Re OT: source for cheap used computers

Doing research, so far it is getting uglier. Wikipedia says that intel is still making CPUs that don't support virtualization, so just age is insufficient for Intel. It also says if bios doesn't enable features in the chipset, it won't work even if the CPU supports it. So I guess I need a list of complete computer systems which support virtualization and I have been unable to find one so far. 

For linux (which I want the computer for), I was told to enter 

cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep flag 

And look for either vmx or svm. Would that flag still show even if the bios didn't enable the features in the chipset? I don't know. 

Is there an equivalent command for windows that I could type in on a computer to determine if it has support? 

Although I am beginning to suspect I won't find anything in my price range that supports virtualization. This box will be to run linux only. I have other computers that I can run winblows on when I can't avoid it. 

Just out of curiosity, are there any reasonably current x86 family computers that winblows will not install upon, other than not having a frame buffer (video display), or some old/strange video that windblows doesn't support, that is, being serial port only which at least some versions of linux will install on? Maybe a hardware raid that winblows will fail to recognize but linux or BSD will? 

--Carey 

----- [email protected] wrote: 



My desktop died, this is coming from webmail on my notebook, so please reply directly to me, I am likely to miss anything on the list. 

The way it died makes me think it may be dying the same as the how the last one died, with the disk controller gradually degrading, causing sporadic errors, before a complete failure. So maybe I should get a new(er) computer. I am financially challenged (unemployed) so need something under $100. I would like one that can virtualize, since none of my existing computers can. At least 2 GHz and upgradeable to 2GB or preferably more. Disk size not critical, I have some, and I have a fileserver for non-current stuff. 

Looking on craigs list seems to be high end (multi core) especially game machines, and laptops. One post for a server led to this: 
http://www.belmont-techsales.com/Used_Systems_s/37.htm 
Does anybody have any experience with that company pro or con? I'd prefer a (mini tower) case where I can install my own DVD writer drive, but I can burn DVDs on my fileserver, just not as convenient. The second one on the website, upgraded to 3 GB is $89. Maybe if I searched for info on the computer I could determine if it will virtualize, but is there an easy way to tell? Is a P4HT vs P4 VMWare ready|? Or, maybe, everything new enough to be 3GHz? The only way I know to tell is entering a command in a super user (root) terminal window under linux and looking for features. I've ordered "virtualization for dummies" from the library. 

Or does somebody on this list have something appropriate, and didn't feel it was worth the effort to try to sell it on Craig's list/ebay, and will sell it to me cheap? Northwest suburbs preferred.

-- 
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