Another Ars Ultimate Budget Box

Some nice Friday afternoon reading for you; Ars Technica has another go at the Ultimate Budget Box, a cheap no-frills PC for minimum cash output. From the article: "Look around inside most corporate offices, where most computers need to handle a few Office documents and light Internet use. They don't need to be able to burn CDs or handle 3D-intensive games, but they do need to be reliable and affordable. Lots of consumers out there probably want a similar box--an appliance that lets them get onto the Internet, take care of e-mail, and create a few documents. For them, being able to burn a CD-RW would probably be nice, but anything beyond that is an extra. Low-cost, reliability, and quality are key. That is what the Ultimate Budget Box is about: not skimping on components, but not loading it up with features either." The final price? US$525.46

I didn't RTFA, but....

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't see how a $500 computer is the 'ultimate budget box' -- seeing as how dell, hp, and your neighborhood shop all sell boxes that "surf the internet" and run office apps for $300-$400.

Maybe I should have read the article, because I feel like I missed something here....

$525???

[Anonymous Coward]

$525?? Might as well buy a Dell for $249 if all you want it for is basic stuff. I hate Dells as much as the next tech but they are cheap and more than adequate for basic stuff (and even some games) for the price.

Dell does it cheaper

[budartagnan]

If all I want is CD burning capability, internet surfing, and word processing, for myself or, more likely, for a family member... Dude, they're getting a Dell.

$500US??

[Cervantes]

Craaaap, I say. I can build budget boxes for $500 CDN.

Admittedly, I haven't RTFA, but I really don't care to. Just seeing that price tag is enough to make me believe it's another piece of overpowered crap. If you just want net browsing and occasional burning, then a Sempron 2xxx + is more than enough for you, and anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to screw ya.

Re:final specs

[theJML]

I also find it's important to point out that the OS is extra!

Sure that's cool for people like me that are going to throw gentoo on there, but what about gramma, she doesn't want linux... (yes some are ok with that, but for the majority, it's just not the way for the masses yet!). so we're well over 600 bucks if not more for a full version of something, close to 700. Since when is that cheap or budget?

Retail boxen are still really cheap by comparison

[harryk]

10 years ago, I would've said to build, rather than buy, a new box. Today ... I cannot with good faith say the same thing to anyone asking from an 'end-user' point of view. Generally speaking nearly every black box PC on the market is quite usuable and is well within 'appliance' price ranges. I noticed the other day at BestBuy that 'cleaning' a PC costs $250, whereas you could purchase the 'coupon computer of the week' for about $50 more.

Simply put, for end users, just about any black box PC is going to be able to compete with a system like this, and probably come with more than you need for the same price. Just my 2 cents.

harryk

Re:What a load of CRAP

[Ravatar]

Certainly, you'll rock at games like Tetris and Minesweeper!

$500!?!?!?

[nmaster64]

They...suck...

Seriously, $500 is RIDICULOUS for a PC of that calibur (unless your talking laptops). I can build a moderate gaming computer for that. A no-frills-just-types-prints-and-surfs PC should be possible at around $300.

Why do you need 80GB for internet and word processing again? These people are idiots, and I feel sorry for people that really do just want the basics and go out and build this thing...waste of money...

Re:$500US??

[gfxguy]

You know, I don't understand what people mean by budget box anymore. One of my computers at home is an 800Mhz Duron with 256MB and it does everything they "require" from their budget box, it's the computer my wife uses to email, surf, etc. when one of the kids is playing on the "good" box. She hasn't complained. I use it when I crawl out of my office.

Eliminating games and high end applications (like video editing), you could do with a lot less of a machine than that one, even.

I mean, come on... maybe they are used to XP or something, because I remember upgrading my Win2K box a couple of years ago to 512MB specifically to do video editing, and now they are saying you can't do with less than 512? With prices so cheap, it's definately worthwhile, but to claim that you need more than 256MB... to do what? Surf? Email? You've got to be kidding me. That's like saying you need an SUV to do grocery shopping... on the other hand, it seems a lot of people really do believe that, too.

Re:final specs

[prockcore]

I also find it's important to point out that the OS is extra!

That's because this machine is targetted towards businesses. The businesses already have site licenses.. they don't need to buy the OS.

Re:$500US??

[DoninIN]

I do 90% of my internet surfing on a 500mhz celeron. That has a street value of what? $5?

Re:Gaming PC for about this much

[Bios_Hakr]

Well, I'm glad you think that computers are for surfing and typing. However, there are other people that actually use their PCs for other things.

Try ripping some CDs to MP3 or OGG on there. It'll take you at least twice as long to rip 20 CDs as someone with a better computer.

Try doing some real research. It's not uncommon for me to have several Firefox sessions with 10+ tabs in each session. Not to mention having PuTTY up and listening to MP3s. On top of that, I'm running Word to type up my report. You could do the same; have fun watching your disk thrash as your pagefile fills up.

My home PC records TV for me, outputs recorded video to the entertainment center, has 3 users (with fast user switching) running multiple programs, rips DVDs and MP3s, plays games, and much more.

If you are happy running a lightweight desktop on an ageing PC, fine. But realise that other people value their time. Other people hate watching the desktop while Firefox loads. Other people watch videos and listen to music. For you to sit behind your old-school box and pretend that 90% of the people out there are just like you is dumb.

Re:Cough

[jmorris42]

True you can get the approx $80 WinXP Home bundled into the Dell for about the same price. But there are some downsides also.

1. P.O.S. onboard Intel video vs the Nvidia in the Ars machine.

2. P.O.S. system. Dells are plastic crap, even the power supply is non-standard. This doesn't matter to some, but to those who have been burned. Quality parts cost more but you get what you pay for. Ars wasn't claiming to be putting together the cheapest P.O.S. they could, that is what Dell is for.

3. Dell appears to be dumping their stock of 32bit CPUs. The machine Ars specced out was a futureproofed 64bit box.

4. That Dell only has a CD/RW instead of a DVD+-RW. Granted you can upgrade to a DVD writer and still beat $525.

5. The price for the Dell is a 'special offer' price instead of the normal $588. God I hate playing the rebate/special of the hour game, give me halfway repeatable pricing anyday.

6. Some of us like the idea of NOT buying Windows and actually NOT buying Windows. If you 'not' buy Windows from Dell you usually pay more, which means Bill is getting his money and you don't get anything.

I managed to beat Ars price just doing a quick & dirty test shopping run at newegg.com. I managed to get a flat panel in at $480 with subwoofer, a decent keyboard and an actual AMD approved power supply. I went embedded ATI instead of Nvidia, to each their own I guess.