products in the past only to have to sell them on Ebay (at a loss) because they don't work with my memory, are unstable etc

I hear ASUS are supposed to be builidng a deskop version of their EEE laptop. A motherboard from that should be interesting as it has a ULC celeron and 915 intel chipset/onbard graphics and I reckon this will drive GBPRR without any problems.

Finally if anyone could get windows to load on an AppleTV I think that would make a great client or even a server with a USB tuner.