🚀 go-pugleaf

G (blackbob@sashimi.wwa.com) wrote:

(about buying a piecemeal PC clone)

: I have seen 1 MB SIMMs for $25 used.  I'd be thrilled to get anywhere
: near $38 for mine.

Oh- so now we're talking about *used* machines.  I can build a Power Mac 
that's *much* faster if I buy a used one.  

(section about not needing a large hard drive deleted)

(about monochrome displays)

: But seriously, many people do not WANT color.

But seriously, you're out of your mind.  A lot of computer stores have to 
custom-order monochrome displays and cards now.  

: If I had SVGA
: hardware, I'd still use it in text mode 100% of the time (and
: I would be completely wasting the money for the SVGA hardware).

Let's see... small hard drive, don't need anything but monochrome for a 
display adapter... then why do you need a Pentium?  A 386/25 should do.

: >But I'll let you buy a nice SVGA card for $100.  And a basic monitor
: >for $250. (13" 640 by 480)

: This is really very inflated.  Before its retirement, my
: SVGA hardware (14" 1024 by 768 and 1 MB card) cost $175 
: together.  Would you like a copy of the check?

Let me guess... used equipment?  A new 14" (which the stores call a 15") 
costs more than you paid for monitor and card put together, and a quality 
one (with decent dot pitch and some level of stability) costs a good $250 
to $300+.  Show me someone who's selling a *real* 1024 by 768 monitor 
with display card for $175.  New.

: >: $10 for I/O card,
: >: $50 for PS, $0 for Linux...we're talking ~$700 for the absolute
: >: perfect computer (okay, okay, add $1000 to replace the Pentium MB
: >: with an Alpha if you want to get real dreamy).
: >
: >Oh- and we forgot the modem.  And your extras.  And the CD-ROM.

: My comments about the SVGA hardware apply to the CD-ROM.  I DON'T
: WANT IT!

Then don't buy it.  But if you want to compare prices, compare equal 
machines.  The price drops for the Mac. too, so you don't save anything here.

: >No- we're talking at least 
: >           $1700
: >
: >...and you can get a PMac 5200 for about that- with more RAM and a bigger 
: >monitor.

: For $1700, you can replace the Pentium + MB for one of the
: $1300 DEC Alpha MB's, run all of the above hardware (I think it
: even includes the stuff on the I/O board), and have the
: fastest microprocessor on the planet.

Well, you get *an* Alpha, but the basic board you mentioned (which 
doesn't have a processor, either) is a lot slower than the high-end 
Alphas.  It's not a helluva lot faster than the basic Mac we've been 
describing here.  And then you get to do fun things like add *real* I/O 
subsystems (IDE on an Alpha?), faster hard drives, much faster RAM, cache 
(not included), and all of the other toys an Alpha needs to run well.  
And you spend more money than you would for a 120 MHz PPC.  Which is 
actually *faster* than that bottom-end Alpha for a lot of things (like 
math, according to the nice folks on the benchmarking group).

(Wants to run unix.  Tough.)

(Thinks cheap hardware is just as good)

: I can assure you that the aformentioned Alpha PC is quite a bit
: faster than the 5200.

...and once you finish building it, it's twice as expensive.

Have you actually *built* one of those Alphas?  Do you know anyone who 
has?  Get the final price list and get back to us.

: Look at ME.  I do NOT want CD-ROM, graphics, sound, etc.  etc.
: I want a text only platform with a lot of CPU power, and sufficient
: memory (RAM and HD). 

That's nice.  If you're working in text only, what in the hell do you 
need all of that power for?  A really fast spellcheck?  You can't be 
doing too much to it if you only need a 240 meg HD... so why even bother 
with a Pentium, much less an Alpha?

: If I have to pay for stuff I don't use, then,
: well, I may as throw out money.  I do NOT experience incompatibility
: problems, borken hardware, etc. etc.  For >> ME <<, is there ANY
: reason why it would be more cost effective to buy a Macintosh
: instead of a PC?

Oh. So we've gone from "I can build a cheaper Pentium machine" to "I can 
build a cheaper Pentium machine if I leave a lot of stuff out."

-- 

Chad Irby           /    My greatest fear: that future generations will,
cirby@gate.net     /      for some reason, refer to me as an "optimist."