Re: [MLUG] good mobo for simple system?

[Nathan Odle <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Mike Miller wrote:
> I want to put together a fairly inexpensive computer for my wife's 
> family in Ecuador.  I want them to be able to work with digital 
> photos, do the usual word processing and spreadsheet stuff, no 
> high-end games.  I also want to try to stay under $500 including a 
> monitor.  It's surprising to me how much I can buy for that kind of 
> money.  For example, the stuff below is $500 + $20 S/H from 
> newegg.com.  I still need a case, mouse and keyboard, but I can cut a 
> little out of what is below.

Several notes:

1)  You might want to do a little research to find out what the current 
state-of-the-art is in Ecuador.  It wouldn't do to send down a machine 
with SATA, et cetera and have them unable to obtain repair parts.  Make 
your part selections appropriately.  Given that you're sending this 
machine to Ecuador where there's not a Best Buy on every corner and 70% 
of the population lives below the poverty line, you will probably want 
to forego some performance in lieu of reliability.  If it were for my 
own use, I'd be looking in the direction you are...but if it's for 
someone else in another country, I'm buying a real Intel Socket 478 
motherboard and inexpensive Socket 478 CPU, a Seagate Ultra ATA drive, 
et cetera.  ASRock being ASUS isn't that bad but there's no substitute 
for the 'real thing' when it comes to compatibility and reliability, 
especially when all they're doing is basic stuff. 

2)  Where case/kb/and mouse are concerned...  A steel case will be more 
expensive to ship than an aluminum one, but is cheaper to buy and more 
durable.  An old IBM keyboard would be ideal, as those are built like 
tanks, but really any PS/2 keyboard would be a good choice.  Heck, with 
how cheap they are these days buy two and send them along.  Ditto for 
your basic optical mouse from Microsoft or Logitech. 

3)  Where monitor is concerned I think LCD isn't a bad choice but Hanns 
is not a well-known brand.  You might look for a manufacturer that has 
warranty service in Ecuador.  I'm thinking one of the larger ones like 
Hitachi, LG, Samsung, et cetera.

4)  I don't see operating system listed in there anywhere in your 
costs.  Pirating Windows XP isn't really an option these days, are you 
considering some Linux distribution?  If I am sending a computer off to 
another country, I am going to give them as straightforward and common 
of an OS as I can...and that means Windows.  For my money, I'd go with 
Windows 2000.  Supporting Linux remotely, possibly through a translator, 
would be very difficult...and if they can't use the thing because they 
don't understand it, the whole project isn't worth doing in the first place.

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