A lot of comuting power for $199:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...n_pluggedin_dc

Neat idea

Sounds like a nice *Cheap* server box to me. Don't need all the fancy graphics cards and the like - a simple box with a CLI running my FreeBSD!!!

Sounds good to me!

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FreeBSD - Opening computers from closed Windows

The reason why these things are so cheap is because there's no Windows tax attached, I'd guess.

It'd make a great headless server for a small network. It'll be interesting to see if the "big manufacturers" (Dell and the like) follow in making extremely cheap machines.

*crosses his fingers and waits for a cheap laptop*

I know the $199US price was good the day the story was posted, because I checked it out myself.

But as of 2002-12-17, the lowest price I can find on the Wal-Mart site is $299, for what appears to be a similar system, though it has been upgraded, I believe. F'rinstance, there's a modem, 256MB. Were there speakers with the $199 system? And of course, there's still no monitor. But all the upgrades I mention don't add up to $100 (for a very low end system nowadays, though it's still faster than anything I have at home ).

• VIA C3 800 MHz processor offers comparable performance to the 800 MHz Celeron processor
• 133 MHz frontside bus
• 256 MB SDRAM, expandable to 1 GB
• 133 MHz memory speed
• 40 GB Ultra-ATA 100 hard drive, 5400 rpm (total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment)
• 52x CD-ROM drive
• 3.5-inch floppy disk drive
• Integrated AGP 4x graphics
• Up to 8 MB shared video memory
• Integrated AC '97 sound
• 56 Kbps modem
• Integrated 10/100 Ethernet connection
• Micro ATX tower case (14"D x 7"W x 14"H)
• Available drive bays: one 5.25-inch external, one 3.5-inch external
• Total Slots: 1 PCI
• Available PCI Slots: None
• High-speed serial port
• Parallel port
• 2 front and 2 rear USB ports
• Game port
• 104-key keyboard
• 2-button mouse with wheel
• Audio port (line-in, line-out, mic-in)
• Stereo speakers
• Operating system not included
• 1 year warranty, return to manufacturer

Available PCI slots:none

No room for PCI expansion is the only real minus I see so far...

A $199 machine can be purchased from Fry's Electronics but it is not as "beefy" as the previously mentioned machine.

I think it is a 733 MHz Via C3 machine with 128 meg SDRAM and 30 gig HD and pre-installed ThinzLinux.

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