----------
> From: Changhsu Liu <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] Build-your-own versa brand name
> Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 8:51 AM
>
> Here is what I have built just recently, and I believe all the elements
are
> very popluar and good quality. It's cheap and it's very fast.
>
> Motherboard: Abit BH6 (~$95)
> CPU: Intel Pentium Celeron 300a (~$95)
> PC100 SDRAM (~$180)
> Case: ($50-$80)
> Sound card: SoundBlaster Live Value (~$75)
> Video card: Creative Graphic Blaster TNT (~$140)
> modem: any modem from Supra or Robotic should be fine (~$50-$70)
> ATA IDE HD: Any major brand should be fine (e.g., IBM, Maxtor,
Quantum...)
> (8GB for around $150 - $200)
> I use my old keyboard and mouse.
>
You will probably get a lot of knowledge, experience and a better system
from building your own system yourself but there is no way you can save
money doing it these days.  If you are a person who wants a first computer
or are building a system for someone else primarily for the functionality
and not for the learning experience of building it yourself, in the long
run, it's better to buy a ready-made system.

Adding up the lowest amounts listed above, I get $835 and it does not have
a CD-ROM, floppy drive or a monitor.  Including those runs the cost up to
around $1085.  Yesterday's newspaper had similar systems with no monitor
advertised for $400 - $600.  At that price, it becomes difficult to build a
system yourself and buy the software to run on it for anything close to
what someone can walk into any store and buy ready to run with software and
support (such that it is).

This is why I've stopped trying to build systems for friends and relatives.
 I cannot afford the time to build a system and give free support when the
person can probably get the same functionality and some support from
professionals.  The last system I built for a relative or friend earlier
this year was a Pentium 100 with a 420MB hard drive, Windows 95 and Works
and it cost me $600 for the complete system.  For the same money, she could
have gotten a faster machine with a bigger hard drive and a guarantee and I
would not be getting support calls three times a week.

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