Cheap Linux Desktop/Server, part two
On Wednesday in part one I looked at setting up a cheap Ubuntu machine either from something kicking around at home, a computer clearance company or ebay/Freecycle. If you have a bit more to spend, there are a few more options for finding a new machine on which Ubuntu will run like a dream.
Dell Outlet
As the order process with Dell allows you to chop and change the specification of a machine, any cancelled orders (and orders that couldn’t be delivered, were returned etc) end up at the Dell Outlet. The Dell Outlet is where many Dell products are listed at discounted prices, and there’s often no difference at all from the actual brand new item. My main computer is an Outlet notebook, and as a result has more memory, better graphics and a larger disk for the same money as a lesser spec’d, but “brand new” notebook.
There are two ways to buy from the Dell Outlet. One is the online store at Dell’s website here, and the other is Dell’s eBay shop here. The prices on the ebay shop were extremely low - I’ve just noticed that machines are now listed as Buy it Now and seem to be priced higher than previous auctions finished. There’s still some very good bargains to be had.
Bargain Computing
Someone recently asked me about finding a new machine for less than £200. I thought this was a little ambitious at first, but Dell turned up a good 64-bit machine without a monitor for £188 (a lower spec is available at £165). To save googling and looking through reams of forums, I often come back to dmxdimension.com who list all the E-Value codes and best prices.
Stores like ebuyer list some very cheap home and business PCs. An Esys machine at £145 seems incredibly good value for money, and a Fujitsu Siemens machine isn’t bad at £229. Stores like ebuyer also do barebones machines. By adding enough components to get a working machine, you can add on hardware as you feel ready too and build up a decent computer.
Do It Yourself
So many people have done this at one time or another. Buy a case and some components, and spend a summers evening sweating over BIOS beeps. This is really cost effective and lets you spend money according to your priorities.
A recent article on Computer Shopper shows how you can build a computer that “doesn’t suck” for $250. I’ve filled a lot of 80GB drives and would go for a little more, but this machine doesn’t appear at all bad.
Using ebuyer, I was able to spec the machine up for £189 with free delivery.
To Summarise
As more and more applications go online, from Google Docs to Basecamp, for the more basic tasks almost any old computer will do. My £20 Compaq Deskpro is fantastic for Apache, storing music and common project files, Subversion and browsing when no other computer is free. Support for USB sticks and external drives is great, networking is no problem and more drivers are becoming available for printers and wireless devices.
Ubuntu is a great Linux distribution. Any problem is solved within minutes of searching for it and the Ubuntu Forums offer superb guides and support. Whilst using the command line might not suit everyone, it’s becoming increasingly easy to install and remove applications. Just searching in Synaptic package manager for an ftp client takes minutes from thinking of it to uploading files.
There are many places to find a sub £200 machine. The options are also numerous - you can set it up with lots of parental controls for the kids, no desktop at all for a web dev server, a web based torrent client for downloading on steroids, a media player under the TV for programs, movies and music or just a little machine for a relative who wants to send emails and write the occasional word document.
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