On 8 Aug 2006 at 14:53, Darcy James Argue wrote: > Anyway, I have to say, Dell's website makes it incredibly difficult > to search only for models using a specific processor -- in this case, > the Xeon 5100 series (codename "Woodcrest"). I only discovered that > the closest match was the Precision 490 because someone mentioned > this on a Mac forum.
That's because CPU is not by any means the most important choice in deciding what machine to order. Indeed, it's way down the list. The most important choice is the motherboard, and that's defined on Dell's website by the product line. The consumer lines are: B series -- low-range, not expandable E series -- E stands for "entertainment", expandable, good performance, good value XPS series -- the high end consumer line with the best motherboards The Optiplex line is for businesses and offers product stability. The idea is that if you buy a certain line of Optiplex today you will be able to buy that exact same machine for 4 years or so. These motherboards are going to be fairly conservative, unless you buy the newest of the Optiplex models, which will use the newest technologies. Over time, the cost will be about the same (i.e., as the particular model ages, the cost declines). The Precision Workstation model is part of the Optiplex line, and intended for high-end business customers. These motherboards will always be the hottest ones available. Now, within each of the basic product lines, some models will be older, some newer. The easiest way to tell what's newer is to look at prices. The older models will have lower specs on the base machines and comparably lower prices. You will find the same CPU in a number of product lines, since the CPUs are compatible with a number of motherboards (Dell's motherboards are all made by Intel). So, basically, I think you are bringing expectations about how to choose a machine from your experience with Apple. For PCs, the Dell website's organization makes the most sense, once you get past the infuriating market segmentation (see http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/07/31.html , "Why Dell.com Still Feels Like Buying a Used Car"; I don't actually agree with the sentiment entirely, but have always found the market segmentation to be annoying). -- David W. Fenton http://dfenton.com David Fenton Associates http://dfenton.com/DFA/ _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
