New low for Microsoft

[Joel Jaeggli]

On Wed, 5 May 2004, duncan brown wrote:

> 
> Mike McMullen said:
> 
> > Not completely true. I go to the local Fry's and buy an 800MHZ Celeron,
> > 40GB HD with CD-R, 128MB, 100Mb NI for $199. No MS but something
> > called ThinLinux or something like that on it. I add more memory for
> > about  $20 and install RH or FC1 on it. Works likes a champ as a cheap
> > server  or workstation for our office.
> 
> ok, so i did a google search for "fry's electronics", you should too...
> there's a disclaimer for lynx users in their frames, which google picks up
> on =]
> 
> http://www.frys.com/localframe.html
> 
> fry's is very regional.  sure, you can get cheap pcs from wal-mart with
> basically the same specs.  but they don't sell the $199 anymore, it's $299
> and up.

bestbuy has similar deals, fry's is online, walmart offers more linux 
machines online than in there stores. I don't personally like any of them 
because they're not made to order... which is why in the last couple 
months we've been buying os free machines from dell, now if they'd only 
extend their product line.

> it's hard to find any computers in normal stores without ms on it, or mail
> ordering from dell/gateway/whatever is impossible.

see n-series alternative os desktops from dell... or hp/compaq business 
desktops... We still build most of our own workstations but almost all our 
linux based low-end-desktops and servers are sourced whole from a 
manufacturer. getting them without windows saves about $100-150 over the 
ones with and that's a lot on a machine that costs < $1000 including a 17" 
lcd panel.

>  this is what typical
> people see, they don't go to fry's... they hit compusa, circuit city and
> best buy.
> 
> ebay can get you great deals too on offices changing out their systems.
> 
> > The keyboard actually isn't that bad but the speakers are tinny. In an
> > office audio isn't so important. The price doesn't include a monitor.
> 
> you can get a 15" monitor for like 75 bucks now.  insane.

if you're going to sit in front of it for a while, you can get a decent 
19" monitor for $200 or a flat apeture grill 19" for 
$230 or a 17" lcd bundled with a desktop machine for around $300 or $375 
on it's own.

> -d
> 
> +( duncan brown : duncanbrown at linuxadvocate.net )+
> +(  linux "just works" : www.linuxadvocate.net  )+
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> Understatement of the century:
> "Hello everybody out there using minix - I'm doing
> a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be
> big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT
> clones"
>          - Linus Torvalds, August 1991
> --------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
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Joel Jaeggli  	       Unix Consulting 	       joelja at darkwing.uoregon.edu    
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