The Evolution Of The Affordable Computer

In the not too distant past, I had prided myself in having built my own PCs (desktops, specifically) at prices considerably lower than prevailing market prices for similarly-built units.

After building, tweaking, and upgrading countless PCs both at home and work, I finally ended the personally-commissioned project, capping it with a PC that had a total cash outlay of $140.









I had proudly thought then that it would be a while before commercial versions of PCs could top that record. Granted that some parts used by me were salvaged from some junked PCs.

My unheeding pride came crashing down when Nicholas Negroponte of MIT came out with his $100 laptop project some years back. This commendable project, primarily intended for distressed countries which suffer from affordability problems, continues to this day and one can follow its successes and grandiose plans on its wiki site.

Now, comes this latest news from Popular Science:


The $72 PC





Now that is truly something, though personally I had entertained no doubts that such projects were viable and could be easily done. And this somehow validated that personal belief.


Now, let us pay attention to the parts used to arrive at the finished product:

Intel SU810 motherboard ($5; centrix-intl.com)

Two 64MB PC100 SDRAM modules ($4 each; pcprogress.com)

Intel Celeron 500MHz processor socket 370 ($11; pcprogress.com)

Intel Socket 370-compatible heatsink and fan (~$5; newegg.com)

Gateway 4000437 NLX riser card ($25; alancomputech.com)

512MB USB flash drive (free; salvaged)

Momentary, normally open SPST switch ($3.29; radioshack.com)

Insulated wire for switch (free; salvaged).

ATX power supply ($14.50; amazon.com)

I have no doubts that many stores, like Fry’s, have on inventory many of these older-model standard motherboards that they’d be willing for dispose of for a song, or maybe give away as bonuses when one buys other items with them. And the same would be true for those old memory chips like SDRAM.

Now, with regard to the CPU and its cooling system, in my $140 clone, I had put an AMD 1 GHz, overclocked to deliver 1.333 GHz and fortified with an extra chassis fan to assist its own fan cradled on top of the heatsink.

This $72 PC does not have a hard disk or a CD drive. Mine has both, plus a floppy disk drive which now sells for maybe under a dollar. And what’s more I installed 2 hard disks on it, at 20GB each purchased at under $20 each (if I am recalling it right). It even has an older 6X DVD drive cannibalized from an old PC a relative had junked. Similarly, it has a 350w ATX power supply that came with the tower case that sold for under $30.

And the OS? Since I had in the past maintained store-bought PCs, I had in my possession disks for certain MS OS, like Win98 SE, which I installed on this last PC. I had hoped that Microsoft would not mind much having an “unauthorized” installed copy of this old Windows version that has now been completely and officially severed from it in terms of technical support.

The bigger problem I believe has been whether it still “pays” to build one’s own, rather than rely on commercial units from certain companies which now market them at very low and affordable prices. Even laptops are now within striking distance for many. Units equipped with dual-core CPUs are now advertised at under $500. Recently, Dell announced it would be selling units through Wal-Mart. The global chain that promises the lowest prices every day!

But as a hobby or pastime, enthusiasts will continue to push the envelope, or blaze their own unique trails, to set their own records. And more power to them, because we become all the better for their efforts and the inspiring examples they show us.