John said:
I'm a hard-core PC user (most regulars know that), so don't think
I'm promoting WebTV.
Just wondering if anybody here knows about WebTV? A friend can use
e-mail only and I don't think a PC should be necessary for that. She
has a big HDTV too and should use that. What are the cost
differences?
Thanks.
The dialup is listed here as $21.95 a month, and the "box" is $200.
http://www.msntv.com/pc/get/dial_service.asp
You could get an Everex ($200) at Walmart, then shop for
an ISP. This comes with something called gOS and
512MB of RAM. Maybe that would be enough to run
some other Linux distro, like Ubuntu. Since all
you're doing is email on the box, the gutless
VIA processor should not be a problem. (It's
performance level is just enough to play some
video formats on the screen, but not much more.)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754614#Item+Description
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5305482907.html
http://www.linuxdevices.com/files/misc/via_pc2500_gos_dev_board.jpg (motherboard)
http://desktoplinux.com/news/NS7114714037.html (TC2502 computer description)
(Motherboard spec.)
# Processor -- Via C7-D 1.5GHz
# Chipset -- Via CN700 + VT8237R plus
# Memory -- 2 x DDRII slots, for up to 2GB
# Storage:
* 2 x PATA interfaces (up to ATA133)
* 2 x SATA interfaces (up to SATA150)
* Floppy drive interface
# Networking -- 10/100 Base-T Ethernet based on Via VT6103L PHY
# Video -- Via UniChrome Pro IGP (VIA CN700)
# Audio:
* Based on Realtek ALC655 (supports 6 channels)
* Connectors -- audio line out/in, mic jack
# Other I/O:
* VGA out
* 4 x USB 2.0 ports
* 2 x PS2 ports
* Parallel printer port
* Serial port
* IR interface
Expansion:
* PCI slots (2)
* CNR slot
# Power:
* 20-pin ATX power connector
* +12V 4-pin power connector
You'd have to pick up a modem, and it has two PCI
slots. There are a number of interfaces that could be
used for a modem. (You still have to add an LCD
monitor to the Everex. It has VGA output, and a lot
of cheap monitors are DVI.)
Possibly the cheapest monitor to go with that, would be
a CRT. A size versus price tradeoff.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116388
If you wanted something more compact, the Asus EEE
is a possibility, at $349. Still needs a modem, but
has its own display. You could do email on it, but
this is more of a toy than anything else.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220260
So which of these options is most practical, really
depends on how you get the Internet connection. If you
can beat the MSNTV $21.95 per month price for dialup, then
you can figure out how long it would take to pay back the
price difference in the hardware solution used with it.
The MSNTV box is $200 and uses the TV, while the above solutions
are more expensive to perform the same function. A cheaper ISP
option might make it pay. (Back home, we used a $100 per
year dialup service, with something like 1 hour per day minimum
connectivity.)
You could also check the local PC recyclers, to see if they
have something like an old P3 box. Depending on the
price and condition of the box, that might be an
alternative.
One thing about TV output, is the clarity of text. For example,
I cannot really read text at 640x480 res from my computer, via the
composite output to my TV set. Maybe if the WebTV box could
drive component video or DVI, things would be different. To
read text on an ordinary TV, you'd be limited to how
many characters you could have per line, and still read it.
(My ZX-81 had something like 40 characters across the
screen, and used a TV for output. I had to sit pretty close
to the screen. But it was a blast to play with. mainly because
it was so cheap, and because it worked.)
Paul
