JMayer wrote:
New computers are relatively cheap nowadays ($400-600 for good desktops and $500-$700 for nice nontablet labtops) so buying used/refurb makes no sense. The cost comes in the operating system software (I use Windows XP Pro) and getting machines or stand alone upgrades adds at least $100 to the above costs.
I couldn't agree w/ you more. I realize that other users feel they must, out of financial necessity, buy used/refurb. However the small savings coupled w/ lack of customer support/warranty is disadventageous. I personally would only buy new equipment.
Since 4 (out of 8) of my office desktops are nearing 3 years old, I'll need to replace them in the near future. I could donate these to a school or church orgainzation for some tax deduction. I've also thought about letting my kids have them to create a home-gaming network for their friends. Another fun use may be to smash them all to bits. I'm undecided as of yet. Maybe I'll post this to AC and ask the users to tell me what they do.
