I've used Asterisk in the past (a few years ago, now), and really loved it. That was when I was a linux junkie. Nowadays, I'm more involved with running a small services (non-software) company, and have unfortunately been using Windog (errr, Windows) more than anything else (although I _am_ eyeing the MacBook Air with unconcealed lust ...)
So I'm probably going to bite the bullet, buy me a cheapo build-it-yourself machine that can do the basics, and add on to it as/if I need to.
What's a good source for an el-cheapo machine here in T.O, though? I've been thinking Tiger Direct or Factory Direct, but both places leave me less than enthused after the fabulous deals I've seen at Fry's Electronics in Silicon Valley where I lived back in the days ...
Mostly, I want a place that sells the bits and pieces I can put together. Or one that sells an el-cheapo bare-bones system like Fry's used to: box, motherboard, chip - add your own hard-drive, RAM, keyboard, monitor and anything else you think you need. :)
Also, what's a good source for VOIP numbers? I want numbers around North America, some in Europe and some in India, China, the Philippines and Japan. Ideally, I'd prefer to stick with one supplier for the DIDs, but am realising that may not be the best idea.
Oh, in case anyone's interested in what I'm trying to do: first off: I want to use the follow-me abilities so I don't always have to keep forwarding my phones!
I'm also looking at setting up small call centres in Canada, the Philippines, etc., that focus on my particular niche of customers - I'm not interested in competing against the big boys, there's enough of a market for me anyway. :) Oooh, I also definitely want to try doing this on a virtual machine: do you guys use VMWare? Or something else? And how stable are the asterisk installations on vms, anyway?
Any suggestions? Best stores/dealerships? Best hardware to use? Best (most stable) version of Asterisk? Favourite DID suppliers? Anyone using Asterisk on the Macbook Air (it's unix-based, so I'm hoping someone has managed to get a version running ...)
Thanks for any insights and advice,
Maya