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From: brian@anorak.coverform.lan (Brian Somers)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Please suggest "best" FreeBSD workstation <= $4000
Date: 18 Oct 1996 02:44:26 +0100
Organization: Coverform Ltd.
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References: <53rflp$o27@lex.zippo.com> <326269E6.15FB7483@FreeBSD.org>
<DzE1u6.GJt@rockyd.rockefeller.edu>
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In article <DzE1u6.GJt@rockyd.rockefeller.edu>,
Dan Ts'o <dan@dnn.rockefeller.edu> writes:
: I don't think you can get a good P6/200 system with sufficient disk
: and memory, plus a good 21" monitor, for under $4000. It will be close.
: Under $5000, would definitely be doable.
Maybe not if you want to buy it "all in one".
: I'm a Gateway fan, bought 20+ of them over the years and have been
: very happy. I would suggest getting Gateway's P6/200 package, ditch the
: EIDE drives and get SCSI (I think Gateway will sell you an Adaptec 2940UW
: plus a decent SCSI drive, I'd suggest a 2Gb), and be careful about getting
: a video card that will work well with Xfree. Also get 64Mb of memory.
:
: You can configure a system on the Web at http://www.gw2k.com.
:
: I just did and the above came to $4034, with their Vivitron 21"
: color monitor. If that is the Sony, then it is not bad. I included a SCSI
: CDROM. You can play with the configuration to go under $4000...
Be careful about buying upgrades these days. I recently bought a Dell
system - when SIMM prices were at their lowest. One of my suppliers
sold 16Mb EDOs for #59+VAT and 32Mb EDOs for #155+VAT. Dell supply
their basic PPro200 system with 2 x 8Mb of EDO - #200 to upgrade to 32Mb !
Being willing to take the lid off would buy #16Mb of extra memory +
#82+VAT !
I'll bet it was the same story with the disks - keep the ISAs that they
offer and take 'em out and give 'em to a friend. Buy a 2940 etc and
you'll probably still undercut Gateway/Dell's "upgrade".
The morale ? Take what they offer. It's being offered because it can
be mass-produced (and mass "burned-in"). If you take that away from
them, they take the good deal back !
I'd get the following:
PPro system: (-monitor), (Gateway/Dell)
Monitor: Vivitron
4Gb SCSI: (Conner seems nice)
2940UW:
RAM upgrade to 64Mb:
: I'm a little concerned about the cache on the system. It appears to
: be only the 256KL2 on chip cache. Have to check this out...
Aren't all PPros ?
--
Brian <brian@awfulhak.demon.co.uk>
<http://www.awfulhak.demon.co.uk/>
Don't _EVER_ lose your sense of humour....
.