Building 2011's Sub-$200 Computer

adeelarshad82 links to PC Magazine's recent account (updating a similar quest detailed last year) "to see if a decent PC could put together for less than $200. Turns out that between some great deals, an AMD processor, and a Linux OS, it can actually be done." They actually come out with a decent-enough system for that money — but omitting an optical drive in a full-size desktop computer build seems something like cheating.

Comments

Re:Decent Computer?

[hairyfeet]

Notice how none of the Linux zealots can stand the truth? i could line links up all damned day showing everyone from giant corps like Walmart to little shops like mine running away screaming because Linux is a fiddly CLI heavy bitch, but will they listen? Oh fuck no, they still have raging hard ons for the days of the PDP11 when everyone that used a computer was a programmer and neckbeards were the rage. i mean for the love of God RMS still calls everyone "hackers" like he is at a computer club meeting in 75. Wake up and smell the last 20 years of computing folks!

As for your point about being "too old"? bullshit, total bullshit. frankly once PCs reached around 2GHz they became "good enough" for all your basic web tasks which is what I'd say a good 60% to 70% of the people out there only use a PC for. Add to that any AMD AM2 or Socket 775 out there can be trivially upgraded to a dual core (hell I can get Pentium Ds all day long for less than $20 that frankly kick ass for all basic tasks and even MMOs) and there frankly isn't a reason to shitcan them except for the license issue. I'm sure many of the smaller shops will just load "Win 7 Razr1911" and call it a day but I run a legit shop.

But as for why nobody wants Linux? I'd argue because it is a fiddly little PITA that is why. Linux has the reputation of being a difficult to use OS FOR A DAMNED GOOD REASON and that is because it IS a PITA to use fiddly little OS. As I said look at the 80% hardware there should NEVER be a failure of that hardware, ever. Hell Windows has carried OOTB drivers for the 80% hardware since Win2K and you know what? it actually works!

Compare this to Linux where Linus' constantly going Goatse on the kernel and insane release schedule means broken driver after broken driver. And before anyone says bullshit i'll be happy to post a HUGE list of "update foo broke my driver" links if you'd like, the forums are literally overflowing with them. it is simple XYZ math folks, you have X amount of guys qualified to do driver work, you have Y times tens of thousands of drivers, and you have Torvalds Z breaking shit left and right. Even if the guys qualified to fix drivers never slept and did nothing but fix drivers 24/7 they would NEVER keep up, it is simply mathematically impossible.

Most likely all these machines which could be running Linux, as for that 60%+ there is not a damned thing they do that wouldn't work perfectly on Linux, simply will either have pirate Windows loaded or EOLed XP, and that is a damned shame. So much work by the community pissed down a rathole by Torvalds ego. you have great DEs, plenty of software, versions that will run on anything from a 300Mhz with 128Mb of RAM to a supercomputer, but until you get rid of the damned CLI horseshit and drivers are "write once, use for years" so that they aren't constantly breaking? Linux simply won't go anywhere. look at the numbers folks, it is below the margin for error. it was below the margin for error four years ago, it will be below the margin for error four years from now if things don't change.

Give the people what they want, all GUI, easy to use and manage, with no driver breakage constantly? Watch them beat a path to your door. Continue with this CLI neckbeard fixation, with the constant driver Goatse, and expecting the world to do things YOUR way and calling them trolls or idiots when they won't? enjoy your 1%. You already have the "fight teh powerz!" types, and the power users have no problems with Windows, so no growth there. you NEED the home users, see the giant 50 foot neon sign screaming CONSUMERS and get in the game, or don't be surprised when nobody pays attention to you.