My sentiments exactly, Xeonphonz!  My partner did basically the same thing back in the mid-90's - spending something like $8000 for the top of the line, hot off the silicon chip dual Intel Pentium III system.  Two or three years later, you'd be lucky to sell it for $1000.

For instance, look at the two computers being replaced by the one specced above.  A full tower 550W 2.66GHz Dual Xeon w/4GB and all sorts of bells and whistles.  A midtower AMD64 x2 4800+ w/4GB and some nice bells and whistles (a Linksys WMP54G specifically for Windows 64 bit and a Sony DRU-830A DVD+/-R/RW/RAM/DL/CD 18x drive).  Now the Dual Xeon system is about four years old and a bit dirty but works very well.  The other system is only two years old and I invested about $1000 to upgrade the processor, add 2GB, the WiFi, the DVD, 200GB drive).  At the time, these cost $3500 and $2400 total ($5900!).  Now, the Xeon sold for $400 and the other maybe for $600.

The moral of the story, children, is that hardware devalues so fast that it is better to get mid-range systems and update often - or very rarely.

ETA: It is true that these two systems could sell for more to the right people (on eBay or something) or more as components.  But I just want to sell them locally through my computer guy, so you gets what you gets.

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

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