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email(at)jaredyates.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:55 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

My little pencil-style soldering iron is dead and I'm looking to

replace it, perhaps with one of the station soldering irons.  I'm

looking for a unit that is suitable for hobby use that will last a

while and get the job done.  Does anyone have any recommendations for

one that is worth considering?

fvalarm(at)rapidnet.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 8:59 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

I use portable soldering irons every day at work.  I like the cordless

(butane) for convenience of no cords and fast heat and they fit into my tool

belt even right after use without the risk of burns when reaching for

another tool.  I have used many different kinds over the years but Portasol

see

http://www.apexhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=0371031693

89 has been my trusty workhorse and not the most expensive of the portables.



HOWEVER, you must be mindful that it uses an open flame and sparks from the

igniter which should not be used around flammables or in confined spaces

where flammable fumes may have collected.



Bevan



--

JLuckey(at)pacbell.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 9:28 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

It is probably over-kill for just hobby use but I just purchased a Weller

WES51 temp-controlled soldering station.  They list for ~$130, got it at

Fry's for $99.



This is the first soldering station I've purchased in more than 20 years

because I could no longer find new tips for my trusty old Ungar soldering

iron.



The temp is adjustable from 600 to 850F, it heats in less than a minute &

the iron itself is lightweight & easy to hold.  I have not used it much but,

so far, I like it & it appears to get good reviews.



-Jeff



--

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 12:03 pm Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

At 12:27 PM 11/4/2012, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

It is probably over-kill for just hobby use but I just purchased a Weller

WES51 temp-controlled soldering station.  They list for ~$130, got it at

Fry's for $99.



This is the first soldering station I've purchased in more than 20 years

because I could no longer find new tips for my trusty old Ungar soldering

iron.



The temp is adjustable from 600 to 850F, it heats in less than a minute &

the iron itself is lightweight & easy to hold.  I have not used it much but,

so far, I like it & it appears to get good reviews.



-Jeff


	


    This Weller product is an excellent value. Weller was amongst the

    first of the soldering tool guys to come out with temperature

    control at the tip technology. I've owned (or caused the purchase

    of) many WTCP solder wands. The NEAT thing about these tools

    is that 'station' is simply a 24vac transformer. Temperature

    control happens right at the tip.  I built a production line

    of WTCP wands for Electro-Mech back about 1982. The boss took

    a look at the price of the individual stations and nixed the idea;

    didn't want to spend that much money (8 stations as I recall).



    After getting a budget limit I discovered that I could buy

    replacement wands really reasonably. I wired the back-to-

    back benches with 24VAC outlets powered by a surplus transformer

    from my junk box.  I thought Fred was going to have me flogged

    when I heard that he was unhappy that I bought the

    WTCP systems anyhow . . . but when he confronted me later I

    was able to show him that I'd spent only a fraction of the

    budget and got the performance I was seeking anyhow.



    Since that time, temperature control technologies have leap

    frogged several generations. One of the 'Cadillac' examples

    is sold by Metcal. See the matronics forums site to search

    'Metcal' on this List.  It takes some patience to get that

    technology at the lowest price. Never buy a complete station

    consisting of cord, wand, power supply and stand. Also, look

    for the legacy STTC/RFG30/PS2E supplies like these



http://tinyurl.com/ad9l7ls



http://tinyurl.com/ay5eksv



http://tinyurl.com/amct74p



   and others. Be patient. Don't bid more than $50

   and make sure 'returns are accepted'. You'll get

   one eventually.



   You'll want to buy the wand brand new. Used ones

   tend to be really beat. You need the MX-RM3E wand.

   Tips you can buy off eBay used and new at good

   prices and a huge selection of styles.



http://tinyurl.com/basessm



http://tinyurl.com/d2p28z9



   This tool is only 30W but it puts it ALL

   at the tip. I've soldered un-insulated lugs to 2AWG

   welding cable with this iron. At the same time,

   there are needle-point tips that will handily work

   0604 surface mount components under your microscope.



   I think the last time I assembled an STTC system

   was for my brother-in-law about three years ago.

   I think I spent about $160 total on it.



   There MAY be other combinations of Metcal products

   of equal value and accessibility . . . I'm just

   VERY familiar with the combination cited above.

   There are several systems where the parts are NOT

   interchangeable. They're newer than the STTC system

   and tend to be more expensive too.



   Bob . . .

jloram

Joined: 07 Nov 2009
Posts: 54
Location: United States

Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 12:19 pm Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

I have over 30 years on my two Weller 60 watt Soldering Stations. At times I

have left them turned on for months at a time and they both work perfectly.

Can't go wrong with a one of these Wellers for general electrical/electronic

circuit work. Heats up in under a minute. Consider more modern WES51 or

WESD51 (auto-shutoff). Expect to spend around $80-$150. Buy a couple of big

tips, medium tips and small tips. 



You'll need something bigger (Weller soldering gun?) for other kinds of

soldering.



-john-

 	  Quote: 	
		   [mailto:owner-aeroelectric-list-server(at)matronics.com] On 

 Behalf Of Jared Yates

 Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2012 7:54 AM

 To: aeroelectric-list(at)matronics.com

 Subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

 

 

 --> <email(at)jaredyates.com>

 

 My little pencil-style soldering iron is dead and I'm looking 

 to replace it, perhaps with one of the station soldering 

 irons.  I'm looking for a unit that is suitable for hobby use 

 that will last a while and get the job done.  Does anyone 

 have any recommendations for one that is worth considering?

Eric M. Jones

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 565
Location: Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 5:50 am Post subject: Re: Soldering Iron Recommendations

Bob has mentioned and recommended the METCAL soldering iron for years, and I have to say I never quite "got it" until my last soldering iron died and I bought a Metcal on Ebay. 



Now what on God's Green Earth would make a soldering iron worth over $800 (new)? Especially when the tips are $30 each. It has no temperature control. If it had an instruction manual, I haven't ever seen it. What's so special?



Well, let me tell you brothers and sisters....If you do electronic soldering, buy a Metcal today. Log onto Ebay and get one cheap. When you first use it, you will ask yourself, "This is NUTS! Why the Hell did I ever use anything else? Why didn't someone tell me about this thing?"



I bought one on Ebay for $100, and I also bought one (a complete repair station with the soldering and desoldering stuff...brand new, with tips, for $47 on ShopGoodwill.com), but deals like that don't come up very often.



Here's what makes Metcal the Cat's-Meow of the soldering world:



1) They have NO MANUAL TEMPERATURE CONTROL AT ALL. NONE.

2) The tips are as long as a pencil and simply push in. No locking collars to tighted or loosen. An added bonus is that the tips can be changed when hot. They have a silicone hot-mitt on the cord with which you can grab the hot tip. This makes me smile. They thought of EVERYTHING.

3) They have a hefty low-voltage power supply that heats (and automatically adjusts) whatever tip you're using almost instantly.

4) When you aren't using it, it goes into a quiescent mode automatically.

5) The cord is silicone and as limp as can be.

6) They thought of everything....It is just heart-touching how much the designers cared about this thing...and it shows.



You can buy these used on Ebay for a couple hundred or less. You need the power unit, the pencil, the tip and the holder. I like STTC-147 tips for my work. I had a "personal shopper" notification set up on Ebay so that whenever one came up I'd get an email. Now I have a lifetime supply.



Look...I know you think I'm a ragging lunatic for being so completely in love with a soldering iron, but it's like the old joke: 



Q: Metcal is by far the best soldering iron, so what's second-best? 

A: There is no second best. Metcal is simply so good, there is nothing else in the game.

_________________
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508) 764-2072
emjones(at)charter.net

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 6:29 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

At 07:50 AM 11/5/2012, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  



Bob has mentioned and recommended the METCAL soldering iron for 

years, and I have to say I never quite "got it" until my last 

soldering iron died and I bought a Metcal on Ebay.


	


   <snip>



 	  Quote: 	
		  Q: Metcal is by far the best soldering iron, so what's second-best?

A: There is no second best. Metcal is simply so good, there is 

nothing else in the game.


	


    I could not have said it better sir. I didn't know Metcal existed

    until I went to work at Beech-before-Raytheon the first time

    (about 1980). The techs in the Targets Division all had them.

    Found out later that the assembly building on the 'square mile'

    was totally Metcal. Had little chance  for up close and personal

    experience at first . . . lots of capable support that knew how to drive

    soldering irons and place parts.



    Over the years I gained a healthy respect for the sheer rugged

    precision and flexibility that this tool offered. It's rather

    un-assuming with a lack of dials, indicators and wires (that

    wand cable is just shielded wire, the power supply is simply

    a 30 watt, 500 Hkz 'transmitter').



    Those who are students of the arts in this business will recall

    great milestones in the history. The lead-acid battery leading

    to modern SVLA, the engine driven alternator leading to Nipon

    Dienso and stable mates, Klaus Savier's Light Speed products that

    were the forerunners of E-mags . . . just to name a few. Now

    a guy who soldered his hobby projects with a plumber's

    copper heated on mom's stove owns three Metcal stations and has

    outfitted all interested relatives with them.



    Someone looking at a soldering tool for the first time cannot

    know what thinking and processes went into its emergence

    from the often chaotic evolution of what now appears to be ho-hum

    technology. And my grand kids will never write their first chapter

    of a book on a Kaypro either. But I'm going to tell them about

    it . . . while making sure that what ever version of Windows does

    not pose unnecessary impediments!

   Bob . . .

Eric M. Jones

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 565
Location: Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 6:58 am Post subject: Re: Soldering Iron Recommendations

 	  Quote: 	
		  Bob....the power supply is simply a..., 500 Hkz 'transmitter' 	




Bob, 



Right you are. The new ones are even higher frequencies, ~13 MHz or so and 2X or so the power. Surprises me.

_________________
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508) 764-2072
emjones(at)charter.net

Tim Olson

Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 2871

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:02 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

Eric (and anyone else),



Is there a chance that you or someone could offer up what would be a

good model of station to go with for someone who wants to do

general electronics/avionics work?  I noted you said the STTC-147

tips.  Just browsed eBay and saw there are many models.

I have 2 weller stations right now, and use the tiny point pencil

tips quite a bit.  I don't really *need* a new station, but hey,

if they're as good as you say, I could be up for buying one.

I' probably get new though if possible.

Tim



On 11/5/2012 7:50 AM, Eric M. Jones wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Bob has mentioned and recommended the METCAL soldering iron for years, and I have to say I never quite "got it" until my last soldering iron died and I bought a Metcal on Ebay.



 Now what on God's Green Earth would make a soldering iron worth over $800 (new)? Especially when the tips are $30 each. It has no temperature control. If it had an instruction manual, I haven't ever seen it. What's so special?



 Well, let me tell you brothers and sisters....If you do electronic soldering, buy a Metcal today. Log onto Ebay and get one cheap. When you first use it, you will ask yourself, "This is NUTS! Why the Hell did I ever use anything else? Why didn't someone tell me about this thing?"



 I bought one on Ebay for $100, and I also bought one (a complete repair station with the soldering and desoldering stuff...brand new, with tips, for $47 on ShopGoodwill.com), but deals like that don't come up very often.



 Here's what makes Metcal the Cat's-Meow of the soldering world:



 1) They have NO MANUAL TEMPERATURE CONTROL AT ALL. NONE.

 2) The tips are as long as a pencil and simply push in. No locking collars to tighted or loosen. An added bonus is that the tips can be changed when hot. They have a silicone hot-mitt on the cord with which you can grab the hot tip. This makes me smile. They thought of EVERYTHING.

 3) They have a hefty low-voltage power supply that heats (and automatically adjusts) whatever tip you're using almost instantly.

 4) When you aren't using it, it goes into a quiescent mode automatically.

 5) The cord is silicone and as limp as can be.

 6) They thought of everything....It is just heart-touching how much the designers cared about this thing...and it shows.



 You can buy these used on Ebay for a couple hundred or less. You need the power unit, the pencil, the tip and the holder. I like STTC-147 tips for my work. I had a "personal shopper" notification set up on Ebay so that whenever one came up I'd get an email. Now I have a lifetime supply.



 Look...I know you think I'm a ragging lunatic for being so completely in love with a soldering iron, but it's like the old joke:



 Q: Metcal is by far the best soldering iron, so what's second-best?

 A: There is no second best. Metcal is simply so good, there is nothing else in the game.



 --------

 Eric M. Jones

 www.PerihelionDesign.com

 113 Brentwood Drive

 Southbridge, MA 01550

 (508) 764-2072

 emjones(at)charter.net

Eric M. Jones

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 565
Location: Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:21 am Post subject: Re: Soldering Iron Recommendations

I use an RFG-30. There is one on Ebay now for $20 with handpiece and tip including shipping. Seller says the holder might be included. 



ANY Metcal will do fine. The newer the more expensive. Again, you need the power supply, the handpiece the holder and the tip.

_________________
Eric M. Jones
www.PerihelionDesign.com
113 Brentwood Drive
Southbridge, MA 01550
(508) 764-2072
emjones(at)charter.net

ceengland7(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 8:42 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

On 11/05/2012 08:30 AM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com>



 At 07:50 AM 11/5/2012, you wrote:

> 

> <emjones(at)charter.net>

>

> Bob has mentioned and recommended the METCAL soldering iron for 

> years, and I have to say I never quite "got it" until my last 

> soldering iron died and I bought a Metcal on Ebay.



   <snip>



> Q: Metcal is by far the best soldering iron, so what's second-best?

> A: There is no second best. Metcal is simply so good, there is 

> nothing else in the game.



    I could not have said it better sir. I didn't know Metcal existed

    until I went to work at Beech-before-Raytheon the first time

    (about 1980). The techs in the Targets Division all had them.

    Found out later that the assembly building on the 'square mile'

    was totally Metcal. Had little chance  for up close and personal

    experience at first . . . lots of capable support that knew how to 

 drive

    soldering irons and place parts.



    Over the years I gained a healthy respect for the sheer rugged

    precision and flexibility that this tool offered. It's rather

    un-assuming with a lack of dials, indicators and wires (that

    wand cable is just shielded wire, the power supply is simply

    a 30 watt, 500 Hkz 'transmitter').



    Those who are students of the arts in this business will recall

    great milestones in the history. The lead-acid battery leading

    to modern SVLA, the engine driven alternator leading to Nipon

    Dienso and stable mates, Klaus Savier's Light Speed products that

    were the forerunners of E-mags . . . just to name a few. Now

    a guy who soldered his hobby projects with a plumber's

    copper heated on mom's stove owns three Metcal stations and has

    outfitted all interested relatives with them.



    Someone looking at a soldering tool for the first time cannot

    know what thinking and processes went into its emergence

    from the often chaotic evolution of what now appears to be ho-hum

    technology. And my grand kids will never write their first chapter

    of a book on a Kaypro either. But I'm going to tell them about

    it . . . while making sure that what ever version of Windows does

    not pose unnecessary impediments!

   Bob . . .

Kaypro?? Go to the real beginning: Osborne One.  
	


(wish I still had mine, for my museum collection...)

raymondj(at)frontiernet.n
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:21 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

On 11/05/2012 08:30 AM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote:



SNIP

 	  Quote: 	
		  



 Someone looking at a soldering tool for the first time cannot

 know what thinking and processes went into its emergence

 from the often chaotic evolution of what now appears to be ho-hum

 technology. And my grand kids will never write their first chapter

 of a book on a Kaypro either. But I'm going to tell them about

 it . . . while making sure that what ever version of Windows does

 not pose unnecessary impediments!




	


If you want to avoid Windows' unnecessary impediments, avoid Windows!!! 

The future is open source.



do not archive



Raymond Julian

Kettle River, MN.



"And you know that I could have me a million more friends,

and all I'd have to lose is my point of view." - John Prine

bbradburry(at)bellsouth.n
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:48 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

So what do you suggest to replace windows??  



I have Vista.  It sucks big time!  Same with Office 2003.  I had planned to

go with Windows 7, but I saw that my son also has problems with that.



I am open to good suggestions.



Bill 



--

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:51 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

 	  Quote: 	
		  Kaypro?? Go to the real beginning: Osborne One.  

 (wish I still had mine, for my museum collection...) 	




    Hmmm . . . we could go back further still

    and consider the seedling efforts of PARC

    where they were playing with multi-tasking,

    windows-like desk tops, etc. etc. I think "Lisa"

    was their first table-top computer that offered

    consumer-friendly features. Rumor has it that

    a lot of features that turned up on original offering

    of Microsoft and Apple had genesis in visits by

    Jobs and Gates to the PARC facility at 1980 Porter

    drive . . .



    I learned to do 6800/6500 assembler on the AIM-65.



 [img]cid:.0[/img]



    A couple years later that a Kaypro II offered formatted

    printout of spell-checked word processing. The first chapters

    of the 'Connection were done on the Kaypro but ported 

    to a XP running WordStar before it got printed. The camera

    ready two-column printout was done on a daisy-wheel printer!



 

 

   Bob . . .

15d21c8e.jpg

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nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:52 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

 	  Quote: 	
		  If you want to avoid Windows' unnecessary impediments, avoid 

Windows!!! The future is open source.


	


   Sure. But in terms of cost/performance ratio

   for neophyte friendly computing, Windows/Apple still

   commands the market. Robust competition cannot be

   anything but good. Example: MicroCAD



   Bob . . .

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:04 am Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

At 11:47 AM 11/5/2012, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  

<bbradburry(at)bellsouth.net>



So what do you suggest to replace windows??


	


   Until just recently, every computer in the house (7) runs

   XP_SP3. Just bought Dr. Dee a dual processor, 64 bit work

   station and installed Win7. She's been running Win7 for

   a couple years on the company provided laptop with good

   results. So far, the new Win7 machine has been stable

    . . . and fast.



   I think a lot of 'trouble' folks are having with various

   combinations of hardware/system/application have to do

   with inadvertent log-jams and changes to configuration.

   Ever so often, I do a Ghost Restore on my grand-kid's computers

   when the onslaught of interesting downloads and inadvertent

   infections of malware reduce the computer to a pile of

   frozen transistors and hard-drives.



   I generally avoid any upgrade of operating system until it's

   up to Service Pack 2 . . . XP has been VERY stable compared

   to it's predecessors. Skipped Vista entirely. Experience

   with Win7 has yet to give rise to trepidation.



   My comment about Windows was more tongue in cheek than

   any suggestion of complaint. I've produced tens of thousands

   of hours of work product on PC-Dos/Windows machines for which

   my boss/customers have compensated me well. I'm not looking

   to abandon Uncle Bill soon . . .

   Bob . . .

raymondj(at)frontiernet.n
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 12:19 pm Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

Linux Ubuntu is popular for average users. Any Linux/Unix type operating 

system offers freedom from the whims of either Microsoft or Apple.



See: http://www.ubuntu.com/



Raymond Julian

Kettle River, MN.



"And you know that I could have me a million more friends,

and all I'd have to lose is my point of view." - John Prine



On 11/05/2012 11:47 AM, Bill Bradburry wrote:

[quote] 



 So what do you suggest to replace windows??



 I have Vista.  It sucks big time!  Same with Office 2003.  I had planned to

 go with Windows 7, but I saw that my son also has problems with that.



 I am open to good suggestions.



 Bill



 --

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 12:48 pm Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

At 09:02 AM 11/5/2012, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  



Eric (and anyone else),



Is there a chance that you or someone could offer up what would be a

good model of station to go with for someone who wants to do

general electronics/avionics work?  I noted you said the STTC-147

tips.  Just browsed eBay and saw there are many models.

I have 2 weller stations right now, and use the tiny point pencil

tips quite a bit.  I don't really *need* a new station, but hey,

if they're as good as you say, I could be up for buying one.

I' probably get new though if possible.

Tim


	


    That's not a simple question. Metcal has offered numerous

    variations on their magic over the years . . . and the

    components of those systems have limited or no interchangeability.



    My post of a few days ago suggests that you look for

    loose components of the legacy system. These tend to

    be the least expensive/desirable. If you want to

    consider the full evolution of Metcal product development,

    then go for a complete power supply, wand combination.

    Then cruise the Metcal website for the right SERIES of

    tips (there will be dozens).



    The STTC tips fit the legacy 30 watt systems I

    described in my earlier posting. But no doubt

    there will come a time when the supply of good

    used examples begin to dry up . . . it may be

    drying up already. The first one I bought was

    a 'deal' sparked by a surplus equipment dump by

    the space program contractors in the Orlando area.

    An event not likely to be repeated.



    If you've got the budget, then go for ANY of the

    new systems offered in the catalogs or complete

    systems offered on eBay. These are exemplar

    offerings . ..



http://tinyurl.com/b9dakb3



http://tinyurl.com/chkshfw



http://tinyurl.com/b9dakb3



    It all depends on how much time you want to spend

    to save some money . . .



   Bob . . .

edpav8r(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 1:25 pm Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

As I see it, the major problem that Linux faces is that 99% of computer users, myself included, look at the box as an appliance.  I want my computers to work like my fridge: open the door, find cold food; next time I open the door, cold food, and so on.  The computer should just work.

Linux is widely perceived as an OS for IT geeks and experimenters.  The very idea of learning how to configure a new OS, finding hardware drivers, getting networking hooked up, finding, installing and learning software to do what I want, etc., is exhausting.  For better or worse, the majority of computer users have decades of experience and $$ invested in the Windows platform.

WRT Win7, I have two boxes running that OS, one 64-bit, one 32-bit.  The x64 system is a media server connected to a cable TV feed and an LCD TV.  It frequently goes weeks or months between reboots and never hiccups, despite multiple daily wake-sleep cycles.  It's an appliance.

I do all of my new software work on the x32 box, so I'm much less careful about what I install, with predictable results.  I credit my own actions for 99.9% of that system's few problems.

Overall, I think Win7 is the best OS that Redmond has produced.  It's light-years ahead of XP for security and stability.  Vista was, IMHO, an unmitigated disaster.

Eric

do not archive

On Nov 5, 2012, at 1:18 PM, rayj wrote:

[quote]Linux Ubuntu is popular for average users. Any Linux/Unix type operating system offers freedom from the whims of either Microsoft or Apple.



See: http://www.ubuntu.com/



Raymond Julian

Kettle River, MN



[b]

deej(at)deej.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 1:34 pm Post subject: Soldering Iron Recommendations

On 11/05/2012 04:24 PM, Eric Page wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   Linux is widely perceived as an OS for IT geeks and experimenters.  The

 very idea of learning how to configure a new OS, finding hardware

 drivers, getting networking hooked up, finding, installing and learning

 software to do what I want, etc., is exhausting. 


	




	That may have been true a decade ago.  Today, Linux is just as easy to

install and run as Windows 7 or OSX.  Give the latest Ubuntu or Centos

releases a try if you are curious.



-Dj

-- 

Dj Merrill - N1JOV

Sportsman 2+2 Builder #7118 N421DJ - http://deej.net/sportsman/

Glastar Flyer N866RH - http://deej.net/glastar/

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