Used computers rule!

Here is info from an ad for a recycled computer shop.

Pentium3 650 Mhz, 128 MB, 10 gig, DVD, CD-RW, FDD $305

Pentium2 233 Mhz, 96 MB, 4 gig, CD, FDD $70

Laptop Pent2 300 Mhz, 128 MB, 6 gig, CD, FDD $285

19" CRT $75

It wouldn’t be difficult to get 3 desktop computers and a laptop for less than $1000. So you could have a server and 2 workstations and be able to work remotely. All This would have been more than $4000 3 years ago.

I have been in computers since 1978. I am not a newbie. I have an idea what the coumpters can do and what I know how to do with them. The only thing a 3 Ghz machine can do that my 500 Mhz can’t is play some high rez descendents of DOOM. If I need a bigger hard disk I can install it.

Computers are somwhat like buying stereos now but there is one big difference. I could buy a decent used stereo for $400 or I could buy a great new one for $3000. There is no way the used one will sound as good as the new one. But if I do that with computers there is almost nothing I can do, that I want to do with the $3000 computer that I can’t do with a $400 used one. Bragging rights are worth nothing, $2600 is significant. The limiting factor on computers these days is between the users ears.

Dal Timgar

Well…
3D modelling apps are almost unusable on slower machines, video editing takes forever to render, image editing slows down a fair amount when your machine starts running to virtual memory all the time…
But hey, if you’re surfing the web, word processing, spreadsheeting and powerpointing, MP3ing and playing solitaire, you’re absolutely right.
Depends what you do with your machine. I do all of the above, hence the dual xeon beast I’m currently using to, erm, surf the web.

Those are expensive. Emachines 2.2ghz are closing out at Circuit City for approx $200 to $249 right now.

Even a nice Dell 4550 2.4ghz with XP Home Full is about $450 if you get it at the right time.

Funny, usually dell computers in their USED section cost more. shrug.