<< I have been charged with the task of purchasing a PC for my mother's cleaning lady. >>
So you, uh, "volunteered" - did you?
Paddy,
The best
Dell can currently do is $424. And that is for a Celeron
The on-line bargain Compaq with a 2.2 Hz Pentium 4 at $399.99 is a much better deal.
For Windows XP, the base Compaq above is crippled at only 128 MB of DDR/PC2700 RAM. Your Lady needs to upgrade to at least 256 MB of total RAM to get decent performance from this machine on Windows XP without a lot of hard drive thrashing for the swap. "More RAM is always better," but we are going economy, here. It is usually much more cost-effective to buy RAM online aftermarket - but you might want to check out both ways.
Some good PC RAM sources:
www.crucial.comwww.kingston.comhttp://www.anandtech.com/guides/priceguide.htmlAnd of course, some cheap PC RAM sources:
www.dealram.comwww.pricegrabber.comwww.pricewatch.comIt might be best to get the computer first and see what it has on it and how bad it is swapping - even a small amount of swapping will slow the computer down significantly. From a cost-performance aspect it is best to be able to match RAM latencies, or even get an identical 128 MB stick to what it already on the computer.
It is not clear from the very minimal description whether or not the base Compaq has a modem. It probably does, but you might want to call and check.
This computer probably comes with a floppy drive. If not, you can add one on after-market for around $5.00-$10.00. A floppy may come in handy for the 10 year old for sharing things with classmates or for turning in school reports - I do not know.
The online Compaq as offered has no provision for backup. Not good. Definitely not good. It will teach a newbie bad habits from the get-go that will not be broken until her first hard drive failure.
Lite-on CDRWs are very good. "Not the best but the most." Lite-ons are the value choice of the PC enthusiast community.
Plextors are the best CDRWs made: they are the choice of the serious Macintosh and PC music communities.
CDRW fanatics tend to prefer Taiyo-Yuden CDR blanks made in Japan (not Taiwan or China). All Fuji-branded CDR blanks made in Japan are made by Taiyo-Yuden. They can often be found on sale.
I have both the Plextor and the Lite-On 48/24/48 CDRWs. They both do the job and they both do it well. The Lite-on was less expensive. The Plextor is quieter - I like it better.
$43 will get your lady a
53/24/52 Lite-On CDRW(Oops - that link did not work. Just search through
www.newegg.com if you are interested).
Installation is pretty simple for anyone who has ever switched out a hard drive.
Windows machines definitely need anti-viral software and Windows users definitely need some basic security advice: email and floppy-sharing. Six new Windows viruses are being written each day. One out of every 80-200 emails currently comes with a Windows virus. You need to factor in the cost of antiviral software.
If every dollar counts, your Lady can get a
Microtel Walmart Windows XP Home Edition box for $308:
You might want to add a floppy drive: generic should be fine ($5.00? online), and they are easy to install. Or if you want the best, Samsung makes the quietest and fastest floppy drives out there at around $9.00, last time I looked. I never did get around to putting two of them in a floppy RAID 0 configuration . . . ;-)
You would need to add a modem: around $9.00 for an internal hardware modem from
PC Surplus Online:
And a CDRW.
Still, the online Compaq - with a 2.2 MHz Pentium 4 - is a far better overall value than the Walmart boxen.
If pennies count, a
Microtel Walmart PC sans OS can be had for a mere $199.98:
Just put on the OS of your choice and go -
But, again - you would need to add a modem, a CDRW, and perhaps a floppy drive.
A better deal in regard to penny-pinching, since you get more and it cost the same as a naked PC, would probably be the
$199 Microtel Walmart Lycoris Linux distribution box.
Lycoris is a dumbed-down entry level distribution of Linux, made as close to Windows as posibble without getting sued. Similar look, similar keyboard commands to Windows, etc. It is an appropriate distribution for the newbie: it takes a minimalist approach, with best of breed of each Linux application instead of flooding the newbie with an overload of choices (me, I like choice, but I am not a newbie). Lycoris does have an active online help community site. Web browsing (Mozilla), instant messaging (GAIM), Word processing (Open Office), email (Evolution), Printing etc. - all the basics are covered. Thousands of programs are available for free. And there will be no need to buy anti-virus software.
Again, an added modem, floppy and CDRW would be helpful.
Microtel makes a surprisingly good box - I have one. Good quality low-cost components. Good case. Tech support actually answers the phone with live human beings who know what they are talking about.
The biggest problem that I see in regards to a Linux box - the killer, actually - would be in regard to a schoolchild's happiness. Schoolchildren need to be able to conform - they do not need to be different except when they want to be different. Schoolboys get frustrated with both Macs and with Linux boxes in not being able to share games with their peers. Schoolgirls currently may be into America Online culture - no America Online client is available for Linux, and last I read, none is anticipated.
Unless every penny counts, a Compaq box is looking better all the time . . .
Cities do tend to have used computer outlets - you might want to check around for a monitor if nothing else.
Used CRT monitors are readily available in local city stores.
MPR II is the highest (the worst) monitor radiation rating. Typical of bargain and of older monitors.
TCO 99 is the least (the best) monitor radiation rating. Typical of higher quality monitors.
Children are much more sensitive to the effects of radiation than adults: this is why it may not generally be a good idea to give the kids that bargain monitor or that old monitor when you upgrade yourself to the latest and greatest new one.
If you ask, the salesman will have no idea what you are talking about, and will tell you anything that he thinks you want to believe. You have to figure this one out on your own by visiting manufacturers' web sites.
Shadow mask CRT monitors are cheaper and are better for print.
Aperature grille CRT monitors are more expensive and are better for graphics and games.
Samsung Synchmaster shadow mask flat CRT monitors are the best around for print detail, are TCO 99, and are less expensive than many other CRT monitors. 17" would probably be a good choice considering the budget available. Smaller isn't going to do ya.
An LCD monitor would be nice, of course, but is likely out of your Lady's price range.
PC Surplus Online has used PC computers, components and peripherals. You might want to give them a gander for the little things, but as for a used system, well - you might find yourself getting too deeply into the middle of other peoples' problems . . .
IAWK and SnowWitch.
Of the available offerings, one of the Compaqs looks like the way to go.
If buying a package in a store, cables may not be included.
Cables are a profit center for stores.
A $25.00 store-bought USB cable may cost you $4.00 online.
For cables, I like
www.newegg.comLotsa other places are also good.
Oh - look very carefully at the "rebates" on the store-bought PCs.
These can often be a "$300 rebate" if and only if you sign up for $300 "worth" of of MSN over the next few years. Which most of us would find to be pretty worthless.
Read that fine print. Then go home and think about it.
The gimmick with rebates is that only around 11% are ever paid out. That is as per the rebate industry.
Be good -
Epaminondas
