Cheapest WalMart desktop PC available on Oct 2008.

[VirtualLarry]

Anyone know.

(Mods, I don't think that this counts as a price-check thread. I'm trying to do some historical research here. If the mods differ, they can delete/lock this.)

Does anyone know of a good way to research past PC prices?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Possibly as low as $199, I know they've offered some Linux desktops with dog-slow Via CPUs and 128-256 MB RAM at that price in the past.

No idea how to check that exact month other than Google searches and maybe the internet wayback machine.

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.dealhack.com/archives/2008/10/acer_amd_desktop_pc_300_free_s.html

I found this PC, I guess that will do.

http://www.dealhack.com/archives/2008/10/vostro_200_slim_tower_desktop.html

 

[hkklife]

Well, I seem to remember big-box retail desktop PC prices basically bottoming out at $199-ish in late 2007 thorugh 2008 before rebounding slightly last year.

In fall 2008 (I think), Best Buy was blowing out some Celeron D machines (Compaq IIRC) for $199 new. They had Vista Home Basic, 512mb RAM, 945G chipset, and a 160GB HDD. I think they also had some Athlon-based machines for similar prices as well. Those weren't bad machines for the $, honestly.

In fall '08 I think systems similar to this POS were still being sold by Wal-Mart:
http://reviews.walmart.com/1336/8304655/reviews.htm
Remember, this was at the tail end of Everex's time as a viable company and they were pushing their underpowered machines as "green" PCs.

I had the misery sometime in 2008 to try to help someone "upgrade" a horrendous Wal-Mart Everex desktop running Vista with 512mb RAM. NOTHING could improve that machine's performance, short of a reformat + Linux or XP install.