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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Magnatizer who wrote (39662)	2/26/2004 10:43:26 AM
From: shadowman	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 110652

Mag... I've seen better deals from Dell...the Dell deals come and go. For instance this Systemax offers a 40GB 5400 HD...Dell usually offers a 7200...and it's usually 80GB. Many times during a Dell promo they'll throw in a 17" monitor and free shipping....for the same price or lower than this Systemax deal. Also the FSB is often faster. So I disagree with Fred (see below)..when Dell runs a promo...which they do at least 3 times a month...Dell usually offers a better deal. Check here a couple times a week...left side "Best System Deals"...and you'll see what I mean...right now nada.<g> techbargains.com This is from a month old Fred Langa newsletter. Fred: I figure it's about time to replace my 4 year old computer. It's pretty much loaded to the max and computer prices seem low. I know you had an article not too long ago on reasonably priced computers... or would you think I'd be better off to buy one through Dell since I'm a teacher and can utilize the educator's discount program. ---Marsha Ratzel Dell PCs are usually pretty good--- I used to use Dells as my main PCs. But I personally prefer whitebox/small brand PCs now. For example, I just bought a new "Systemax" PC from TigerDirect: a 3.2GHz Hyperthreaded Pentium that came with 512MB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, good video card, NIC, modem, floppy, DVD player, a DVD burner that handles -R, -RW, CD-R, and CD-RW formats, and more. It cost $1200, which is $700 less than a comparably equipped Dell Dimension 8300. You can see the system here: langa.com . It's very nice--- I'm using it to write this issue. Both the clock speed increase and the "Hyperthreading" ( intel.com ) make a noticeable improvement in speed over the system I was previously using; the Hyperthreading technology even fools some system utilities into thinking that the one-CPU system is actually equipped with dual processors! Full disclosure: TigerDirect is a LangaList advertiser. But I bought the Systemax solely for its price and configuration after comparing it to systems from Dell, Micron and Gateway. Dell currently offers free shipping and an extra 512MB of RAM, which reduces the Systemax price savings from $700 down to around $550 or so after you pay for the shipping and upgrade the Systemax's RAM to a full 1GB (which I did). But a $550 savings is still a fair chunk of change in favor of the Systemax. I don't know what the Dell Educator's Discount is, but unless it's huge (over $550, in the above example), you may do better to forgo the discount and buy a whitebox/small-brand system on your own.<i/> Edit: For example...I'd call this comparable...17" monitor...less memory...bigger and faster HD...faster FSB...free shipping. And if you wait a few days a better deal will pop up. configure.us.dell.com