My new computer...

Gato_Solo

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
I finally took the plunge and bought a complete system, sans monitor and speakers. I'm so ashamed. :( I bought it because it was cheaper than going the home-built route. The video is a compromise, though. It's an Athlon64 3600, with 1GB DDR 3200, 250GB HDD, a DVD RW+/-, and a 52X CDRW running XP with sp2. Total cost was $679. Sounds like a good deal until you get to the name...COMPAQ. I feel so used...:( :eek3:
 
highwayman said:
How big is the monitor?
Click to expand...

It's my old monitor...19" CRT. Heavy as hell, but reliable. I've had it for close to 8 years with no problems at all.
 
Right on, when I replaced my system last year I upped to a 19 inch because what I had before was a 13 inch....
 
highwayman said:
Right on, when I replaced my system last year I upped to a 19 inch because what I had before was a 13 inch....
Click to expand...

I also kept my old optical mouse. Total cost for upgrading my old system to 'spec' would've been $1202.70 + tax...

Motherboard and CPU...$409.95
Video card.................$149.95
Memory.....................$149.95
Windows XP...............$198.00
HDD..........................$199.95
DVD RW +-.................$59.95
CDRW........................$34.95
 
Damn, they don't give anything away anymore..

The mouse that came with the tower I didn't like so I went to the closet and got the optical mouse that had been gothering dust for a couple years and plugged it in and have going ever sense...
 
The system came with a 'ball' mouse. Practically stone-age. I haven't had a mechanical mouse since 1997...
 
Hard to believe they put that antique in with a new tower..Best thing to do with a ball mouse is to let the cat play with it...
 
Gato_Solo said:
I finally took the plunge and bought a complete system, sans monitor and speakers. I'm so ashamed. :( I bought it because it was cheaper than going the home-built route. The video is a compromise, though. It's an Athlon64 3600, with 1GB DDR 3200, 250GB HDD, a DVD RW+/-, and a 52X CDRW running XP with sp2. Total cost was $679. Sounds like a good deal until you get to the name...COMPAQ. I feel so used...:( :eek3:
Click to expand...
I keep having to explain that to people. They just can't understand that I can't build one as cheap as Dell or Gateway or whoever can.

Oh, and there's nothing wrong with a Compaq as long as it doesn't break. ;)
 
well I'm sure the mobo has a PCI-E vid slot

looks like alls yer gonna have to do is upgrade the vid card

when Vista finally arrives
 
chcr said:
Oh, and there's nothing wrong with a Compaq as long as it doesn't break.
Click to expand...

My last desktop had been a Compaq it worked good, for over five years until the hard drive took a dump on me...
 
chcr said:
I keep having to explain that to people. They just can't understand that I can't build one as cheap as Dell or Gateway or whoever can.

Oh, and there's nothing wrong with a Compaq as long as it doesn't break. ;)
Click to expand...

Not any more, except in two cases -

- You want a gamer's rig or similar targetted machine (or you want to build it around one or more exceptional components)

- You wish to save cash by recycling components from your existing machine.

For my own machines, I tend to build myself due to the first factor, but not everyone lives in that niche.

Ever since I started building computers, they've been steadily progressing along the product line to commodities - competing on price rather than any other factor. Alienware resisted that trend, but even they are now introducing a budget line.

Due to the steady drop in component pricing, they're now hitting the stage of true commodities - one breaks, you toss it out and buy a new one. In that environment, mom and pop shops will have a tough time competing with the big boys, who get volume discounts on both hardware and software. The operating system was a rather high percentage of the total cost of the last system I built.

These guys are going to have to shift focus from system builds to services. The only way I see for them to make it is to be willing to disinfect virus-laden boxes, salvage or transfer data, troubleshoot networks, etc. - and to do it all on-site.
 
I gotta build me own 'puters

they gotta be 'just so'

for the average Joe store bought pc's are fine

but if you are going to love yer comp

it's gotta be 'special'

but even eye wouldn't buy this card
 
HomeLAN said:
Not any more, except in two cases -

- You want a gamer's rig or similar targetted machine (or you want to build it around one or more exceptional components)

- You wish to save cash by recycling components from your existing machine.

For my own machines, I tend to build myself due to the first factor, but not everyone lives in that niche.

Ever since I started building computers, they've been steadily progressing along the product line to commodities - competing on price rather than any other factor. Alienware resisted that trend, but even they are now introducing a budget line.

Due to the steady drop in component pricing, they're now hitting the stage of true commodities - one breaks, you toss it out and buy a new one. In that environment, mom and pop shops will have a tough time competing with the big boys, who get volume discounts on both hardware and software. The operating system was a rather high percentage of the total cost of the last system I built.

These guys are going to have to shift focus from system builds to services. The only way I see for them to make it is to be willing to disinfect virus-laden boxes, salvage or transfer data, troubleshoot networks, etc. - and to do it all on-site.
Click to expand...
I see it about the same way.
Alienware was bought out by Dell, weren't they?
Prices got too high for me to compete for most of this year. They are just
nowtarting to come back down. (as I predicted) I'm still waiting to build,
unless someone just has to have one.
I believe prices are going to drop farther on the higher end hardware, with in
the next month. Some are right at buying point now, like the LCD monitors...

I've gotta upgrade my main rig soon.
I've got a Geforce 6600gt, but my PSU won't pull it.:hmm:
 
My old system is sitting in the closet. I'm considering removing the HDD so i can have extra storage...but it's only 17 GB...
 
Gato_Solo said:
My old system is sitting in the closet. I'm considering removing the HDD so i can have extra storage...but it's only 17 GB...
Click to expand...

Would you put bias ply tires on a Corvette just because you had them?
 
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