Where Can You Buy Low-End Computers?

yamla asks: "These days, just about the slowest computer you can buy new runs at 600 Mhz. For a lot of people, this is overkill, a waste of money. Are there any online sites in Canada (or elsewhere) that specialise in selling new, low-end systems for bargain prices? Any other alternatives I haven't considered? I am thinking of two situations specifically here. I would like a firewall to place in front of my LAN. Now, I know there are products like FreeSco and the like that can run comfortably on a 486 with a floppy, but I'd rather run something like Storm Firewall and so I need a bit more power. I am also thinking of my mother who wants to upgrade her 200 Mhz system a little but needs neither the power nor the price that $600 Canadian would get her." Aside from surplus shops like Computer Surplus Outlet where can you find new or used older computers at decent prices?

Comments

It's going to be difficult to get new - old

[stienman]

You cannot have new old. It's an oxymoron.

Essentially you want to find new parts of older equipment. However, the older equipment is not produced for consumers. It is produced to maintain older more expensive installations (gov't, industry, science, etc) which can handle the fact that it costs the same to produce a PIII 900 as it does to produce a PII 300. They pay more for their chips becuse they have to maintain their current equipment, consumers, however, won't buy something so low-powered becuase it is the same cost as something higher powered.

It's a basic question of capitalism. Intel cannot sell the older chip for much more than it costs them to make, but they can sell the higher chip for a higher margin. Which do you think they will sell then? This is why cyrix and other low-end cheapo processor producers fell out of the consumer market.

So, you have a choice. You can have low-power used equipment, or higher power new equipment. It is not going to be worth your time to find someone selling cheap low end new equipment. To paraphrase a common saying: "Cheap, Low End, New. You can have any two at once."

-Adam

My users already cower in fear before me. Now I'm working on the gifts and offerings...

Re:Check out schools

[jheinen]

Government auctions are a great place to get stuff cheap. In Denver they have monthly auctions, and I've gone there and seen hundreds of computers on the block. You have to buy in lots, and I've seen a lot of five machines go for as little as $75. They also have cool things like industrial lasers, microscopes, and all sorts of weird stuff.

-Vercingetorix