Re: Dell Q & A & Comments

[brian moore <bem@cmc.net>]

On Sat, Mar 10, 2001 at 05:35:53PM -0800, hammack wrote:
> Dell has quoted:  $2180, INSPIRON 4000, 128MB, 10 GB HD, 850mHZ,
> XGA, V90 Gold Card Modem, 24 X CR-ROM, with RH 7.0 installed.  My
> thinking is, test drive the RH for a while.  then copy all config
> files for reference to setting up Debian.  I may bump the HD to
> 20GB. 

Ugh, try http://www.aslab.com/ for better quality machines.

For an example (cause that Dell price is too damned high):

AMD 1Ghz CPU, 256M RAM, 18.2G Ultra160 SCSI drive, onboard SYM8952U SCSI
controller, HP 12x8x32 CD-RW, Matrox G450 Dual Head with 32M, Intel
10/100 ethernet, onboard AC97 audio, 3com 56k modem and keyboard (you
can buy a monitor locally... I never do those mail order :))

All that, with Mandrake, CD and manuals... 

$1867.

Save $40 and get RH without manuals if you want....  that's what I do
when I remember or I give away the CD's and manuals.  You could scale
back the specs a bit to make it comparable to the Dell, but, um, why
bother... if you're dropping $2k on a machine, you can do better than
the Dell quote.

Or if you really must have Intel:

PIII Copermine 866, 256M ECC RAM, 18G IBM SCSI, integrated LSI1010 SCSI
controller, HP 12x8x32 CD-RW, G450 dual head 32M, Creative PCI128 sound,
3Com 56k PCI modem, keyboard...  oh, yeah, and the motherboard is
dual-capable, so when you want to upgrade buy another 866 and drop it
in.

$1929.

Either way, I'd do that over Dell. :)

(And, no, I don't work for ASL, I just buy their machines and love 'em.
:))

-- 
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