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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 :-)"

25 of 486 comments (clear)

  1. Bummer by shystershep · · Score: 5, Funny
    Microsoft has plans to deliver a 64-bit version of its Windows XP operating system for Athlon 64 desktops. Once that software is available, consumers will be able to make the step up to 64 bits.

    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
    1. Re:Bummer by Hoser+McMoose · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The mainstream media does tend to figure that consumer = Microsoft Windows. I don't know about you, but I'd sure as hell consider Mandrake Linux to be a "consumer" operating system. It's clearly not targeting business users the way that SuSE and Red Hat are, nor is it really a hobbyist OS like Gentoo (not that Gentoo is strictly useful for a hobby, just that the target market is for people who like to tweak their system a lot rather than the "turn it on and go" crowd). I don't know what that leaves other than it being a consumer operating system.

      As for OS X, it definitely isn't a 64-bit operating system. Even the new 10.3 "Panther" version is no more a 64-bit operating system than Win3.1 was a 32-bit operating system. There are a few 64-bit elements (and probably sufficient for most Mac users for the time being), but it's still almost exclusively a 32-bit operating system. WinXP 64-bit for AMD64 will be a full-fledged 64-bit operating system from the ground up. This, unfortunately, means that it needs new drivers, which might be a bit of a problem early on.

    2. Re:Bummer by Hoser+McMoose · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Sure you can write 64-bit applications for OS X, just like you could write 32-bit applications for Win3.1, but that hardly qualifies it as a 64-bit operating system!

      All of the core operating system code is still 32-bit. OS X does NOT give you a flat 64-bit memory space, which is the most obvious sign that it's not a true 64-bit operating system. The kernel, the drivers and just about all of the core operating system is still a plain old 32-bit setup. They did include a few hacks to access more than 4GB of physical memory, but Intel proved that you can do that on a 32-bit processor years ago. The PPro and all follow-up x86 chips can support up to 64GB of physical memory. Like OS X, it does so through the use of ugly hacks.

      Apple does also provide some 64-bit math libraries, which make use of the 64-bit integer registers. Nice, but not particularly important. It's fairly rare for most applications to need integers with more range than the 4 billion provided by 32-bit ints. However, when they are needed, being able to use native 64-bit integers is a big bonus. You can hack 64-bit integers together using two 32-bit integers, but that takes at least 3 times as long as with a proper 64-bit int.

      As for Longhorn, I don't really know why you're bringing that up, it's years off and has absolutely nothing to do with the current discussion. WinXP 64-bit edition is just that, the 64-bit version of WinXP, no connection to Longhorn at all except that it comes from the same company. It's available now for the Itanium and scheduled for Q3 of 2004 for AMD64. This will be a true 64-bit operating system, providing a flat 64-bit address space with no ugly hacks or tricks. The kernel will be compiled in 64-bit mode, the memory manager will deal out address space using 64-bit pointers, and if your application wants to allocate 20GB of memory, you'll get it (assuming you've got sufficient physical + virtual memory).

  2. The Geek Xmas Connundrum by grub · · Score: 5, Funny

    eMachines are poo.. Athlon64 is good.. eMachines are poo.. Athlon64 is good.. eMachines are poo.. Athlon64 is good..

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:The Geek Xmas Connundrum by murphyslawyer · · Score: 5, Funny

      But the eMachine comes with a free Frogurt!

      But the Frogurt is cursed!

      But it comes with your choice of toppings!

      --
      I ain't evil, I'm just good looking.
    2. Re:The Geek Xmas Connundrum by fo0bar · · Score: 4, Informative

      A couple months ago, I built myself a nice little cheap desktop for about $400. I'd say I did pretty well. Here are the specs:

      Athlon XP 2000+ proc
      VIA KT266 motherboard with 1 AGP/4 PCI slots, 6 USB ports, onboard S3 ProSavage8 video, 10/100 networking, and the usual motherboard stuff
      256MB RAM
      80GB WD hard drive
      Floppy drive
      16X DVD-ROM drive
      48X CD-RW drive
      Mini-tower case

      Err sorry, when I said "built", I meant "bought an emachines T2082". Emachines USED to be crap, but these days they're using mostly off-the-shelf components. I have yet to find anything proprietary or icky about this computer. Sure I upped the RAM to 512MB and added a decent video card, but everything else is fine.

      As for the Athlon64 system, it appears they released it TOO quietly... their web site doesn't even mention it.

  3. Why so quiet? by PurdueGraphicsMan · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The PC manufacturer and seller, best known for its low-price desktops, this week quietly introduced the T6000, a desktop built around Advanced Micro Devices' 64-bit-capable Athlon 64 processor.

    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.
    1. Re:Why so quiet? by trentblase · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They must be waiting for the 64 bit XP to come out before they hype it!

  4. finally has a toy we'd all like to get for Xmas by Pingular · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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)
  5. The Key to Linux on the Desktop? GAMES! by Ridgelift · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  6. Slight Typo by fritz1968 · · Score: 5, Funny

    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

    There was a slight typo in the article description. I corrected it.

    Don't the /. editors have a spell check?

    --
    It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
  7. Holy cheap desktop by vasqzr · · Score: 5, Informative


    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.

  8. Where is it? by tim_m · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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?

    1. Re:Where is it? by HoldmyCauls · · Score: 4, Informative

      The specs are here, at least, and it was on the front of the desktop section.

      http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=10673 90 092896&skuId=6186156&type=product

      --
      Emacs: for people who just never know when to :q!
  9. Why? by Otter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  10. Re:Rendering times are about to go way down by asdfasdfasdfasdf · · Score: 4, Funny

    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?

  11. Never sell by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

  12. Re:$1299? by gl4ss · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.
  13. Re:$1299? by lederhosen · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah your right! $1299 is to expensive. If you want to burn money, why not burn $2000, and get that exclusive one-button mouse.

  14. Cheaper next week by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 4, Informative

    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

  15. Not if you are a true geek... by gosand · · Score: 5, Funny
    eMachines are poo.. Athlon64 is good..

    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.

  16. Bet you're right by siskbc · · Score: 5, Insightful
    They must be waiting for the 64 bit XP to come out before they hype it!

    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

  17. Re:Caveat Emptor by hawkbug · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

  18. Lesser known Athlon64 feature by -tji · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

  19. Re:$1299? by Hektor_Troy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Porn and tons of it!

    --
    We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.