New Computer Question

[mulepackin]

Okay, the time has come for an upgrade, my old Dell with Windows XP is singing its last. No XP support any longer. I know there are several techie types on here. My go to computer guy passed away a few years back, so I don't have a good resource any longer to advise me.

What do you recommend? I'm thinking I want to stay with a desktop, but would rule out a laptop type. We've had 4 or 5 Dells in the family, and I've been happy with the products and support (mostly). I don't do any gaming. Do store photos, and look at occasional videos, as well as listen to music on here. Thanks in advance.

[smc51]

I've always bought Dell computers here, for both the wife and I. If it were me I'd go with another Dell........just my humble opinion, Sir.

[Doug S.]

Only my opinion but I would stay away from anything that has Windows 8 on it

[curious aardvark]

well as far as the no more support for XP goes.

nobody ever used it in the first place. Essentially NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
All they are talking about is stopping windows updates. Which are the first thing anyone with any sense disables anyway.
So the people who have already switched the updates off will notice no difference and everyone else will notice that there are no more updates that periodically bollix their computers up.
In short - no microsoft support is actually an improvement

As far as new system goes - you want windows 7 NOT 8 !
so best bet would be to get a local shop to build a basic system for you and you can then pick the operating system you want.

MY opinion of Dell is unprintable and widely known.
Basically they make cheap junk. about the only crap out there that's cheaper built than apple kit - and that's saying something !

One of the big problems with dell is that they do not use standard components and go out of their way to make bloody sure you can't swap out a dead part for a standard replacement part.
They even make left handed motherboards (I wish I had made that up - but it's true) so you can't use a dell case for a standard motherboard. Basically they are bastards.

Looking around on amazon you cans still buy a new base unitbwith windows 7 pre-installed.
If you can find one - get the 32 bit version. Reason being it's 100% compatible with all windows xp software. The 64 bit version isn't.
The 64 bit version is also slower and more prone to the odd buggy glitch.

Another reason for getting one built is that you could have a solid state drive fitted.
I'm currently using these 240 gb ssds in new system builds.

they're reasonably priced and 240 gb is more than enough space for 99.9 % of all computer users. Most people i find rarely use more then 40 gb over a 10 year period.

If I were building you a basic but decent system it'd be this sort of spec:

Amd a6 dual or quad core processor with onboard ati graphics.
gigabyte or asus motherboard - cheapest with 6gb sata
240 gb ssd drive
ddvrw
front memory card reader
4gb fast ram
And a basic cheapish back case

Over here - from me - you'd be looking around $400 for bits and around $250 for building, software, setting up, support etc.
The ssd makes it a computer that won't suffer slowdown.

You won't find a cheapish off the shelf pc with a ssd in - manufacturers just aren't doing it. I don't really know why

But basically pretty much any reasonably priced windows 7 base unit will do the job

For the record I have been building computers for around 25 years, before windows was around.
I've fixed and seen many thousands that i haven't built.

My opinions are based on practical experience and being the bloke people call when they're on the verge of throwing the computer out the window.
That's why I wouldn't touch dell with a barge pole. I've had to tell way too many people that their shiny box that's 3 minutes out of warranty is not only buggered - but because of how dell build the bloody things, it's not repareable as well.

They suck, their computers suck and their support sucks. Buy some other make - any other make.
acer, asus, lenovo are all pretty good. Compaqs/hps aren't bad but they are also prone to custom non-replaceable components. Nowhere near as bad as dell and you've usually got a work around with hp systems.

I've been known in the past to cut chunks out of the back so a standard power supply can be shoehorned in - but they at least use right handed motherboards :-)

[dsgarner06]

I like lenovo PCs as they are built pretty well for a commodity item and have decent customer service. A suggestion would be to get a refurbished desktop from sources such as overstock.com or amazon. Stick with Windows 7 and stay as far away from Windows 8 that you can.

Personally, I run Linux on my Lenovo ThinkCentre (RHEL 6) as I am not a big fan of Microsoft products in general. For me it is ideal, but probably not something for the masses.

Another option is to go with a Mac... they are quite a bit more pricey, but they are easy to use and don't have all of the virus issues associated with Windows boxes.

[HawgHeaven]

Or you could do what squirrel did and "f*ck technology..."

I have an asus desktop, and an HP laptop. Both are getting ootdated, but still working well. Check TigerDirect... they usually have some good deals.

[Ozric]

Dell's quality has never been the best, but it's still better than most.

I have a Dell XPS 8500 that I upped to 16 GB of RAM. Makes a hell of a difference in performance. The other brand I'd trust is Lenovo (I've still got an old IBM ThinkPad made by Lenovo that I just put Win7 on yesterday (runs slow and no aero (transparency) graphics, but I can link it to my Dell through my router), so I'm setting it up for mostly web work and backup).

When you get to the point of having picked a brand, then it gets really interesting. Both Dell and Lenovo, but especially Dell, have so many "packages" of the same basic PC that you need to look at the specs carefully.

My recommendation would be to top off RAM (both main memory AND on the video controller) before spending money on other things (like a faster clock speed on the CPU chip). RAM rules.

If you'd like, post a budget number (not to include the cost of a monitor (stick with Samsung wide screen monitors (I have the SyncMaster S27B350); they're excellent and price-competitive)), I'd be happy to do a little research for you and offer a couple/three models and describe the differences between the choices (for the same money).

===

FWIW, my first professional computer-related job was writing assembler code in octal for a PDP-8E (the last DEC mini with a hard-wired motherboard instead of a circuit board) to run the neutrino beam line at Fermilab. My development machine had a green-screen terminal, a 14" 1MB hard drive, a paper tape reader and a 3-pass paper tape assembler. The boot loader had to be hand-loaded via front-panel toggle switches before the OS would boot. I had all of 3 memory boards with a total of 36K of non-volatile core memory.

Those were the days.

[eDJ]

Re:

I appreciate what Vark is saying and a lot of other comments here too about the Windows 7 over 8 and staying 32 bit.

Some of the die hard Dell guys I know have all but sworn off them in past years. They once had a pretty good name. HP isn't a lot better with their
"Propriety" stuff. I know some tech's who all but refuse to work on HP's.

I've been using Gateways for awhile as I have a person who allows me to buy his old ones from his agency (insurance) when he wants to upgrade.

The Last Gateway Laptop I purchased at BestBuys was made with the
agreement that I could get a Windoz Disk for it should I have to reformat the HD. It cost me another $30 bucks but I have it in my filing cabinet for
when I want to format a HD. I'm only using one computer at a time anyways.

The first computer I built in the late 90's was an AMD K6-2 from Tiger.
It out performed everything I had owned before running XP Pro.

Here's Tiger's page for Kits if anyone wants to look it over.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...499.99|&Sort=0

Another nice place to know about is PriceWatch. They don't sell anything just index supply sources:

http://www.pricewatch.com/

We've talked about SSD's here before and Vark has mentioned the Hybrid
SSD/SATA and I'm looking at buying one of them for a server I want to put together.

Newegg com has some of them here 1 TB for around $100.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ves&Submit=ENE

For myself, I've always liked the Pentium processors as I work with graphic arts and web development. The AMD's seemed to multi-task better but they run hotter. (so I suggest a good heat sink and larger fan if you're into building one. I've known guys who build liquid cooled and "peltier" cooling systems for theirs.

Another item that's handy to own one of now days is a PCI card that adapts multiple types of Hard drives. The newer SATA's, the older IDE's,
and even lap top Hard Drives. Thus with one in your main desk top computer you have the ability to take a hard drive that has corrupted and windows won't work any longer and connect it to the card and retrieve your data from those drives. These run between $15 to $20 dollars.

Tiger has these:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&Sku=S457-1123

[qkrx7]

If you stay with desktop I would either build one or have it built. You will end up with a better computer then buying one. Plus building one you can pick and choose what software you will be loading installing unlike all the crap that comes on a factory built computer. The down side is you are your support so all trouble shooting is up to you and if something is bad its your bill if the part is out of warranty. I wont try an talk you into one OS over another mostly because it really makes no difference what OS you are running if your Hardware sucks and its a personal preference. Really comes down to what it is you will be using it for.

[DDave]

I've always bought Dell computers here, for both the wife and I. If it were me I'd go with another Dell........just my humble opinion, Sir.

I recently left a job where we had 900+ Dells on the network.

Very few problems. When one died that was out of warranty we purchased parts from one of the bazillion aftermarket vendors that sell Dell parts. Finding parts for out of warranty Dells is NOT very difficult. While it is true that the standard parts for a kit built PC probably won't fit in a Dell case or motherboard, there are PLENTY of options available for repair parts.

I am at a job now where there are 450+ Dells on the network. If you're in need of a basic computer that will do just the basic stuff, there is no reason not to buy a Dell. If you're not into gaming and aren't likely to upgrade to a video card that needs a 500 watt power supply then a Dell is fine. You can even by off-lease Dells here. The 4 computers I have in my house all came from there.

I would agree that you should stay away from Windows 8. But Windows 7 64 bit being slow . . . that statement is a bit of a mystery to me. My machine at work is running Windows 7 64 bit with 16 GB of RAM. I often times have several virtual machines running on it at the same time and I can tell you that it is not slow by any stretch of the imagination.

Lastly, if you turn off Windows Updates you are a fool. The only thing more foolish that I can think of is to run with no anti virus as well.

Dave

[THE ICEMAN]

Another option is to go with a Mac... they are quite a bit more pricey, but they are easy to use and don't have all of the virus issues associated with Windows boxes.

What he said.
As long as you're going to upgrade, you might as well do it right.
A Mac Mini is a good option... http://www.apple.com/mac-mini/
You can use your existing keyboard, monitor etc. You might need to add a separate disc drive, depending what you need... http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...drive?fnode=5f

[Bearcarver]

What he said.
As long as you're going to upgrade, you might as well do it right.
A Mac Mini is a good option... http://www.apple.com/mac-mini/
You can use your existing keyboard, monitor etc. You might need to add a separate disc drive, depending what you need... http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...drive?fnode=5f

Amen, We had PCs for 20 years, and spent ungodly amounts of $$ for repairs & viruses & trojan horses & all that kinda crap that I don't understand.
Meanwhile my Sister had Apples & then Macs for probably about 30 years. She never had problems, and kept telling us to switch to Mac. Then after our Son got tired of paying out so much $$$ to the guy who practically lived here, fixing our small Network of PCs, he switched the whole Network over to Mac. That was 3 or 4 years ago, and we haven't seen a repairman since. That repairman hates Mac---He gets no work from them.


Bear

[Snarlingiron]

Ya know I just deleted a 600 word post. I'm just not going to engage in a cacophony of opinionated misinformation. All I will say is you are looking for computer advice on a cooking forum........ SERIOUSLY?

[DDave]

All I will say is you are looking for computer advice on a cooking forum........ SERIOUSLY?

Well . . . he is looking for advice from a group of people he trusts. I've read many posts, and made a few of my own, asking advice from this group about things outside of the realm of cooking. I've gotten some very sound advice as a result of that as well.

Dave

[HawgHeaven]

Well . . . he is looking for advice from a group of people he trusts. I've read many posts, and made a few of my own, asking advice from this group about things outside of the realm of cooking. I've gotten some very sound advice as a result of that as well.

Dave

X2!

We have a cornucopia of knowledge here... I have learned more on this forum than anywhere else... not just cooking and smoking. We all help each other where we can.