Re: Debian + PC with multi RS... port -> n x (text dumb terminal + printer)
>
> If you were willing to go with 386 class PC's, you could strip them down to
> a special ethernet card with the kernel in ROM (or, a normal ethernet card
> and a floppy disk drive), a video card, a printer port, and 2 to 4 MB of
> memory (plus keyboard, screen, and printer, of course). That can boot linux
> over the network, and then you could write the POS app in linux.
>
IGEL, LLC makes a line of systems called the Etherminal.
These are Intel (or compatible) based systems that have Linux and X Windows
on EEPROM. They also have a root filesystem on NVRAM (CMOS). These are
nice systems.
The current models are the 5x and the 5j. The 5x has built-in Ethernet
(3 media types) 2 serial (one for the mouse) and a parallel port. They
also have builtin Cirrus SVGA. The 5j has the same plus additional RAM,
and Netscape navigator. A 5js is going to be available RSN - it's the 5j
w/ sound. All of the Etherminal 5's use a 586 processor.
If those systems are too much, the Etherminal 3x's may still be available.
These systems have the same svga/2s/1p/Ethernet ports on-board, but use a
386sx-40 processor and have 4-8 MB RAM.
Those systems may sound puny but they are amazingly fast!! I've sold a few
of them to my wife's veterinary clinic, and am amazed with their performance
and their reliability. We set the 3x's up in Feb. 1996 and have not had to
do *anything* to them since. Oh, yeah. It took longer to get all of the
components out of the box and connected than it did to configure the machines.
For the record - yes, I am associated with IGEL. I'm an IGEL VAR. My
opinion of their systems is not based on that tho - I'm *truly* impressed
with the ease of configuration/setup and the reliability of the Etherminals.
Chuck
--
Chuck Stickelman, Owner E-Mail: <stick@richnet.net>
Practical Network Design Voice: (419) 529-3841
9 Chambers Road FAX: (419) 529-3625
Mansfield, OH 44906-1302 USA
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