Thinking of getting a new computer??

[johnfowles]

CHar this this NOT spam IMHO
Anybody thinking of upgrading to a new and faster PC might like to visit this current offer from one of my favourite online suppliers
Tiger Direct at:- http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=2984475&sku=E400-W3609
eMachines W3609 Refurbished Intel Desktop Computer - Intel Celeron D 3.33GHz, 512MB DDR2, 120GB SATA II, DVD±RW DL, Flash Media Reader, 10/100 LAN, Windows Vista Home Basic
http://images.tigerdirect.com/skuimages/large/E400-W3609-main.jpg
Unbelievable value for US $239.00 with absolutely NO stoopid scams a.k.a. rebates!
OK the Ram at 512 MB is on the small side but it is cheap and easy to increase that value.
also notice that it has an internal i.e. front panel mounted card reader
"Internal Flash Media Reader!
This incredibly accessible media reader provides lightning fast digital transfer for CompactFlash, MicroDrive, xD,
MemoryStick, MemoryStick Pro, SmartMedia, MultiMedia and SecureDigital cards. Plus there are 2 USB ports for Flash memory
and other USB devices"
http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemdetails/E400-W3609/flash.jpg
Having just finished labouriously assembling my new desktop with such a reader (to avoid the necessity of reaching round
the back of the computer to plug anything in) I thoroughly endorse front panel blocks such as this
http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemdetails/E400-W3609/E400-W3609-out2-la.jpg
which bright genius thought that that it would be funny to put the USB sockets on the back where they cause maximum
inconvenience?
http://images.tigerdirect.com/itemdetails/E400-W3609/E400-W3609-out3-la.jpg
this one has both front and rear USB sockets
My only criticism is that the front panel has only two of the usual three audio sockets, for Microphone in and audio out , but to access the third the line in you still have to struggle around the rear.On my new desktop I devised a third front panel socket, also a 5 socket block to connect to a 5 socket extra sound card
and found another front panel block that has a firewire socket that plugs into the rear mounted input socket of a video capture card so that if I want to be so bold as to plug in the firewire cable from a digital video camera again I obviate the groping around the rear panel in the dark problem
Disclaimer
I have absolutely no connection with Tiger Direct. Iam just a regular and appreciative customer
John Fowles Bt
Sorry to bore you non-geeks with tech talk but I thought that somebody might find this useful. Any questions please ask

[johnfowles]

I can't see where the 2 2.5 inch bays (which would allow one to add a floppy disk drive for example) are and note that there is just the one optical drive the DVD burner in the top 3.5 inch bay with an empty bay under it.So if you want to directly copy CDs then you would need to buy an inexpensive plain jane CD-ROM Drive
Note that only vey few years ago you would have been hard pressed to get even a basic DVD burner for $239.00!! Such is progress in the PC business

[johnfowles]

I said that I had no connection to Tiger Direct other than being a regular and satisfied ciustomer and refered to the new desktop that I have almost completed. I thought it worth mentioning that the first thing I bought for it from T-D was the case, by PCChips
http://images.tigerdirect.ca/SkuImages/gallery/large/B452-1030-a.jpg
Mine is similar to that model but is all black except for a large "window" on one side panel
http://h1.ripway.com/johnfowles/Heinz_side.jpg
Well I say bought but in fact at the time they must have had an embarassing amount of overstock or incorrectly made cases because I was charged $49.99 plus about $17 shipping then claimed and received eventually in the manner of all these ridiculous rebates a $50.00 rebate cheque (thus they in effect paid me one whole cent!! (and it included a nice 485 KW power supply but instead of both USB and audio inputs on the front as the current JustPC offerings it only had the USB so was quite likely from reject batch that had omitted the audio sockets.No matter because I have now added my own
http://h1.ripway.com/johnfowles/Heinz_front.jpg

[TheWatchman]

Amazing price! For the average home, internet surfer, it will get the job done and then some. That Celeron Processor won't hold up much at all with any big projects though. Video, audio, Flash projects etc. it won't be able to keep up. Upgrade to 1 GIG of RAM is a must, especially while running Vista.

[johnfowles]

and another great deal again from Tiger Direct and valid until next Monday July 3o
a 3GHz Pentium 4 windows Vista 512MB RAM 160 MB Hard drive DVD burner refurbished ONLY US $269.00 plus shipping (Note no rebate involved miracles never cease!) at:-
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=2983682&sku=E400-T5082&CMP=EMC-TIGEREMAIL&SRCCODE=WEM1415H
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/Amazing_deal.jpg

the same email offered an extra 512MB RAM card for only US$19.99 (after the stoopid rebate no doubt:stoopid because most buyers fail to correctly submit a claim)

http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/512_MB_RAM.jpg
As Tiger Direct's President Carl Fiorentino says in the email
"Weeks ago, I sent out word that we had an extremely low priced PC running an Intel Celeron processor and an average-sized 120GB Hard Drive. This was a great deal, and we've got the sales specs to prove it: we sold out in under a week. Only one thing bothered me: "what of the folks who thought that PC was too underpowered for their taste?" I've been stewing over it since, and have finally come up with a solution: the eMachines T5082 Refurbished Desktop PC for only $269.99!

This PC is nothing less than an incredible deal. It has an Intel Pentium 4 pumping out 3.0Ghz of processor speed, a large 160GB hard drive, and the always-popular Dual Layer DVD burner. As if that weren't enough-this is a Vista powered PC running Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. Act now and you get all this for only $269.99"
I think that this very adequately answers Al Watchman's reservations above.
Note that if you need much more hard drive storage there are some great large external (USB) hard drive offers around.I recently got a 320 Gigabyte unit(from http://www.ecost.com) for only US$49.99 (again after the usual rebate scam (I just received a $70.00 cheque from the suppliers of a bundled Panda security suite that I did not really want but it came with the hard drive whether I wanted it or not)

That same email is also offering an Acer 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor for only US $199.99 after the usual rebate scam
http://images.tigerdirect.com/skuimages/large/A180-AL2216WBDCA-main-ca.jpg
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo%3d2430647%26sku%3dA179-2204%26CMP%3dEMC-TIGEREMAIL%26SRCCODE%3dWEM1415H
This has been an unsolicited Public Service announcement from
John Fowles Bt
Usual disclaimer I am not associated with either Tiger Direct or ecost .com other than as a very satisfied and regular customer

[ July 26, 2007, 10:21: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[Borderstone]

I want one! :eek: Now!! :D oh...yeah...that money thing. :roll: LOL! ;)

Definetly a good price though. :cool:

[johnfowles]

The icing on the cake was another offer on a later Tiger Direct email. this offered a on the face of it a fantastic deal on an HP printer, (in my book HP can do no wrong with printers unlike the clowns at Epson in particular )
see
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3017476&sku=H24-CC210A
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/images/Tiger_Direct_Photosmart_Offer.jpg
So Walter you have over 2 months of abstaining from spending any money anywhere else. Go for it!!