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Thin Client to PC, need flash ROM upgrade

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8 replies

by helphunting

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Hello all,
I am in the progress of getting a HP Compaq Thin Client t5700. I plan on using this as a PC/server.
I am trying to find out how I can upgrade the flash ROM.

Anybody have experience of these or even better know where I could find some of this ROM?

Thank you,
Derry

8 replies

by cg it

you are planning on using a "thin client" as a PC/Server?

How much flash ROM are you thinking of sticking in the slots, that is if the board has removable ROM?

The next question is how are you going to program the ROM if you were to get it?

by cg it

with the Porsche body??

I like the prosche 914 reminded me of all those exotic looking cars that had the VW engine and frame and the bolt on exotic fibreglass body...

by maniacman

You simply can't turn a piece of crap into gold.

by helphunting

I am in the progress of doing this at the moment.
The t5700 has 1 Ghz and 512 RAM with 512 ROM on an mini 40 pin IDE controller.
I'm changing the ROM for a CF card adapter. There is hardware expansion for extra ram but that will involve soldering, also there is space for an extra controller but I have not been able to identify that yet.

With that done, I'll be putting debian on a 1 gig CF card. With some services active.
The system will then be perfectly capable of performing as a media streamer, ftp server, torrent client, VPN, network back ups, general home server etc...

Also it has a PCI slot so storage can be added via usb 2.0 even use software RAID if needed, or wanted! My dream would be to add a fiber SAN card!

But I feel I need to justify this story so?
A good NAS box, with lots of features, will still only have about 266 Mhz with 64 RAM and maybe 64 ROM.
This box is a bit bigger with way more hardware spec, there is no reason in the world that this won?t work! I don?t like having to justify my question.

If people think back a little, a box with these kinds of specs would easily have been used as a server in a corporate environment. Fine you go back a few years but they worked!

I really thought that I would get a decent response for this web site.
I was mistaken.

Thanks anyway.

by cg it

that wasn't meant to do this?

A thin client really is nothing more than a terminal.

With the price of desktops and with dual core processors, it seems foolish to use a thin client.

Dual core processors and memory being so inexpensive, a 4gb desktop with a dual core processor make todays desktops similar to the hefty dual processor servers of not to long ago.

by helphunting

The main reason I want to use this thin client is power usage.

The box you refer to above will have a power supply of about 300 W ( on idle it may use 30W)
The thin client has a 40 W power supply on idle it may use about 4 - 8 W.
I stand corrected on this but these are my own figures using a multimeter and my basic physics!

Thanks,
Derry

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