Cheap Computers

[jfdill_2]

I'm looking for ideas and sources for cheap, but hopefully decent, computers. One reason is to hopefully provide computers to the Life After Exoneration Program (http://www.exonerated.org) and use myself as the "beta test" case for the products. I got a Compaq Pressario at Walmart which cost about $550 including a 17" flat screen CRT and extra memory that it really needed. I wrote about it in my blog (http://www.jfdill.com/index.php?p=7). I'm running dual-boot Windows XP Home Edition with Ubuntu with kubuntu-desktop also installed.

When you respond, please consider the following:

1. note whether monitor is included or not
2. note country of the supplier
3. computers should be new or factory reconditioned
4. not E-bay or net auction

I think #4 should probably be a separate topic, unless you happen to know of a specific supplier or "company" who has a continuous and consistent supply and not just 1-2 computers.

To give you some idea of the type of things I am looking at:

1. Xbox Linux Project (http://www.xbox-linux.org/)
2. Mini-ITX (http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/store/Mini_ITX_Systems/M10000_Hard_Drive_CDRW_DVD) systems
3. Gateway Remanufactured Desktops (http://www.gateway.com/reman/ed_desktop_matrix.shtml)

Xbox seems hard to beat price wise, even including the USB-Xbox keyboard and/or adapters, but on principle I'm not too excited that it's Microsoft.

[ssam]

i run ubuntu on via epia MII 600 Mhz fanless, with 512mb, 120gb. if you are willing to do a bit of assembly it think this could cost under 300gbp. it is silent (apart from hard drive), uses less than 60watts of power. it is not fast, but plenty good enough to run a gnome desktop, play music, browse web, normal office stuff, etc. have a look at http://www.mini-itx.com/ http://www.viavpsd.com/product/epia_m_spec.jsp?motherboardId=81 http://www.viaarena.com/

you might also want to look at the apple mac mini. http://www.apple.com/macmini/ they have a fairly decently spec. they run ubuntu. very compact. apple hardware tends to last many years.

[jfdill_2]

Here's a good one: I got a PII that somebody was throwing away for free, and swapped out the motherboard with a Biostar M7VIG 400 motherboard and AMD Sempron 2200+ bundle (http://www.biostar-usa.com/mbdetails.asp?model=m7vig+400-combo4) that I got at CompUSA for $119 USD plus 512 MB DDR333 DIMM for $79 USD for a total of $208 USD before tax. I just got Hoary installed on it last night and now I am using that as my dedicated Linux box and printer server.

The M7VIG has Unichrome S3 video and Via LAN on board that worked with Hoary out of the box, so it is pretty much complete depending on what you want to do. I haven't tried getting the sound to work yet, but heard there's a tweak that you have to do. When I get a chance, I plan to write up something in my blog about what kind of minimum specs for an old PC to get if you want to try this upgrade. I don't expect record-breaking speed, but I'm working from it right now and it seems plenty snappy for doing web and e-mail.

[WildTangent]

at the computer store i work at, i can build a brand new Intel system for $319 canadian. comes with a 2.4 Ghz Celeron D, 256MB memory, all-in-one motherboard (usually MegaByte or Biostar) 40GB HDD, and a CD-ROM and floppy drive. its not too bad for a basic linux computer, and its upgradeable. most smaller shops can build cheap computers

-Wild

[totalshredder]

at the computer store i work at, i can build a brand new Intel system for $319 canadian. comes with a 2.4 Ghz Celeron D, 256MB memory, all-in-one motherboard (usually MegaByte or Biostar) 40GB HDD, and a CD-ROM and floppy drive. its not too bad for a basic linux computer, and its upgradeable. most smaller shops can build cheap computers

-Wild

Not that this really applies to anybody else, but I really have no faith in those little computer stores. I ordered myself a 1GHz Celeron with 256 RAM, which sounds fast; but it's the slowest machine I've ever used!! I'm not quite sure exactly what they did wrong, but I don't like it too much :smile: I can't get the fan to turn off either. Maybe I just went to cheap.

But on the original subject, the Mac Mini isn't really what you want; you'd have to get a keyboard, monitor and mouse. I would suggest you just stop in at the big computer stores once a week or so to see if they have any really too good to pass up sales. I got a really nice under 400 computer from best buy once; quite a beast it is!

EDIT: Wow! Forgot Tiger Direct I did!(they're really good!) Check out this (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=1358091&sku=p294-1042&CMP=ILC-FPM01&SRCCODE=WEBINST) baby! this (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1157236&CatId=336) should run linux very quickly once you add a little memory, its under 130... how could you beat that?

Just curious, what do you need all of these for?

Luke

[WildTangent]

damn, forgot to mention, our computers dont come with monitors, but we sell used 17" ones for $65, so thats still a cheap computer. and theyre not that slow, my friend bought one, it runs ok

-Wild

[panickedthumb]

"Wow! Forgot Tiger Direct I did!"

Totalshredder is now Yoda!

[poofyhairguy]

The cheapest computer is one you build.

Or get a dell:


http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=D24L1&s=dhs

[totalshredder]

Or get a dell:


http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...&oc=D24L1&s=dhs

Blegh, who wants a celeron? I have never had a good celeron processer... ever. Look at the barebones computers at Tiger Direct; They're nice.

"Wow! Forgot Tiger Direct I did!"

Totalshredder is now Yoda!

Isn't it funny how you randomly do that? I'm cool now though because a MOD thought it was interesting (haha) ;)

[somuchfortheafter]

granted celerons are not the best of the best, i find for donating computers to the needy a celeron of at least 400mhz with 128mb of ram is more than enough to run ubuntu hoary and xfce, and keep it speedy enough for web browsing and basic office tasks.

[Kurai]

if you want a cheap computer New egg (http://newegg.com) is the place to go it has prebuilt or parts monitors are extra though

[SamH]

Computer Geeks (http://www.geeks.com/ ) usually has lots of reconditioned PCs for sale. They are often brand names with pretty fair specs. Usually sold without monitors, but they have those too. It's kind of like a thrift store, though. You never really know what they are going to have.

The last couple of years, though, I've bought components from New Egg (http://newegg.com/ ) and built my own. Most recently I used an Asus barbones kit with Sempron processor for a couple of PCs. Good, fast, and cheap.

[DutchLau]

I ordered myself a 1GHz Celeron with 256 RAM, which sounds fast; but it's the slowest machine I've ever used!

Does that sound fast to anyone else? :grin:

I think you made the mistake of buying an Intel processor in the first place and then you made the second mistake of buying a Celeron processor which is the biggest hunk of junk around! ;-)

I have an old (before I switched to AMD) Pentium 3 @ 1 Ghz, 512 PC 133 Sdram, which is pretty decent for Ubuntu. Maybe you need more ram? Totalshredder? Did you do a mem check to see if the memory is good?

Anyways, back to the post, the computer in my sig cost the equivalent of about $500-600 with keyboard, mouse, speakers and everything except the monitor. And this machine is pretty high end :grin:

DutchLau