Interesting deal, if you have a friend in CA ...

[wfp at shoestringprojects.com (Bill Phillips)]

This was passed on to me by a friend in California. Seems it is an in-store deal only (see below), but if you have a Left Coast friend you can trust ... well ...


Well, the hot tip going around JPL on a cheap PC is too good
to pass up.  A $249 computer.

Details:
GigiPro 733MHz (VIA C3 733MHz CPU)
128MB PC133 SDRAOM
20GB HDD
52x CD-ROM
56k V.90 fax/modem
10/100Mbit Ethernet
1.44 floppy, keyboard, mouse, spkrs
Linux Version 1.3 shell w/email, web browsing, word processing
(but when you get it home you can reformat it to Win2k without problems
if you wish).

The disadvantage is it's at Fry's.  If you don't mind that, then
the word is that it's a very good deal.  One engineer started with
just one machine, and now has two for his kids and has bought
4 for friends/family.  I'm going to buy one or more to (finally) upgrade
Linh's office computers.  She complains the office has no money,
but this she can't pass up either.
I figure the price is so low that it's a throwaway computer.  If anything
ever broke, you'd toss it and get another.
Their was specuation that the CPU company went under and this was
just a liquidation, but from looking at their website (www.viatech.com)
they look like they are staying healthy building support chips for
the latest AMD CPUs and they came up with this very cool running
CPU on thier own.

I see the system at www.frysoutpost.com, search for *exactly* Cyrix,
selling for $349, but I confirmed that at least at the City of Industy
store the walk-in price is $249.