[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
RE: [ProgSoc] buying hardware
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-progsoc@nospam.progsoc.uts.EDU.AU [mailto:owner-
> progsoc@nospam.progsoc.uts.EDU.AU] On Behalf Of Gabriela Marcionetti
> Sent: Tuesday, 26 November 2002 5:34 PM
> To: progsoc@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au
> Subject: Re: [ProgSoc] buying hardware
>
>
> I bought a $100 17" from work a couple of onths ago (after the 7 year
old
> 14" got to blurry to see, and the 15" that my father's work was
throwing
> out would only show blue after a couple of months). If dell would let
me
> swap a montior for lots of ram, I'd go for it, but I don't think that
> they're very flexible with their plans.
>
Haven't you seen their latest buy-a-pc-like-a-pizza-delivery advert? It
would tend to suggest that you can mix and match Dell bits.
Best advice is to do the following:
1. Set a budget - even a Pentium II or III will do Cable/ADSL so you
shouldn't need to spend more than $500 if that's what you want. Keep on
eye out for second-hard stuff as well, but make sure you know what you
are getting and how it compares price-wise to brand-new gear.
2. Find some online sellers of computer bits and pieces. Choose out what
bits you want and get an approximate "best" price for each. If you don't
know what you need (ie. Types of RAM, system board to match, etc) then
ask someone (like on here!). Some URL's that I have lying around in my
Inbox include http://www.shiftysbitz.com/ and http://www.arcco.com.au/
(can't vouch for them though). If you can't find any good deals, try
getting price lists from shops as well. If any shops don't want to hand
it out, then tell them that you won't be buying from them!
3. Another option is to go to some computer fairs (see
http://www.computerfairs.com.au). Generally there are lots of sellers
present at these and they are fairly competitive. Have an idea what you
want to get and your price range for each and then shop around. You can
do a lot with 2 hours because they are all in the one place.
4. If you don't want to assemble it, go to a couple of sellers (either
at the computer fairs or approach their shops). Tell them what parts you
want and get them to give you a quote. Keep in mind how much you would
expect to spend if you were assembling it yourself for comparison (ie.
You could get a friend to do it for you). Not all PC shops will have
exactly what you want (ie. Different video cards are available) so keep
that in mind. I recommend going for someone with at least 2 years parts
warranty and possibly labour if you want that. Otherwise, most people
these days will palm you off with a 1 year parts warranty (which the
manufacturer gives them on parts anyhow).
Just remember to know exactly what you are going to use it for. If you
cut down on the number of perks then the cost of the system will drop
very quickly. Since I'm never used to be much of a gamer, I always
focussed on getting performance over perks - more RAM and a faster hard
disk drive always helps. Getting more than 512 Mb RAM is probably a bit
ridiculous right at the moment but in 2 years that will probably have
changed.
If you want some good advice, Tom's Hardware
(http://www.tomshardware.com) never goes astray. Although, I suppose
it's more for the psycho computer enthusiast in many ways.
> > Whatever you do, don't get a mac.
>
> Wasn't planning on it :)
>
Good! Nothing like a useless heavy brick-like object to throw off tall
buildings, but why spend so much on it!
*ducks for cover*
Nothing like a Mac to confuse 9/10 experienced IT professionals...
Nigel
-
You are subscribed to the progsoc mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a
message containing "unsubscribe" to progsoc-request@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au.
If you are having trouble, ask owner-progsoc@nospam.progsoc.uts.edu.au for help.