What to do...

[scaryjim]

... with a linitx credit note?

A couple of weeks ago someone started a thread over in retail therapy about a difficult time they were having getting linitx to respond to a refund request. I dropped in to let them know my experience last year, which was returning a product and having them deny all knowledge of receipt. A rep from linitx dropped into the thread and, despite my issue having happened a year ago, looked into it and agreed with my POV that they could have been much more helpful at the time, and offered me a credit note for the returned item.

But now I have an issue. I'm short on cash anyway, and really can't afford to buy any frivolous hardware, but the nature of linitx means pretty much everything on there is a) more expensive than my credit note, and b) pretty frivolous.

There's an AM2 barebones system reduced at the minute that I quite like the look of but have absolutely no need for, since I've got three of four desktop systems sitting unused at home already. There's also a rather funky external HDD caddy which includes a virtual optical drive (you load ISOs onto the HDD, the caddy pretends to be a CD rom - nifty!) that caught my eye, but that would be utterly frivolous and feel like a waste.

So, what do you think, Hexus. Do I spend even more money getting a barebones system that would actually be useful but I really don't need, do I buy a frivolous gadget to use the credit note even though I don't really need it, or do I sit on it and wait until (as unlikely as it may be) I actually *need* something from linitx?

Or is there another trick I'm missing here?

Answers on a postcard - or in this thread - please

[Behemoth]

Get something to the value of the credit note, don't open it and sell the goods to get money back that way ?

[MadduckUK]

guess it comes down to if that mobo will take an AM3 proccy gonna be a lot going cheap when BD comes out.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

How much is the credit note for??

[scaryjim]

Get something to the value of the credit note, don't open it and sell the goods to get money back that way ?

I pondered that, but there's always that risk of loss if you do. Then again, since I'd written off the value of the purchase I guess that way I'd at least get some money back...

guess it comes down to if that mobo will take an AM3 proccy gonna be a lot going cheap when BD comes out.

It's a 780G mobo, so it would (well, should), but it only takes DDR2 SODIMMs. It's recommended for low power processors, but I doubt the VRMs are less capable than those on most cheap AM2 mobos... I have a Sempron 1200 and 2X 512mb ddr2 sodimms lying around though, so I could make a compete system of it...

How much is the credit note for??

About £45 (I'd have to check the exact amount). It's a healthy sum, but not quite enough to get something really interesting...!

[Behemoth]

You spent that credit note yet ?

[scaryjim]

Not yet, still torn between an AM2 barebones and a Zalman ZM-VE200 Portable Virtual ROM Drive. Oh, or the boring third option of doing nothing until I *need* some new hardware

[barry2811]

Not yet, still torn between an AM2 barebones and a Zalman ZM-VE200 Portable Virtual ROM Drive. Oh, or the boring third option of doing nothing until I *need* some new hardware

Going back a few years, but my experience of Jetway boards is really bad, and I always use Gigabyte now or Asus or MSI at a push.

I wouldn't put over £50 (if you look at your credit as free money), to anything using a Jetway board in all honesty.

[dave87]

Jetway seem alright in my experience. Ok, so not a top board manufacturer but I've had no issues with the Via C7 mITX board I've got here. Its not doing anything special but it seems to be doing the job fine.

[jim]

Not yet, still torn between an AM2 barebones and a Zalman ZM-VE200 Portable Virtual ROM Drive. Oh, or the boring third option of doing nothing until I *need* some new hardware

Hi, Mr Boring here to vote for the third option

LinITX have some seriously nice kit... I loved my Mini ITX HTPC and desktop when I had them (and had a use for them). Seems a bit sad to throw it away on something you don't really want when there's so much good stuff there.

Presumably it's not going to expire any time soon?

[scaryjim]

Presumably it's not going to expire any time soon?

Apparently not, no. It's all a bit odd as I'd given up on them as a bad job, then last month I posted on someone else's linitx thread (they were having problems with a refund after a return). A rep from linitx suddenly appeared to sort his problem out, asked for the details of my issue, and decided that they'd handle my situation badly and offered the credit note as a goodwill gesture!

I really like the idea of the zalman and when I strip down my old (dead) laptop I will have a 2.5" sata drive to stick in it. And since I've got a laptop without a DVD drive it could be useful for booting into e.g. a live linux distro. On the other hand, I could just get a USB DVD caddy which would be a lot cheaper, and I already have daemon tools on it for loading up software ISOs, so again, it's just a bit unnecessary. Gah! I can't believe I have money to spend on cool hardware and I can't afford to spend it!