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gelliott
Junior Member
USA
268 Posts |
 Posted - 12 August 2003 : 13:03:00
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Does anyone have experience with eMachines? I'm looking for a computer for my parents - they don't want to spend any more than they have to, and I don't want them to buy something so weak it's already outdated. They have an existing computer they desperately need to replace, so I was planning on re-using the monitor/mouse/keyboard.
E-Machines offers a seemingly fair amt of power for the buck - a $500 T2482 machine includes a 2GHz AMD Processor, 256MB Ram, 80GB HDD, 48x CD-RW and plain DVD drive, S3 ProSavage8 video card, 56k modem and 10/100 ethernet, 6 USB 2.0 ports, stereo speakers and 2 spare PCI slots. Monitor sold separately. These guys have been around for a while, so they can't be too bad. I'd never buy one for myself, but for a computer-illiterate user who is cost conscious and just wants to type letters, read email, and cruise around the internet, I'd think this box whould be sufficient.
Any advice? Roland, this might be another solution to consider unless anyone posts a horror story about these guys... |
* The optimist says the cup is half full. The pessimist says it's half empty. But the engineer knows the truth - the cup's design is incorrectly sized.  |
Edited by - gelliott on 12 August 2003 13:03:47 |
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Doug G
Support Moderator
USA
6493 Posts |
Posted - 12 August 2003 : 23:39:26
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E-Machines have had a pretty high failure rate over the last couple years at one of my clients. They got 10-15 of them and probably 30% had some kind of failure over a year.
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Doug G
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Computer history and help at www.dougscode.com |
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Locnar
New Member
89 Posts |
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Faizan
Average Member
United Kingdom
592 Posts |
Posted - 13 August 2003 : 01:11:01
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I got a Packard Bell when I was 11, I got it for my birthday, and guess what? It never worked.  LOL, my parents then exchanged it with a Compaq and it was a really nice one. It was my first OWN computer. I then started building my own and still using a computer built by myself. Just a crap one. |
»Snitz Graphics
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Bookie
Average Member
USA
856 Posts |
Posted - 13 August 2003 : 08:55:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Locnar
Do you remember a little company called Packard Bell?
Same story: low prices, low quality.
I have a Packard Bell Pentium 200 that I got in Sept. 1997 and it still works fine. It's setup in my basement and I have it hooked up to my home network and my stereo in my living room as an mp3 jukebox. I'm using Winamp and some other program that lets me connect to the computer remotely through a web browser to control winamp. I also backup files to that machine. |
Participate in my nonsense |
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gelliott
Junior Member
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 13 August 2003 : 12:46:25
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| Wow, Locnar - comparing anybody to a Packard Bell is hitting below the belt! I have heard stories about those boxes... Bookie, we'll credit your success with a PB to your being an above-average user - I think all they're good for is a door stop. OK, well, it was worth asking - eMachines have apparently not outgrown their trouble-prone adolescence... Thanks for the input... |
* The optimist says the cup is half full. The pessimist says it's half empty. But the engineer knows the truth - the cup's design is incorrectly sized. |
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Doug G
Support Moderator
USA
6493 Posts |
Posted - 13 August 2003 : 16:34:12
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On the flip side, I had to open a few E-Machines and saw a pretty well-built box. The problems were typically failures in peripherals, not the main CPU, so maybe maxtor, WD or samsung should get the blame.
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Doug G
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Computer history and help at www.dougscode.com |
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gelliott
Junior Member
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 14 August 2003 : 12:28:44
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| Well, they do advertise a "no lemon" policy - three failures and you get a new one. Of course, I have a low tolerance for failures - I'd expect a new one after the first failure... |
* The optimist says the cup is half full. The pessimist says it's half empty. But the engineer knows the truth - the cup's design is incorrectly sized. |
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work mule
Senior Member
USA
1358 Posts |
Posted - 14 August 2003 : 17:13:11
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I bought a P100 Packard Bell back around 1996 and I had that running for the longest time. It moved down to the basement not because it wouldn't work but because I had plenty of faster computers to use and ran out space. Besides running out of expansion slots and the speakers being attached to the monitor, it wasn't bad.
A couple of comments regarding PC's:
Make sure you don't buy a PC with "built-in" modems, sound cards, video cards, etc. I had a computer where it had a built-in AGP video card. The problem is it was attached to the motherboard. When I wanted to upgrade, I had to use an open PCI slot which left me with an unuseable (useless) AGP slot. It was so dumb.
Nowadays with the majority of peripherals using USB, the number of slots really isn't a big deal as it used to be.
Make sure it comes with a good case. Dell cases are some of the better ones I've seen. Easy to take apart and upgrade. They come with two fans to keep it cool. The design also has a nice airflow/circulation.
Don't skimp on memory.
In regards to Dell, I've had a good experience with them. I've had a hard drive fail and they sent out a replacement without delay. When my mom got her first computer, she was a tech support person's nightmare. Due to the hours she worked, when she would use the computer it would be late at night or early morning. With Dell tech support, she was able to call someone at anytime and get answers to her questions. |
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