How Cheap Can A PC Be? 1152
geoff lane writes "Ballmer wants a $100 computer. OK, can we build a reasonable PC for just $100 and a copy of Linux? The rules are: It's assumed that a monitor, keyboard and mouse are already available. Ethernet connectivity must be provided. All components must already have Linux support. All components must be new and currently available. The result must be electrically safe for the home. Is it possible?"
A computer for half the price of Windows? (Score:1, Funny)
the Xbox (Score:5, Funny)
err (Score:2, Funny)
Does that mean Microsoft will start giving away PC hardware free?
(heh, I wish)
Re:Dump... (Score:5, Funny)
Sounds like a Best Buy/Comp USA employee... (Score:5, Funny)
Case? What Case? (Score:3, Funny)
Cases are for whimps! [g-news.ch] ;)
Re:Sounds like a Best Buy/Comp USA employee... (Score:5, Funny)
Balmer (Score:5, Funny)
You would think he would be able to afford something better then that...Microsoft having problems?
Re:Dump... (Score:3, Funny)
Or use it to operate your flight simulator [slashdot.org]
Re:Dump... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:You know, we did word processing before... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sacrifice hardware for the good of software? (Score:5, Funny)
You clearly don't understand economics. Hardware is like a public good -- you have to pay a certain amount upfront to design and build the hardware, but then the cost for helping each user becomes trivial. The marginal cost of hardware marketing is so low that the hardware makers are really price-gouging by charging us $1000 for a PC.
By contrast, software (like MS Windows) has to be carefully customized for your hardware. Adding a 128mb DIMM? Well, then Bill Gates is gonna have to recompile the user interface. Want to move the mouse across the screen? Bill will have to manually edit the binary codes in your kernel. Of course, no two users have the same amount of memory. And all these things like moving the mouse or typing or sending an IP packet... this is what makes the user experience unique. So Bill's work for one user doesn't help any of the other users. That's a lot of stress for Bill, and it naturally keeps the marginal cost of software very high.
So, I ask: why are PC's so expensive? How can we reduce the cost and get PC's to poor people? The software cost reflects a labor-intensive process, and it can't be reduced. Hardware is a public good, so the expense must come from price-gouging by the hardware makers. Therefore, to enable the poor people of the world to catch up with current technolgy, we must tell those over-priced Taiwanese hardware makers to stop ripping us off. (Why, I even heard that FIC makes more than $1 profit off each motherboard. That's outrageous!)
Maybe you should read an economics textbook.
Re:Dump... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You know, we did word processing before... (Score:3, Funny)
man, you were a slow typist!
Re:Case? What Case? (Score:1, Funny)
Hopefully you already have a decently sized ram
How cheap can the OS be? (Score:2, Funny)
Windows is a great bargain, at only 99$
Just ask Steve Ballmer [jengajam.com].
What are you complaining about? You get a lot of programs, like Write and Paint, not to mention Control Panel... but unbelievably also Reversi! (Though I am *extremely* puzzled by his closing words)
Re:Computers are FREE (Score:3, Funny)
Masturbation?
Re:Sounds like a Best Buy/Comp USA employee... (Score:4, Funny)
Salesman: Well, do you need a paperweight? 'Cause if you buy
that machine, that's all you're going to have, an
expensive paperweight.
Homer: Well, a paperweight would be nice, but what I really
need is a computer. How about that one? [points to
a second machine]
Salesman: That technology is three months old. Only suckers
buy out-of-date machines. You're not a sucker, are
you sir?
Homer: Heavens no!
Salesman: Oh good, because if you were, I'd have to ask you to
leave the store.
Homer: I just need something to receive email.
Salesman: [whistles] You'll need a top-of-the-line machine for
that. [shows Homer a top-of-the-budget machine]
That's the same computer astronauts use to do their
taxes.
Homer: I was an astronaut.
Salesman: Of course you were.
-- "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes"
% Homer looks at the price tag -- $5,000 -- and does a spit-take
% (first drinking a cup of coffee so he'll have something to spit).
% Assured by the sales man that this machine "is the best computer in
% the world and always will be," Homer agrees to the deal, running his
% deed through a scanner to take out his fifth mortgage.
%
% Homer drags his new toy home behind the car.
Homer: Hey Lisa! Check out my new computer!
Lisa: Dad! You shouldn't drag that around!
Homer: [laughs] That's right, top-of-the-line.
[the car hits large pothole, Homer bangs his head on the
roof of the car]
Stupid pothole. Don't worry, head. The computer will do
our thinking now.
Re:Sacrifice hardware for the good of software? (Score:5, Funny)
But Office 2003 comes with a spellchecker. Could be the best investment you've ever made.
Re:Computers are FREE (Score:5, Funny)
Pah, you're wasting money. (Score:5, Funny)
$21 Rosewill 184-Pin 128MB DDR PC-3200, Model RW400/128 - Retail [newegg.com]
$26 PCChips "M811LU" KT266A Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL [newegg.com]
$10.75 POWMAX 320W Power Supply for Intel and AMD systems Model "VP-320ATX" -RETAIL [newegg.com]
$41 AMD Athlon 1.33 GHz, 266MHz FSB, 256K Cache Processor - OEM [newegg.com]
Total: $98.75
Quick notes, I didn't buy a case so don't step on it. Also, I didn't buy a heatsink or fan so it'll only run for about 12 seconds. Also, you need to boot off the lan. Also, you won't be able to see anything, and not because the processor poofed, but also it has no video card.
For full good system, I did it once for about 220 bucks. Harddrives and cases pah! Who needs them. My system will turn on for $98.75!
Re:Sounds like a Best Buy/Comp USA employee... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:that was me, by the way (Score:1, Funny)
As opposed to his female manager's dick?
Re:You know, we did word processing before... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Let's try here... (Score:1, Funny)
>that they would normally throw away because it
>doesn't exactly meet their lowest standards...
No those components are already reserved for Dell machines.
Re:Sure, using cost-reduced 5-year-old technology (Score:2, Funny)
They dont processors either, apparently.
Re:Sure, using cost-reduced 5-year-old technology (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Word for XBox. (Score:3, Funny)
We could make it boot right up into BASIC with a soothing blue coloured screen if there's no disk there.
2005, the year of LOAD *,8,1
Re:Sacrifice hardware for the good of software? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Agree (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Reasonable Computer (Score:5, Funny)
I tend to find that monitors are better off as displays, rather than input devices..
Re:My 8 year old pc runs W2K, in your face! (Score:3, Funny)
I keep meaning to upgrade but can never justify the expense... it burns DVDs in 12-15 minutes - the same speed as my friend's P4.
Re:$100 PC... and some great old ideas (Score:5, Funny)
Obviously you work at the same place I do.
And with my super powers of Pricewatch-checking... (Score:3, Funny)
The cheapest reasonably modern (Athlon XP 2000) barebones system on Pricewatch goes for $76.
Now you'll have to excuse me, I think I'll spend the rest of the morning finding a cure for cancer, and after that, on to the really hard problems, like deciding what to cook for supper.
Re:LOAD *,8,1 is not DOS (Score:3, Funny)
10 print" Target Sucks";
20 goto 10
Ready.
Run
Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks Target Sucks