Ok guys, this is it.
I'm moving out of the house, so I have to buy a new computer. My parents are willing to help me with research, but I really want to make sure I get my money's worth.
What is some good general advice for computer shopping?
Are any brands better than others?
Would you recomend a laptop over a desktop?
Are laptops of equal quality to desktops?
Are Macs or PCs better?
Any thing else you can think of?
Thanks!!

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The hottest thing this side of Epworth, Iowa.

Most importantly, avoid used computers unless they're fairly new and upgradable.

Make sure whatever you get comes with tech support.

Also, try to avoid too many pre-installed programs. They take up room and if they don't come with the discs then if something goes wrong you can't even reinstall them.

Windows XP needs at least 256 of ram, not 128. I'd get 512 (and I did, thank goodness).

Get a good antivirus and firewall. From what I've seen you do get what you pay for with those, but I'm not an expert on it.

Make sure the system's upgradable. That means avoiding e-machines.

For every day computing, you don't need the newest, highest whiz-bang processor. That's one way to save a few dollars, if that's a concern.

Get a good video card. They like to skimp on video.

Get a manual.

Take a look at pricewatch.com. It'll give you an idea of how much systems and components are going for.

See if you have a used/parts computer store near you. They give good advice.

Laptop computers require special tools to get into them to change components. So, if you think you may upgrade your computer at a later date (and think you may want to do it yourself instead of giving it to some overpriced geek at Best Buy), you should probably get a desktop.

FEAR THE SWINE

Thanks for the info guys. Some REALLY helpful stuff there! Thanks so much!! YAY!
My thoughts on computers are kind of like this...
Whatever seems like the newest and the most high tech thing there is, will be like having a rock sitting on my desk in a few years?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hottest thing this side of Epworth, Iowa.

quote:

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Originally posted by evilswine:
Laptop computers require special tools to get into them to change components. So, if you think you may upgrade your computer at a later date (and think you may want to do it yourself instead of giving it to some overpriced geek at Best Buy), you should probably get a desktop.

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Don't believe the evil lies about the laptop.

I've had a laptop for the past 6 years. It's the one I STILL use the most for editing pictures and managing the Scrolls. I've got it connected to the 'net via cable modem. I've upgraded this little sucker greatly over the years and it still buzzes along at great speed. I've even inserted PC cards in it to handle memory sticks. Great little machine.

I've got a second laptop networked with it so me and Ares can both surf at the same time. It's a SONY Vaio and I got it to edit music and video.

Would you recomend a laptop over a desktop?

Yes. They can be a little more expensive but this is because they often come with EVERYTHING you need. You often have to buy extra stuff for desktops like mics, speakers, mouse, etc. With a laptop you get all that in one package.

Laptops take up nothing near the room space desktops do. You can pack them away if people are coming over. You can easily move them to other rooms so you're not staring at the same scenery all the time. If your sick you can use them in bed to keep yourself occupied.

Are laptops of equal quality to desktops?

Contrary to what a lot of people believe they are. I haven't had any issues with loading new software on my laptop and it hasn't broken down on me over the years. All computers have a few quirks but I can honestly say that my laptop has been HEAPS more reliable than the desktops at work.

Are Macs or PCs better?

Depends on what you want them to do. Macs are suited to composers on music files, people who like to edit movies and people who want to manipulate graphics to a professional standard. You can also keep some lovely coloured Apples that look really sweet in your room. Some software needs to be adapted specifically for Macs.

PCs are used more widely. There is a greater amount of programs available for them. They are like work horses - great for word processing, internet usage, cutting CD roms, etc.

You can do everything on both Macs and PCs - they just have specialised areas. The ultimate consideration is what you are used to and prefer. Personally I hate that the "Delete" key on the Mac deletes characters from right to left. I'm fussy like that.

Good luck!

quote:

---

Originally posted by evilswine:
Laptop computers require special tools to get into them to change components. So, if you think you may upgrade your computer at a later date (and think you may want to do it yourself instead of giving it to some overpriced geek at Best Buy), you should probably get a desktop.

---

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Don't believe the evil lies about the laptop.

I've had a laptop for the past 6 years. It's the one I STILL use the most for editing pictures and managing the Scrolls. I've got it connected to the 'net via cable modem. I've upgraded this little sucker greatly over the years and it still buzzes along at great speed. I've even inserted PC cards in it to handle memory sticks. Great little machine.

I've got a second laptop networked with it so me and Ares can both surf at the same time. It's a SONY Vaio and I got it to edit music and video.

Would you recomend a laptop over a desktop?

Yes. They can be a little more expensive but this is because they often come with EVERYTHING you need. You often have to buy extra stuff for desktops like mics, speakers, mouse, etc. With a laptop you get all that in one package.

Laptops take up nothing near the room space desktops do. You can pack them away if people are coming over. You can easily move them to other rooms so you're not staring at the same scenery all the time. If your sick you can use them in bed to keep yourself occupied.

Are laptops of equal quality to desktops?

Contrary to what a lot of people believe they are. I haven't had any issues with loading new software on my laptop and it hasn't broken down on me over the years. All computers have a few quirks but I can honestly say that my laptop has been HEAPS more reliable than the desktops at work.

Are Macs or PCs better?

Depends on what you want them to do. Macs are suited to composers on music files, people who like to edit movies and people who want to manipulate graphics to a professional standard. You can also keep some lovely coloured Apples that look really sweet in your room. Some software needs to be adapted specifically for Macs.

PCs are used more widely. There is a greater amount of programs available for them. They are like work horses - great for word processing, internet usage, cutting CD roms, etc.

You can do everything on both Macs and PCs - they just have specialised areas. The ultimate consideration is what you are used to and prefer. Personally I hate that the "Delete" key on the Mac deletes characters from right to left. I'm fussy like that.

Good luck!

Well if Ca$h is an issue .....& youre not in a big hurry...
Walmart has some great stuff marked down occasionally...

I just bought a HP pavilion304w-b
retail $498 reduced to $398 & with Vals employee discount...$389tax included !!


it has a Nice 17" monitor 128 M DDR ram
16 M shared video ( could be upgraded if need be with AGP video card.)
has 32x10x40x CD-RW
USB 2.0
LAN network card
AMD Athlon XP 1800+ CPU 1.63GHz

Val loves it....


Sure in 2-3 years it will be a tuff sell for $250...but it was really cheap to begin with

SOmething like this is good if you have no Special hi-performance uses for your comp..

This is our 3rd HP & the name brand stuff seems to be ALOT more crash proof than the Small Comp store PC I used for years...

this 1 has Windows XP.. I havent ever used it....but I imgine its mor stable than the Windows me on the other 2 HPs which run quite reliably.

& if it ever does need a new set up its hard to beat the simplicity of a restore disk..


building your own or having a friend or small store do it for you can be a real problem plageud nuidsance.. if youre unlucky &/or NOT a comp whiz yourself.

I have built my own & if you dont know Everything you better know People who do...

the 2 Off brand ones I have worked with were Buggy & Crash prone & really a nuisance to re-do.

I've been very happy with my laptop. The next computer I get will be a laptop. you can hook up anything to it. Mine doesn't have a floppy drive, but I don't miss it. If I have to send a file to another person, I just e-mail it. I'm able to take my computer with me wherever I go (not that I do often, but it's nice to do it when I have to).

Well, the first thing you need to consider is what do you want to do with the computer and how much are you looking to spend?

The features you'll want to get are pretty dependent on what you want to do with it and how much you have to spend. Are you interested in serious gaming and application coding or just doing things like word processing, school work, and surfing the 'Net?

If you're just interested in Internet and word processing, then you're not going to need the latest, greatest, fastest computer. It's nice, but not necessary.

I use a Dell at work and I have a Hewlett Packard at home. HPs are good low end machines, but they're not built for speed and they're limited as far as upgrading in the future. I've got my machine (which is only 5 years old) maxed out in RAM at 256.

Dell's are nice computers and they offer excellent tech support. They're actually pretty easy to upgrade and work on as well.

As far as the memory issue goes, Windows XP recommends 128M of RAM (sorry, Heitie), so pretty much any computer you purchase that's running XP will have at least 128M. However, the more RAM you have the faster the computer will execute applications and commands (with respect to the processor speed). You could likely get away with 256M and add more later if you feel you need to.

As for laptop vs. desktop, I'm gonna have to take the position that it's a personal preference. Laptops are good if you plan on going on lots of travel and need something portable.

I've not used a Mac - ever. So I can't comment on Mac vs. PC.

A couple of the guys here at work are telling me to direct you to Cyberpower, Inc.'s website. They own PCs built by these guys and swear by them. They offer great support and they appear to be reasonably priced.

Good luck!

quote:

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Originally posted by Arista:
As far as the memory issue goes, Windows XP recommends 128M of RAM (sorry, Heitie),

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I know that's their recommendation which is why I mentioned it. I've heard more people saying it's not enough than saying it is. Particularly if you have an anti-virus running all the time or will be using programs, games, etc., that eat a lot of memory I'd go with a little more.

[This message was edited by Heitie on 25 July 2003 at 03:01 PM.]

Dunno how accurate this is, but I just ran across it...

http://www.memoryupgrade.co.uk/howmuch.htm

Wow, even more great advice, thanks ladies and gents!

I'll definately check out those links.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hottest thing this side of Epworth, Iowa.

quote:

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Originally posted by Brucy Braless:
This is our 3rd HP & the name brand stuff seems to be ALOT more crash proof than the Small Comp store PC I used for years...

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Well, I've found this to be very subjective. I know several Gateway computers that have turned out to be garbage. My husband put together a computer himself and has had no problems with it. We have two Compaqs, and they have been very reliable. I guess it just depends.

FEAR THE SWINE

Evilswine wrote:

Well, I've found this to be very subjective.


Thats True!...Depends on the user too.

Val sets up a comp & its good for Years!!

If I do an OEM windows its crash prone & I get 3-6 months before it MUST be redone..

with the HPs even the Me last a year I even got 1 1/2 years out of 1 set up

I bought her a NEC for $800 September 98 she Turned it on & ran it just fine until I confiscated it Xmas 2000 when I bought the 1st HPwhich she used with out resetting up Until this spring when I bought a buncha parts at a Monthly Traveling Comp Fair...Which we assenbled
ourselves.. SHe LIKES Building Comps...
Grr I tried to get her to go itno Comps in College ..\
But NOOoooooooOOOOOOOOoooo....

This was problem riddled until she installed XP pro on top of it...which helped some...


She AGAIN loves the New HP with XP on it...

SO who knows...???