
Originally Posted by
Jim Shaper
Around here you can get a pretty hotrodded computer from a couple years back for around 100 bucks or so.
My shop computer is a dell poweredge 2650 with dual HT Xeon 2.8ghz procs and 2Gb ram. It was all of 75 bucks without hard drives or an OS. This is almost the exact same PC as my Precision Workstation 650, that 7 years ago cost nearly 5K.
Someone locally has the 3.2Ghz 2GB precision 670's with a hard drive and OS for $160. I'm really tempted to buy one just because they're a heck of a machine even by today's standards.
Look around - there's a lot better options for very little investment.
I agree with Jim. Just make sure your new (used) computer has a parallel, USB and maybe a serial port that would let it run about anything in the shop. I have a older IBM laptop that I run my CNC router on in the shop, has all of the above and I paid about $230 for it.
I threw away an older computer that I finally said, Why do I have this, because someday I am going to use it? Made a nice thumping noise at the bottom of the dumpster.
Retired - Journeyman Refrigeration Pipefitter - Master Electrician - MakerGear M2 3D printer- 20 Watt Ray Fine Galvo fiber laser, LightObject 40 watt co2 Laser Engraver