Re: [tlug] Is Prime PC a good enough place to buy a PC

[Edward Middleton <edwardmiddleton@example.com>]

On Sun, 2005-10-16 at 12:55 +0900, Thomas Savarimuthu wrote:
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: tlug-bounces@example.com [mailto:tlug-bounces@example.com]?? Behalf
> > Of Dave Gutteridge
> > Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 11:15 PM
> > To: tlug@example.com
> > Subject: [tlug] Is Prime PC a good enough place to buy a PC
> >
> >
> > TLUG,
> > 	I'm looking to buy a new computer, with the intention of installing
> > Ubuntu Linux on it.
> > 	I'm looking at PCs on Prime PC ( http://www.primepc.jp )
> > because they
> > seem reasonably priced.
> > 	I don't need a lot of peripherals or anything. I'm looking at theier
> > mid level entry PCs priced around 60,000 yen.
> >
> > 	I'm wondering if anyone had any advice on buying a
> > Linux-ready computer
> > in Tokyo.
> 
> You might want to consider the eMachines if you really not going to stick
> too many pheriperals
> to the machine.
> http://www.emachines.co.jp/
> Also, there is a users-side who have shop in ebisu and akihabara.
> http://www.users-side.co.jp/index_eng.php

I went through the process of buying a computer for my wife about a
month ago.  She basically just uses it for word processing under WinXP.
I would generally make a white box system because it is cheaper but
didn't really have the time.  I looked at e-machines, DELL machines,
Gateway, and HP machines and finally decided on a PrimePC system from
dospara (http://www.dospara.co.jp/shop_guidance/index.php?shop=akb).
The system without a monitor was 100,000yen (something like the Prime A
Thunderstorm with a slower CPU and 160G HDD, 3 year warranty and WinXP
pro http://www.primepc.jp/goods_pc/goods_pc.php?b10=23 ).  I have found
the dospara support to be pretty good in the past and they seem to know
what they are talking about.

After looking at the respective offerings, I came to the conclusion that
none of the major offerings where really cheap.  While they may have
systems for under 60,000 yen they were just overpriced cheap systems.
Most cheap systems have too little ram 512M(if you are considering 64
processors you need at least 1G), cheap Intel processors(you pay a
premium for Intel which makes no sense on a discount system),  Strange
or on-board video cards(generic hardware has better support.), no
dvd-burner (cheap for backup), ATA instead of SATA, AGP instead of
PCIExpress.


-- 
Edward Middleton <edwardmiddleton@example.com>