Tony, thats IS a nice find. And I was going to suggest a nice Xeon 1245 I found on NewEgg however its more expensive and basicall the exact same as the i7 in the Dell.
Just moved from CA to NY, and dragged my old AMD X6 desktop and another SFF Intel Quad with me. I am seriously thinking of throwing both on CL along with my 2x 22" 1080p work laptop monitors and going whole hog per your post. Except for 16GB.
Thanks, l have actually been looking to upgrade to Intel on the cheap lately, and this kills 2 birds.
Kmeyers, definately check out Dell's refurb site. I've had both HP/Dell laptops the past 6-7 years from work, and they both seem acceptable. Assuming the same for their desktop divisions as well.....
If you based your experience with Linux from way back as well then I'm not surprised that you think you need to do any command line stuff at all. Sure it's there, but hardly ever needed unless you like to perhaps. Just had a recent model (late 2013) Mac book pro here and I'm not that impressed with it but it does look and feel much like my Linux setups although my setup is way cheaper than paying to be in the Apple Club and ongoing "membership" fees and restrictions.
But I agree that laptops are the way to go, forget desktops and even all-on-ones, I'd rather have the battery operation and use an external monitor/keyboard if necessary as besides battery operation during power fail it also allows a completely "floating earth" computer when dealing with possible nasties.
Awhile back, I bought a MacBook Pro with a retina screen and SSD. It was expensive -- ooh, boy, was it ever! I bought it because I had hopes of getting the S2 GUI running on a Mac. Unfortunately, that plan fizzled. But I've gotta tell ya, this is my favorite computer of all time. Stuff just works, it's sexily compact, updates are painless, and those updates don't trash my computer (in contrast to Windows updates, which I've disabled on my shop PC).
So, yeah, if you've can scrape up a little extra, you can't go wrong with a MacBook. It even runs PropellerIDE!
Wow! I think the Apple is beyond my current budget limits. I and family members have had problems with Dell although this was about 10 years ago. We used Dell at my last job 100%. As soon as warranty run out either the monitor died or the motherboard died but these were on 24/7.
Going to browse the web this weekend and see just what is out there. Thanks again for the ideas!!
I have a friend who is an IT manager at a Fortune 500 company. They get their computers under contract from Dell. He loves them. He says they break all the time, but their overnight replacement service works great.
@tonyp12: You always find the best computer deals, my main laptop is the Toshiba/Win8 from Staples you recommended many moons back, still working great. The $400 Dell refurb you describe here is surely a powerful brute, and affordable as well.
I would consider a MINI-ITX (they are available with tons of ports) or even a NUC. Either can hang off the back of any monitor and the CPU unit is still portable.
I keep meaning to throw a stripped down W98 (litepc.com) system together to see what I can use it for. I am disillusioned with the whole Linux thing. Too much fuss just installing stuff.
Linux is nice but yes a pain just to find and then install software. Still trying SimpleIDE to install on a Beagle Bone Black. No problems with doing it on the Pi.
Some have problems getting Quartus (SP?) on linux also,,
I have been using Ubuntu for years - and I was a unix admin before that - so that tells you where I am coming from.
When my last homebuilt got to old I went looking for a machine that would run linux. Building one is a pain because the hardware lists are usually too old,
So, I asked the vendors if they would guarantee a machine to run linux. Only Lenovo said yes. So I bought one and would do it again in a heartbeat! Had to strip Windows 8 off it first because windows hogs the hard drive and prevents dual boots. W8 is just junk IMHO.
My wife, who is tech savvy, got burned by Dell. The machine would only run Vista - not even XP - not even any distro of linux I tried. Would not touch Dell ever again.
Why ubuntu linux? It gives me a really stable OS, Kicad, Freecad, 4 desktops to flip between(I could use a couple more - just greedy), gedit, librecad etc and etc all free! SimpleIDE and Anjuta IDEs run like a charm.
Lenovo is also a decent price and great value.
Yes thank you Mike. In my searching Lenovo was the only one I found that did Linux. The command line requires too mush wffort for my one good hand plus I was never that good at typing!
Had bad issues also with Dell as did my sis in law. Apple is over my budget. And welcome to the forums!!
Sometimes I wish there were fewer Linux variants and that the developers would concentrate on making a few really easy to use. I think one of the things that makes Linux "too hard" is that things are done differently on every variant and there is no easy way to make a program like SimpleIDE run on all Linux platforms.
It really depresses me that a "Hello World" or any normal posix program can be compiled and run almost anywhere.
But after decades of development, and billions of dollars invested by MS, Apple and whoever, it's still almost impossible to make a cross platform GUI application.
The best we have is the Qt libs. SimpleIDE should be buildable and usable almost anywhere.
Yes, I mean from source code, never mind all the stupid package managers for this OS and that.
Hi, my name is Rick and I have a Windows confession:
I have one of these, ASUS Transformer Book 12-Inch T200TA-C1-BL 2-in-1 Detachable Touchscreen Laptop, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB Storage, with a 256GB SSD installed as drive E: that I bought myself for Christmas.
Over the weekend, I let MSoft do the Windows 10 upgrade. That was a totally painless process. Since then, I've been using it to run PNUT and play with P2 stuff, web browsing, document editing, some node coding, software installing and general computer stuff. It's been an effortless experience. It's been very responsive and I haven't found anything to complain about.
At the end of the day, I can detach the keyboard (and 256GB SSD) and have a really awesome 12" tablet to use.
I'm not sure there is any other platform with Linux or OSX that will allow me to do that.
Web browsers and media players differ very little between one OS and another. A large number of Windows users (probably the vast majority) mostly use their PC mostly as a web appliance. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, e-mail, and some movie and mp3 playing when they aren't yapping is about all need. Somehow, I can't imagine Linux being "too hard" for that.
Hi, my name is Rick and I have a Windows confession:
I have one of these, ASUS Transformer Book 12-Inch T200TA-C1-BL 2-in-1 Detachable Touchscreen Laptop, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB Storage, with a 256GB SSD installed as drive E: that I bought myself for Christmas.
Over the weekend, I let MSoft do the Windows 10 upgrade. That was a totally painless process. Since then, I've been using it to run PNUT and play with P2 stuff, web browsing, document editing, some node coding, software installing and general computer stuff. It's been an effortless experience. It's been very responsive and I haven't found anything to complain about.
At the end of the day, I can detach the keyboard (and 256GB SSD) and have a really awesome 12" tablet to use.
I'm not sure there is any other platform with Linux or OSX that will allow me to do that.
I'm feeling a bit confused at this point........
Sounds like a nice platform. Are you able to run Quartus on it?
A million years ago when PCs were powered by an 8088 (or V20), I saw the writing on the wall. Everything I wanted to run was available (for free, usually) on the PC and not available at all on the first generation Mac I had bought. So I held my nose and cobbled together a PC clone. The entry price was low then, and the entry price is low now.
It's great to have a Linux machine. I have several. But why in the world would anyone shoot themselves in the foot by refusing to use a Windows machine? Even if I lived in a 500 sq.ft. IKEA demo apartment, I'd still have two computers. It's just easier than trying to make a turnip squirt out beet juice.
A million years ago when PCs were powered by an 8088 (or V20), I saw the writing on the wall. Everything I wanted to run was available (for free, usually) on the PC and not available at all on the first generation Mac I had bought. So I held my nose and cobbled together a PC clone. The entry price was low then, and the entry price is low now.
It's great to have a Linux machine. I have several. But why in the world would anyone shoot themselves in the foot by refusing to use a Windows machine? Even if I lived in a 500 sq.ft. IKEA demo apartment, I'd still have two computers. It's just easier than trying to make a turnip squirt out beet juice.
I have two computers. Well, actually I have more than that. In any case, one is a laptop that is running WIndows 7. While I enjoy using my Mac and even Linux better than I like Windows, I agree that it is pretty much necessary to have at least one WIndows machine available.
So, I asked the vendors if they would guarantee a machine to run linux. Only Lenovo said yes. So I bought one and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Thanks for that Mike, I have been looking at those super-lightweight Lenovo/NEC laptops - there's one in a shop near here (I'm currently in Japan) which has a 13.3"/2560x1440 screen, non-compromise CPU, and is made from some magnesium alloy. Super-thin and weighs only 779 grams (1.74 pounds according to a conversion site). American reviewers hate the keyboard due to the layout, but that Japanese layout is perfect for remapping to Norwegian because of those extra keys. Expensive, but less than half price if I buy a wi-fi router too.. it's just that I have one already. But I didn't know how well these Lenovo-designed PCs work for Linux. Well, maybe not all are equally good anyway.
Yes thank you Mike. In my searching Lenovo was the only one I found that did Linux. The command line requires too mush wffort for my one good hand plus I was never that good at typing!
Had bad issues also with Dell as did my sis in law. Apple is over my budget. And welcome to the forums!!
It was true of linux that you needed to use the command line. In ubuntu I hardly use it anymore on day to day things. When i try to fix someones problem even in windoz I wind up using command lines.
Comments
OK, just read where you don't need portability.
I'd suggest dropping the AIO and laptop ideas entirely, due to failure issues and paying for laptop tech which you don't really need.
You can get a nice refurb Xeon like this: http://computers.woot.com/offers/hp-z210-intel-xeon-quad-core-workstation-2
REFURBISHED: HP Z210 Workstation, 8 GB DDR3 RAM, Xeon E3-1240 3.3 gHz - $299
$90 for SAMSUNG 850 PRO MZ-7KE128BW 2.5" 128GB SATA
~$400 plus monitor of your choice ?
I love how good we are at spending each other's money!!
Thanks for the finds also.. Who else wants to spend money???
=$328
http://dellrefurbished.com/product/systems/desktops/cat61198/dell-optiplex-790-4gb-ram-250gb-hdd/si6779217
Twice as fast than I3 with software that can use multi-thread
http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/408/Intel_Core_i3_i3-2100_vs_Intel_Core_i7_i7-2600.html
Add $45 SSD drive 128GB (Sequential Read Up to 546 MBps)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0D9-0006-00089&ignorebbr=1
Get sata-III cable and power-adapter just incase
newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100016766 8000 4808&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE&PageSize=30
Add $28 for 2x 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148475&ignorebbr=1
Total: $400 that for the price will put a mac pro to shame
25" displayport monitor 2K ultrawide at $180
newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005693&ignorebbr=1&cm_re=LG_25UM65-P-_-24-005-693-_-Product
Just moved from CA to NY, and dragged my old AMD X6 desktop and another SFF Intel Quad with me. I am seriously thinking of throwing both on CL along with my 2x 22" 1080p work laptop monitors and going whole hog per your post. Except for 16GB.
Thanks, l have actually been looking to upgrade to Intel on the cheap lately, and this kills 2 birds.
Kmeyers, definately check out Dell's refurb site. I've had both HP/Dell laptops the past 6-7 years from work, and they both seem acceptable. Assuming the same for their desktop divisions as well.....
http://dellrefurbished.com/browse/?navDesc=16354
Doh, if you want cheap and serviceable, Wallymart is the place:
http://www.walmart.com/browse/electronics/refurbished-desktops/3944_3951_132982_1231068_1230174?sort=price_low&cat_id=3944_3951_132982_1231068_1230174&grid=false&facet=processor_brand:Intel
Off Lease REFURBISHED IBM Lenovo ThinkCentre M58p Core 2 Duo 3.0GH 2GB 400GB DVD Windows 7 Pro Desktop $129
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Off-Lease-REFURBISHED-IBM-Lenovo-ThinkCentre-M58p-Core-2-Duo-3.0GH-2GB-400GB-DVD-Windows-7-Pro-Desktop/41177220
Off Lease REFURBISHED HP 8000 Elite C2D 3.0GHz 4GB 250GB DVD Win 7 Home Computer + 17" LCD
$174
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Off-Lease-REFURBISHED-HP-8000-Elite-C2D-3.0GHz-4GB-250GB-DVD-Win-7-Home-Computer-17-LCD/41177445
Refurbished HP Black 8200 Desktop PC with Intel Core i5 Processor, 8GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Professional
$292
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Refurbished-HP-Black-8200-Desktop-PC-with-Intel-Core-i5-Processor-8GB-Memory-1TB-Hard-Drive-and-Windows-7-Professional-Monitor-Not-Included/43919991
Dell Optiplex 790 Intel® Core i5 2400 3.1GHz, 4GB Memory, 250GB HDD, DVD, Small Form Factor, Windows 7 Professional 64bit Refurbished
$229
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9691358&CatId=2628
Hmm,
But I agree that laptops are the way to go, forget desktops and even all-on-ones, I'd rather have the battery operation and use an external monitor/keyboard if necessary as besides battery operation during power fail it also allows a completely "floating earth" computer when dealing with possible nasties.
So, yeah, if you've can scrape up a little extra, you can't go wrong with a MacBook. It even runs PropellerIDE!
-Phil
Going to browse the web this weekend and see just what is out there. Thanks again for the ideas!!
Somehow beats $x000.
Running without problem since two years at my place 24/7.
my 2 cents.
Mike
I keep meaning to throw a stripped down W98 (litepc.com) system together to see what I can use it for. I am disillusioned with the whole Linux thing. Too much fuss just installing stuff.
Some have problems getting Quartus (SP?) on linux also,,
When my last homebuilt got to old I went looking for a machine that would run linux. Building one is a pain because the hardware lists are usually too old,
So, I asked the vendors if they would guarantee a machine to run linux. Only Lenovo said yes. So I bought one and would do it again in a heartbeat! Had to strip Windows 8 off it first because windows hogs the hard drive and prevents dual boots. W8 is just junk IMHO.
My wife, who is tech savvy, got burned by Dell. The machine would only run Vista - not even XP - not even any distro of linux I tried. Would not touch Dell ever again.
Why ubuntu linux? It gives me a really stable OS, Kicad, Freecad, 4 desktops to flip between(I could use a couple more - just greedy), gedit, librecad etc and etc all free! SimpleIDE and Anjuta IDEs run like a charm.
Lenovo is also a decent price and great value.
Had bad issues also with Dell as did my sis in law. Apple is over my budget. And welcome to the forums!!
Apple is too expensive,
Linux is too hard,
We are forever stuck in an MS world.
I am very depressed...
I know what you mean.
It really depresses me that a "Hello World" or any normal posix program can be compiled and run almost anywhere.
But after decades of development, and billions of dollars invested by MS, Apple and whoever, it's still almost impossible to make a cross platform GUI application.
The best we have is the Qt libs. SimpleIDE should be buildable and usable almost anywhere.
Yes, I mean from source code, never mind all the stupid package managers for this OS and that.
I have one of these, ASUS Transformer Book 12-Inch T200TA-C1-BL 2-in-1 Detachable Touchscreen Laptop, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB Storage, with a 256GB SSD installed as drive E: that I bought myself for Christmas.
Over the weekend, I let MSoft do the Windows 10 upgrade. That was a totally painless process. Since then, I've been using it to run PNUT and play with P2 stuff, web browsing, document editing, some node coding, software installing and general computer stuff. It's been an effortless experience. It's been very responsive and I haven't found anything to complain about.
At the end of the day, I can detach the keyboard (and 256GB SSD) and have a really awesome 12" tablet to use.
I'm not sure there is any other platform with Linux or OSX that will allow me to do that.
I'm feeling a bit confused at this point........
It runs PNUT and an editor really well!
It's great to have a Linux machine. I have several. But why in the world would anyone shoot themselves in the foot by refusing to use a Windows machine? Even if I lived in a 500 sq.ft. IKEA demo apartment, I'd still have two computers. It's just easier than trying to make a turnip squirt out beet juice.
It was true of linux that you needed to use the command line. In ubuntu I hardly use it anymore on day to day things. When i try to fix someones problem even in windoz I wind up using command lines.