[wplug-market] Computer hardware free to a good home (but you must pick up)

[Pat Barron]

I have a "spare" computer I no longer really use, and I need the desk 
space back, so I'm offering it up to anyone who might be able to use 
it.  It is a "debranded" HP Pavillion 774e CTO ("config-to-order") 
desktop.  "Debranded" means that this machine was sold to a remarketer, 
who ripped off and/or covered up all of the HP branding and logos 
(probably as a condition for being allowed to remarket it), so it 
doesn't actually say "HP" on it anywhere anymore, but Belarc Advisor 
still knows the truth....  As this is a CTO system, you won't find any 
real specs on HP's web site, but it is very similar to the Pavillion 
734n which you can read about here:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph07974&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lang=en&lc=en&product=296682

The Reader's Digest summary:  2.0 GHz AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (Thoroughbred 
B core) processor, 512M memory (expandable to 2 GB, requires PC2100 
memory), 80 GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce4-MX420 graphics.  Original 
configuration included a CD burner and a DVD-ROM drive; I replaced the 
DVD-ROM drive with an HP DVD burner myself (so basically, the machine 
includes two devices capable of burning CDs, one of which can also burn 
DVDs).  It's a decent machine for casual use, but you'd definitely want 
to add memory - 512M was OK for Windows XP SP1, but Windows XP SP3 
spends most of it's time paging...  Of course, it would make a fine 
Linux system (but you'd still want to upgrade the memory...).

The system comes with an older (but perfectly functional) 17" CRT 
monitor, which you must also take if you take the system.  (One of my 
goals here is to avoid having to take anything to Goodwill - or, in 
fact, anywhere else... - so if you take the system but not the monitor I 
still end up having to go to Goodwill, so that doesn't work for me... :-) )

You'd get the system with a completely blank hard drive, as I'm going to 
run DBAN on it before it leaves my house.  It would be up to you to 
install the OS of your choice.  A set of Windows XP product recovery CDs 
is included (though why would you want that? :-) ).  I can also give you 
a Debian 6.0.2.1 installation DVD (which I burned last night, on this 
very system, booted, and ran the integrity check to confirm that the DVD 
is in fact good).

If you want this machine, I'm really not looking for anything in return, 
but you *must* pick it up at my home (did I mention that one of my goals 
is to not have to take it anywhere...? ;-) ), and as I said, you must 
take the monitor as well as the system.  It will be ready for pickup 
early next week (week of September 12th).  If interested, please contact 
me off-list.

Thanks,
--Pat.