Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Thanks for everyone who advised me about Dell. Since I think I might
be going the Dell route, I have another question to ask.

I'm looking to do some video editing and straight transfers to DVD,
both from my DV camcorder and from HI 8 and VHS tapes.

I have a few questions.

One, money is a bit tight (or should I say, I prefer not to take on a
huge credit card bill if I can help it.) So, what is the minimum
desktop purchase I could get and still be able to upgrade to edit
video in the near future?

Two, assuming I bought everything from Dell, what should I get to do
this?

I'm asking because I see that the lower end models don't have the
options of customizing to add higher end video and sound cards, and if
I did get a lower end model, I wanted to make sure that what was there
was adequate for DV purposes. Otherwise, I might as well buy the
higher end.

What are the parts that are needed to edit DV? Can I get buy with one
big harddrive? If I need two, do they have to be in a RAID
configuration (the faster data configuration, not the backup
configuration)? I'd hate to pay for two hard drives and have the
failure of one ruin everything. What about HI 8 and VHS? From what
I gather, these require some sort of video capture board, but I'm not
sure what to get (or if Dell even offers such a beast).

Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:

512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
120 GB HD
Audigy 2 sound card
DVD-Rom drive
DVD+R rewrite drive
128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Hi Darren,

Since you've decided to go for the 8300 (better than the 4600 or 2400 series
for your intended use, since it supports the speedier 800 MHz FSB and
separate AGP card), I've come up with a configuration below for you. The
important components of a good video editing system are the processor,
memory and hard drive(s). You need a FireWire port for the DV camcorder,
and since the 8300 doesn't have onboard FireWire, you'll either have to
upgrade the sound to the Audigy 2 or have onboard sound but get the optional
3-port FireWire card. I suggest buying and installing a DVD burner
separately, as Dell doesn't offer dual format burners right now (+/-). You
can make do with a lower end modern video card, but Dell will only let you
configure the higher-end ATI offerings (I prefer ATI over nVidia for picture
quality.) I'd suggest the 2.8C processor (best price/performance ratio
right now, but Dell doesn't offer it on this system as on option, so the
3.0C is about $50 more expensive. I'd also recommend doubling your memory
to 1 GB for better video editing performance.

Here's the configuration:

Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology 3GHz w/800MHz FSB
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
1GB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x512M)
Hard Drive 1: 120GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
Hard Drive 2: 120GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) (optional, subtract
$190 if you only want the one drive)
Sound Blaster AudigyT2 (D) Card w/Dolby 5.1, and IEEE 1394 capability (adds
FireWire and great sound, or subtract $30 if you want the onboard sound and
a separate 3-port FireWire card instead)
Single Drive: 16X DVD-ROM Drive
1 Year Limited Warranty plus 1 Year At-Home Service
Productivity Pack including WordPerfect® and Money® (don't know your
software needs, but this is the least expensive option, as there's not an
option for no software, but if you're in the market for an Office Suite, you
can't go wrong with one of the OEM MS Office Suites for more money but less
expensive than buying retail)
McAfee Security Center w/VirusScan, Firewall and Privacy, 90-day trial
(again, don't know your needs, but this is the cheapest option)
Video Ready w/o Monitor (or add a 19" CRT for $90, if you need one)
New 128MB DDR ATI RADEONT 9800 Pro Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI (great
card performance/pricew ratio right now)
Dell ® Quietkey ® Keyboard
Dell® 2-button scroll mouse

Total: $1,539 plus shipping (configured online 04/18/2004)
or $1,319 plus shipping (if you want just one 120GB SATA drive and onboard
sound/separate 3-port FireWire card)

As you say, RAID 0 (striping) does speed things up a bit, but you're screwed
if one of the drives decides to get sick. A better safety option without
RAID 1 (mirroring) would be to perform regular backups to a separate HD,
either internal or external, or to CD-Rs/DVD±Rs (I don't recommend
CD-RW/DVD±RW packet writing, as it isn't as reliable for critical backups,
and CD-Rs are so cost-effective.) RAID 1 (mirroring) just isn't cost
effective for a non-server environment, as you lose half of the available
storage capacity, and it still doesn't save your hynie if you delete any
critical files, or if a virus infection happens (since data is written
SIMULTANEOUSLY to both drives, deleting or infecting the same file(s) on
both drives.

Hope this helps,
Russell
http://tastycomputers.com

"Darren Yatadooet" <googlegroup@cowcope.com> wrote in message
news21e8aa5.0404180733.8bbdb20@posting.google.com...
> Thanks for everyone who advised me about Dell. Since I think I might
> be going the Dell route, I have another question to ask.
>
> I'm looking to do some video editing and straight transfers to DVD,
> both from my DV camcorder and from HI 8 and VHS tapes.
>
> I have a few questions.
>
> One, money is a bit tight (or should I say, I prefer not to take on a
> huge credit card bill if I can help it.) So, what is the minimum
> desktop purchase I could get and still be able to upgrade to edit
> video in the near future?
>
> Two, assuming I bought everything from Dell, what should I get to do
> this?
>
> I'm asking because I see that the lower end models don't have the
> options of customizing to add higher end video and sound cards, and if
> I did get a lower end model, I wanted to make sure that what was there
> was adequate for DV purposes. Otherwise, I might as well buy the
> higher end.
>
> What are the parts that are needed to edit DV? Can I get buy with one
> big harddrive? If I need two, do they have to be in a RAID
> configuration (the faster data configuration, not the backup
> configuration)? I'd hate to pay for two hard drives and have the
> failure of one ruin everything. What about HI 8 and VHS? From what
> I gather, these require some sort of video capture board, but I'm not
> sure what to get (or if Dell even offers such a beast).
>
> Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>
> 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
> 120 GB HD
> Audigy 2 sound card
> DVD-Rom drive
> DVD+R rewrite drive
> 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
> P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Darren
You will be OK with Dell as long as you don't need customer service or
support. If you do, than good luck to you!
"Russell" <rsullivan@tastycomputersdotcom_replacedotwith"."> wrote in
message news:8pygc.20903$yD1.48017@attbi_s54...
> Hi Darren,
>
> Since you've decided to go for the 8300 (better than the 4600 or 2400
series
> for your intended use, since it supports the speedier 800 MHz FSB and
> separate AGP card), I've come up with a configuration below for you. The
> important components of a good video editing system are the processor,
> memory and hard drive(s). You need a FireWire port for the DV camcorder,
> and since the 8300 doesn't have onboard FireWire, you'll either have to
> upgrade the sound to the Audigy 2 or have onboard sound but get the
optional
> 3-port FireWire card. I suggest buying and installing a DVD burner
> separately, as Dell doesn't offer dual format burners right now (+/-).
You
> can make do with a lower end modern video card, but Dell will only let you
> configure the higher-end ATI offerings (I prefer ATI over nVidia for
picture
> quality.) I'd suggest the 2.8C processor (best price/performance ratio
> right now, but Dell doesn't offer it on this system as on option, so the
> 3.0C is about $50 more expensive. I'd also recommend doubling your memory
> to 1 GB for better video editing performance.
>
> Here's the configuration:
>
> Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology 3GHz w/800MHz FSB
> Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
> 1GB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x512M)
> Hard Drive 1: 120GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
> Hard Drive 2: 120GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) (optional, subtract
> $190 if you only want the one drive)
> Sound Blaster AudigyT2 (D) Card w/Dolby 5.1, and IEEE 1394 capability
(adds
> FireWire and great sound, or subtract $30 if you want the onboard sound
and
> a separate 3-port FireWire card instead)
> Single Drive: 16X DVD-ROM Drive
> 1 Year Limited Warranty plus 1 Year At-Home Service
> Productivity Pack including WordPerfect® and Money® (don't know your
> software needs, but this is the least expensive option, as there's not an
> option for no software, but if you're in the market for an Office Suite,
you
> can't go wrong with one of the OEM MS Office Suites for more money but
less
> expensive than buying retail)
> McAfee Security Center w/VirusScan, Firewall and Privacy, 90-day trial
> (again, don't know your needs, but this is the cheapest option)
> Video Ready w/o Monitor (or add a 19" CRT for $90, if you need one)
> New 128MB DDR ATI RADEONT 9800 Pro Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI
(great
> card performance/pricew ratio right now)
> Dell ® Quietkey ® Keyboard
> Dell® 2-button scroll mouse
>
> Total: $1,539 plus shipping (configured online 04/18/2004)
> or $1,319 plus shipping (if you want just one 120GB SATA drive and onboard
> sound/separate 3-port FireWire card)
>
> As you say, RAID 0 (striping) does speed things up a bit, but you're
screwed
> if one of the drives decides to get sick. A better safety option without
> RAID 1 (mirroring) would be to perform regular backups to a separate HD,
> either internal or external, or to CD-Rs/DVD±Rs (I don't recommend
> CD-RW/DVD±RW packet writing, as it isn't as reliable for critical backups,
> and CD-Rs are so cost-effective.) RAID 1 (mirroring) just isn't cost
> effective for a non-server environment, as you lose half of the available
> storage capacity, and it still doesn't save your hynie if you delete any
> critical files, or if a virus infection happens (since data is written
> SIMULTANEOUSLY to both drives, deleting or infecting the same file(s) on
> both drives.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Russell
> http://tastycomputers.com
>
> "Darren Yatadooet" <googlegroup@cowcope.com> wrote in message
> news21e8aa5.0404180733.8bbdb20@posting.google.com...
> > Thanks for everyone who advised me about Dell. Since I think I might
> > be going the Dell route, I have another question to ask.
> >
> > I'm looking to do some video editing and straight transfers to DVD,
> > both from my DV camcorder and from HI 8 and VHS tapes.
> >
> > I have a few questions.
> >
> > One, money is a bit tight (or should I say, I prefer not to take on a
> > huge credit card bill if I can help it.) So, what is the minimum
> > desktop purchase I could get and still be able to upgrade to edit
> > video in the near future?
> >
> > Two, assuming I bought everything from Dell, what should I get to do
> > this?
> >
> > I'm asking because I see that the lower end models don't have the
> > options of customizing to add higher end video and sound cards, and if
> > I did get a lower end model, I wanted to make sure that what was there
> > was adequate for DV purposes. Otherwise, I might as well buy the
> > higher end.
> >
> > What are the parts that are needed to edit DV? Can I get buy with one
> > big harddrive? If I need two, do they have to be in a RAID
> > configuration (the faster data configuration, not the backup
> > configuration)? I'd hate to pay for two hard drives and have the
> > failure of one ruin everything. What about HI 8 and VHS? From what
> > I gather, these require some sort of video capture board, but I'm not
> > sure what to get (or if Dell even offers such a beast).
> >
> > Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
> >
> > 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
> > 120 GB HD
> > Audigy 2 sound card
> > DVD-Rom drive
> > DVD+R rewrite drive
> > 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
> > P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Darren Yatadooet wrote:

> Thanks for everyone who advised me about Dell. Since I think I might
> be going the Dell route, I have another question to ask.
>
> I'm looking to do some video editing and straight transfers to DVD,
> both from my DV camcorder and from HI 8 and VHS tapes.
>
> I have a few questions.
>
> One, money is a bit tight (or should I say, I prefer not to take on a
> huge credit card bill if I can help it.) So, what is the minimum
> desktop purchase I could get and still be able to upgrade to edit
> video in the near future?
>
> Two, assuming I bought everything from Dell, what should I get to do
> this?
>
> I'm asking because I see that the lower end models don't have the
> options of customizing to add higher end video and sound cards, and if
> I did get a lower end model, I wanted to make sure that what was there
> was adequate for DV purposes. Otherwise, I might as well buy the
> higher end.
>
> What are the parts that are needed to edit DV? Can I get buy with one
> big harddrive? If I need two, do they have to be in a RAID
> configuration (the faster data configuration, not the backup
> configuration)? I'd hate to pay for two hard drives and have the
> failure of one ruin everything. What about HI 8 and VHS? From what
> I gather, these require some sort of video capture board, but I'm not
> sure what to get (or if Dell even offers such a beast).
>
> Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>
> 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
> 120 GB HD
> Audigy 2 sound card
> DVD-Rom drive
> DVD+R rewrite drive
> 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
> P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB

At the current pricing of computers, there is not much of a
spread between low-end and high-end, standard performance
systems. And the money saved at the front-end will be spent
later on, anyway. The better alternative is to obtain the
"most bang for the buck", so to write. What is your comfort
zone in having a local, but very reputable, OEM build the
system from quality components with a better upgrade path
for them that no large scale manufacturer can provide? Or
for the less technically-challenged, build your own.

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Your configuration is fine. Personally, I don't think the second drive
really buys you that much. The Audigy 2 gets you the Firewire port and a
darn good sound card. I second the idea of NOT buying Dell's DVD burner. Buy
a 3rd party and install it yourself so you can get +/-. In fact, one option
is to buy a drive and a $20 USB2 case and run it external. More flexibility
if you have more than one machine. My external case arrives tomorrow.

For your HI8 and VHS, you need a way to get the video in. Personally, I
love the Hauppauge WinTV PVR USB2. Comes with Ulead SE for editing
(although I've never edited with it). The beauty is that it turns your PC
into a darn good TIVO. I use mine with Snapstream's software and
Hauppauge's MediaMVP to drive video in the house.

As for memory, I'd buy the machine with 256MB and add another 512MB for 768
unless there is a free upgrade to 512mb.

Prices are a touch high right now. Might go down in a week or two. Check
out the small business site too. They charge tax, but usually have free
shipping.

Tom
"Darren Yatadooet" <googlegroup@cowcope.com> wrote in message
news21e8aa5.0404180733.8bbdb20@posting.google.com...
> Thanks for everyone who advised me about Dell. Since I think I might
> be going the Dell route, I have another question to ask.
>
> I'm looking to do some video editing and straight transfers to DVD,
> both from my DV camcorder and from HI 8 and VHS tapes.
>
> I have a few questions.
>
> One, money is a bit tight (or should I say, I prefer not to take on a
> huge credit card bill if I can help it.) So, what is the minimum
> desktop purchase I could get and still be able to upgrade to edit
> video in the near future?
>
> Two, assuming I bought everything from Dell, what should I get to do
> this?
>
> I'm asking because I see that the lower end models don't have the
> options of customizing to add higher end video and sound cards, and if
> I did get a lower end model, I wanted to make sure that what was there
> was adequate for DV purposes. Otherwise, I might as well buy the
> higher end.
>
> What are the parts that are needed to edit DV? Can I get buy with one
> big harddrive? If I need two, do they have to be in a RAID
> configuration (the faster data configuration, not the backup
> configuration)? I'd hate to pay for two hard drives and have the
> failure of one ruin everything. What about HI 8 and VHS? From what
> I gather, these require some sort of video capture board, but I'm not
> sure what to get (or if Dell even offers such a beast).
>
> Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>
> 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
> 120 GB HD
> Audigy 2 sound card
> DVD-Rom drive
> DVD+R rewrite drive
> 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
> P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Darren Yatadooet <googlegroup@cowcope.com> coughed up the following:


....[rip]...


> Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>
> 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
> 120 GB HD
> Audigy 2 sound card
> DVD-Rom drive
> DVD+R rewrite drive
> 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
> P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB


.....at what price? It would help to know this since part of the magic
of working your way through the dell system is to know how to not pay
too much for e.x.a.c.t.l.y the same thing.

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Tritium <h3@hot.lab> coughed up the following:

> Darren Yatadooet wrote:
>
>> Thanks for everyone who advised me about Dell. Since I think I
>> might be going the Dell route, I have another question to ask.
>>
>> I'm looking to do some video editing and straight transfers to DVD,
>> both from my DV camcorder and from HI 8 and VHS tapes.
>>
>> I have a few questions.
>>
>> One, money is a bit tight (or should I say, I prefer not to take on a
>> huge credit card bill if I can help it.) So, what is the minimum
>> desktop purchase I could get and still be able to upgrade to edit
>> video in the near future?
>>
>> Two, assuming I bought everything from Dell, what should I get to do
>> this?
>>
>> I'm asking because I see that the lower end models don't have the
>> options of customizing to add higher end video and sound cards, and
>> if I did get a lower end model, I wanted to make sure that what was
>> there was adequate for DV purposes. Otherwise, I might as well buy
>> the higher end.
>>
>> What are the parts that are needed to edit DV? Can I get buy with
>> one big harddrive? If I need two, do they have to be in a RAID
>> configuration (the faster data configuration, not the backup
>> configuration)? I'd hate to pay for two hard drives and have the
>> failure of one ruin everything. What about HI 8 and VHS? From
>> what I gather, these require some sort of video capture board, but
>> I'm not sure what to get (or if Dell even offers such a beast).
>>
>> Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>>
>> 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
>> 120 GB HD
>> Audigy 2 sound card
>> DVD-Rom drive
>> DVD+R rewrite drive
>> 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
>> P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB
>
> At the current pricing of computers, there is not much of a
> spread between low-end and high-end, standard performance
> systems. And the money saved at the front-end will be spent
> later on, anyway. The better alternative is to obtain the
> "most bang for the buck", so to write. What is your comfort
> zone in having a local, but very reputable, OEM build the
> system from quality components with a better upgrade path
> for them that no large scale manufacturer can provide? Or
> for the less technically-challenged, build your own.

Every time I've priced that out I cannot get even close to dell's
prices. I keep hearing otherwise, but have not really had much success
with getting the nitty gritty details.

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Darren Yatadooet <googlegroup@cowcope.com> coughed up the following:

....[slash]...


> Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>
> 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
> 120 GB HD
> Audigy 2 sound card
> DVD-Rom drive
> DVD+R rewrite drive
> 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
> P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB



You can get $300 off of many systems at the Dell Refurb outlet. Here,
check this out. For $709 you get a
Dim8300/P4/HT/3.0ghz/800mhz/256mb/120gbSATA/DVD+RW. You can then sell
the +RW and try to buy a +- elsewhere.

This was the first system that poped up when I searched for 8300's and
sorted by price.



SYSTEM SPECIFICATION
Dimension 8300 (System Identifier 09AP95ED)
Dell Dimension 8300 Mini-Tower: Pentium® 4 Processor at 3.0GHz
with 800MHz front side bus
Microsoft® Windows XP Home

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

System Price $1,009.00
Promotion Discount ($300.00)
Discounted Price $709.00
Dell recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP


Operating System: Microsoft® Windows XP Home
Memory: 256 MB DDR 400MHz SDRAM (2 DIMMs)
Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
Hard Disk Drive: 120 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Video: 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and
DVI
Modem: 56Kbps Data/Fax Modem
DVD Drive: 16X DVD-ROM
8X DVD+R/RW with CDRW Combo Drive
Software: WordPerfect Productivity Suite 11.0
DELL Picture Studio Paint Shop
Software
Software
Software
AOL 8.0 ISP Software
Dell SecurityCenter by McAfee, 90-day introductory offer
Microsoft Money
Microsoft Encyclopedia 2004
DELL JUKEBOX BASIC
Turbo Tax 2003 Software
AOL 9.0 ISP Software
Decoding Software, DVD, Cyberlin
Resource CD
Dell Media Experience Software
Dell Support 2.0
Dell Support 2.0 Software
Software
AOL 8.0 ISP Software
PAINT SHOP PRO 4.0 STANDARD
Software
Software
Misc: Shipping Material
Cable
Logitec 2-button Scroll Mouse
QuietKey Keyboard


begin 666 1x1.gif
K1TE&.#EA`0`!`(#_`,# P ```"'Y! $`````+ `````!``$`0 ("1 $`.P``
`
end

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Thomas G. Marshall wrote:
> Tritium <h3@hot.lab> coughed up the following:
>
>
>>Darren Yatadooet wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Thanks for everyone who advised me about Dell. Since I think I
>>>might be going the Dell route, I have another question to ask.
>>>
>>>I'm looking to do some video editing and straight transfers to DVD,
>>>both from my DV camcorder and from HI 8 and VHS tapes.
>>>
>>>I have a few questions.
>>>
>>>One, money is a bit tight (or should I say, I prefer not to take on a
>>>huge credit card bill if I can help it.) So, what is the minimum
>>>desktop purchase I could get and still be able to upgrade to edit
>>>video in the near future?
>>>
>>>Two, assuming I bought everything from Dell, what should I get to do
>>>this?
>>>
>>>I'm asking because I see that the lower end models don't have the
>>>options of customizing to add higher end video and sound cards, and
>>>if I did get a lower end model, I wanted to make sure that what was
>>>there was adequate for DV purposes. Otherwise, I might as well buy
>>>the higher end.
>>>
>>>What are the parts that are needed to edit DV? Can I get buy with
>>>one big harddrive? If I need two, do they have to be in a RAID
>>>configuration (the faster data configuration, not the backup
>>>configuration)? I'd hate to pay for two hard drives and have the
>>>failure of one ruin everything. What about HI 8 and VHS? From
>>>what I gather, these require some sort of video capture board, but
>>>I'm not sure what to get (or if Dell even offers such a beast).
>>>
>>>Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>>>
>>>512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
>>>120 GB HD
>>>Audigy 2 sound card
>>>DVD-Rom drive
>>>DVD+R rewrite drive
>>>128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
>>>P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB
>>
>>At the current pricing of computers, there is not much of a
>>spread between low-end and high-end, standard performance
>>systems. And the money saved at the front-end will be spent
>>later on, anyway. The better alternative is to obtain the
>>"most bang for the buck", so to write. What is your comfort
>>zone in having a local, but very reputable, OEM build the
>>system from quality components with a better upgrade path
>>for them that no large scale manufacturer can provide? Or
>>for the less technically-challenged, build your own.
>
>
> Every time I've priced that out I cannot get even close to dell's
> prices. I keep hearing otherwise, but have not really had much success
> with getting the nitty gritty details.
>

IMO, a lot depends on where one lives and how competitive
are the local builders and what are their profit margins.
Purchasing parts in large numbers really benefits the high
volume builders, and this includes companies such as Dell.
The trade-off is in profit margins and goodwill.

Dell has eaten into the local builder market for one very
good reason and in that Dell uses off-the-shelf components
and is much less proprietary, for instance, than Compaq used
to be. This allows an upgrade path without having to buy a
new machine when the need arises.

But it is possible to assemble a comparable system for a
price lower than Dell's. It might mean a "do-it-yourself"
job and discount suppliers such as Newegg.com come to mind.
It means some effort by the buyer at researching prices and
in the actual bulding but these are exactly the trade offs
that [Michael] Dell was using to model his venture.

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I'm having trouble getting the discounts to apply to my total. Are
there problems with the site?




"Thomas G. Marshall" <tgm2tothe10thpower@replacetextwithnumber.hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<atBgc.4127$2v.313@nwrdny02.gnilink.net>...
> Darren Yatadooet <googlegroup@cowcope.com> coughed up the following:
>
> ...[slash]...
>
>
> > Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
> >
> > 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
> > 120 GB HD
> > Audigy 2 sound card
> > DVD-Rom drive
> > DVD+R rewrite drive
> > 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
> > P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB
>
>
>
> You can get $300 off of many systems at the Dell Refurb outlet. Here,
> check this out. For $709 you get a
> Dim8300/P4/HT/3.0ghz/800mhz/256mb/120gbSATA/DVD+RW. You can then sell
> the +RW and try to buy a +- elsewhere.
>
> This was the first system that poped up when I searched for 8300's and
> sorted by price.
>
>
>
> SYSTEM SPECIFICATION
> Dimension 8300 (System Identifier 09AP95ED)
> Dell Dimension 8300 Mini-Tower: Pentium® 4 Processor at 3.0GHz
> with 800MHz front side bus
> Microsoft® Windows XP Home
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
> System Price $1,009.00
> Promotion Discount ($300.00)
> Discounted Price $709.00
> Dell recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP
>
>
> Operating System: Microsoft® Windows XP Home
> Memory: 256 MB DDR 400MHz SDRAM (2 DIMMs)
> Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
> Hard Disk Drive: 120 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
> Video: 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and
> DVI
> Modem: 56Kbps Data/Fax Modem
> DVD Drive: 16X DVD-ROM
> 8X DVD+R/RW with CDRW Combo Drive
> Software: WordPerfect Productivity Suite 11.0
> DELL Picture Studio Paint Shop
> Software
> Software
> Software
> AOL 8.0 ISP Software
> Dell SecurityCenter by McAfee, 90-day introductory offer
> Microsoft Money
> Microsoft Encyclopedia 2004
> DELL JUKEBOX BASIC
> Turbo Tax 2003 Software
> AOL 9.0 ISP Software
> Decoding Software, DVD, Cyberlin
> Resource CD
> Dell Media Experience Software
> Dell Support 2.0
> Dell Support 2.0 Software
> Software
> AOL 8.0 ISP Software
> PAINT SHOP PRO 4.0 STANDARD
> Software
> Software
> Misc: Shipping Material
> Cable
> Logitec 2-button Scroll Mouse
> QuietKey Keyboard
>
>
> begin 666 1x1.gif
> K1TE&.#EA`0`!`(#_`,# P ```"'Y! $`````+ `````!``$`0 ("1 $`.P``
> `
> end

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

The $300 off should be evident from the begining. It should only add,
say, $709 and not $1009, to your checkout.

What are you seeing that isn't right?



Darren Yatadooet <googlegroup@cowcope.com> coughed up the following:

> I'm having trouble getting the discounts to apply to my total. Are
> there problems with the site?
>
>
>
>
> "Thomas G. Marshall"
> <tgm2tothe10thpower@replacetextwithnumber.hotmail.com> wrote in
> message news:<atBgc.4127$2v.313@nwrdny02.gnilink.net>...
>> Darren Yatadooet <googlegroup@cowcope.com> coughed up the following:
>>
>> ...[slash]...
>>
>>
>>> Right now I'm looking at a Dimension 8300 configured as follows:
>>>
>>> 512 Dual Channell DDR SDRAM,
>>> 120 GB HD
>>> Audigy 2 sound card
>>> DVD-Rom drive
>>> DVD+R rewrite drive
>>> 128 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card.
>>> P4 3GHz with HT and 800 MHZ FSB
>>
>>
>>
>> You can get $300 off of many systems at the Dell Refurb outlet.
>> Here,
>> check this out. For $709 you get a
>> Dim8300/P4/HT/3.0ghz/800mhz/256mb/120gbSATA/DVD+RW. You can then
>> sell
>> the +RW and try to buy a +- elsewhere.
>>
>> This was the first system that poped up when I searched for 8300's
>> and
>> sorted by price.
>>
>>
>>
>> SYSTEM SPECIFICATION
>> Dimension 8300 (System Identifier 09AP95ED)
>> Dell Dimension 8300 Mini-Tower: Pentium® 4 Processor at
>> 3.0GHz
>> with 800MHz front side bus
>> Microsoft® Windows XP Home
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>> --
>>
>> System Price $1,009.00
>> Promotion Discount ($300.00)
>> Discounted Price $709.00
>> Dell recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP
>>
>>
>> Operating System: Microsoft® Windows XP Home
>> Memory: 256 MB DDR 400MHz SDRAM (2 DIMMs)
>> Floppy Drive: No Floppy Drive
>> Hard Disk Drive: 120 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
>> Video: 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out
>> and
>> DVI
>> Modem: 56Kbps Data/Fax Modem
>> DVD Drive: 16X DVD-ROM
>> 8X DVD+R/RW with CDRW Combo Drive
>> Software: WordPerfect Productivity Suite 11.0
>> DELL Picture Studio Paint Shop
>> Software
>> Software
>> Software
>> AOL 8.0 ISP Software
>> Dell SecurityCenter by McAfee, 90-day introductory offer
>> Microsoft Money
>> Microsoft Encyclopedia 2004
>> DELL JUKEBOX BASIC
>> Turbo Tax 2003 Software
>> AOL 9.0 ISP Software
>> Decoding Software, DVD, Cyberlin
>> Resource CD
>> Dell Media Experience Software
>> Dell Support 2.0
>> Dell Support 2.0 Software
>> Software
>> AOL 8.0 ISP Software
>> PAINT SHOP PRO 4.0 STANDARD
>> Software
>> Software
>> Misc: Shipping Material
>> Cable
>> Logitec 2-button Scroll Mouse
>> QuietKey Keyboard
>>
>>
>> begin 666 1x1.gif
>> K1TE&.#EA`0`!`(#_`,# P ```"'Y! $`````+ `````!``$`0 ("1 $`.P``
>> `
>> end