Including Windows 7 in with the minimum specs bothers me, because it suggests to me that Woot might feel like they can drop a few Windows 8.1 PCs in there, and consider it a “free upgrade”. I could use a cheap PC, but the cost to remedy a Windows 8.1 operating system would be a dealbreaker. Since the title of the deal says “Windows 7” can we be sure Woot wouldn’t stick us with 8.1?
One of these has YOUR name on it
http://cdn.instructables.com/FAD/NBXL/FR0ZT4F8/FADNBXLFR0ZT4F8.LARGE.jpg
So do I, but my point remains. If you don’t have spares, you can get one for cheap. Radio Shack, Best Buy, whatever. I’m sure even Walmart has them.
Windows 10 comes out in 8 days, with free upgrade from 7, 8, or 8.1. 10 is a good OS, I can’t say the same about 8. (I’ve been using the technical preview for quite a while now)
Is this good enough for a kid?
Lenovo
Everything perfect.
HP elitebook
Dust inside the lcd panel, but it’s not a big deal because I use external monitor.
In for 1 because I can’t get 2. My g/f needs two computers for her vet clinic and I, being the technical one, have been asked to put a couple together from the spare parts I have laying around. I figured at $99, the parts themselves should be worth it if the computer itself doesn’t work out.
Is the W7 Pro license transferable?
Looks like 18AWG? copper… so still technically acceptable since it is rated for 7A and these are sub-200w systems.
Why would you give a computer to a goat?
Depends on what they will use it for. Most just want to play games, and these may not do.
I rarely have anything negative to say about my purchases here, but I bought one of these last October to give to my MIL for Christmas. She just needed one to store photos and to email family (endlessly, I’m afraid). Her old desktop had died so I thought this would do the trick.
So anyway, I bought this in October, it was delivered in a couple of weeks. Gave her the Random desktop for Christmas. Discovered that she had pitched her monitor when her old desktop died. BIL offered her an extra monitor from his house. He finally delivered it in late February, but didn’t attempt to set it all up. I visited her in April and set everything up. Message on the screen read “installing Windows” forever. I had to leave for an appointment, so I just left it running. Nothing ever happened.
Since that time several family members and friends with more techie knowledge have attempted to get the blasted thing working. No luck. I picked it up about a month ago and just can’t decide what to do with it. It’s been SO long since I bought it, I haven’t tried to contact Woot CS about it.
Maybe we do need a new anchor for the boat.
Windows 8.x utilizes SMB 3 networking for security purposes and is not backwards compatible with SMB 1. I assume Windows 10 will be the same. This matters with older business equipment like my 70 ppm scanner. I need one Windows 7 box to keep that perfect scanner working.
These are business computers.
These are very quiet, low power and can run forever!!!
I would prefer having a business computer with half the speed than a crappy consumer computer.
Questions:
Q: Who refurbishes these computers?
A: Business give these computers to companies who secure wipe the hard drives test them and sell them. These are generally trustworthly companies.
Q: why Win 7 on them and not 8?
A: Because these are business refurb’s and most business still use win 7. Also Win 8 drivers may not be available to older C2D computers.
Q: Why are the cables so crappy?
A: Because business keep the cables when they get a new computer so they just donate the computer with nothing else. So the refurbishing companies buys them by bulk and the quality may be crappy.
Q: Does it have WIFI?
A: Probably not this is a desktop, not a laptop.
Q: Is this good enough for a kid?
A: Depends on what your kid wants to use it for?
Basic web browsing, Writing papers: Yes
Playing 3D Games: No
If you want a basic computer to browse the web that will never break down then yes buy it. If you want to do gaming or anything more than office work then skip it.
Edits: Me heve Whoreable Spealing.
Actually I was at Walmart the other day and they were $20 there, for computer power cords. Was so annoying when I normally have like 3 extra, but I was in a bind.
If you live near an even modestly urban area, the friendly neighborhood computer store usually has them under $10. Otherwise a place like Fry’s might have heavy-duty ones if you’re in a place that will burn out / wear out cheapos.
As a school IT person, I can tell you, most schools have these around in spades. Schools are loathe to throw away stuff that works, even if it is something that hardly ever goes bad (like a power cable). In my first year working I found over a dozen boxes of these cords still in factory packaging. Our tech recyclers take them for free for us but I give them away to anyone who needs.
If you can get a contact for a school tech person, just ask if they have spare cords. Chances are they will be happy to give them to you.
Just bought another one of these moments ago. This will be my 4th. All of my previous $99 mystery desktops have been home runs. Just don’t set your expectations too high and you will be happy. All 3 of my previous computers still run great. We use them at work for basic tasks and to run our web based software on. 1st time purchases just beware that you are getting a good car with some serious miles on it. Don’t ask too much of these and they will last a long time. Solid purchase for the regular user. Gamers stay far, far away… But you knew that already… : )
Windows 7 or 8 doesn’t matter, because Microsoft is upgrading all of them (consumer side, not volume licensing side) to Windows 10–perhaps as early as the end of the month.
In for one.
All I want is a machine to edit HD videos in Windows Live Movie Maker, which can’t be installed on my old XP Pro box. I have had great results from refurbished IBM hardware. I think business hardware is made to a higher standard of reliability than consumer hardware.
For less than the cost of a tablet, I will get Windows 10 and a full powered browser capable of running sites I like with the accuracy of mouse and physical keyboard input. Windows audio is much easier to deal with compared to Linux, so Audacity projects can be done on the same video editing machine.
If the new PC doesn’t work out, the memory, hard drive, and optical drive can go in a Linux machine. I have old, thick gauge power cords and a USB Wi-Fi adapter too. Old, idle flash drives can serve as ReadyBoost devices. It might be cool to upgrade the random PC to an SSD system some day.