4700 going low end?

the 4700 is looking more and more like a low end machine. never saw so many
"made in china" stickers in my life. 2 PCI slots?! now that IS low end.
better plan on using USB for everything I guess.

Dell is simply using more "Made in China" stickers nowadays. IBM systems are
"Made in China". HP? Ditto.

The reduced number of PCI slots is a sign that the computer industry
collectively wants to move away from PCI to PCI-Express. Same thing happened
with ISA bus slots a few years ago. "Legacy free" systems have no parallel
ports, serial ports, PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors, and floppy drives. If
only the replacement USB hardware was as rock solid and reliable as the legacy
stuff. But life moves on... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:01:21 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

the 4700 is looking more and more like a low end machine. never saw so many
"made in china" stickers in my life. 2 PCI slots?! now that IS low end.
better plan on using USB for everything I guess.

they aren't replacing them with PCI-Express slots though. only one of those
and that now has a video card in it. a total of 3 slots in the system and
to me that says low end. pretty soon PCs will look like octopussys with all
the usb stuff hangin' off them. the keyboard and mouse feel like the cheap
china stuff they are. i can't imagine emachines could feel any cheaper.
why spend more for the dell name? maybe next time ill build my own and get
some quality parts in the system. yes, it'll cost more but i wont be afraid
to type on the keyboard for fear of breaking it.

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
Dell is simply using more "Made in China" stickers nowadays. IBM systems
are
"Made in China". HP? Ditto.

The reduced number of PCI slots is a sign that the computer industry
collectively wants to move away from PCI to PCI-Express. Same thing
happened
with ISA bus slots a few years ago. "Legacy free" systems have no
parallel
ports, serial ports, PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors, and floppy
drives. If
only the replacement USB hardware was as rock solid and reliable as the
legacy
stuff. But life moves on... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:01:21 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

the 4700 is looking more and more like a low end machine. never saw so
many
"made in china" stickers in my life. 2 PCI slots?! now that IS low end.
better plan on using USB for everything I guess.

All the sales pitches talk about how easy it is to install USB devices. Hot
plug and all that. They don't talk about the clutter of wires from installing
maybe 6 USB devices. And the dust and dirt that accumulate.

I'm with you. Put most of the stuff inside the chassis... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:25:44 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

they aren't replacing them with PCI-Express slots though. only one of those
and that now has a video card in it. a total of 3 slots in the system and
to me that says low end. pretty soon PCs will look like octopussys with all
the usb stuff hangin' off them. the keyboard and mouse feel like the cheap
china stuff they are. i can't imagine emachines could feel any cheaper.
why spend more for the dell name? maybe next time ill build my own and get
some quality parts in the system. yes, it'll cost more but i wont be afraid
to type on the keyboard for fear of breaking it.

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
Dell is simply using more "Made in China" stickers nowadays. IBM systems
are
"Made in China". HP? Ditto.

The reduced number of PCI slots is a sign that the computer industry
collectively wants to move away from PCI to PCI-Express. Same thing
happened
with ISA bus slots a few years ago. "Legacy free" systems have no
parallel
ports, serial ports, PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors, and floppy
drives. If
only the replacement USB hardware was as rock solid and reliable as the
legacy
stuff. But life moves on... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:01:21 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

the 4700 is looking more and more like a low end machine. never saw so
many
"made in china" stickers in my life. 2 PCI slots?! now that IS low end.
better plan on using USB for everything I guess.

Ben,
I have a label maker for printing wire information. We use these in the
electrical field for machine panel wiring. I find this to be a great time
saver on my computer cables. All my usb cables have a label about two inches
from where they plug into the computer saying, scanner, card reader, ect.
Makes working on the computer a whole lot easier.
Paul

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
All the sales pitches talk about how easy it is to install USB devices.
Hot
plug and all that. They don't talk about the clutter of wires from
installing
maybe 6 USB devices. And the dust and dirt that accumulate.

I'm with you. Put most of the stuff inside the chassis... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:25:44 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

they aren't replacing them with PCI-Express slots though. only one of
those
and that now has a video card in it. a total of 3 slots in the system and
to me that says low end. pretty soon PCs will look like octopussys with
all
the usb stuff hangin' off them. the keyboard and mouse feel like the
cheap
china stuff they are. i can't imagine emachines could feel any cheaper.
why spend more for the dell name? maybe next time ill build my own and
get
some quality parts in the system. yes, it'll cost more but i wont be
afraid
to type on the keyboard for fear of breaking it.

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
Dell is simply using more "Made in China" stickers nowadays. IBM
systems
are
"Made in China". HP? Ditto.

The reduced number of PCI slots is a sign that the computer industry
collectively wants to move away from PCI to PCI-Express. Same thing
happened
with ISA bus slots a few years ago. "Legacy free" systems have no
parallel
ports, serial ports, PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors, and floppy
drives. If
only the replacement USB hardware was as rock solid and reliable as the
legacy
stuff. But life moves on... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:01:21 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

the 4700 is looking more and more like a low end machine. never saw so
many
"made in china" stickers in my life. 2 PCI slots?! now that IS low
end.
better plan on using USB for everything I guess.

I want wireless connections. Everything should be Bluetooth or ethernet G.
A damn 10ft USB 2.0 cable is $14! I'm tired of trying to cram those
stinking wires in back and trying to make it look presentable.


"Paul Schilter" paulschilter@comcast dot net wrote in message
...
Ben,
I have a label maker for printing wire information. We use these in
the
electrical field for machine panel wiring. I find this to be a great time
saver on my computer cables. All my usb cables have a label about two
inches
from where they plug into the computer saying, scanner, card reader, ect.
Makes working on the computer a whole lot easier.
Paul

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
All the sales pitches talk about how easy it is to install USB devices.
Hot
plug and all that. They don't talk about the clutter of wires from
installing
maybe 6 USB devices. And the dust and dirt that accumulate.

I'm with you. Put most of the stuff inside the chassis... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:25:44 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

they aren't replacing them with PCI-Express slots though. only one of
those
and that now has a video card in it. a total of 3 slots in the system
and
to me that says low end. pretty soon PCs will look like octopussys with
all
the usb stuff hangin' off them. the keyboard and mouse feel like the
cheap
china stuff they are. i can't imagine emachines could feel any cheaper.
why spend more for the dell name? maybe next time ill build my own and
get
some quality parts in the system. yes, it'll cost more but i wont be
afraid
to type on the keyboard for fear of breaking it.

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
Dell is simply using more "Made in China" stickers nowadays. IBM
systems
are
"Made in China". HP? Ditto.

The reduced number of PCI slots is a sign that the computer industry
collectively wants to move away from PCI to PCI-Express. Same thing
happened
with ISA bus slots a few years ago. "Legacy free" systems have no
parallel
ports, serial ports, PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors, and floppy
drives. If
only the replacement USB hardware was as rock solid and reliable as
the
legacy
stuff. But life moves on... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:01:21 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

the 4700 is looking more and more like a low end machine. never saw
so
many
"made in china" stickers in my life. 2 PCI slots?! now that IS low
end.
better plan on using USB for everything I guess.

laidback,
Well if everything were equal I'd agree. I also follow the TiVo
newsgroup, a lot of the people over there use wireless to network their
TiVo's. The downside is that there's a noticeable delay using wireless
rather than wired. With my wired system the feed starts quickly and there
aren't any pauses for the transmitting TiVo to catch up. My laptop is
running a wireless with Belkin Pre-N system I get a transfer rate of 108MB,
or so it claims.
Paul

"laidback" wrote in message
...
I want wireless connections. Everything should be Bluetooth or ethernet G.
A damn 10ft USB 2.0 cable is $14! I'm tired of trying to cram those
stinking wires in back and trying to make it look presentable.


"Paul Schilter" paulschilter@comcast dot net wrote in message
...
Ben,
I have a label maker for printing wire information. We use these in
the
electrical field for machine panel wiring. I find this to be a great time
saver on my computer cables. All my usb cables have a label about two
inches
from where they plug into the computer saying, scanner, card reader, ect.
Makes working on the computer a whole lot easier.
Paul

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
All the sales pitches talk about how easy it is to install USB devices.
Hot
plug and all that. They don't talk about the clutter of wires from
installing
maybe 6 USB devices. And the dust and dirt that accumulate.

I'm with you. Put most of the stuff inside the chassis... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:25:44 -0500, "laidback" wrote:

they aren't replacing them with PCI-Express slots though. only one of
those
and that now has a video card in it. a total of 3 slots in the system
and
to me that says low end. pretty soon PCs will look like octopussys
with
all
the usb stuff hangin' off them. the keyboard and mouse feel like the
cheap
china stuff they are. i can't imagine emachines could feel any
cheaper.
why spend more for the dell name? maybe next time ill build my own and
get
some quality parts in the system. yes, it'll cost more but i wont be
afraid
to type on the keyboard for fear of breaking it.

ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers) wrote in message
...
Dell is simply using more "Made in China" stickers nowadays. IBM
systems
are
"Made in China". HP? Ditto.

The reduced number of PCI slots is a sign that the computer industry
collectively wants to move away from PCI to PCI-Express. Same thing
happened
with ISA bus slots a few years ago. "Legacy free" systems have no
parallel
ports, serial ports, PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors, and floppy
drives. If
only the replacement USB hardware was as rock solid and reliable as
the
legacy
stuff. But life moves on... Ben Myers

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:01:21 -0500, "laidback"
wrote:

the 4700 is looking more and more like a low end machine. never saw
so
many
"made in china" stickers in my life. 2 PCI slots?! now that IS low
end.
better plan on using USB for everything I guess.