What new computer would you buy?

[Jon]

Ok folks if you were to buy a new computer today which brand would you buy and why?

What would it be built up to as for memory, hard drive and other goodies?

As for a monitor I know it will be 19 inch or bigger and those nice new skinny ones, no more heavy desk hugging ones.

Not that mine is bad but a few things are starting to act up and even after re-installing they still won't work correctly and the monitor is slowly flickering and changing colors at times so I figure that is on the way out.

Software would be Windows XP Pro for sure and Office XP Pro or another of the multi-programs from MS.

Would like to transfer most of what is in this hard drive but can that with my external HD used as a back up system.

Oh and what brand (S) would you say "do not buy at any price" and why?

Jon

[seymore]

Jon,

I would say Dell is still the best bang for the buck also with great tech support.I personally like to build them myself but that only cause i like tinkering inside them.

You should be able to find a buisness package pc set up so you can get get MS office suite preloaded,virus scans etc.I would say get atleast a 3ghz processor with no less than a 1GB or "RAM" memory.Microsoft will come out with their new OS and will require 1 GB of RAM to run it.Also upgrade the video card also it makes a big difference.Get atleast a 256MB DDR video card it will make it easier on your eyes that's for sure.Your hardrive should be atleast 80-100 GB where you should not have to upgrade ever.

[HotShot]

I'm a Dell freak.....customize it how you want it.

[Scott Stone]

It all depends on how much your good wife will allow you to spend. I prefer dell, so 3 out of 4 contractors prefer Dell....

[Jerry B.]

look at www.visioncomputers.com, 3 year warranty, excellent customer service, you can customize as you desire. The advertize on the Neal Boortz Show. (talk raidio not available in all markets) If you have ever hear of the Neal Boortz show you will know he loves their service.

[James]

Go with Apple. !!

[RPetry]

Jon,

If you have the time and interest, building your own PC is not that difficult and you can save maybe 25 - 35%. In addition, the individual components that you can purchase are usually of higher quality than the mass produced boxes.

There are a lot of sites on the internet with detailed instructions and help. Newegg.com is a good online retailer for parts.

[Beth n Rod]

DooooD! Get a DELL!
We have them for the office and they have been work horses. XP Pro is the main OS.

Rod!~

[detailbarn]

Originally Posted by James

Go with Apple. !!

I second that , just orderd me a new macbook , so tired of my windows crashing. OSX is so much easier to use and stable too.

[Jon]

James I have given thought to Apple before and will again but what holds me back is lack of software for them and higher prices.

RP, not sure of places here where I can buy all the things needed to build one, back in CA I have done that a few times, in fact this computer is custom built too.

Jerry B. I will check them out and no never heard of that guy but then I don't listen to talk radio since I can't hear it very good.

Beth the nerve of you calling your friend a DoooooD

Scott Stone, the good wife is has only a 50% say in this issue but you keep putting idea's in her head 7 that makes it harder for me to convince her of what I need, not want!

To all of you, what I don't like about Dell is one thing more then anything else, OUTSOURCED technical help, with my deafness it is hard enough understanding English and I gave up trying to understand those in India.

Also Remy's computer is a Dell and yes it does work just fine.

NOTE: I have even given thought to just using my Toshiba laptop and buying the adapter to use full size keyboard with it.

All your information is going to be put to use as I decide which way to go here.

Thanks,

Jon

[Scott Stone]

If I had the option to use my laptop with it, I would. The advantage is that you can take it anywhere. The disadvantage is that you will need to have an alternative plan in case you damage it.

[RPetry]

Jon,

RP, not sure of places here where I can buy all the things needed to build one, back in CA I have done that a few times, in fact this computer is custom built too.

If you have UPS service, online ordering and the internet is your friend. I purchased most components from the following company.

http://www.newegg.com/

Great service, prices, and shipping. Antec case and power supply, Asus motherboard, AMD 64 bit 3800 Athlon CPU, 1 gig. of Corsair memory, 160 gig. SATA2 hard drive, and a nVidia 6800 GS PCI-E 256 MB video card, all for $950. All you have to do is put it together yourself.

[Ron Musgraves]

I have only ever owned a hp or sony tower, laptops i have had dell and many others brands.

Sony lap was teh best but very delicate. Dell is pretty durable.

[RPetry]

Jon,

If you have the time and are interested in new stuff, try Fedora Linux. Looks attactive to many because it is free, but there is a long learning process. Actually, its not so hard today, Linux has come a long way since Redhat 7.3 Still, it is Unix based, which can be a problem with MS users.

Aside from Quickbooks for accounting and great games like Far Cry and Oblivion in the off season, it is a very stable operatiing system.

[HotShot]

The reasons I like Dell:

You can customize it how you want.
Reasonable price.
Great quality.
I also bought the little Axim v50 (little pda). It's awesome! When I'm out during the day I can schedule appointments or whatever. Get on the internet if there is some wireless nearby...it has bluetooth and wifi...Also, at the end of the day, I sit it on it's little base and it syncronizes with the home pc. I love it, I don't have to tug around a big 'o laptop, it fits right in my back pocket....

Dude, get a Dell