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Unless I need to do some seriously CPU intensive stuff - VPN concentrator, encryption, etc - I find that EPIA boards are almost always the answer. (Note to would be moderators: please observe the use of "almost" before you start bitching.)
My most recent "standard setup" includes EPIA M1s in Aspire cube cases - http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=27476. Use a LianLI EX-23B for the RAID drives and the space inside the case for the system HD, and you're ready to fly.
YMMV, and all that.

Ncix is not too bad
Other Canadian sites that i like are
http://www.mdcharlton.ca/
http://www.atic.ca/
http://www.fronet.com/
and of corse
http://www.ebay.ca/

Try Living in Vanocuver, BC. The local computer magazines regularly carry adds for places that specify really low prices with provisos like "Windows XP $95 extra".

Atic Computers is the benchmark for low price (but they're not rumored to be all that hot on after-sales support)

Even my corner computer store (literally, 2 doors down) has laptop with and without included OS. They also sell MS-free desktops for as little as $285CDN. (apx $220US) not including monitor.

I think that part of the reason may be that there are a LOT of people in Vancouver who go to (and work with) the far east on a regular basis, so it'd be pretty easy to buy an OS-free PC in Hong Kong and bring it back with you on your next trip (or have a friend do so). The small suppliers here have to compete with that (and can also take advantage of that availability for parts).

There's also the fact that Canada's anti-monopoly laws are a bit different. The difference may preclude Microsoft from the tight bundling of machine and OS.

There are also Pentium M motherboards, but they are hard to find and expensive. The VIA C3 1 GHz runs very cold, but runs slower than a ~500mhz P3. Also, the mini-itx board version has a rather loud fan - but it also comes in a socket 370 version, so you can put a big socket A heatsink on it and run it fanless - if you don't mind the lack of speed. I did this for a while, but it drove me nuts. So I put in a cheap Celeron 1.3 GHz (which has 256k cache, unlike the slower versions) and plugged in the cpu fan with a Zalman fan speed controller set to minimum. With a Zalman PSU and a Seagate hard drive, the system is barely audible if there is no other noise in the room. If I were to go totally fanless, I'd put in a laptop hard drive instead. (These guys had fanless PSUs in for $145 Canadian, which isn't all that bad, but they're sold out.)

In Vancouver, B.C., the price of bulk 4x DVD-Rs has been fluctuating around the $1.60 CDN range (= ~$1.20 US). I bought 50 from ATIC recently, burned a couple dozen at 4x with my Sony DW-U14A, and haven't had any coasters (...yet).

D.

I just went to the website of a computer store just down the street from me. I could go out and buy a full system (except monitor & OS) with an AMD XP1700, 256 MB of RAM, 32MB video card, 10/100 LAN card, and CD for CAD$415, which is $285 of "your" dollars. That's brand new, and that's a way better system than an unmodded XBox. The same system with a 16x DVD player and USB 2.0 will cost $305 USD. Then you have to get a TV-out card for another $40 US, but the system you end up with is hugely superior to the XBox, both in upgradeability and flexibility.

Of course, I can't argue with the "interesting weekend project" aspect. I like doing that stuff too. But don't try to use the financial argument with me...

There's a local computer store where I live (Vancouver, BC) that has a great web site with all their latest prices. You can't order online (I don't think, anyway), but you can do a quick price check, and make up your mind before you go there.

They update each page if just one item's price changes on that page. All the pages are organized by category (CPU on one page, memory on the next, then mainboards, etc...) Their prices are competitive, around the cheapest in town (if you're comparing, remember these are Canadian loonies). If you're going to update the web site daily, you can then place a few computers around your store with that web page preloaded, to allow customers in the store to check the prices. Also, the staff at the store above, uses the web site on the computer in front of them to check the prices as you pay.

Each of their products has a brief description, e.g. Intel P4-RD, D850EMD2: i850E/S478, 533FSB, AGP4x, 3PCI/CNR/5USB2.0, RDRAM, Audio, which are useful in taking a look at all the choices in one place.

I think it's a Mom and Pop run place, at least it looks that way... The store isn't it the best of shape physically, but damn, there's always a line of people waiting to buy stuff. They must sell one hell of a load of items every day. There's no price haggling, and the they probably make a low profit margin. But they make up for it in volume (i.e. always 5+ people in line to buy stuff, in a customer area that's only ~20x20 feet.)

Oh yeah, skip all the fancy graphics, flash, pull-down menus, pop-ups, whatever, on your site. They're only annoying. Don't bother with making the user turn the page to find page #2 of the CPU prices, either - that's what the Page Down button is for. Page flipping through links makes it a pain in the butt to print a price list.

Bottom Line to My Point: Open a web site with your latest prices.

/Dave

There's a local computer store where I live (Vancouver, BC) that has a great web site with all their latest prices. You can't order online (I don't think, anyway), but you can do a quick price check, and make up your mind before you go there.

They update each page if just one item's price changes on that page. All the pages are organized by category (CPU on one page, memory on the next, then mainboards, etc...) Their prices are competitive, around the cheapest in town (if you're comparing, remember these are Canadian loonies). If you're going to update the web site daily, you can then place a few computers around your store with that web page preloaded, to allow customers in the store to check the prices. Also, the staff at the store above, uses the web site on the computer in front of them to check the prices as you pay.

Each of their products has a brief description, e.g. Intel P4-RD, D850EMD2: i850E/S478, 533FSB, AGP4x, 3PCI/CNR/5USB2.0, RDRAM, Audio, which are useful in taking a look at all the choices in one place.

I think it's a Mom and Pop run place, at least it looks that way... The store isn't it the best of shape physically, but damn, there's always a line of people waiting to buy stuff. They must sell one hell of a load of items every day. There's no price haggling, and the they probably make a low profit margin. But they make up for it in volume (i.e. always 5+ people in line to buy stuff, in a customer area that's only ~20x20 feet.)

Oh yeah, skip all the fancy graphics, flash, pull-down menus, pop-ups, whatever, on your site. They're only annoying. Don't bother with making the user turn the page to find page #2 of the CPU prices, either - that's what the Page Down button is for. Page flipping through links makes it a pain in the butt to print a price list.

Bottom Line to My Point: Open a web site with your latest prices.

/Dave

There's a local computer store where I live (Vancouver, BC) that has a great web site with all their latest prices. You can't order online (I don't think, anyway), but you can do a quick price check, and make up your mind before you go there.

They update each page if just one item's price changes on that page. All the pages are organized by category (CPU on one page, memory on the next, then mainboards, etc...) Their prices are competitive, around the cheapest in town (if you're comparing, remember these are Canadian loonies). If you're going to update the web site daily, you can then place a few computers around your store with that web page preloaded, to allow customers in the store to check the prices. Also, the staff at the store above, uses the web site on the computer in front of them to check the prices as you pay.

Each of their products has a brief description, e.g. Intel P4-RD, D850EMD2: i850E/S478, 533FSB, AGP4x, 3PCI/CNR/5USB2.0, RDRAM, Audio, which are useful in taking a look at all the choices in one place.

I think it's a Mom and Pop run place, at least it looks that way... The store isn't it the best of shape physically, but damn, there's always a line of people waiting to buy stuff. They must sell one hell of a load of items every day. There's no price haggling, and the they probably make a low profit margin. But they make up for it in volume (i.e. always 5+ people in line to buy stuff, in a customer area that's only ~20x20 feet.)

Oh yeah, skip all the fancy graphics, flash, pull-down menus, pop-ups, whatever, on your site. They're only annoying. Don't bother with making the user turn the page to find page #2 of the CPU prices, either - that's what the Page Down button is for. Page flipping through links makes it a pain in the butt to print a price list.

Bottom Line to My Point: Open a web site with your latest prices.

/Dave

If you live in Vancouver (Canada) these are two good choices to buy parts from. Given that you know what you are looking for, don't expect a detailed explanation of what's good or not (they're usually very busy):
Generic Computer
ATIC computers

Only in canada ... pity.

SC822R-350RC: 2U RACK Dual-P4-Xeon. Supports 7 low profile I/O expansion slots or 2/3 full size riser I/O expansion slots.

Atic.ca

CC

MS Windows NT 4.0 SERVER 5 users / 10 users $995/$1280
MS Windows NT 4.0 Workstation $190 each

Well let's get with the new Millenium shall we?

MS Windows2000 Server full ver. on cd $1065 (doesn't say how many user licenses)
MS Windows2000 Pro full ver. on cd $195

Windows already costs a grand. Also, compare 2000 to NT4, the cost increases, and Microsoft says it has lowered the cost of a PC.

check the prices yourself, its in Vancouver BC Canada.

Cheap laptop from Taiwan, has Intel chipset, up to 600MHz PIII and 8MB ATI Rage LT video, 14.1 TFT. I have one with a P2 333, works ok, but you will probably need the latest XFree86 for linux and it has a Lucent winmodem. My old Toshiba was more refined, but you can't beat the price of the Mitac, and the 8MB 3D card swung it for me. (I wanted to play with Java3D, but I spend more time with the Games). check out www.mitac.com, I bought mine at www.atic.ca (Vancouver, Canada)