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Re: Re: Re: Long ago.... (Reply to this comment)
by rice75
Yes, I am glad you brought that up. I am all for going to a local Mom and Pop (usually not run by any Moms or Pops but a bunch of kids who know too much for their own good) and supporting local business. I could have saved a little money by purchasing my stuff online but I like to give the little guy some help, so I went to a local shop. And you are right, they will build whatever you like and you'll get a decent PC and a good price.
Thanks for reading and leaving a helpful comment.
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Tony
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Jan 07 '04
1:59 pm PST
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Re: Re: Long ago.... (Reply to this comment)
by asafono
This was implied in the review and some comments, but I, having built a few systems in the past and assisted relatives with their Dell/Micron purchases, have found a happy medium: I buy a system from a local shop assembled to my specifications. They (General Nanosystems in St. Paul, MN, www.nanosys1.com) offer several basic packages, and you can upgrade almost everything. For my last system, I just asked to use a pricier, brand-name motherboard, add memory and put in a larger hard-drive. They take care of installing XP (yeah, I know...), providing all the drivers on CDs, and a warranty. It does come out cheaper in the end, accounting for OS cost, and sales tax vs. shipping.
I don't play demanding games, and just want my home computer to work: surf the web, view pictures, listen to music, edit an occasional video. On the other hand, I know enough to stay away from cheap no-name chipsets, integrated video, and buffer-less HDs.
Great review...
P.S. I am not affiliated with General Nanosystems but highly recommend them. The challenge is finding a good competent shop in your neighborhood...
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Jan 07 '04
9:16 am PST
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Re: Long ago.... (Reply to this comment)
by rice75
Yeah, I would agree that the cost of the OS is defintely a downer when it comes to building a new system. Since I usually only have one system at a time I just recyce the OS.
Thanks for the comment, you bring up a really good point that I hadn't thought about.
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Tony
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Dec 07 '03
5:32 pm PST
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Long ago.... (Reply to this comment)
by Ahab1973
In the early to mid 90s, it used to be that you could build your own system for far less than you could buy one already assembled. Nowadays, with the OS costing $300 by itself, unless you demand a custom made PC or need lots of power, or you just like doing it yourself, you're better off just buying.
Brian
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Dec 06 '03
3:19 pm PST
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'Build it and it will work!' (Reply to this comment)
by KnightRT
If only that were the case. I can't tell you how many posts I've read in online forums that begin, "I've put it together, and some lights flash, but then nothing happens." How depressing it must be to watch $600 in parts do ...nothing at all.
That aside, this is an excellent article.
DI
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Jun 20 '03
10:46 pm PDT
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Re: Thank you!!! (Reply to this comment)
by rice75
Paul,
Glad I could help. I've been having fun writing up reviews of all my new computer toys. I hope the rest of my info will be just as helpful. I'm glad to let you know about Tom's Hardware, too, as it is a treasure trove of info.
Thanks for the comment!
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Tony
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May 29 '03
8:37 am PDT
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Thank you!!! (Reply to this comment)
by paulphoto,  in Computer Hardware
I just want to thank you for this informative and helpful article. I myself too built my computer from the ground up and now at the process of upgrading the system. I look forward to the rest of the story.
Thanks also for the excellent websites tomshardware.com and anandtech.com you included. I just checked them out. Great!!!
Paul
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May 28 '03
8:03 am PDT
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Re: Wow, lots of great information (Reply to this comment)
by rice75
Thanks for the comment!
This was fun to write, I, too, am looking forward to the rest of the story. I've got a lot of material to tackle, so I better get cracking!
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Tony
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May 20 '03
1:45 pm PDT
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Re: If you choose to buy a system... (Reply to this comment)
by rice75
Yes, you bring up some very valid points, thanks for the comment!
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Tony
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May 20 '03
1:44 pm PDT
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Wow, lots of great information (Reply to this comment)
by Howard_Creech
I'm really looking forward to the rest of the story.
Howard
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May 16 '03
11:57 pm PDT
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If you choose to buy a system... (Reply to this comment)
by smjg
...then I'd offer just a few bits of advice:
1. Go for a company that gives you some choice of specification
2. Make sure the warranty covers both software and hardware
3. Make sure that upgrading doesn't void the warranty.
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May 16 '03
4:29 am PDT
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Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by rice75
Moose,
Yes, it's true how quickly KaZaA can fill one's drive. I think I have every celebrity Jeopardy from SNL from there. I haven't been on lately, maybe I should see how things are going now.
I heartily recommend the Dell Dimension 8200 series. This is what we got for one of our labs at school and it is a nice machine. Sure you'll drop about 2 grand but it's worth it.
Thanks for dropping by!
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Tony
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May 13 '03
8:10 pm PDT
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