Slashdot Mirror
Emachines 64-bit Athlons Now On Sale
tomhudson writes "According to zdnet,
emachines, the company geeks like to make fun of, finally has a toy we'd all like to get for Xmas -- an Athlon64 on the cheap :-)"
← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)
But not until then, apparently. Aw, shucks. Too bad there aren't any 64 bit operating systems out there now . . .
The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer. - Albert Einstein
eMachines are poo.. Athlon64 is good.. eMachines are poo.. Athlon64 is good.. eMachines are poo.. Athlon64 is good..
Trolling is a art,
It seems odd to me that if you were the first company to release an lower-end 64 bit processor you'd be "quiet" about it. Does this hint at the possibility that they're not very proud of this system? If I were a company that produced the first lower-end computer flaunting a 64 bit processor, I'd be screaming at the top of my lungs to get people to take notice.
Maybe it's just me...
The guitars sound good, now give me about 10db more on the cow bell.
Emachines has a cool laptop as well. Currently it is only available to buy at Best Buy stores. I have one and love it. Widescreen 15.4" and it works great.
No. eMachines are TERRIBLE. My dad bought one a while back, it's the cheapest piece of crap ever. You can't upgrade ANYTHING in it (hard-disk, memory, gfx card, processor, NOTHING). It's noisey, the components are cheap, and if this 64bit is the same, I'd hate to have one.
When anger rises, think of the consequences.
Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC)
Wow, they seem to have managed to jack the price for their cheesy PC's up about $300 by slapping a nice big 64-bit label on one... and oh will consumers bite. Seriously, does no one else see this as simply a marketing gimmick, considering the tech-averted nature of their base market?
Microsoft, which released a beta version of the 64-bit Windows XP for Athlon 64 in September, has promised to ship the final version of the operating system in the first quarter of 2004. AMD has said several other companies are developing 64-bit games and other applications for its chip as well.
Of course Linux has been able to run on 64-bit platforms for quite some time now. If the Linux community _really_ wants to invade the desktop space, we need some killer games. Games have always been the reason why people spend way too much for a new PC. It's not what the public needs, it's what they want, and games help justify the expense.
This post may seem a bit off-topic, but I though the quote from the article which mentions Windows 64 and games in the same breath was worth pointing out.
Ruby on Rails Screencast
tomhudson writes "According to zdnet, emachines, the company geeks like to make fun of, finally has a toy we'd all like to get for Emacs
/. editors have a spell check?
There was a slight typo in the article description. I corrected it.
Don't the
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
I see a Mac versus PC flame fest coming and I'm not sure why!
But I can get a 64-bit eMachine for a fraction of a new G5!
Can we all agree to disagree?
A $1200 system with a 64 bit processor and only 512 MB RAM? What gives? With RAM so cheap these days, it seems anybody in the market for such a pricey system would demand 1GB Ram. (Games, 3D, Video all seem like the obvious targets) Companies are silly.
The Compaq 8000Z, $1,189 after $100 rebate. Mail-order only.
eMachines have a bad rep, but they're not a bad unit. As a former Best Buy employee, the only problems we seen were the powersupply fans going out after 2 years and making a ton of noise.
Some of my former co-workers still have some of the first eMachines running as Linux servers to this day.
I give up. Looked all over at their website and can't find the T6000 anywhere. Is it such a quiet release that eMachines doesn't want to give any details about it at all?
Who is the market for this? If you're one of the few people who has a genuine need for a 64 bit desktop, I can't imagine eMachines' entry is going to satisfy your requirements either. On the other hand, if your concern is that going to 64 bits is going to make your, err, bits twice as large, it seems to me that the bragging rights of a 64 bit Athlon and the shame of being an eMachines owner will cancel out.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
AMD designed the Athlon 64 to work with 32-bit and 64-bit software, in an effort to bridge the gap between the two applications. The move to 64 bits from 32 bits, which has already begun in servers, promises to boost the performance of PCs, partially by enabling them to use more RAM. But the software that will make the jump possible is still in the developmental stage.
So servers are starting to switch to 64bit machines now eh? I thought it was 2003 not 1993.
Later they say that WindowsXP 64 will be out "later next year" (tm). I don't see the big deal around the 64bit hype. I've been using 64bit machines for years and I only see a difference when dealing with large files (>2gig), which is partly or mostly a software issue or other very large stuff like addressing up to 4 gigs of RAM in one app. I've never had these problems doing "normal" PC computing like email, graphics, music, web surfing.
Anyway, it looks like 64bit computing is about to become standard. Yeah! Back to work.
Lets See, the President of Pixar is who again? Hmm.. Right, Steve Jobs.. Yeah.
Imagine what Pixar , etc will be able to do with an array of 64-bit emachines.
I dunno, berate them? Taunt them? Buy expensive targets for nerf fights?
Is it just me, or is it odd that this isn't even on their official site?
I'm okay with emachines; they make cheap little boxes. May main home machine is a 300 MHz celeron emachine running Linux. (RedHat until last night, when I installed Debian.)
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
i used to have (at work) two emachines. while the machines were stable, the stuff was really poor quality. the big hit comes when you want to do an upgrade: the prices are really hard....
This will never sell. Intel, which is the world leader in 64 bit computing, has declared that no one will want to buy a 64 bit desktop for at least another 3 or 4 years, when a cheap Itanium finally goes into production.
My father bought 3 emachines for various family members. Within a year, none of them were working. I don't know where they get their parts, but I suspect it's from other companies reject piles. There has got to be a reason why these machines are so cheap -- and quite frankly, my time is too valuable to waste it on flakey hardware.
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
"can run a hellofalot more software"
In theory. When the emachines crashes and refuses to start up again, that's where you have your problem.
"I can sell you a mac, or I can sell you this rock kinda in the shape of a pentium II"
"Can the mac run windows?"
"Um..."
"I'll take the rock"
Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
This is for people that want to be Buzz-word complient but have little real understanding of the technology behind it all.
Help fight continental drift.
Isn't that sorta like a Chevy Vega with a supercharged V8?
"Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney
Here is the link at best buy http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1067390 092896&skuId=6186156&type=product
How long will it take for MS to come out the 64bit Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition. The say first quarter next year. But we all know about these timetables how tend to change.
Get Movie Posters
Because, you know, when I think of 64-bit computing, I think of eMachines!
"And this is my boy, Sherman. Speak, Sherman." "Hello." "Good boy."
XP Home doesn't have to run on a 64 bit processor because the Athlon 64 processor will run 32 bit applications as well. That's what's so nice about it. XP Home will just run like it always has -- as good as MS can make it.
*jams tounge into cheek*
...and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
tons more?
hmm. applestore has " $1,799.00
1.6GHz PowerPC G5
800MHz frontside bus
512K L2 cache
256MB DDR333 128-bit SDRAM
Expandable to 4GB SDRAM
80GB Serial ATA
SuperDrive
Three PCI Slots
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
64MB DDR video memory
56K internal modem"
that is barebones. the emachine has "AMD's Athlon 64 3200+", "The $1,299 desktop also comes with 512MB of 400MHz double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM) and a 160GB hard drive with a generous 8MB buffer for data, which helps boost performance." and "Included with the T6000 is an ATI Radeon 9600 graphics card with 128MB of on-board memory, a CD burner, a DVD-ROM drive, an 8-in-1 memory card reader, seven USB (universal serial bus) ports and two IEEE 1394 or FireWire ports."
now, i might be STUPID and IGNORANT and a FOOL, but in my world half the mem, half the harddrive, suckier gfx card.. they don't really count as tons of more. did you even rtfa? or are you just fishing for a mac sympathy +5 insightful/informative? each to it's own and i'd love to have a g5 but it sure as hell doesn't have TONS more of stuff for 'few hundreds more'.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Yeah your right! $1299 is to expensive. If you want to burn money, why not burn $2000, and get that exclusive one-button mouse.
I'm not sure that everyone here understands that the Athlon 64 up until now has been mostly limited to lower-end professional workstations (by low-end, I'm talking $2500+; ).
This is probably the first affordable Athlon 64 PC. $1200 is VERY a very reasonable price to pay when the processor alone costs $475. Considering that, the high-performance RAM, the higher-end hard drive, and the relatively good Graphics card, most people would gladly shell out $1200.
Of course, I won't because of E-machines' horrible reputation for cheap power supplies and poor service.
Also, to those who say that there isn't a market for a 64-bit chip without a 64-bit desktop, I tell you to take a look at Apple's G5. Even on a legacy 32-bit OS, it whoops any other processor out there. The Athlon 64 does the same.
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
A recent Seattle Times article gives eMachines kudos for good tech support, and no, the argument that crappy products need to have good tech support to back them up is a poor slander: no business could stay in business that way.
Quote from article: " If you're thinking about giving a new PC, eMachines has top-notch backup. It makes its computers easier to service over an Internet connection, and the CPU unit itself is a snap to open and self-service."
Since when is
AMD will be introducing the 3000+ A64s next week. I am running off to snap a few pics of them now. All the details will be up on the Inq tomorrow morning, I don't want to scoop myself here though. :)
What I can say is:
Lots and lots of them, no shortages here.
They will be substantially cheaper than the current ~$400
Available to the public next week.
-Charlie
At full tilt avisynth eats up about 120MB. It'll do that all day, even with a complex filter, because a frame of video is only a few MB - video simply doesn't NEED any more RAM. Even on a higher end linux networked station you don't need more than half a gig, and that's on a system that doesn't even have a damn hard drive...
Actually, for geeks this is an easy decision.
poo = 0
good = 1
Therefore, eMachines = 0 and Athlon64 = 1
Since you are getting both of them, logically you have to AND them.
(1 AND 0) = 0 = poo
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
$1299 is cheap?
;) ).
Compared to Compaq's offering it is. But that's not saying much, I agree.
Until then I'll keep drooling over a G5 (which is only a few hundred dollars more, with TONS more stuff).
Configuring a 1.6GHz G5 to be roughly equivalent to the eMachines system gives a cost of $2070 (upgrade memory, HD, video). And, as best I can tell, offers nothing in excess of what eMachines does. You can talk about XP vs OS X, but if you prefer one or the other then the cost of the system is irrelevant since it's not something you can choose irrelevant of the hardware. The only substantial difference I can see hardware-wise is that the eMachines has two optical drives (one CD-RW, one DVD) while the G5 only has one. Two optical drives have their advantages.
Oh, and the G5 is going to be considerably slower than the Athlon64. The fastest G5 is roughly the same speed as the Athlon64's, but this is the slowest G5, not the fastest.
The G5 is still a sweet system, mind you, it's just not a "few hundred more" (at least, I don't count nearly $800 as that, but "few" is hardly a definitive number
It's called sarcasm, people. Look it up.
- 1.6GHz/256MB/80GB/SuperDrive - $1499
- 1.8GHz/512MB/160GB/SuperDrive - $1799
- DUAL 2GHz/512MB/160GB/SuperDrive - $2499
Those come with the same warranty as new ones (which can be extended to 3 years, just like on the new ones), and obviously can't possibly be terribly old units.So now it becomes:
64-bit good, but e-machines = poo. Apple != poo, but Apple costs more than e-machines...
I briefly considered whinging about how I could've gotten two 1.6GHz G5's refurb for what my dual 2GHz cost new... then I realized that wait, two of those would still be slower than my dual 2GHz...
What about the yearly $130 upgrade?
-]Phreak Out[-
Quote (comparing Athlon 64 FX vs. Opteron, FX is a Athlon64 tweaked for gamers):
"Additionally, the processors differ in that the AMD Opteron processor features three HyperTransport links, compared to the one HyperTransport link of the AMD Athlon FX processor. They are also tested to different electrical specifications."
In fact, I bet MS insists on it. Let's say I make a system, and I saturation bomb TV with ads for my 64-bit system. Consumers ask, 'what can I run on it to take advantage of the capability?' I respond with 'Windows, eventually,' at which point consumers say 'OK, I'll buy it eventually, if I remember.' Right, that works. Otherwise, I can respond 'You can run linux on it! 64-bit happy!' and MS gets super-pissed and screws me next time my OEM contract is up.
So there's your problem. If I hype my chip, I have to hype Linux or something like that. Or I can wait for MS to catch up and hype it then, which makes more sense for my company.
-Looking for a job as a materials chemist or multivariat
Here's an old headline I keep around, just to remind me to be nice when I see stuff (original thread subject) pop up:
DIGITAL CORNERS NT 64-BIT MARKET - THANKS TO INTEL
As the release of Intel's 64-bit P7 processor release has been put off
until 1999, Microsoft has announced that it will not wait for the P7
release to begin shipping 64-bit Windows NT 5.0. Instead, the first
64-bit version of 5.0 will run on Digital's Alpha platform, which is
already 64-bit, and currently has the fastest chip available: 533MHz.
Rumor has it that Microsoft is buying up quite a few DEC Alpha 500MHz
machines for its development staff.
Digital is further preparing for the 5.0 release by slashing prices on
new Alpha systems, taking full advantage on its two-year head start on
Intel."
grrrr...
Athlons don't have any more of a tendency to overheat than Pentiums do now. Back before the AMD cpus had sufficient thermal production checks in various places, this was true. The Athlon 64 has just as much protection as the new Pentiums do, heat plate and all.
I am in the process of setting up an Athlon64 system. The 64-bit architecture is nice, in a techy coolness kind of way. And, the other architecture improvements, like more general purpose registers, are great.
But, the thing that pushed me to take the plunge was the "Cool 'n Quiet" feature of the chips.
The Athlon64 is the first mass-market / desktop chip to offer speed/voltage control that has been offered in laptop chips for quite a while. Based on processor load, CnQ will slow down the processor speed, in 200MHz increments, all the way down to 800MHz.
So, when you're doing light tasks like WWW browsing, MP3 playback, word processing, etc. the system slows down. When you're compiling, gaming, minidv editing, or other CPU hungry app, it goes up to full speed.
When the CPU slows down, obviously less power is used, and less heat is created. The system fans slow or stop, and the noise level goes way down.
Combine this with a fanless video card (e.g. GeForce FX 5200) and a quiet Seagate Barracuda hard drive, and you've got a very quite, but still powerful, system.
But does the eMachine come with equivalent software? Granted, iTunes can be downloaded free for Windows, but what about iMovie, iCal, development tools, etc.
I know this is a redundant post, but I thought i'd clarify the issue a bit more. I work as a technician at Best Buy which basically means i'm pretty much a gloried salesperson who installs ram and removes viruses. eMachine computers are actually suprising decent now compared to 3 years ago; they share very little in common with their incompatible predecessors. As far as the people who keep mentionining the power supply issues, this is also a thing of the past. eMachines use normal/standard ATX power supplies and they are not 90 watts. This has been the standard for a while. Most have at least 4 PCI slots and an AGP slot. The only exception to this are the Celeron machines which lack an AGP slot, the rest of the eMachines line is just as upgradeable as your average Dell, HP, or Compaq. On any given day, I see more Compaqs or Gatesway come in for serivce than I ever do eMachines.
Sorry to burst your Geek bubbles but this machine might actually not be a complete failure for low class workstations. (is that an oxymoron?) I'll have to see it for myself.
Of course Linux has been able to run on 64-bit platforms for quite some time now.
Kind of off-topic here, but so has Microsoft, at least on the server platform. They've kept it away from the consumer platform up until now for deliberate marketing reasons.
Incidentally, once you've got Windows 2000 64 bit edition running on your 64 bit server, what killer app are you going to run on it? Why, 64-bit SQL Server, of course!
now, i might be STUPID and IGNORANT and a FOOL, but in my world half the mem, half the harddrive, suckier gfx card.. they don't really count as tons of more.
The memory is definitely an issue, there's no question that the G5 should come with 512MB minimum. The hard disk space - well, depends on the user. Unless you're a hardcore gamer, the gfx card is fine. If you are a hardcore gamer, you're probably not going to buy a G5 anyway.
You also neglected to mention that the G5 does have FireWire (including one FireWire 800 port) and USB 2.0, although you did mention them on the eMachines box.
Now, for the "tons more" on the G5. It has next-generation PCI-X slots. It has gigabit ethernet built in. It has optical digital audio in and out. It has Superdrive, which is a CD/DVD burner. And, (ducking to avoid flames) it has a real operating system, not a Microsoft toy.
Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
After reading most the responses I noticed the only caveat that Emachines seemed to be facing was the issue of a power supply. Buy the cheap $1299 system, and pop in a $40 - $50 new power supply. Unless the case has some issues with fitting a new power supply in, this seems like the obvious preventive measure.. Or you could spent $$$ when you take it to a repair center.
I'll admit it, I always kind of liked e-machines. For a few hundred bucks you could get a decent mobo and some stock PCI's. I got two "eMonster 800"s for $200 per at CompUSA, added a little memory, and they run SuSE great.
The way I see it, eMachines are just as crappy as Dell desktops only you don't try to pretend they're good and charge you an arm and a leg like Dell does.
All's true that is mistrusted
OK, I'll bite
I just got one Saturday. Perhaps I got taken, it seems decent to me. They used the components I would have were I building one for a similar price (I didn't expect 2 case fans and round IDE cables). WD hard drive, NEC DVDRW, NVidia chipset motherboard. Seems solid, everything works. We'll see in a year.
There price was good enough that several pieces could burn out and I'd still be ahead.
Dewey
Porn and tons of it!
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
I cheap unreliable computer that will burn it's self out in 6 months. I would perfer getting a sweater I would never wear then getting an emachine and trying to support it/ keep it running.
TruePunk | Games
solitaire on Windows is far superior to solitaire in the KDE/Gnome environments. Linux also needs Freecell, Hearts, and minesweeper.
:(
Seriously.....
Linux needs the support of OEMs. Most consumers use what is shipped with their PC. With OEMs in binding contracts with Microsoft, Linux will be forced to wait until Microsoft decides to release their own distro.
I've been reading about the AMD 64 bit processors with great interest. I really like many of the things AMD has done in the x86-64 designs. But the one thing that blows me away is that many of the "desktop" mobos for AMD 64 still only allow a maximum of 2 or 4GB of phyisical RAM. What the hell is the point of a 64bit architecture if you can't use more of the address space than with IA32 processors? Surely not 64bit math?
I would think that machines with 2-16GB of RAM would be the natural zone where AMD64 starts to really do things that are a pain in the ass on IA32. As far as I can tell, few of the current AMD 64 motherboards fall into that space. Bah.
While the Athlon64 is a great chip I'd like to see a faster FSB, increase in clock speed and more chipsets available for this CPU.
I'd say give it 6 months to year before you updgrade. Unless of course you're just dying to have one. In that case, have fun.
I think I think, therefore I think I am.
They broke NDA and will get bitch slapped by AMD. The price is higher than you will find it for in less than a week, so buy early, buy high.
-Charlie
proof: heat sink and fan being pulled off of athlon64 and p4 (big d'load - 20MB)
oh, and shame on you for not chastizing him for putting two A's in athlon.
I... think you'll get significantly better results from a refurb than from an "open box."