There are several factors, and in fact they all come together in the Lenovo E50. Firstly, there's a new version of Windows - Windows 10 - due to be released on July 29th and no vendor or retailer wants to be stuck with stock that runs the "old" Windows 8.1. To the consumer, though, there is no risk as the upgrade from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 is free of charge anyway! Secondly, peek inside the E50 and, although it looks like and is sold as a desktop, the electronics are actually pretty much the same as you would find in a laptop. This provides savings in two areas: firstly, there are economies of scale. Instead of a manufacturer having to buy, say, 100,000 desktop processors and 100,000 laptop processors, it can buy 200,000 of the same processor and get better discounts. Secondly, laptop components can be cheaper. For instance, a desktop computer usually has a hefty internal power supply, whereas the E50 uses a separate 'power brick' the same as a laptop has. Finally, the processors themselves are cheaper and make for lower-cost computers. Specifically, whereas a computer had several dozen chips some years back, much of the functionality is now integrated onto the processor itself, creating a so-called SoC or System-on-a-Chip and this significantly cuts costs.
There are quite a lot of computer bargains available right now. For instance, at the time of writing eBuyer are selling the Lenovo E50 desktop for just £119.99 including delivery. It runs Windows 8.1 with Bing, but they even have the same model with Windows 7 Professional - ideal for businesses - for just £179.99, plus you can then clain £30 cashback from Lenovo. The computer is not discontinued or dodgy in any way, so what exactly is going on that results in these bargain basement prices?
There are several factors, and in fact they all come together in the Lenovo E50. Firstly, there's a new version of Windows - Windows 10 - due to be released on July 29th and no vendor or retailer wants to be stuck with stock that runs the "old" Windows 8.1. To the consumer, though, there is no risk as the upgrade from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 is free of charge anyway! Secondly, peek inside the E50 and, although it looks like and is sold as a desktop, the electronics are actually pretty much the same as you would find in a laptop. This provides savings in two areas: firstly, there are economies of scale. Instead of a manufacturer having to buy, say, 100,000 desktop processors and 100,000 laptop processors, it can buy 200,000 of the same processor and get better discounts. Secondly, laptop components can be cheaper. For instance, a desktop computer usually has a hefty internal power supply, whereas the E50 uses a separate 'power brick' the same as a laptop has. Finally, the processors themselves are cheaper and make for lower-cost computers. Specifically, whereas a computer had several dozen chips some years back, much of the functionality is now integrated onto the processor itself, creating a so-called SoC or System-on-a-Chip and this significantly cuts costs. Most computer sales these days are for laptops. But not everyone wants a laptop, which involves compromises on screen size, keyboard and maybe performance. At the same time, the old desktop computer, consisting of tower unit, screen, keyboard, mouse and lots of lots of cables, is seen as cumbersome. Fortunately, there is an alternative in the form of the 'All in One'. In an all-in-one, the computer proper is inside a flat screen, meaning there is no separate tower or system unit. There is a conventional keyboard and mouse, which may be wireless. Wi-Fi is likely to be built in, with the consequence that often there is only a single cable for the entire system, in the form of the power lead. The genre was largely invented by Apple, which leads the pack in terms of style and elegance. But such sophistication comes at a price - even the cheapest model is an eye-watering £899 (see http://ctacs.weebly.com/news--articles/new-cheap-computer-from-apple-just-899). However, the manufacturers of Windows computers are in on the act, too, with models available from Dell, HP, Asus, Acer and others. Lenovo are another big player and have a wide range of models. They have been helping make the genre more affordable, by offering a variety of entry models through outlets such as Currys/PCWorld and Argos. For instance, the C260 is available in a choice of colours (okay, black or white) for just £299. This buys a system with a dual-core Intel processor, 4GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive and a 19.5" screen with 1600x900 resolution. By modern standards it is not a speed demon, but is more than adequate for most purposes. In fact it is actually quite nice, quite compact and well suited to a domestic environment. |
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