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Comment by dangrossman | Hacker News Reader

If a tiny ARM-based Linux computer is appealing, there are a number you can buy now based on the Marvell Plug design. I use a TonidoPlug[1] with Ubuntu for an ultra-cheap backup and media server. Only uses ~5-10 watts so you can have it on 24/7 at virtually no electricity cost.

1: http://www.tonidoplug.com/

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This is interesting because it supports connecting a monitor and keyboard, and is designed to be used as a desktop/gaming machine, rather than as a home server.

> Only uses ~5-10 watts so you can have it on 24/7 at virtually no electricity cost.

Idling MacBook Pro (screen off) uses 8-9W according to Apple (http://images.apple.com/environment/reports/docs/MacBook-Pro...).

If you already have laptop running most of the time, addition of such device probably doesn't save much (if anything).

You might be interested to know that you can do the same with a $25 DockStar. The process is kind of clumsy, bit it works.

http://hunterdavis.com/archives/843

I looked into this recently, and wasn't able to find a DockStar for sale locally. It seems that the reason you could buy them for so cheap was that they were being discontinued. Which is too bad, as it sounds like a very nice piece of hardware.

I think the TonidoPlug and the Dockstar have the same hardware -- they're based on the Marvell design I mentioned.

I haven't seen the specs, that I suppose are much better, but it's four times more expensive.

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