Re: [orca-list] Mini PCs with linux?

[Kyle <kyle4jesus gmail com>]

If you get an Intel computer for under 200 euros, you will likely get 
something like a dual-core Celeron or something equally horrible. I 
couldn't believe when I saw on Amazon that they still make those, and 
they charge more for one Celeron than I paid for my complete C2 
motherboard, which includes the processor, the RAM and everything but 
the storage. Power consumption is higher overall as well, so you will 
actually pay more money to run it. ARM processors are a good deal faster 
than Celerons, and use less power, especially these newer A53 processors 
in the C2 and the 8 processor cores in the XU4. The XU4 will set you 
back a little more, but it really flies. The eMMC will likely be your 
biggest expense, but you can just get something small, put only the OS 
on maybe a 16GB eMMC and use a MicroSD card for the rest of your files, 
which costs quite a bit less. The high price of eMMC comes from the fact 
that it pretty much works just like an SSD, but is much smaller. They 
are screaming fast, and I've had mine now for close to a year, and it 
still works just as well as it did the day I purchased it. I'm actually 
a bit surprised by the performance of these things, as I never thought 
flash memory would be able to perform like this and last this long. The 
biggest advantages are the size of the computer and the low power 
consumption. My XU4 is about the size of two decks of playing cards held 
side by side. The C2 is a little taller, but that's because I 
specifically purchased a more open case for it. Either of these can be 
purchased with a power supply, but the C2 is capable of being powered by 
a USB cable plugged into either a wall outlet or one of those powerbank 
external batteries that can charge a cell phone, making it rather 
portable, though you still have input devices and such separate from the 
machine itself, which could become a cluttered mess depending on how far 
you're trying to take it. Still, it's a really good option if the power 
goes out and you find yourself needing a computer, as long as your 
internet gateway is also backed by a battery.
Imepelekwa kutoka nyuma ya mkono wangu