From: "Robert Comer" 

> They're forcing XP now?

Yes.

- Bob Comer


"Ellen K."  wrote in message
news:dqs4dvcd1hgn7vqidg7kgg6gis712n2p38{at}4ax.com...
> They're forcing XP now?   When I bought mine you could choose W2K.
>
> On Mon, 26 May 2003 12:20:44 -0400, Mike '/m'  wrote in
> message :
>
> >
> >If you check www.dell.com.nytimesoffer once or twice a week, you'll often
> >see a "free shipping" promotion.   Now, if I could only
get rid of that
> >forced Windows XP purchase on the Dell desktop, I might even be tempted.
> >
> >I picked up a nice media server from that page.  600SC box, Pentium 4
> >2.4GHz, 128MB memory, lots of drive bays, 40GB 7200GB drive, Intel
gigabit
> >NIC.  $312 including tax, no shipping charges.
> >
> >The box was OS-free.  It is now running RH Linux 8.0 with a 3Ware IDE
RAID
> >controller; and 3 Maxtor 160GB 8MB cache 7200 rpm IDE drives, plus a 40GB
> >boot drive. It's also running Samba for Windows networking.  :-)
> >
> > /m
> >
> >On Mon, 26 May 2003 09:49:45 -0400, "John Beamish"

> >wrote:
> >
> >>I _almost_ agree with the Dell recommendation.  Just remember that you
will have to pay shipping charges and at that price range they can
represent a non-trivial portion of the total cost.
> >>
> >>OTOH ... if you value your time at $50/hr the "cost"
of driving over,
picking up and bringing back the machine can easily match the Dell shipping costs.
> >>  "Rich"  wrote in message
news:3ed1b231$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> >>     I wouldn't recommend a best buy no-name box or the similar cheap
ones at compusa either.  You can get an inexpensive Dell or HP box with
Windows XP preloaded for less than $400.
> >>
> >>     I thought I saw one at compusa earlier today but can't find it on
their web site.  Best Buy has a $499 HP system with a $100 gift card at
http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11216104&m=0&cat=0&scat=0. 
There is a Presario desktop at
http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11214707&m=488&cat=490&scat=491
which is also $499 and looks to have a $100 gift card and a $50 rebate. 
The HP system looks nicer as one might expect for $50 more.
> >>
> >>     On its web site, Dell has a 2.2 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB disk, CD-R/W
system for $299.  There is no free shipping this week so unless you can
convince them it may cost another $90 or so.
> >>
> >>  Rich
> >>
> >>    "Robert Comer" 
wrote in message
news:3ed19786{at}w3.nls.net...
> >>    Cheapie consumers machines can do that nicely, so it'd probably pay
you
> >>    time-wise and frustration-wise to get an XPHome machine and be done
with it.
> >>    I saw one in the Best Buy paper for less than $400, gotta add a
monitor
> >>    though. (or a Linux machine for even cheaper)
> >>
> >>    - Bob Comer
> >>
> >>
> >>    "Ellen K." 
wrote in message
> >>    news:u343dv4kkk471lf1ls9r08qgb4tgji980b{at}4ax.com...
> >>    > This isn't my development box, it's more like my
email / internet
/
> >>    > cardfile box.
> >>    >
> >>    > On Wed, 14 May 2003 16:35:36 -0400, "Robert Comer"
> >>    >  wrote in message
:
> >>    >
> >>    > >Ellen, I agree with Rich (for once. ), a
new install is the
best way
> >>    to
> >>    > >go over an upgrade.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >64MB would run W2K as Rich says, but it would be
pretty slow
doing
> >>    > >development stuff.  I'd get an upgrade if you
can. (you can never
have
> >>    > >enough RAM is what I go by and it's the absolute
first upgrade I
think
> >>    about
> >>    > >if there's a performance problem...)
> >>    > >
> >>    > >- Bob Comer
> >>    > >
> >>    > >
> >>    > >"Rich"  wrote in message
news:3ec2a71a{at}w3.nls.net...
> >>    > >   The system requirements for Windows 2000
Professional can be
found at
> >>    >
>http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/professional/evaluation/sysreqs/.
> >>    64MB
> >>    > >is the low end.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >   Again, if you do this I would recommend
against an upgrade.
Do a
> >>    clean
> >>    > >install and reformat the hard disk.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >Rich
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  "Robert Comer"
 wrote in message
> >>    > >news:3ec2a370$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> >>    > >  > Would W2K even run on such a box?  (I
bought in in early '98
I
> >>    think.)
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  Most likely, but there may be a driver problem
if it's not
standard
> >>    stuff
> >>    > >  from that time.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  >So far
> >>    > >  > I can't find memory for it, only have 64MB.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  What is it?  (Make/model)  I'll see if I can
find out more
about it.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  > Also, with W2K wouldn't I want NTFS?  
Right now it's FAT32.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  If all you're going to do is run one OS on it,
yep, you'd want
NTFS --
> >>    the
> >>    > >  W2K offers to upgrade your drive to NTFS, no
problem. If you
have other
> >>    > >  partitions, there's a convert program you run
after you do the
install.
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  - Bob Comer
> >>    > >
> >>    > >
> >>    > >
> >>    > >
> >>    > >  "Ellen K"
 wrote in message
> >>    > >  news:909377.ae7c35{at}harborwebs.com...
> >>    > >  > Would W2K even run on such a box?  (I
bought in in early '98
I
> >>    think.)
> >>    > >So
> >>    > >  far
> >>    > >  > I can't find memory for it, only have 64MB.
> >>    > >  >
> >>    > >  > Also, with W2K wouldn't I want NTFS?  
Right now it's FAT32.
> >>    > >  >
> >>    > >  > > From: "Robert Comer"

> >>    > >  > > Why not upgrade to W2KPro or WinXP --
it wouldn't be the
speediest
> >>    box
> >>    > >  in
> >>    > >  > > the world, but it'd be more stable
and run more of today's
> >>    programming
> >>    > >  > > stuff?
> >>    > >  > > - Bob Comer
> >>    > >  > > "Ellen K"
 wrote in message
> >>    > >  > > news:509347.ac8012{at}harborwebs.com...
> >>    > >  > >> Urk.  If that's the case then the
only thing I'd get with
98SE
> >>    would
> >>    > >be
> >>    > >  > > the
> >>    > >  > >> ability to run newer versions of
stuff that don't run on
95 any
> >>    more
> >>    > >  (like
> >>    > >  > > the
> >>    > >  > >> Norton security stuff).
> >>    > >  > >>
> >>    > >  > >> Anything resembling power
management is already disabled.
> >>    > >  > >>
> >>    > >  > >> How do you shut down to the
"orange-on-black idiot screen
only"?
> >>    > >  > >>
> >>    > >  > >> What about Rnaapp?
> >>    > >  > >>
> >>    > >  > >> Maybe the original hard drive is
starting to go bad... ?
> >>    > >  > >>
> >>    > >  > >> > From: "Frank
Haber" 
> >>    > >  > >> > Why do you think 98SE will
help your shutdown problem?
Win 95
> >>    did
> >>    > >a
> >>    > >  > > pretty
> >>    > >  > >> > good job shutting down early
APM systems.  98SE had
notorious
> >>    > >  problems
> >>    > >  > > with
> >>    > >  > >> > that, got two partially
successful patches for it, has
had whole
> >>    > >  > > websites
> >>    > >  > >> > written about its power
problems.  There are still a
bunch of
> >>    > >  machines
> >>    > >  > > out
> >>    > >  > >> > there that won't shut down properly.
> >>    > >  > >> > Have you considered just
disabling power management,
shutting
> >>    down
> >>    > >to
> >>    > >  > > the
> >>    > >  > >> > orange-on-black idiot screen
only, then leaning on the
power
> >>    switch
> >>    > >  for
> >>    > >  > > five
> >>    > >  > >> > seconds?
> >>    > >
> >>    > >
> >>    >
>

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