Xibo Client Computer Specs

We deployed Acer Aspire Revo 3610s and are very happy with them.

Alex

I have deployed a few displays based on spare Dell OptiPlex 755 SFF desktops with the following specs.

 Processor: 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
 RAM: 2GB
 HDD: 80GB
 Video: 256MB ATI Raedon via VGA (although nVidia is recommended)
 OS: Ubuntu 10.04 (Windows XP worked fine as well)

The systems run exceptionally well for XIbo and is probably a bit over powered.

- Brian

I would say anything that is capable of running Windows XP is also capable of running Xibo. I myself have used old P3 1ghz Compaq pc's with just 128mb of internal memory (the old SD-ram) and a 20gig HD. They run a custom stripped down version of XP (n-Lite'd) and, apart from the considerable boot time (about 2-3 min, but that is of no concern), are very capable of showing our Xibo presentations, including Flash and Rss. They also only consume about 50-60 watt each, which is very reasonable, and are capable of displaying upto 1280x720.

As you mentioned you want to deploy them on campus, I can only assume that there are still some old bangers laying around the office, just begging to be revived. I would say a 1ghz CPU is the bare minimum for systems <192mb internal memory, I guess you could drop your CPU speed to as little as 500mhz if you increase your internal memory to 256mb or more.

More intensive presentations equals more computational power. Running simple movies will still be feasible on a 500mhz-1ghz system, as long as you make sure you install enough internal memory. I can recall playing Xvid and DivX files on my 700mhz AMD Duron system with 512mb of internal memory.

Offcourse, buying new nettop pc's like the Acer Revo's or Asus EEE nettops would immediately solve your problems, but I always find it more rewarding to find new uses for old things. Business tend to think similarly, as re-deploying old hardware cuts costs considerably, with only little extra attention to make it all work (apart from the somewhat higher chance of break-down, which relates more to moving parts hardware, such as hard disks, which tend to become a little less reliable after 10 years of service - but then again, a new sata or IDE HD is just 40 dollars). Just make sure that the videocard installed in these older systems is capable of displaying your preferred resolution. If you are going to use modern Plasma or LCD screens, it should be capable of 16:9 resolutions, like 1280x720. However, here you might also want to recycle some old hardware, perhaps, older 4:3 LCD screens or 4:3 projectors.

With these digital signage setups, possibilities are almost endless. In that respect, they pose a nice opportunity to develop some creative solutions.

Thanks for the suggestions, gives me a good starting point.