dinky wrote:
How fast does puppy move with the 4300, and what version of puppy are you using? Do you notice any speed drops? Do you notice problems under increased loads? How is the page rendering when you're web-browsing etc.
Sorry for the late response but I don't drop by here all that often.
I am using a slightly modified version of Puppy 2.13. Basically I removed a number of the larger, graphical applications like the word processor, spreadsheet, etc., in order to conserve storage space since I'm using a 512 MB flash drive for internal storage. My application does not require any graphical User Interface, so I've configured the startup scripts to avoid starting X11 at all.
That being said, I did experiment with the eBox 4300 in graphical mode and I have also used an eBox 4853 so I do have some experience with both devices. Certainly, the 4853 is much, much faster than the 4300, but for the kinds of light browsing I was trying, the extra CPU didn't really make all that much difference. Of course, I had previously been using the eBox 2300, which is much, much slower.
If you want to rip or burn CDs or encode DVDs, the extra CPU power in the 4853 would be a must. But if you're just interested in a platform for some light browsing and email, the 4300 is a great choice. Streaming video and audio should be well within the capabilities of the 4300, though I suppose that depends on what other tasks you run concurrently.
Personally, I always try to get the fastest machine I can afford, even if that means waiting a couple of months. Given the rate of increase of computing power, the more power you get now, the longer you'll likely to be content with it.
If you can arrange it, I'd suggest you try to get a demo unit of each for a week and make the comparison yourself. (I admit the shipping costs may make this impractical, though.)
Good luck!