eMachines 1.2GHz Celeron System With 17" Monitor + Printer, OfficeXP, UPS + More Stuff: $400+ tax AR

[jeepers94]

For the price of everything,after rebates,you would have a real hard time building one similar! I have built over 300 systems,dating back to the 386 machines.As for the Dell remark,I push my clients who aren't computer savey to Dell.They have better support than I have time to provide.I even bought a new(refurb) Dimension 8200/2.53 gig.It came with 1024 megs pc800/Ti4600 video,16xdvd,40/10/40 Plextor cdrw,THX sound,120gig hd,Wireless Logitech mouse/keyboard,movie and picture premium packages.All of this with a 4 year warranty,for $1348 shipped. Try building a system like this for that,without the warranty!

 

[kumatae]

I bought a rebadged E-machine about two years ago from compgeeks and I have yet to have any problems since. I do all sorts of crap on my computer, bit of graphics, programming, gaming, browsing and Office. I guess I got really lucky on my machine, you could try your luck on these machines and see how far you get...

kumatae

 

[wjsulliv]

FYI... Don't buy an emachine until you've checked out eMachinesSuck.com

 

[immortalis]

I agree with unclebud, I like them too.
We all know how buggy Windoze is and how it starts to clutter stuff.
The best way is to "refresh" everything with the system CD, which will make the emachine like new. Complete reformatting and re-installation.

I built around 100 PC's but grew so tired of missmatching drivers and IRQ's and me having to figure out why that Taiwanes board would not work with this Chinese adpter and all that.

When W2K came things got much better, but I still prefer prebuilt Computers.

The only bad thing with the new HP's and Compaq's is that they have soooo many "preloaded" junk-ware on them (which unfortunately gets installed during a "refresh" too), that this could be a reason to start building them from scratch again.

Another issue with complete systems is the warranty: now my friends/family call the 800 number if s.th. goes wrong, not me.

 

[carmann]

Like anything else it all depends on whether you get a lemon or not.

I bought an eMachines 633 celeron/12x dvd that compgeeks had for just under $200 last year (so did alot of other people) for my husband and have yet to have any major problem. Ya, the hd went out but Seagate replaced that in less than 2 weeks. My husband only plays games on it so he didn't need a high end computer.

While I wouldn't buy one for myself I wouldn't call them complete trash either.

 

[unclebud]

"just avoid eMachies and just purchase a gateway or build a computer yourself."
that comment is just full of baloney. why? a secretary down the hall here has to get what for her gateway? a POWER SUPPLY! and is it a off-the-shelf-easily replaceable piece? no! it is proprietary like ALMOST ANY PRE-BUILT KNOWN TO MANKIND. build some more computers or wax some cars grasshopper. i place no allegiance on pc or mac, home-built or pre, i judge PCs on the basis of their character...
when you know-it-alls are on that phone arguing with that 80 year-old spinster about her irqs every week or that bonzi that she keeps downloading every other day, remember me...
and hey, immortalis! thanks for the software. cybergenie is still sitting in the corner though (why did i buy it? i live in a studio apartment!)

 

[wjsulliv]

unclebud, people are only trying to say the eMachines are a "buyer beware" type purchase. Cosnidering the price, people just want to get accross the point that you might only get what you payed for (a cheap, cheap computer). Additionally, if you check out eMachinesSuck.com you will hear thousands of horror stories about customer service, repairs, parts failures, etc.


As far as pre-built vs. build-it-yourself that is a toss up depending on what your needs, knowledge, and skills are:

The advantages to build-it-yourself is that when something dies or needs to be replaced, generally it is not proprietary or a combination component (like a motherboard with integrated video), and you get to choose every component used in the system (translation, you don't get too many cheap/crappy parts). Thus you know what it is that needs to be replaced and how to replace that single component (I.e. if onboard video or sound fail, you might have to replace the motherboard, but if you have non-combined/proprietary components you might just replace the video card).
The disadvantage to build-it-yourself is that the tech support is harder to come buy. You can contact the manufacturers of each component, and check places on the internet (like here) but that is about it. If it turns out you bought a defective part, you might be troubleshooting for months before you realize it (depending on your skils/knowledge)

With pre-built computers the advantages are tech support, pre-configuration, pre-installation, and defective component replacement. When something breaks (assuming its underwarrantee) most companies work with you to fix it. They have their own central center for tech support rather than figuring out who made the motherboard and asking them what your problem might be.
The disadvantage to pre-built computers is that frequently they are stocked with low end components or the cheapest version of some component. Depending on your needs, cheap may not matter.


The biggest decision fact when considering any computer is need and life of the machine. If you need a machine to do work processing, balance your checkbook and surf the internet, get the cheapest thing you can that doesn't sputter along like a rust bucket. If you want to play high end 3-D games with advanced features you might want a high end machine, either from someone like Dell or a build-it-yourself (something where you have the most control over your components or the best warranty/tech support services).

 

[randypj]

wjsulliv--Good points.

I build my own. I also recommend Dell to friends that will need a lot of help if they have problems. For some friends, I recommend a local cloner that has a year warranty.

The emachine that I got for a gf was exactly what I bargained for.....maybe even a bit better. I knew the ps would have to be replaced, and things would have to be added. But, at the time, with her on a tight budget, I couldn't have built a pc for what she needed, for the price of the emachine (including add ons).
--Randy

 

[unclebud]

i didn't see no NEW/GOOD points, only people LINKING TO THE SAME SITE FOUR TIMES IN THIS THREAD...
talk about a broken record... why not link to this, or this, or even this?! at least there'd be some variety :<
i'd take a emach cel 366 with a radeon sdr pci and send all yawl home to yas mama to eat some chicken soup playin q3. it's a poor carpenter that blames his tools...
everybody is riding on dell's jock, but my pop kept leaving his p166 on (i told him to turn it off!) on, and what did dell charge us for a REFURBISHED one? $67.41! i bought that dell deal for $285 a while back (still good deal), but three weeks later what do i get? a form letter saying that they HAVE TURNED SUPPORT over to banctec? whatEVER dudes...
and i guess dude is gone be golden and hook ol girl puter up if it had problems in the future after/if they break up
better man than me

 

[Salvador]

I bought a refurbed 366 Celery Emachines from Computergeeks a year or so ago for $125 delivered. I used it as a backup for a couple of months and then gave it to my sister and it works perfectly. It gets used on a regular basis too. The only thing that you really have to worry about is the power supply on these things. I never had a problem with it, so I can't comment.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend an Emachines to anyone because they are cheap. The 17" monitor packaged with this system is probably an eye strainer special. You can usually find a better deal on a Dell and that's what I recommend to all my non-techie friends. Dell support, though it may be lacking in quality lately, is still the best on the market for systems as far as I'm concerned.

Sal

 

[unclebud]

ok, and that's ALL i'm saying also. but i remember somebody posting that dell had hardwired the 20g that came with the dell so it wouldn't work in another machine -- what became of that? was another solution found? i've been wanting to swap mine with an 80g i got for $60 something and put the 20g in this compaq 5834... tia!

 

[jeepers94]

I have never seen a hard drive in a Dell that was "hard wired"! The only system,I can think of,that might do that would be the low end Smart Step,which is compared in the magazines to the "e"machine! I would never buy a lowend anything!As for Dell charging $60+ for a refurbished motherboard,they are not making much on the deal.What do you think they should do,sell it to you for the $25 the P166 is worth? But to get back to the subject.I would not buy an e machine,but as an entry level system,for a non-gamer,it could be a good choice!

 

[esquared]

Yeah, I realize that eMachines aren't the best built computers around, but I also bet a lot of the bashers never owned one. I completely forgot, until now, that I bought a refurb eMachines from Fry's for 149.00 either 3 or 4 years ago. I has a Cyrix 266 in it, I upgraded it to a Cyrix 300 soon after. The thing still works perfectly. I use it as a work machine, and I definitely got my money's worth for <$150 bucks. Would I take a chance on one now? Hmmm.... maybe if the price was right. As long as nobody is expecting to upgrade any hardware and just use the box for simple tasks and maybe a CD burner for backing up, it might be worth a few hundred for someone who isn't into building a computer.

 

[unclebud]

the POWER SUPPLY is what was $67.41 (sorry for the confusion -- although it doesn't look like the poster wasn't already confused). and YES, i think THEY SHOULD GIVEN IT TO US IN EXCHANGE FOR THE FAULTY ONE (kodak does that for cameras, and they even cross-ship!) they refurbish them anyway
"i don't buy lowend anything" well ain't somebody special? hardwiring a drive to a system is low-blow regardless of the price
even compaq doesn't do that, afaik
and yes it was/is the smartstep. how now brown cow
i don't see dude has answered back either. that means that he has been busted also
i guess i'll have to leave the thread alone now, since all of the respondents seem to be either just plain bashing emachines UNJUSTLY, comparing them to other pre-builts that ARE NO BETTER. not to mention a few people also in this thread have posted issues with their home-builts in the past. if the home-builts are SOOO PERFECT, then why do know-it-alls like these need help fixing them?
well i'm out

 

[wjsulliv]

unclebud, you just don't seem to get it. I think most people here are just trying to warn anyone who intends to take advantage of this deal that generally eMachines are considered to be the cheapest computers available. And by cheapest I just don't mean price tag, I mean the actually parts appear to be (at least at times, specifically the power supply) of lower quality than some other prebuilds use.

I'm not saying that all prebuilds suck, or that all eMachines suck. Some people will go along fine forever and never have a problem. Some people will buy a prebuild from another company and it will have all kinds of problems. Some people will build their own and it will suck/crash/die all the time. As I said previously there are advantages and disadvantages to all those choices. Its all about making the best decision for you personally.

For example: My cousins are teachers, and they had a teacher/educator deal with Compaq several years ago and bought themselves and their son desktop systems. The systems they received were very proprietary (combined video and sound on the motherboard, etc.) which turned out to cause problems for them when they went to add network and scsi cards to the computer because there weren't enough IRQ's to support 3 or 4 PCI/ISA cards, etc. Then they ran into all kinds of other problems when the sound card functions of the board stopped working, and on, and on. When it was time for the second son to go to college (and thus he needed a computer) they asked me what to get or if I would make him a desktop. My answer was simple: Yes, I can make him a machine cheaper than you can buy one and with higher performance parts, but for a college student you need a higher level of service/tech support than I can give you (I can't be there the next day with parts or 24/7 with phone support like some companies.). Additionally, I can't really offer you any warranty other than that of the hardware manufacturer warranty. The downside is that the prebuild Sony that they bought wasn't a cutting edge (it wasn't a P4 2.53, with a geforce4, etc) and it was a little more expensive.

The moral of that example is that their decision needed to be based on services and warranty rather than price. Which is my point all along. If you want higher quality parts, better tech support, have a need to not have problems at all (I.e. this is a critical college or business machine) then you have to consider long and hard weather or not you want to buy an eMachine given their service/quality track record.

To put it another way if you had a choice between a used 225,000 mile Ford Explorer or a used 150,000 Honda Accord (presuming features and general shape/condition of the cars are the same) which would you choose? The Explorer which pretty close to the end of its initial running capability (I.e. in need of an engine repair, etc soon) or the Accord, which Honda owners and dealers will tell you is just getting broken in (I.e. they last for ever).

Prebuild computers are the same kind of choice. Some have better service records, some have more power, some have more features, some have more support. Find the combination that is best for you. That?s all I'm trying to say. If an eMachine does it for you then great.

 

[Zontor]

Originally posted by: unclebud
the POWER SUPPLY is what was $67.41 (sorry for the confusion -- although it doesn't look like the poster wasn't already confused). and YES, i think THEY SHOULD GIVEN IT TO US IN EXCHANGE FOR THE FAULTY ONE (kodak does that for cameras, and they even cross-ship!) they refurbish them anyway "i don't buy lowend anything" well ain't somebody special? hardwiring a drive to a system is low-blow regardless of the price even compaq doesn't do that, afaik and yes it was/is the smartstep. how now brown cow i don't see dude has answered back either. that means that he has been busted also i guess i'll have to leave the thread alone now, since all of the respondents seem to be either just plain bashing emachines UNJUSTLY, comparing them to other pre-builts that ARE NO BETTER. not to mention a few people also in this thread have posted issues with their home-builts in the past. if the home-builts are SOOO PERFECT, then why do know-it-alls like these need help fixing them? well i'm out

I had to replace a power supply for a relative - I found this & it was *much* better quality than the original P/S. Can't say that the price is much cheaper though....

 

[Bellgoody]

FWIW - We've installed e-machines in new cases with additonal fans, and a quality 300WATT power supply with success. In my shop, success is measured by customer satisfaction - we haven't had one complaint, in fact, just the opposite.

We don't pretend that these systems are anything but entry-level, every day application workstations. Truth is, for the average consumer, e-machines, (with the above modifications), fulfill their needs. All in all, simply modified e-machines perform everything one throws at 'em except intense gaming.

For $500 - $600, net cost, Mr. and Mrs. Two Point Five children want a computer that enables them to fetch their e-mail, surf the net, and process data. They really don't know (or care) about splattering alien blood cells quick, quickly, quickest.

Just my two cents.

 

[Placer14]

Hey ya'lls. Bought an eMachine back in the day. it was 366 CyrixII. :disgust: It ran about 2 months and the modem failed. So, I said "Hmm...i'll call tech support." They put me through the normal BS...Quick Restore (Format/Restore), download drivers (from another computer I happened to have) and still no luck. Got RMA to replace modem. They shipped a new modem to me and I shipped mine back. Stuck it in....DOA. Call it once bitten, twice shy. I wasn't happy with their support and just decided to save my grief and foot the $30 for a 56k. No problems with the new modem. Been running for 3 years (the modem at least).

It came with Win98 and crashed constantly. I knew Win98 wasn't a stable OS, so I stuck WinXP (yes, it runs.) and beefed the RAM up to 128Mb. It still crashes....not as often, but I'm sure it's hardware related.

I didn't even bother upgrading the video card. My dad uses it to write letters and my family won't even use it to go online anymore, the system speakers beeps while the modem runs. One and only eMachine i'll own.

 

[RideFree]

One thing that I'm not sure has been mentioned, is that most, if not all the software that you get with this machine will be branded.
i.e. If this machine fails and you decide to go with a different manufacturer (like Dell, or whatever), nothing of importance will transfer over to the new machine. Only your user files (provided the hard drive did not fail &/or you had a recent backup) will transition to newer hardware.

So, the moral to the story is...you could need a new copy of OfficeXP or whatever.
That + the risk of the horrible failure problems that can and do beset eMachines make this thread one of caution like several posters have done here.
In other words, as your needs vary, so will your mileage.
If you have gotten this far, just remember that Murphy's laws apply whether turning the power switch On or OFF.

 

[immortalis]

randypj:
I also recommend Dell to friends that will need a lot of help if they have problems.

Dell is the WORST when it comes to support. They are the most banned brand on many campuses.

They have a great marketing, everybody and their grandmom have been manipulated to that extend that they think dell is great.

But when it comes to the real support, they are one of the worst companies I have ever dealt with.

And I dealt with Compaq (good) , HP (very good), Gateway (very good) and IBM (only good if you are a company).

But dell, no way!

 

[Mallow]

lol, this thread was hilarious. Sry for taking pleasure at others crappy experiences :/ I'm glad the truth has come out about emachines

 

[SitePromoter]

well i went to a computer show few weeks ago got my sister an eone looks like the imac all in one with floppy and cdrom for a descent price and i just hope itw orks out for her. It was 3 times cheaper than a laptop.

 

[drti]

that a whole lots of rebates. good luck of getting them all. if you decide to buy it, make a copy of all rebates so that you don't get burn.

enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

 

[randypj]

immortalis--I'm glad my 3 friends that have used Dell support on their pcs didn't get a chance to see your crape post before they bought. They might've bought a Gateway.

Now, if you wanna talk about POS tech support, Gateway is a great company to talk about. I know from the personal experience of being on hold and shuffled back and forth for 5 hours.....for my brother's pc. I finally gave up trying their version of repair, and formatted and did it the right way.
--Randy