[dba-Tech] Desktop recommendation

ROTFL.  There's a guy with too much money!

;-)

It's really easy to get cheap prebuilt systems, but high performing, cheap
prebuilt systems are another matter.  In fact Dell and the others get you in
and browsing with the cheap machines, then seriously jack up the price when
you start upgrading the cheap components to better performing ones.

Joe was discussing buying an Emachines which is a fairly strong indication
that he is not in your (apparent) income bracket.  And an Emachines is not
going to impress many clients unless they happen to be impressed by
frugality.

And the case is NOT ugly.  8-(

For those of us not so wealthy, building systems is DEAD easy.  In the US
the parts are extremely cheap, and you can put together machines that you
can't touch for twice the price the price.  I replaced my wife's 1ghz amd
with 256 of ram (which I built 3 years ago).  I had to replace the
motherboard, processor, ram and video card.  I used the rest of the parts
(disks, cd, floppy, monitor, mouse and keyboard and chassis).  It took me
about an hour, plus the time to load the software.  The price was ~ $300 to
go from low functioning to SERIOUSLY fast.  Gigabit LAN NIC, smoking
performance, plenty of memory, tons of USB ports, etc.

Do that with your IBM Gustav.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com 

Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause:
http://folding.stanford.edu/

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Gustav Brock
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 11:55 AM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Desktop recommendation


Hi Joe

Well, not just to act as Mr. Opposite, I would advise against this - except
if you think it is great fun.

As a serious programmer you have better things to do than buying ugly bluish
lighted cases of doubtful quality, mounting boards that for some reason do
not exactly fit. Leave that to the gamers.

Instead, go and get some relief. Buy a workstation - IBM IntelliStation or
HP xw4200 - and turn into happy mode, confident that this - with its proven
(on-site) service - will not let you down for the next three years. Pro
tools also signal to the clients that you are serious and can be trusted.

Upgrading the old machine is even worse. Never do that - you waste a machine
and don't get a new except if you replace everything - and then you could
just have bought a new machine anyway. Only replace defect parts. Buy a new
harddrive for the old machine. It will still be useful as a second machine
for testing - or give it to your neighbour.

/gustav


> Date: 2004-10-19 17:19

> Building is always a good idea. ..

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