Idle question for all you oh-so-knowledgeable computer geeks

[kellinator]

What's the cheapest that one can get a decent computer?

The IT department here was selling off some old computers for ten bucks apiece, but of course they ran out before my turn in line came, dammit. The professors got their pick before the staff. I'm not in urgent need of a computer, but I would like to upgrade one of these days. What are the least expensive options out there?

Comments

[legolastn.livejournal.com]

If you are looking for a good, quality, cheap computer (besides, say, a custom built from a computer nerd acquaintance), I would suggest looking at emachines or low-end dells. Emachines used to have a rep as a crap computer maker. But they came under new management and have become much improved in the last few years. Still low-cost, but have been getting props from the PC magazines/experts, and gateway bought them up recently (presumably mirroring the compaq/hp low-end/high-end brand name partnership). My parents bought one last year to replace the old one I'd given them, and they've had no trouble out of it. My laptop will probably be an emachine. You should be able to get a decent desktop WITH FLAT PANEL MONITOR for well under $500 if you keep an eye out for sales/rebate offers.

In the case of the emachines, the models listed on the website are not all the model options they have - go to best buy or circuit city (or perhaps sam's club and/or costco, if you or someone you know has a membership) and check out what they have in stock.

Lastly, I mentioned compaq earlier. I can't recommend a compaq (though I won't say "definitely don't buy one.") My current computer is a compaq, and I've sworn off them personally because of problems I've had with it. My harddrive crashed within a year of purchase. They did send me a new one, but I lost quite a bit of data. I've also had problems with my DVD/CD drives. One no longer works at all. And there are a few other quirks.

[gaiagurl.livejournal.com]

the problem with emachines, however, last i heard, is they are not upgradeable. that to me would not be a good thing.

kelly--the best deals are usually going to be Frankenputers, as opposed to name brand whatevers. usually. at microcenter i found a compaq for a really good price, although i wound up having to upgrade the memory because 128mb just doesn't cut it for a two-and-a-half gigahertz processor. but overall i was very pleased--it came in at well under a thousand, including a monitor. i think it might have been refurbished, i'm not sure, but it looks new to me.

micro center sometimes has great deals. local non-chain computer stores sometimes have great deals. another option, if you're willing to do mail or online order, is to get a copy of computer shopper magazine. it's really thick, will make you think of a sears & roebuck catalog, and it's got all kinds of parts and systems listed.

[kmn-rdr-caoimhe.livejournal.com]

Well, my current box is an eMachines eTower 400i, and the only original parts left in it are the original HD, the modem, the floppy, the cables and the processor - but it's almost 5 years old, so I don't know what they've done with their computers since then.

Just noting. ^_^

[kmn-rdr-caoimhe.livejournal.com]

Oh, and yes. An eMachines box is usually made of refurbished hardware.

[legolastn.livejournal.com]

Uh, what? Putting used/refurbished parts in a new computer and selling it as new would be illegal. So I'm pretty sure that's not true either.

[sleepingwolf.livejournal.com]

Perhaps comorbid is thinking of Packard Bell, who was using refurbished parts illegally in new systems and is now defunct in the US.

[legolastn.livejournal.com]

What isn't upgradable? If you mean nothing at all is upgradable, of course that's not true. And as far as I now, isn't true in regards to specifics either. Where did you hear that?!