[Question] For Science! Cheap computers for my research lab.

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MindDetective

MindDetective

Hi techie folks. I was awarded $1200 for software and a computer for my research lab. The software will take up half of that, leaving me with $600 for a computer. I am considering buying two, though, meaning I am looking for dirt cheap but still decent. These do not need to be powerhouses, and they need only have a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and Win XP. Anything else is either a bonus or useless to my needs. These units will essentially run Java and VisualBasic 6 experiments and one of them will run SuperLab. That's pretty much it.

So, help me out. Am I shooting myself in the foot if I go for a several-generations old package from Newegg or TigerDirect? How wimpy is too wimpy? It looks like I could conceivably get 3 of the crappiest computers or two slightly less crappy computers.

Note: Once upon a time I built my own PCs but those days are behind me. I *could* build what I need but it would need to be significantly cheaper and I may have trouble navigating the university bureaucracy that way.

Also, the prefixes for Tech Talk seem pretty limiting or unnecessary!
 
sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I'd go 2 slightly less crappy. XP is just about gone. Official support should be gone soon. Be sure to keep your software legit.

If it is you alone, buy a simple KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) switch and save money on a 2nd monitor.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

sixpackshaker said:
I'd go 2 slightly less crappy. XP is just about gone. Official support should be gone soon. Be sure to keep your software legit.
If it is you alone, buy a simple KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) switch and save money on a 2nd monitor.
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That is an awesome idea, but the computers will likely be in different rooms and have to be used simultaneously. I'll have to look at the cheapest windows 7 boxes I can get. I doubt I will need a lot of OS support, though, and the university might have/get a site license for Win 7 too.
Added at: 12:43
stienman said:
Can you scrounge for keyboards, mice, and monitors?
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Hmm...I don't rightly know. Maybe?
 
strawman

strawman

If you are using both computers yourself, then using RDP or VNC might be an options as well. They allow you to use another computer over the network. Not so great if you're doing video, but for most normal program usage and processing it's great. Very nice not to have to juggle keyboards, mice, and monitors.
 
sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Personally, since I don't really know what you are doing, I would have one PC just for productivity (Word, Excel, etc.) and one or more for the experiments that you are running. I doubt you would ever want to run the risk of getting a virus, worm, or trojan horse to take down your bread and butter PC.
Find CloneZilla or another imaging program to image clean copies of your different types of PC's once you get them set the way that you need them. It takes too long to troubleshoot a software issue, instead just start from scratch and patch software and try again.
Added at: 20:50
Also 2 cheap PC's and a 2 bay, mirrored, NAS; to store your data on, barring physical catastrophe, your data will be safe.
 
strawman

strawman

Superlab simply doesn't require much computing power at all. You can get nearly any inexpensive PC and be perfectly fine.

You might consider an inexpensive laptop - keyboard, mouse, monitor all in one. Would probably have to be more careful about securing it, but it'd make it easy to take the experiment to the subject, rather than forcing the subject into your lab.

Beyond that, $300 computers are pretty crummy. As long as you reload plain-vanilla windows (ie, get rid of any dell, hp, or other branded junk pre-loaded) and just the superlab software, you should be pretty fine with even a bottom-of-the-barrel machine. Make sure you keep important data backed up, right after each experiement, though. Maybe set them up so they use dropbox to sync their experiment files, and use dropbox as a backup.
 
Officer_Charon

Officer_Charon

Check for local government agencies selling old systems.... a lot of time you can find equipment for auction when they upgrade their stuff.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

stienman said:
If you are using both computers yourself, then using RDP or VNC might be an options as well. They allow you to use another computer over the network. Not so great if you're doing video, but for most normal program usage and processing it's great. Very nice not to have to juggle keyboards, mice, and monitors.
Click to expand...
An interesting idea! I may check out some options for that. It might not work so well for simultaneous use, but it gives me some ideas about using Android Tablets to run experiments remotely.
Added at: 13:17
sixpackshaker said:
Also 2 cheap PC's and a 2 bay, mirrored, NAS; to store your data on, barring physical catastrophe, your data will be safe.
Click to expand...
This is another great idea. I may not have the funds to do this, but I would like to store data remotely rather than locally at some point. I'm working with very little at the moment.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Officer_Charon said:
Check for local government agencies selling old systems.... a lot of time you can find equipment for auction when they upgrade their stuff.
Click to expand...
I might actually be able to get old computers from the university itself but I'm not yet sure how to do that, if it is feasible at all. I intend to look into it, though.
 
Officer_Charon

Officer_Charon

I'm trying to find the website that I was lurking back when I thought I could get a loan for a CVPI after auction... it had several instances of LARGE lots of computers being auctioned off... I'm talking like 2 dozen towers and monitors at a time, on the cheap.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Officer_Charon said:
Heh... too bad you're not able to run a MacOS...
http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/calpoly,ca/auction/view?auc=649355
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Wow! I have no problem running Macs, really. That one is pretty low-end, though.
Added at: 13:21
Officer_Charon said:
I'm trying to find the website that I was lurking back when I thought I could get a loan for a CVPI after auction... it had several instances of LARGE lots of computers being auctioned off... I'm talking like 2 dozen towers and monitors at a time, on the cheap.
Click to expand...
We don't have the space for that many! Yet....
 
strawman

strawman

If you do go mac, get an intel version. Superlab specifically mentions it runs on OS X, and intel mac, but it doesn't seem to clarify whether OS X on the G5 processor would run it.

Even the cheap mac minis are too expensive, though, and I think you'd be paying for more than you're getting if you get a mac for this, unless you stumble on a fantastic deal.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

stienman said:
If you do go mac, get an intel version. Superlab specifically mentions it runs on OS X, and intel mac, but it doesn't seem to clarify whether OS X on the G5 processor would run it.

Even the cheap mac minis are too expensive, though, and I think you'd be paying for more than you're getting if you get a mac for this, unless you stumble on a fantastic deal.
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That is my thought too.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

-It seems that finding some older Intel Mac Minis (they can be easily found for around $300ea) might be what you're looking for, but that wouldn't solve your need for XP.
-A single not-so-cheap $600 computer will probably crush 2 separate $300 computers for performance. If you don't need separate computers, consider going that route.
-You might also consider looking for something a bit more lopsided. Get a clunker for $130 and a decent one for $470 and then distribute tasks accordingly.
-Make looking into the site license your first priority. If you don't have to blow $200 on two copies of Windows, that will really make a difference for your hardware budget.

Otherwise you're going to be looking at things like this* and this* which, while they meet your stated needs, are probably not what you really want. If you look hard enough, you could probably find people willing to pay YOU to take an old Pentium 4 off their hands**.

--Patrick
*assuming the links still work.
**not really. Sorry. But close.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

XP isn't a need. If I get a windows machine, though, I would prefer it since I know it. When Vista came along, I switched to MacOS and haven't really looked back. Windows 7 is fine in a pinch. I would just be unfamiliar. Basically I'm flexible. My needs do not require power in any way. I will be running software on these computers that will be about as fancy as an Android app. So I can't think of a reason why it can't be a really cheap machine.
 
Necronic

Necronic

Staff member
If you've ever been into one of those "100$ laptop's!" computer stores they usually buy last-gen corporate/govt dells and resell them for super cheap. I don't know if they include an OS (or if you need one/can you just use Linux?), but it's probably the cheapest way to buy a crap-o-matic computer.

You should be able to get something for like 150 or less there.
 
Azurephoenix

Azurephoenix

If only I could somehow get my old computers to you... they would serve your purposes perfectly (instead of lined up in a neat row ready for recycling).
 
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