I've been thinking of upgrading my old computer to get it more up to date. The problem is, by the time I've got it configured the way I want, with a new P4 mobo and 512 Meg of RAM, new vid card, etc. the price gets up to the point where I might as well buy a whole new box from Dell, and then just retire the old one. (And maybe rob it of parts later.)<br><br>Dell Canada is presently offering half price or free shipping and cash back on their systems. So I've been configuring this way, and that way, then looking at the free shipping you get if it goes over so much, and adding a little more so that it works out to in effect being a really cheap upgrade instead, etc. etc. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :rolleyes --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/eyes.gif ALT=":rolleyes"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>Now you'd think that Dell would offer 3 lines of computers at 3 really different price ranges. But the other day I configured a Celeron and a P4 4550 to the exact same specs, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>and they came to the same price exactly!</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br>Similarly, configure an 8250 the same as a 4550, and it only works out to be around $100-$200 more or so. In my case, $130 more. For the much faster RAM. Now, it really gets interesting when you consider that the cash back offer on an 8250 is $300, and the cash back on a 4550 is $200. So the net result is, it's only $30 more for the faster system. Sweet.<br>But weird. Don't they want to sell the other two lines of computers? Except perhaps for a bare bones system; a careful comparitive shopper will see the futility of buying the "cheaper" lines right away. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :| --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/indifferent.gif ALT=":|"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>I wonder how it is in the USA? I've looked at their US site a couple of times, but it seems much harder to navigate, cluttered as it is with "free" offers. Is there a bigger difference in prices? The 8250 at only $30 more after the rebates works out to only $20 more in US dollars. Wouldn't you guys pay 20 bucks more for the way faster ram??<br> <p></p><i></i>

As an aside, I should point out that right up until 11:59 pm last Wednesday, Dell Canada was still offering the model 8200. I configured one on Wednesday evening, and it worked out to about $150 <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>more</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> than the 8250 configured the same way! I wonder if that's why they pulled the 8200 so abruptly? <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :rollin --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub44.ezboard.com/bschwantzsredeemerarenaserver.showUserPublicProfile?gid=anamelessentity@schwantzsredeemerarenaserver>a nameless entity</A> at: 11/24/02 4:46:08 pm<br></i>

Just wait a bit til Canada, er, North North Dakota, becomes the 51st state. Prices should fall drastically.<br>(Sorry, I have nothing of substance to offer, just a bit of jingoistic taunting). <p></p><i></i>

Do you really think that would be a good idea? <br>Just about everyone I know, myself included, hates winter. I figure only about 10% of us will stay up here. Do you have room down south for another 30+ million inhabitants? <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :evil --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/devil.gif ALT=":evil"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>Remember, we already own Florida! <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :lol --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>I guess what I was trying to say in this thread was that it pays to be a careful shopper. <br>I went to another computer shop with a good reputation today, and they wanted almost exactly the same price to upgrade my old Dell as it would cost to buy a whole new one, too. <br><br>So maybe I'll end up with three heaps. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START 8) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/glasses.gif ALT="8)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>Say, is a Win98SE computer at 300Mhz with 384 Mb of RAM & Voodoo 3 3000 up to the task of being a redeemer server for UT? <br>I already got a name picked out: "Glider's Temple of Cleansing Fire". What do ya think? <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START ;) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br> <p></p><i></i>

nAMELESS<br><br>Hell yeah, informed shopping is a must on the internet. Instead of doing all the various configurations yourself, you should just haunt the deal sites. They alway find those low-price best configs.<br><br>With all the new hardware you're getting, you might be able to run your own redeemer server!!!<br><br>Mah <p></p><i></i>

I forget which one it is, but one of those deal zone places has a Canadian site under construction. The other one promised to build one two years ago, but never came through. <p></p><i></i>

No comments on your quest of a revamped PC except I would build it yourself if I were you (but I'm not)...<br>As for the 300MHz computer being a server, yes it can be!<br>MMRA is a 350 MHz AMD K6-2 w/ 320MB RAM and a TNT2 vid card cannibalized from some guys dead Compaq! I would recommend running something other than win98 if you are brave and into learning new things(Linux has much better security when running a server, as well as a better networking protocol stack).Regardles of OS choice, good luck and let me know when you get the beast up, I want to play on it! <p>"Strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government! Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony! You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart <br>threw a sword at you!" - :)<br>DeaD_SuN</p><i></i>

Well it's all a pipe dream until the new year, but after then who knows? I'll have to decide what to do. Right now for me it looks like the cheaper, easier way is to buy a whole new box from Dell. Then I can decide wether or not we really need another redeemer server, with the maps and voicepacks that <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>I</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> like. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START ;) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif ALT=";)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>I'd have to go back to night school to learn Linux. I've only used Unix a few times, about 10 years ago.<br><br>Are there really that many hack attacks on a server? What would they consist of? To be honest, while I had heard of denial of service attacks; I didn't know what they consisted of until I surfed over to the Gibson Research site one time a few months ago, and read of the D.O.S. attack they had recently suffered. By knowing your ip could hackers break in to your system? I'm behind a router and have Zone Alarm "lite". <p></p><i></i>

I have that why some poeple have firewalls.I wish I had one only I won't know to use it. <p></p><i></i>

Hey Scify, you can give Zone Alarm a try. Just download the free version. It's fairly simple to use and won't take too long to learn. When you install it, you can leave all of the default settings "on", and be all set to go. With your router and Zone Alarm, you will be very well protected. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>Download the free version of Zone Alarm <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/zap_za_grid_results.jsp?radiobutton1=personal&radiobutton2=desktop&checkbox1=yes&checkbox2=yes&checkbox3=yes&checkbox4=yes&checkbox5=yes&checkbox6=yes&checkbox7=yes&checkbox8=yes&image.x=91&image.y=11"> here. </a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i></i>