[GLLUG] Build a Better Sub-$200 Linux PC | PCMag.com

[STeve Andre']

On 09/04/11 07:29, Clay Dowling wrote:
> On 09/04/2011 04:10 AM, Philip J. Robar wrote:
>> Yup, this is one of their better efforts. However, for another 
>> $50-100 you can take a big step up feature wise and get Windows to 
>> boot by getting a refurbished machine. I recently saw a quad core 
>> reburb. for $300.
> I'm not sure that being able to boot windows counts as adding 
> features. Especially if you install XP or earlier, you'd being 
> installing an operating system that has reached end of life (or will 
> shortly).  Running an unsupported operating system is asking for 
> trouble and an assurance that you'll be hit by malware.
>
> Windows 7 would be a nice choice, but you're not doing that on an 
> economy laptop.  It takes a beefy machine to run reliably.  Too little 
> memory and some network operations time out.
>
> I'm sending this right now from my $175 laptop, running the latest 
> kubuntu.  Another $28 and I'll have a new battery for it, and this 
> will be a pretty slick machine.
>
> Clay

XP will be supported until 2014, and possibly beyond.  They have a
lot of US government units using it, and are not able to make the
switch to 7 in time, possibly.

7 is better, yes, but XP is going to hang around, especially on
older slower machines.

Just remember that sub $200 hardware is lacking one thing: quality.

--STeve Andre'