What is a barebone PC?

jano said:
It's strange, most people seem to think a barebones PC needs a HDD, CPU, RAM, ...

As a rule of thumb, cheaper cases tend to include entry level PSUs, more expensive cases tend not to since the buyer may require a specific high-powered PSU.

For as long as I can remember, barebones has meant case, PSU and mobo. Often it's a SFF case, so a specific mobo and PSU are required to fit the design. (The motherboard is not the only option, but usually there are very few that fit.)

Then it's up to the buyer to pick HDD, CPU, RAM, and possibly optical drive or graphics card. But maybe I've been living under a rock for the last few years...
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Nope, you are 100% correct.
 
Pooky said:
To me a barebone PC should be able to run out of the box. I think it should include a HDD.
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I dunno hey, I think that definition is even more open to abuse. Customers might say, "ja my barebones PC has a HDD, and it "runs" as you define "run", but its useless to me unless you include a basic OS, mouse, keyboard and screen".

Look at it from the store owner selling Barebones PC's. What size drive do you put in? Some people want SSDs, some want 1TB, some want 2TB. You can't please everyone.

Having said that the owner should be transparent and explain in big fat lettering what his Barebones PC does/doesn't include.
 
this "IT Engineer" clearly is an idiot. A simple google of the word barebone PC clearly shows that it is generally a PC with case,psu and mainboard.
 
FNfal said:
I agree
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barebone_computer

Components

Assembling a barebone computer by hand is usually less expensive than buying a pre-configured computer from a retailer, and may save time and labor compared with building a system from scratch. A typical barebone desktop system consists of a computer case (or tower), with a pre-fitted motherboard and power supply, and often cooling accessories, an optical drive, and possibly a media-card reader. The purchaser of such a platform only has to equip it with a CPU, RAM, hard drive (if these are not already included) and additional input/output devices depending on their needs. This often includes installing an upgraded graphics processor if the one built into the motherboard is deemed insufficient (or not present at all). Audio adapter or network adapter may be added but this is less common as recent motherboards often already contain good enough solutions.

Peripherals, such as a keyboard, mouse and monitor, almost always must be acquired separately. Barebone systems sometimes include a CPU or RAM, but rarely any mass storage media (hard drives), operating system or other software. Sometimes PCs with everything a normal desktop PC has except Microsoft Windows operating systems are sold as a barebone computer, but may include free software such as Linux. Refurbished and used computers may also be repackaged as barebone computers, as many computers returned for refurbishing may have missing, broken, or obsolete parts such as hard drives and peripherals.
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A barebone PC is the basis for lazy modders. It is not to be confused with an OS-less (OEM spec) machine.
 
a-person said:
dude.. the average consumer is clearly a moron
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from years of IT support that is right-on... some even call the case the "hard drive",
where did you switch off the computer to restart? oh, that button on the screen?
well... lets not even go down that route
but this guy says he was no average consumer... he was an ENGINEER no less
if theyd known the guy was gonna give them beans, should've just thrown in a USB flash drive... theres your harddrive :-)
 
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Surely barebone indicates the base of a system which the purchaser can't depart from. So if an OEM advertises a configurable setup as:
Barebone - Rx
200Gb Donkey Cong Harddrive - Rx
500Gb Monkey Punky Harddrive - Rx
128Gb SSD Pookey Hardrive - Rx
2Gb Ram
4Gb Ram
8Gb Ram
Celeron
Core i3
Core i5

Excludes: Keyboard, Mouse and Display

Barebone excludes a harddrive but if you are selling somebody a "barebone machine" without giving them the option to purchase a harddrive or a processor then same is reasonably assumed to be included. I've seen Mecer "barebone" laptops which includes the processor and an optical drive but not the harddrive and I seem to recall a Sahara special once which involved RAM, Motherboard and Harddrive - I don't think they called it a barebone but you had to purchase a processor.
 
froot said:
WTF is an IT Engineer?
It's definitely not something supported by ECSA.... so call it IT Technician then.
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I am actaully an engineer associated with ECSA so I thought... wait... lets google "define:engineer" and it came up with...
Code: 
en·gi·neer  
/ˌenjəˈni(ə)r/
Noun
A person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or public works.
Verb
Design and build (a machine or structure).
Synonyms
noun.  	machinist - engine driver - mechanic
verb.  	plan - design - scheme - project - construct

I am NOT the above!
 
Would your arm work if it was "barebone". No it wouldnt. The assumption that a barebone pc would work without anything extra is just as silly.

I've never seen the point of advertising barebone pc's tho. Its basically the same price as the components just assembled.
 
Ye, whoever started the term "barebone PC" is at fault here. Not Matrix, nor the client. If its isn't booting/functional, how can it be considered a pc? Then its merely just some parts that are pre-assembled. At least that's my opinion on this matter. :)
 
"The ASA called on the Computer Society of South Africa (CSSA) for help, and the organisation said that a barebone PC (computer) is regarded as containing a Motherboard and Power Supply."
IMhO this is the stupidest definition I have yet encountered. The minimum requirement to even casually call something a computer is a CPU attached circuit board with terminals (connections) for powering and interfacing with the CPU
 
freematrix said:
Agreed. It has the Label PC in it. It should have a board and Hard Disk. It should not include any OS or fancy add ons. That is bare bone in my opinion.
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Agreed, although the real problem is:

noxibox said:
In other words it doesn't have an exact definition. Retailers should just be explicit. Say exactly what it does include/exclude.
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Effing marketing people with no technical knowledge trying to come up with consumer friendly buzzwords / terms which have no actual definition.
OBVIOUSLY any ad should simply specify what is and isn't included. If they didn't do that (which seems to be the case), the ASA should've nailed them.
 
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Pooky said:
To me a barebone PC should be able to run out of the box. I think it should include a HDD.
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Then that would be a PC and not a barebones PC.

Good read on the matter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barebone_computer

A typical barebone desktop system consists of a computer case (or tower), with a pre-fitted motherboard and power supply, and often cooling accessories, an optical drive, and possibly a media-card reader. The purchaser of such a platform only has to equip it with a CPU, RAM, hard drive (if these are not already included) and additional input/output devices depending on their needs.
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A term used to describe a partially built PC. A barebones system package will differ depending on the manufacturer, but you can generally expect them to contain at least a case, power supply, and motherboard. Barebone systems typically are bought when the end-user needs only the basic system to get started with because they want to make on their own choices for additional devices such as the CPU, video card, hard drive and other components. Barebones are also called base systems.
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Sauce


The way I see it:
Barebones = not complete
PC = Complete

Strictly in a hardware sense.
 
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Wackyza said:
Ye, whoever started the term "barebone PC" is at fault here. Not Matrix, nor the client. If its isn't booting/functional, how can it be considered a pc? Then its merely just some parts that are pre-assembled. At least that's my opinion on this matter. :)
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So the question is...
is a Raspberry Pi a PC or not?
Power supply is optional... and no hard drive channel to speak of, let alone harddrive. Only USB port for storage.
 
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