Return to the Essence

Some time ago I explored restoring limited systems with lighter desktops. (That is, less resource-hungry desktops.) My new project these days has ventured over to new processors—64-bit logic! Of course, Macintosh back in the day went through a similar transition starting with Motorola 68000 series chips, a technology that dated from the '70s, to the PowerPC chips, then finally joined the rest of planet Earth with the Intel architecture. Who knows? Perhaps we will swing back to PowerPC which now has 64-bit instructions. It boils down to how much memory you can access... which is now astronomical. I suppose clock speed, FLOPS, cores, and other performance measurements count, too.

Supposing you have a system that's slightly deficient in several of these areas: memory, speed, graphics ... well just those three. But it's part of the New World: 64-bits!

Lenovo ThinkCentre M58P

I was surprised to learn this workhorse has several enhancements over other systems I've used in the past... well it's 64-bit! The chassis opens like a car hood:

Where have I seen this before? Hmm. I wonder....

Yes! The Macintosh IIci could "pop the top," too. I have to say that there is some aesthetic and functional consideration that goes into my computer purchases. The first is "Will the case last?" and "Does it look suitably industrial for my tastes?" "Are the components easy to access and service?" I have been overwhelmingly happy with the IBM (Lenovo) industrial design. Their labeling, color-coding, and robust materials are part of the IBM standard design—they are built to be compliant and they are built to last. I've also had luck with the extraordinary lifespan of their logic boards.

Linux appears to play very well with Lenovo hardware (at least the "Think" lineup: ThinkPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkStation). While I've already gone through the process of a flawless Debian install, it always comes down to that pesky desktop issue. Which is best for me? Which is best for an elderly 64-bit system?