Updating the 'puter for hardcore ownage

[--Pete]

Hi,

. . . but one instance where Dell had some deal going and I was still able to use a rebate deal on it as well. Getting a complete system for $200 is pretty damn hard to beat.

And yeah Dell probably shouldn't have allowed the $300 rebate on top of the whatever special that was going on but they did, . . .

Brings to mind the stories you hear about smart shoppers that clip coupons so much that after they go through the check out line, the store ends up owing them:) I can see it now, "It's not too bad a system, and they *did* pay me $150 to take it." :lol:

The one place where the premades tend to win out though is if you want the software that is bundled with them. It is very hard to get the software as cheaply if you want the same software. However Linux can be the great equalizer here, especially for the "E-mail and web browsing" family members who are thousands of miles away as you are lot less likely to need to provide major support for them and can do it easier remotely if you do, with a *nix OS.

Operative phrase, "if you want the same software." The pre-builts I've worked on (especially laptops) were garbaged with things like Works and various Norton/Symantic bloat. Or semi-stripped versions of Office (no Access, for instance). I even got some real nice (I guess) software for writing DVDs on my laptops -- shame that neither of them has a DVD writer;)

What's that commercial about it's only a bargain if you want it in the first place? The vendor says' "Includes $900 of bundled software." I say, "Three days to clean that crap out. Four if it includes Symantic."

So, yeah, you get the software at bargain prices. Most of the time, I'd rather download the freeware or shareware equivalent or skip it entirely. For most of the people I know, a *nix OS doesn't cut it, all they know is what they use at work, and that's usually Office on a Mac or under XP. Heck, redo their toolbars and they're lost;)

--Pete