I guess I am lucky. I bought the cheapest parts I could find at Fry's. Win98 crashed daily (somethimes more), but now that it's a Linux box, the only time I have problems is when I run out of swap (I have a leaky program somewhere). I have always bought the cheapest parts, and have had no problems under Linux. Buying cheap parts and using Windows is another story. For that, I would have to recommend high quality major name brand parts or a pre- manufactured box. I had an issue with Cirrus Logic video card. The box said Cirrus Logic, the disk said Cirrus Logic, the chips on the card said Cirrus Logic, but when I contacted them for assistance, they denied all knowledge of that card. They said they build the chips for other companies, and to contact that company. When I put the card in a Linux box, it performed flawlessly. Just another viewpoint. George Mike Butash wrote: > > It greatly varies on what kind of pre-manufactured kind of system you buy. > Don't go buying an HP Pavilion or Compaq Presario expecting to get anything > near a quality computer (without at the very least wipe the disks and > reinstalling from scratch, even then with their hardware, you never quite > know...). I tend to find most of them use sub-par equipment until you bump > to the server class with quite the bump in price. I've always been a byob > person since being burnt a few times in my newbie stages by the best buy > specials. Shelling out the cash for something like a Compaq Proliant server > is a whole different ball of worms, but you will pay premium and I can build > a comparable system for much less cost, with equal quality and stability. > > Same thing when you build a system from separate components. Buying > garbage generic ram from Frys usually yields to oddball issues with sporadic > lockups and the whole nine. I buy all my memory from Crucial or get Corsair > sticks and never have issues unless I mix and match. Buy brownbox Frys > video cards (the ones you can never quite tell who exactly made them) and > expect the same. Building your own box and doing some homework will usually > land you a solid system if you buy quality components. As Bob said, don't > cut corners - you get what you pay for. If nothing else, building one's own > computers usually tends to be quite an educational experience for most, > especially when it's the first time doing so. If you're in anything related > to the tech field (or intend to be), I think it should be a prerequisite if > you haven't. > > -mbutash > > -----Original Message----- > From: plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > [mailto:plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us]On Behalf Of Bob > Cober > Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 8:59 PM > To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > Subject: Re: BYO or manufactured? > > I also recommend BYO system - but I would try to stay with name brand stuff. > Don't cut corners on the components. > > Still, there is nothing wrong with buying a pre-built. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dr. G > To: > Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 1:14 PM > Subject: Re: BYO or manufactured? > > > I make one trip. If you research all the information you have and know > what > > you want, then you shouldnt have to spend that mucht ime running around > > town, ESPECIALLY since now mostr places have a website and you can order > > from Online-only vendors quite easily for some parts. Yes, there is the > cost > > of shipping, but some places give discounts or group bundles. The cost of > > shipping is already added in for a HP, DLL, etc. > > > > BYO will always be a better deal then any proprietary system, unless you > won > > it that is :) > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Sundar" > > To: > > Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 1:03 PM > > Subject: Re: BYO or manufactured? > > > > > > > I used to do BYO, but not anymore. If you include , all the trips you > > > make to Fry's (and time wasted at office thinking about it), you might > > > actually come better off with manufactured systems. Whenever I used to > > > build the system by myself, I always went back and did upgrades on this > > > and that. But last time, I went to dell.com and picked up bare bones > > > dual processor systems and it worked out cheaper than the dual processor > > > system I was planning to build and never been happier before. I have > > > Solaris, BSD, Redhat and Windoze on that box. No problems..... > > > > > > Sundar > > > > > > > > > > > > Matt wrote: > > > > > > >This isn't really directly about Linux, but what are your opinions on > > > >building your own computer, or buying a Sony/Dell/whatever? I ask > because > > > >for the past few years I've been building my own, and it doesn't seem > to > > be > > > >working out too well for me. SuSE Linux 7.3 is supposed to have an > > amazingly > > > >easy install, but it took me a week to install it, even though my > > computer > > > >is very powerful. It always freezes somewhere, usually when it has to > > reboot > > > >or on its way back to the installation from rebooting. But anyway, I > > > >shouldn't go into all of that. I think a manufactured PC might work > > better > > > >because I know the manufacturers test all the parts together to make > sure > > > > > >they don't "fight" with eachother, and because I let my friend borrow > my > > > >SuSE CD's and he installed it flawlessly on his emachine, with windows, > > and > > > >that computer is about a third as powerful as mine. > > > > > > > >________________________________________________ > > > >See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't > > post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. > > > > > > > >PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > > >http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________ > > > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't > > post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. > > > > > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > ________________________________________________ > > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't > post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. > > > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > ________________________________________________ > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't post > to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > ________________________________________________ > See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. > > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss