About Los Alamos Computers

Location

Los Alamos Computers (LAC) is based in Los Alamos, New Mexico USA and has been providing high-performance Linux computers since September, 2000.

People at LAC

LAC projects and provides superior expertise by using high-level staff in responding to customer inquiries. Our technical support staff and systems engineers are all Unix and GNU/Linux experts. We can help you find Free Software solutions for your computing needs whenever possible, helping you to use your PC hardware your way.

Computer Options

We strive to provide cutting-edge hardware options to users who need and/or prefer to work in a GNU/Linux environment, and we back every system with an industry leading warranty and exceptional customer service.

There is no single computing solution for every problem -- contact LAC for assistance configuring a system that will get the job done for you. Our staff is ready to provide guidance, helping you to build your own custom computer, choosing from among our abundant Linux-compatible hardware options and multiple GNU/Linux distributions. With LAC on your side, you can build your own system, relying on our expertise to avoid hardware or software incompatibility pitfalls.

Desktop Workstations

We offer workstations tuned for parallel or serial floating point computation, software development, high-performance graphics, or multimedia.

Intel Core 2 Duo
Intel Xeon
AMD Athlon 64
AMD Opteron

File, Web, Mail, Database, and Utility Servers

Serve files to your Linux, MS, Mac, or mixed workstation network with a file server running Samba, Netatalk, and/or NFS, preconfigured for your environment by LAC.

Intel Xeon
AMD Opteron

We offer the above systems in a variety of configurations, for example software or hardware RAID, LVM, diskless. If you have a need that we do not address in our Web site, contact LAC so we can help you find a solution.

LAC System Build Details

Packaging

We offer our systems in mid-tower type enclosures, small form factor enclosures, and rackmount chassis. We have selected enclosures with features, quality of design, and cooling in mind. We use round IDE cables, as we have found them to be more robust than the flat cables, and they allow better airflow through the case. Our technicians take great care in bundling all wires to promote airflow through the case and to create a visually appealing system.

Hardware

We are constantly adding new hardware to our Web site, and we are always assessing new technologies. We strive to offer the latest technologies to our customers after verifying the robustness of new products by Web research, magazines, discussion forums, and in-house testing.

Low noise level

We realize that our customers have needs for powerful dual processor workstations, at times in quiet office environments. To address this, we have put a great deal of effort into keeping our systems quiet while avoiding heat issues. Our customers are pleased with the low noise level of even our most powerful computer systems.

Burn-in and OS install

Each system is initially loaded with Debian in preparation for a burn-in procedure we have created. The burn-in includes repeated kernel builds, heavy network traffic, creation and unpacking of multiple large tar archives, GL graphics, and audio activity, all done simultaneously while monitored for adequate performance and error conditions.

After a system passes our burn-in, we partition the hard drive(s) to meet the needs of the customer, and we next load and configure the operating system that is to be delivered in the system. We install the latest security updates for every operating system, and although many TCP services generally installed and available, we disable all but the essentials by default. We take security updates very seriously, and we closely monitor security announcements for every operating system we offer so our systems are current.

Operating system choices

Our customers can choose one or more of Ubuntu, Debian GNU/Linux, Red Hat/Fedora Core, Slackware Linux, SuSE Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Microsoft Windows XP or Vista. We are highly skilled in configuring multi-boot systems using VMware, with GNU/Linux or Microsoft Windows as the host OS. Let us know your needs, and we will help you find a solution.

System restore

LAC GNU/Linux computers ship with a unique, automated system restore procedure that restores ones system to its original state, leaving non-OS data intact. Our system restore procedure is distribution-independent and applies to every LAC Linux workstation, portable computer, and server.

Post-Sale Technical Support Options

E-mail

To assist with system integration issues, we offer 30 days of free e-mail support (upgradeable).

On-site

We offer free on-site support for locally ordered systems (in Los Alamos, NM) that have problems that we believe is a warranty item for two years from the purchase date. For non-warranty type items, we will work on-site locally (in Los Alamos) for an hourly consulting fee; contact LAC for further details, including rates.

System Warranty

We offer a 30 day guarantee and a 2 year parts and labor warranty on every LAC system (upgradeable). See our policies page for full details.

Delivery Options

We offer all UPS shipping options for non-local delivery, and we deliver locally for free (in Los Alamos). All LAC computers ship within 10 to 14 business days unless otherwise specified (upgradeable).

Disclaimer

There is no relationship, neither explicit nor implicit, between Los Alamos Computers and Los Alamos National Laboratory, the United States Department of Energy, or Los Alamos National Security LLC.