Re: [cobalt-users] Gateway Qube !?!?!?

[Malcolm McLeary <mim@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Darryl,

On 28/2/00 1:58 PM, Darryl Harvey <dharvey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Has anyone done a comparison between the Cobalt Qube and the Gateway 
>re-badged Offering?
>
>I would be interested to hear any results/thoughts.

I have a unit on my desk at the moment trying to answer the same 
question.  The one I have has 64Mb RAM and 20Gb disk  ... it appears to 
be simply a black Qube2, but has a functioning built-in modem.  

On power up the unit will try for a DHCP address, but will default to 
192.168.100.1 if it can't get one.  The Qube2 needs the owner to enter 
address details manually.

Gateway provide a companion CD which is really for clients not the 
server.  They assume that the Windows clients are not setup and it has a 
"Wizard" to install Windows networking, OE 5.0 and IE 5.0.  It finally 
launches IE with the url;

     <http://microserver.local/.cobalt/wizard/intro.html>

so the Micro Server can be configured.

The GUI generally maintains the Cobalt colour scheme ... just the names 
and icons have changed.

There is a minor interface change with an additional button for 
configuring email, but the funtionality is simply available via a 
different "path" on a Qube2.

Telnet is not a access option, but can be enabled via "maintenance mode" 
for 1 hour at a time via the LCD.  I guess renaming telnet access 
"maintenance mode" increases security but it will also discourage most 
owners from tampering.

It has the "change user quota - corrupt SMB password" bug.

It doesn't have the "Netatalk file modification time" bug.

Groups can't have quotas > 10000 which is a minor issue with the home 
group as it had by default the free space on the 20Gb.  Hence I couldn't 
add users to that group until I reduced the allocated quota.

Gateway in the US is promoting the built-in Back Up utility as a basic 
backup solution ... it is as per Qube2 and IMHO not terribly useful for 
protecting shared data ... I use Dantz Retrospect Backup instead.

The manual is thicker and a little more detailed, but still of little use 
when the system sends you those bizzare little email messages.

IMHO its a black Qube2 with a built-in modem and a bigger disk.

The real question is support ... 

I find it interesting that Gateway have fixed the "Netatalk file 
modification time" bug while Cobalt just say "watch the download area".

I wonder who will fix the "change user quota - corrupt SMB password" bug 
first?

Cheers,  Malcolm


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                       Information Alchemy Pty Ltd
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Malcolm McLeary                                  Mobile:   0412 636 086
Managing Director                                Email:  mim@xxxxxxxxxx

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