Umm.. i think this is wrong...

[Ajmukon]

DELL computer for....
$218 US

with.. 2GB RAM, 80GB HD.. (for 20 more you double), No OS, intel core 2 pentium (but for a minimal can be upgraded)


All in all, a good PC for building a Linux Ubuntu OS out of...
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=bsdwd4b&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&kc=features~featured_server&dgc=BF&cid=7421&lid=197378

[Paul Komski]

I have been purchasing more and more of these Dell budget systems (both desktop and laptops) over the past year or so - mostly for straightforward SOHO use and excepting specialist requests find I can no longer really compete by ordering and building all the components from scratch. The main problem I have had with Dell is that delivery times are inconsistent. One PC can arrive after 3 days and another one after 3 weeks.

I also now never buy their extended warranties (even for their budget laptops) and always check all the customised options carefully. Often they do not ship with enough RAM, which is no longer the expensive item it once was.

Note that there may be limited I/O ports (no serial, parallel, PS/2 for example).

It is harder and harder, here in Europe anyway, to get systems with Ubuntu preinstalled or with an option to have WinXP - though if one customises some of the Vista Business/Premium options they will ship them with WinXP preinstalled as "a downgrade". One gotcha I have come across with some of the earlier Vostros is that Ubuntu would not install on them without a change in the BIOS settings.