Would you buy this PC?

[Macaw]

2 Ghz processor (x86 compat)
1 Gig memory
NV 25-like graphics card with unified memory (shares main memory), digital out, integrated
4 USB ports,
2 firewire ports
10/100 Mbit ethernet (integrated)
SB Live-like card (integrated)
100 GB hard drive (connected to bus via an unamed highspeed technology)
DVD drive (speed multiplier undetermined)
4 PCI expansion slots (all free)
1 PC Card slot (free)
2 small and 2 large expansion drive bays (all free)
Whistler preinstalled


... now a few notes:
1. No floppies, serial, parallel, ISA, legacy type stuff
2. Price would be very reasonable

What do you find appealing about this PC and what would cause you not to buy it?

 

[Dark4ng3l]

2GHz processor. hmm for all you know it's as fast as a 286
1Gb memory. Is it Rdram??
Graphics card that sahares main memory? My v3 would be alot faster than that.
Integrated sblive! ? Integrated = bad
100 GB hard drive (connected to bus via an unamed highspeed technology) Ya well for all we know this could be one heela slow hard drive.

Dont buy this.

 

[Macaw]

Assume the x86 runs as you would expect it to run at 2 Ghz.

Unified memory models are going to be more popular and better than you might think. Look at the X-Box for example.

So this PC is not interesting?

 

[Fatdog]

100 gig drive. Would this be loaded down with the usual bloatware? Take a week and a half to defrag?

NV25-like Intergrated video sharing main mem? Have to see that to believe it.

No CDR/W?

On the off chance that thing has a melt down and you have to use the restore cd, would you have to pay for another key from M$ in order for whistler to reinstall?

Probably not upgrade friendly.

No thanks.

<edited to add comments>

 

[NoreagaCNN]

Why only 4PCI Slots, at least 5 or even 6 would be nice,

-Nore

 

[Hanpan]

I kinda like to build my own. Prebuilt is suck.

 

[ElFenix]

i would expect a 2 GHz p3 or athlon to blow the doors off a 2 GHz p4, cyrix 3, crusoe, or itanium. so which is it?

integrated everything sucks. what about 6 months later when the nv30 comes out? it doesn't even have an AGP port. sb live is somewhat old-school, theres better sound cards out.

i like floppies. they're good for drivers or for flashing the bios. also, serial and parallel work really well right now and USB is still kinda flakey, so i wouldn't give those up. but ISA is dead. and where is the CDRW

 

[Macaw]

Assume the 2Ghz chip would run fantastic with no complaints.

There would be no CDRW in-the-box but you would be free to add one.

If you needed to repair settings you would simply boot to your Whistler disk (much like Mac users do now).

Any other thoughts?

 

[Dark4ng3l]

Integrated video will always suck it will never have the bandwith. Dont compare it to a console.

 

[Hard_Boiled]

Unified memory will be terrible unless it's as fast as current cards memory bandwidth today. Unified memory bandwidth using PC-133 or DDR 266 would still lag behind cards out today with 333-400 MHz DDR. And what PC motherboards come without Serial and parallel ports? Macaw, you seem to hate what you percieve as &quot;old, legacy devices&quot;, such as serial ports and floppy drives. But just because USB and Firewire is out doesn't mean there is no place for these devices. Many people still need them. I myself disable my parallel and serial ports because I don't use them, but I wouldn't ever build one without a floppy disk today. Maybe in the future when something like ZIP disks replace the floppy I'll ditch it, but for now no.

What is the point of this thread anyways? You want to know what's appealing about that computer, or what people think about new technologies or having a PC without serial and parallel ports and floppy drives. Well to me the only thing appealing about that PC is the fast CPU and the large amount of RAM. I find I don't have many USB devices, and firewire is pretty useless for most people as of right now.

 

[ElFenix]

theres not enough specific information for all of us gear-heads here. maybe some dude looking for computers at best buy wouldn't need any more info.

 

[Macaw]

And what PC motherboards come without Serial and parallel ports? This isn't a machine you can go and buy right now. I'm more interested in getting feedback from people.

I myself disable my parallel and serial ports because I don't use them, but I wouldn't ever build one without a floppy disk today. Fair enough. Can I assume YOU wouldn't have a problem with a PC that didn't have serial/parallel (in-the-box at least).

Unified memory will be terrible unless it's as fast as current cards memory bandwidth today. Unified memory bandwidth using PC-133 or DDR 266 would still lag behind cards out today with 333-400 MHz DDR. While that's true, assume technology has advanced enough to make graphics on a unified memory model run faster than the status quo.

 

[Dark4ng3l]

Om think about it. When main memory will go faster the bandwith requred for a decent video card will be alot higher too. Integrated video is doomed and will always suck.

 

[Noriaki]

Are you back again?



<< Unified memory models are going to be more popular and better than you might think. Look at the X-Box for example. >>

God damn it think for two minutes....on a TV you play games at 640x480 in about 256 (8bit) colour and you need about 30fps for smooth game play (movies are 24fps usually). Of course unified memory is fine for it.

On a monitor I personally play at 1024x768 and there are many people that play higher, usually at 32bit colour, and people want framerates in excess of 70fps. Unified memory is garbage. Even if unified memory DID work...2 years ago my Voodoo3 kicked ass....now it's pretty weak compared to a GF2...some time from now that NV25 will suck ass...and no AGP means no easy upgrades....


2Ghz CPU is alright, 1Gig of memory is a tad excessive but I'll take it.
NV25 is proably nice, but see above. (Unified memory is suck!)
USB ports are nice enough, but can I have PS/2 for my mouse and keyboard please, Linux isn't very USB friendly.
I could deal with the 2 firewire ports, though they aren't very useful yet..
NIC might as well be integrated...a NICs a NIC...
SB Lives are actually kinda crappy sound cards...can I have a Santa Cruz or an AE please? (once again, Integrated sucks)
100Gig hard drive via an unamed technology...hmm sure why not
DVD drive sure, where's my CDRW?

Basically it comes down to a 2Ghz CPU with 1gig of RAM, the only integrated piece I'd use is the LAN, so lets say it's got 5 PCI which is normal, and no AGP which is suck.

All in all, I wouldn't take it. Takes 3/4s of my enjoyment away. I like building it myself, my computer is one of my hobbies.
It might make a pretty decent machine for someone that just wants a computer to work and do their stuff. I personally like to play with mine...as I said in your other thread, you're showing this to the wrong group...if you showed it to the general populus you'd probably get a much more positive response.

 

[edblor]

Hey all..I'm a technophile geek like the rest of ya, but y'all being a tad negative don't ya think!

This is hypothetical afterall! Why the major 'diss??

I'd be interested if this &quot;machine&quot; performed as expected for the architectures it is built upon! As I'm sure a lot of others around here would be!

Now b4 y'all flame me to he||, I would also be interested in more specs to be able to build this puppy to my liking... I've never bought prebuilt b4 and prolly never will. I guess that would be my major concern dude

Edblor and his 0.02...

 

[tm37]

Macaw-
By the time 2 GHZ comes out 10 Mbps/s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Slow

I will be using my wireless 300 MB/s connection via satilite!

Don't dish on Legacy stuff dude.
Also Shared memory would work and be faster if the OS knew how to Use it