Cost of new or second hand computer?

[FreoGirl]

Anyone got a rough idea of the cost of a new or good second hand computer? Standard desktop, whatever is the current mid-range in Bali would do. For my teenage son-in-law to continue his computer studies. Don't need the gaming stuff, although I'm sure he would like it :)

Karen

[Sanurian]

Seasons Greetings, FreoGirl

...a rough idea of the cost of a new or good second hand computer?...

Brand new 'midrange' computers in Bali cost about Rp 3-4 million including a 15" monitor. (Approximately AU$ 400-500.) "Basic' ones can be had even cheaper (AU$ 300-350). I wouldn't even think of buying a 'second hand' one when new ones are so affordable.

Of course, you need to know a little bit about what you're buying.

Examples:

How much and what type of RAM does it come with?
How big is the hard drive? (And how fast does it spin?)
What kind of video card does it come with and how much video memory does it have?
Does it have a pirate version of Windows XP, or do you get a legal one?
How big (and how cheap) is the power supply?

And so on.

If you don't know what you're looking at, it can be easy to be impressed by 'the bargain' that's offered to you.

I recently whipped up three potential systems, (on paper), for an acquaintance of mine. The 'best' system I came up with, without breaking the bank, that was capable of handling just about anything thrown at it, costs around Rp 9 million (AU$ 1340).

In my opinion, you're looking at between AU$ 300-1350. Take your pick. And don't forget that any system you buy in Bali will not have a warranty you can call upon back home. It can be a juggling act...what you 'save' initially, and what you might have to pay to fix things if they go wrong later.

I hope this helps you. Send me a PM if you'd like more details/'advice'.

:D

[FreoGirl]

Hi Sanurian,

Merry Xmas & Happy New Year to you too!

Thanks for the reply..

Working in IT (functional not technical), and having purchased several PCs and laptops myself, I totally understand it depends on the configuration of the hardware - as I say to people you don't say 'sell me a car' you say what sort of car, how big the engine needs to be, how many passengers can it carry, what's the fuel economy, etc etc

What I did notice when living up in Indonesia was that the technology seemed to be a year or so back - so if the standard in Australian stores was say 80GB HDD with 500MB RAM DVD R/W, in Indonesia the mid-range models in the stores were 40GB HDD with 250MB RAM CD Read only, and with a slower CPU. But then maybe I was looking in the wrong stores!

But excellent news that the cost is very affordable. $500 is do-able, now I just need to get to the bottom of what exactly he thinks he is going to be doing with it (internet, software, graphics etc).

Thanks for the advice

Karen

[Sanurian]

Hi again, Freogirl

I got a kick out of this comment of yours:

...What I did notice when living up in Indonesia was that the technology seemed to be a year or so back...

Only "a year or so" behind? Just have a look at the sorry state of internet service providers in Indonesia, internet speeds and the prices that are being charged! Those that use satellites to deliver are paying ten times more than what they cost in Singapore. The Indonesian government is looking for foreign investors to lay fiber optic cables across the archipelago. Or even cable from Jakarta to Bali. Maybe next year.

Here is a current, and typical computer promo package from one of the shops in the Rimo Complex, for AU$ 500:

Asrock 775i65GV motherboard
Intel P4 Dual Core processor (2.66 GHz)
256 MB DDR Memory (PC 3200)
80 GB Maxtor hard drive (7200 rpm)
Panasonic floppy drive
On-board Video card (AGP)
Integrated Audio card
Samsung CD RW (52 x 32 x 52)
On-board LAN 10/100
ATX Case with 4 USB ports on the front
15" GTC Milenia/Viewsonic monitor
Keyboard and PS/2 optical mouse
A pair of active speakers ((tinny-sounding, probably)
TOTAL PRICE: Rp 3,450,000

Pay another Rp 160,000 to add a Creative 330 subwoofer.
Rp 150,000 more gets you a 17" GTC Ultimate monitor.
Rp 1,400,000 for a 17" LCD monitor (GTC Primera), roughly equivalent to a normal 19" monitor.

And note that there is no operating system yet. Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 is USD 80.00 on top (unless you buy a pirate version).

Also no DVD drive. These days you can buy good quality DVD RW burners for not much more than CD burners. The current crop of DVD drives can burn/read CD/CD RWs so there's not much point in even having a CD-ROM any more).

Again, I hope this helps.

8)