Acer Aspire Revo: Good Server Bones?

[jimzak]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103228&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL010710&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL010710-_-DesktopPC-_-L0B-_-83103228

Add a 2TB external HD and this looks like an excellent, small, energy efficient, inexpensive SB server.

Thoughts?

[funkstar]

I think it would do the job very well indeed.

[linvale]

Have been using this as a server for several weeks and am very happy with the performance, efficiency, really not had to reboot since original install of 7.4. Runs silently and very cool. Have is tucked away out of sight, but is a very compact and attractive design - plenty of USB connections. Picked it up at Best Buy with a further discount -so was even better value. No inbuilt Wifi - so hard wire, no CD/DVD drive so need to rip from different machine or add external drive. Some folks have added extra memory on top of the base 1Gb but for the original XP SP3 and SBS I've not yet done so - nor felt the need. Also has very reasonable video capability and HDMI out. Highly recommended (there's reported to be an even cheaper version out there with Linux version installed which could be great as a dedicated server.)

[tamanaco]

I've been trying to get the Aspire Revo 3610 (2nd Generation) with a Core Duo Atom 330 processor and Win 7 64bit, but no reputable US based store or online retailer has it in stock. The MSRP is $329. I can only find it for more money in eBay from a Taiwanese outlet or from an outlet in Canada. I was hoping that Acer was going to announce something about the Revo at CES, but I have not heard anything yet. There is either something wrong with the US supply pipeline for 3610 series or the series has been discontinued.

It appears as a deactivated item at newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103234&Tpk=acer%20aspire%20r3610%20revo

One issue that some folks have reported is that they're unable use WOL to remotely wake up the Revos. There is supposedly a BIOS setting to enable this function, but it appears not to be working. Anyone here running SC on an Aspire Revo and using WOL?

[kantblue]

Hi tamanaco

After my old PC finally gave up the ghost I have just purchased one of the REVO 3160's running windows 7 64bit and it does make a good Squeezecentre Server.

BUT - I can't get WOL to work here either, its very frustrating, I'm looking to see what the problem is, I've updated to the latest bios but its still not working.

I find it difficult to believe that such a simple function can be so hard LOL!

UPDATE: Managed to get it working, still not quite sure how. I want to leave it for a couple of hours and then try to WOL again, as a couple of other people seem to have got it working until it goes into deep sleep!



kantblue

[dave77]

I've just ordered the 3610 Win7. I was reading the revo forums and apparently there's issues with WOL that can be fixed with an update http://www.revouser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=274

[probedb]

I bought the Linux Revo 3600 and put Ubuntu 9.04 on it. Happily running SBS, Twonky and various other stuff. Currently I have a couple of USB drives attached for storage, I want to use eSata but apparently ION doesn't have a port multiplier so no connecting one box with multiple drives

Otherwise it's great

[trouty00]

I just bought the 3600, 1GB RAM (£140 from ebuyer), comes with rubbish o/s so got rid of that, whacked ubuntu 9.10 on it, put SBS on it, put XMBC on it and connected to tv via HDMI, handles full 1080 hd video too,

not worried about WOL as its pretty much my home server now so stays on 24*7.

first time using ubuntu and not too tricky though i am a geek at heart.

[Midnight]

I just bought the 3600, 1GB RAM (£140 from ebuyer), comes with rubbish o/s so got rid of that, whacked ubuntu 9.10 on it, put SBS on it, put XMBC on it and connected to tv via HDMI, handles full 1080 hd video too,

not worried about WOL as its pretty much my home server now so stays on 24*7.

first time using ubuntu and not too tricky though i am a geek at heart.

Sounds like just what I need.

Can you point to any tutorials (linux newbie!)

Does both the SBS and XBMC run direct from the ubuntu OS are are you dual booting the XBMC from usb?

Any help much apreciated.

[dave77]

Sounds like just what I need.

Can you point to any tutorials (linux newbie!)

Does both the SBS and XBMC run direct from the ubuntu OS are are you dual booting the XBMC from usb?

Any help much apreciated.

There's Windows 7 versions if you're not comfortable with Linux, just got mine setup yesterday with SBS and XBMC. It's worth getting a model with wireless keyboard/mouse too.

[trouty00]

aparently the windows 7 version has trouble playing 1080 files and for what this is doing ubuntu does the job perfect, I dont dual boot- I have ubuntu on the harddrive and then SBS and XBMC installed on that, they both start on boot so literally i have to turn it on and its ready to go, got the xbmc app on my touch too which works nicely!.

So first you need to install ubuntu from a usb stick. ( i used unetbootin method) loads ubuntu first from the usb and then gives you an icon on desktop to install full ubuntu.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick

then install SBS - make sure you go with the test 7.4.2 release, just need to add in to the software sources. if your using an existing usb drive or een copying data to the local disk then you may have to change permissions on the folder, mine couldnt find the music at all at first.

'deb http://debian.slimdevices.com' testing main for the 7.4.2 release other wise you will have mysql dependency error

see here for full howto - http://havetheknowhow.com/Install-th...ox-server.html


install XBMC -

http://home4film.com/questions/237/how-to-get-ubuntu-9-10-xbmc-and-squeezebox-server-installed-on-an-acer-aspire-r

make sure you install the driver update and change the appearance settings within ubuntu to the minimal effects- dont know why but it completely removed all video tearing for me.


dont get too worried about anything, alot of sites just detail the terminal prompts but in ubuntu 9.10 you have a full gui to use, so you just add the package link into software sources and use the synaptic package manager to then find the package and install it.


took me about 2 hours probably start to finish from getting the box installed to having it all running in some form, ok so few more tweaks to get running perfect but with all these links ive provided will save you a lot of work.

to get xbmc running on start you just type xbmc in the startup manager.

worst comes to worst, you learn a bit about ubuntu but cant get it working right so go with windows but its honestly pretty straight forward!!

[dave77]

aparently the windows 7 version has trouble playing 1080 files

It's fixed in the latest xbmc releases.

[trouty00]

even with the revo? can xbmc on win 7 offload video processing to the GPU, think this was the issue i read.

I have no doubt that a win 7 machine with lots of cpu power and mem would cope but unless xbmc on win 7 on the revo can offload the processing power to the gpu you wont be playing 1080

[dave77]

Yup, more here http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=61355

Not tested it myself yet though

[Midnight]

Thanks trouty

I've read all the tutorials now and it doesn't sound too daunting.

I've got unbunto loaded on a usb ready to go.

Just need the Revo to turn up from Ebuyer now.

£129 seemed like a bargain!