What is this worth

At work, they are doing the following lottery and I was wondering if I
should bid. I don't really need a desktop, but...:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Desktop Lottery
The Campus is having a PC Lottery to sell decommissioned PCs. To register
for a chance to purchase one of these Dell Desktops, you must fill out the
web registration form mentioned below by Wednesday, July 23, 2008 and be
willing to pick up your desktop at . The pricing is below and will need to
be cash or check (made payable to ). Winners will be notified by email on
Thursday, July 24, 2008.

Pricing
Desktops with regular LCD (flat) monitors = $75.00

Desktop Lottery Registration
To register you must be a employee. Click on the link under the

Desktop Specs
Each Dell Optiplex Desktop package will at least include the following:
Windows 2000 or XP (Operating System)
Windows 2000 or XP Drivers for Devices installed
At least 256 MB RAM
At least 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
LCD Monitor
Keyboard

*Note: there will be limited mice and NO printers included.

Special Note:
Desktops are sold as is
No support will be given from Information Technology

Desktops must be removed from Northwood premises, they are intended for
home/personal use only.

There is no Dell warranty with them, they are approximately 4 years old

MZB wrote:

> At work, they are doing the following lottery and I was wondering if I
> should bid. I don't really need a desktop, but...:
>
>
> Desktop Lottery
> The Campus is having a PC Lottery to sell decommissioned PCs. To register
> for a chance to purchase one of these Dell Desktops, you must fill out the
> web registration form mentioned below by Wednesday, July 23, 2008 and be
> willing to pick up your desktop at . The pricing is below and will need to
> be cash or check (made payable to ). Winners will be notified by email on
> Thursday, July 24, 2008.
>
> Pricing
> Desktops with regular LCD (flat) monitors = $75.00
>
> Desktop Lottery Registration
> To register you must be a employee. Click on the link under the
>
> Desktop Specs
> Each Dell Optiplex Desktop package will at least include the following:
> Windows 2000 or XP (Operating System)
> Windows 2000 or XP Drivers for Devices installed
> At least 256 MB RAM
> At least 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
> LCD Monitor
> Keyboard
>
> *Note: there will be limited mice and NO printers included.
>
> Special Note:
> Desktops are sold as is
> No support will be given from Information Technology
>
> Desktops must be removed from Northwood premises, they are intended for
> home/personal use only.
>
> There is no Dell warranty with them, they are approximately 4 years old
>
>

The obvious upgrades, at the very least, would be to increase the
RAM to comfortable operating levels, such as 1 GB or 2 GB; replace
the HD to one of 250-300 GB, and possibly add a DVD drive. The costs
for these would be in the range of $300 to $400. For a fast enough
Optiflex unit, might still be worthwhile having as a second unit.

remember you can get a brand new 3 yr warranty optiplex 330 nicely
configured starting at $400.
those are not worth more than $100 at best.


MZB wrote:
> At work, they are doing the following lottery and I was wondering if I
> should bid. I don't really need a desktop, but...:
>
> Desktop Lottery
> The Campus is having a PC Lottery to sell decommissioned PCs. To register
> for a chance to purchase one of these Dell Desktops, you must fill out the
> web registration form mentioned below by Wednesday, July 23, 2008 and be
> willing to pick up your desktop at . The pricing is below and will need to
> be cash or check (made payable to ). Winners will be notified by email on
> Thursday, July 24, 2008.
>
> Pricing
> Desktops with regular LCD (flat) monitors = $75.00
>
> Desktop Lottery Registration
> To register you must be a employee. Click on the link under the
>
> Desktop Specs
> Each Dell Optiplex Desktop package will at least include the following:
> Windows 2000 or XP (Operating System)
> Windows 2000 or XP Drivers for Devices installed
> At least 256 MB RAM
> At least 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
> LCD Monitor
> Keyboard
>
> *Note: there will be limited mice and NO printers included.
>
> Special Note:
> Desktops are sold as is
> No support will be given from Information Technology
>
> Desktops must be removed from Northwood premises, they are intended for
> home/personal use only.
>
> There is no Dell warranty with them, they are approximately 4 years old
>
>

After more thought, I don't think it's such a great deal. I'd have to do the
upgrades. So, why not buy new?

Mel
"JayB" <JayB@audiman.net> wrote in message
news:g5o77b$ip9$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> remember you can get a brand new 3 yr warranty optiplex 330 nicely
> configured starting at $400.
> those are not worth more than $100 at best.
>
>
> MZB wrote:
>> At work, they are doing the following lottery and I was wondering if I
>> should bid. I don't really need a desktop, but...:
>>
>> Desktop Lottery
>> The Campus is having a PC Lottery to sell decommissioned PCs. To register
>> for a chance to purchase one of these Dell Desktops, you must fill out
>> the web registration form mentioned below by Wednesday, July 23, 2008 and
>> be willing to pick up your desktop at . The pricing is below and will
>> need to be cash or check (made payable to ). Winners will be notified by
>> email on Thursday, July 24, 2008.
>>
>> Pricing
>> Desktops with regular LCD (flat) monitors = $75.00
>>
>> Desktop Lottery Registration
>> To register you must be a employee. Click on the link under the
>>
>> Desktop Specs
>> Each Dell Optiplex Desktop package will at least include the following:
>> Windows 2000 or XP (Operating System)
>> Windows 2000 or XP Drivers for Devices installed
>> At least 256 MB RAM
>> At least 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
>> LCD Monitor
>> Keyboard
>>
>> *Note: there will be limited mice and NO printers included.
>>
>> Special Note:
>> Desktops are sold as is
>> No support will be given from Information Technology
>>
>> Desktops must be removed from Northwood premises, they are intended for
>> home/personal use only.
>>
>> There is no Dell warranty with them, they are approximately 4 years old
>>

Hi!

> Desktops with regular LCD (flat) monitors = $75.00

If the LCD monitors are in decent shape, that's probably the majority
of the value. I paid $75 or so for a nice (darn near "showroom
perfect") Samsung Syncmaster 512 15" panel display...

The computers themselves are going to need some upgrading, but if
you've got the parts on hand or know where you can get them cheap, you
could end up with a very nice deal.

I have been buying up some Compaq Deskpro EN SFF systems that are very
similarly equipped in terms of memory and HDD space. (They are only
Pentium III systems, from about 2002 or so.) I usually give between
$1-9 per system depending upon my luck.

Fixing 'em up is no big deal--I have boxes of keyboards, millions of
mice, dangerously large quantities of DVD-ROM drives (!!!) and a
dynamite collection of DIMMs. If I had to buy those parts, it probably
wouldn't be anywhere near as worthwhile.

As to whether or not they'll work when you get them home--well, I have
yet to see any of the ones mentioned above come in with fatal
problems. There has been the odd dead optical drive, but that's about
it.

You might be able to "flip" them as well. I have no problem selling
these Deskpro machines in complete, tested, fully cleaned and
refurbished, secondhand packages with genuine Windows XP Home Edition
for about $250 cash-n-carry. They make great computers for people that
want a good one without the expense, people who don't need a fire-
breathing system, or just as a computer "for the kids".

Just my $0.02. If you want one, and have the parts on hand to build it
up, I don't see how you could go wrong.

William

If the LCD monitor is 17", that is a pretty good deal. Dell LCDs are decent.
The computer itself would be skimpy at the minimum configuration, but would
still be worth it if the Windows sticker was for XP instead of Win 2000.

.... Ben Myers

On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:54:08 -0400, "MZB" <moo@noway.prudigy.net> wrote:

>At work, they are doing the following lottery and I was wondering if I
>should bid. I don't really need a desktop, but...:
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>Desktop Lottery
>The Campus is having a PC Lottery to sell decommissioned PCs. To register
>for a chance to purchase one of these Dell Desktops, you must fill out the
>web registration form mentioned below by Wednesday, July 23, 2008 and be
>willing to pick up your desktop at . The pricing is below and will need to
>be cash or check (made payable to ). Winners will be notified by email on
>Thursday, July 24, 2008.
>
>Pricing
>Desktops with regular LCD (flat) monitors = $75.00
>
>Desktop Lottery Registration
>To register you must be a employee. Click on the link under the
>
>Desktop Specs
>Each Dell Optiplex Desktop package will at least include the following:
> Windows 2000 or XP (Operating System)
> Windows 2000 or XP Drivers for Devices installed
> At least 256 MB RAM
> At least 20 Gigabyte Hard Drive
> LCD Monitor
> Keyboard
>
>*Note: there will be limited mice and NO printers included.
>
>Special Note:
> Desktops are sold as is
> No support will be given from Information Technology
>
>Desktops must be removed from Northwood premises, they are intended for
>home/personal use only.
>
>There is no Dell warranty with them, they are approximately 4 years old
>

"JayB" <JayB@audiman.net> wrote in message
news:g5o77b$ip9$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> remember you can get a brand new 3 yr warranty optiplex 330 nicely
> configured starting at $400.
> those are not worth more than $100 at best.
>
>


Agreed.