Linux the new-fangled word
So Linux is the new-fangled word in Malaysia. Or would that be “affordable PC”, now with several companies getting into this, right after the PC Gemilang campaign/project was launched. We now have a “PC Mesti Beli” with an AMD XP 2200+, and a 60GB disk, and to cream it all off HP might want to join the bandwagon.
That’s 3 competing projects, all with Linux. The PC Mesti Beli one is coming with RH9 – which runs out of support this coming April – but its administered by the same company that did the Thai Linux roll-out, and there’s TimeDotCom helping with connectivity. HP wants to use TurboLinux (why?).
Chandra Devi thinks this is a piracy boost (in her article “Prospects of ‘Affordable PC’). I see Nan Phin comment that training is “crucial” and must be “affordable”.
Hardly affordable, when you see the MNCC offering an OSS101 Train the Trainer programmer for 5.5 days, at RM1,800. Bloody hell, some of those notes are mine. And in a couple of weeks, you don’t even need to spend RM1,800, as all this will be free.
well, this is one of the “proof” where you can tell people Open Source can make money.
rm1.8k. what do you think about the cost?
PC Gemilang isn’t what its all hyped out to be.
Here is an attachment for a dell site for their dimension 2400. Going for USD 399(RM1516).
It has an Intel Celerom 2.4Ghz (400MHz FSB), 17 inch monitor , 40GB ATA/100 Hard drive, 128MB Shared DDR SDRAM at 333MHz (Performs at 266MHz for 400FSB systems). It comes with a 48x CD burner with Sonic RecordNow. It comes typical with a one year warranty from dell (which is better than what Pikom could offer) and also free delivery.
I think because of the big brand, and it’s reputation for good after sales service, it makes the purchase of PC Gemilang questionable. It also solves the problem of using the Win XP with Malay and the questionable sum offered by Microsoft for an upgrade to the English version. “17 inch monitor” also another one. I guess it all depends on whether people are pound foolish or penny-wise in terms of the whole package.
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/featured_desktop5?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
Cheers
So, to recap – PC Gemilang (1.7GHz); Dell (2.4GHz) – difference of 700MHz. Disk size is the same, ditto with the RAM. 48x CD burner beats the 52x CDROM drive in PC Gemilang. Warranty is 1 year from both Dell and PC Gemilang (PIKOM), so thats a moot point. Delivery is free to the local retailer for PC Gemilang.
Dell is a “big brand”, and the cost of ~RM1,500 is a bit steep – in excess of RM500 or thereabouts for a PC Gemilang running Fedora Linux for instance. It also goes down to seeing if supporting local initiatives rock or not.
No mention of the motherboard? Buy Malaysian :)
17″ monitor is definitely useful, provided you have the desk space. I reckon this is a good time for furniture manufacturers to start offering packages too!