[Re: Linux costs more than Windows]

[Matt Graham]

Mike Szumlinski <szumlins@pilot.msu.edu> wrote:
> http://www.apple.com/education/store
> 
> But seriously, the Compaq Armadas are probably the only PC laptop worth
> their weight. Thinkpads are nice, but they cost way too much.
> 
> Harvard just dropped their purchasing agreement with Dell, as did the 
> Umich Law School. I hate Dell.

> On 5/31/01 3:01 PM, "Edward Glowacki" <glowack2@msu.edu> wrote:
> 
> > Well, given all this fuss on their website about different prices
> > for the same thing, I really am not so happy with them either.
> > But where else can you build yourself a custom laptop online at a
> > reasonable price?

The U of M Business School had an agreement with Dell.  I think they ended up
regretting it... mostly because a lot of the machines shipped had flaky
hardware (something like 1 out of 75 machines came with non-working PCMCIA
Ethernet cards) and flaky software (similar proportion of factory-installed
Lose9x setups with display settings at "800x600, nostretch" on laptops with
1024x768 screens... easy enough for front-line tech-support to fix, but Joe
User was freaked out and indignant that large portions of the screen weren't
getting used.)

The "fluctuating prices" mentioned are not only for laptops, but for larger
machines as well.  Three times looking for a quote on a couple of rackmounts
from Dell, each time with the same spec, three different prices.  *shrug*

Don't know about Thinkpads being overpriced; I've bought my laptops used and
the prices are fine there.  IBM keyboards are better than most other laptop
keyboards, though, and Trackpoints beat touchpads IMHO.

-- 
Matt G / Dances With Crows
There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
"I backed up my brain to tape, but tar says the tape contains no data...."

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