Re: [tlug] Who do you recommend for Business Desktop?

[Jonathan Byrne <jq@example.com>]

On Sun, Feb 29, 2004 at 10:11:33PM +0900, Thomas Savarimuthu wrote:

>industry's best low cost solution. Indeed. i have my option limited
>by the choice of OS since its going to be a upgrade

OK, I did leave out one other option: Mac.  Seriously.  They play nice
in Windows networks and for the computer-challenged are a more suitable
platform than anything Microsoft has ever produced.  Or even for the
computer-literate.  They just work better.  Of course, if your company
wants the cheapest solution where "cheap" is defined as "low up-front
cost" then you're probably out of luck with on the Mac option.

>I am a poor unix admin happy about my RHL-9 + KDE-3.1.4 running on a
>PIII 500MHz IBM thinkpad.. Actually i am basically a unix guy, have less

Hey, that's the same I use, except it's Debian Sid and KDE 3.1.5.  My
Thinkpad's a 600X, what's yours?

>If i opt for windows on white box, i think i have to end up buying number of
>licenses
>since XP is very strict about licensing (?).. Thats why i would like to go
>with the branded

Well, either way there is a license being purchased, but the OEM license
purchased by (say) IBM is purchased at a lower cost than you are going
to pay.  OTOH, once you buy that full license, you can keep it.  If
the machine it's on dies, you can build a new machine.  The vendor OEM
license is usually tied to the machine it comes with.  However, it does
look like a bunch of OEM business machines are your best choice.

>Also, due to space contraint and to look modern, TFT monitors are made must

OK, I can make a recommendation here.  Dell's LCD monitors are excellent.
We have a bunch of them here at work and my brother has one at home as
well.  The colors are great and they have outstanding contrast ratios.
My only complaint about mine, really, is it will only go 1280 x 1024
and I always want to run 1600 x 1200 or higher.  That's why I have a 19"
Philips monitor at home. Philips, BTW, doesn't have a big reputation in
monitors, but they rock!  My wife's 17-inch Philips 107p will go up to
1920 x 1440, the only 17" monitor I've ever seen that could go beyond
1600 x 1200, and many of them won't even do that.  Granted, 1920 x 1440 
on a 17" is unusably small, but the fact that it will do it means that
at usable resolutions like 1280 x 1024 or 1600 x 1200 (even that is pushing
the boundaries of usability on a 17") you will get an outstanding refresh
rate.  I have a 109B, only because the P series (top of the line) is
hard to find.  Any Philips monitor is hard to find, really, which is a
shame.  I'd rather have a Philips P-series than anything I've used, including
Sony, Eizo, or NEC.  Oh, and it's black, too :-)

>adding extra cost to the the std. vendors LCD monitors sold seperately.
>Where as the branded guys give it for reasonable cost while it is bundled
>with everything...

That's why: it's bundled, which means they got a big discount for volume
purchase.  Also, they are in fierce competition with each other for sales
and cut profits as much as they can and still live.

How many machines do you need to buy?  You might be able to negotiate some
additional discount if it's a large number.

>We are using compaq PC, as highlighted by you, i am not very happy about
>their ugly cabling
>and inner design...I think in that way DELL has clean inner design.

Make sure to tell the Dell sales rep that you have Compaq/HP now and like
them, but what kind of offer can you make me to upgrade our office? :-)
Even if you really hate your existing gear, don't let them know.  Of
course, tell the HP/Compaq sales rep that you aren't happy with it :-)

By the way, quoting for context is a virtue.  Top-posting is not.

Jonathan
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