Need Help About I Am About to buy Dell Desktop

11/21/03 | Old Professer

[Old Professer]

My present computer is dying; I must replace it. I need answers to a few questions and I can think of no better place to get them.

[cinFLA]

Computers are too cheap in my opinion, I would be willing to pay more for a manufacturer who used reliable components.

You can. There are plenty of vendors that provide higher grade PC's - at a price.

[Christy]

Wow !! Thank you. Have you used this or do you know someone who did ?

[never4get]

DUDE, YOU'RE GETTING A DELL!

[dennisw]

Get laser. Ink jets such. Many cheap laser printers around these days. Many swear by the old HP ones (ebay is a source) have the cheapest cost per page printed and are very durable.

[octobersky]

You are very welcome! I use it and I love it! It works every bit as good as the Microsoft spellchecker! In fact, it integrates so well, I can't tell the difference. I heard Kim Komando recommend it on her computer tips talk radio show. I trust her and if it has her endorsement I believe it is quality software!

[dennisw]

I've had great luck with Best Buy and rebates. They even have an 800 number for rebate problems. I seem to get computer stuff there more than at CompUSA

[bert]

Call them and ask. It probably does not but if you want it they will add it.

[DennisR]

I just bought an EMachine and printer at Best Buy (about $440 after rebate, before taxes)--
2.4GHZ processor
80 Gb harddrive
256Mb RAM
CDRW
17" CRT flat screen monitor
Lexmark printer
3.5" floppy

If the computer you eventually buy has a NIC (and your old one does also), you can get a crossover cable that will allow you to copy very quickly the files from your old computer directly to your new computer. I did this between my Packard Bell (1995 vintage) and the new machine.

[HardStarboard]

Check Dell's reconditioned units. Go to "Dell Direct Store" at the bottom of their home page. You can usually save a min of $100. I bought a 767MzHz with 40 GB about
three years ago and saved 200+ over nnew.
,p>
These units go completlely through the factory tests after recinditioning and come with new warranty and all manuals.
It a deal....and the # of choices it usually very wide.

[Travis McGee]

Reference self bump.

[eyespysomething]

As for standard parts, when you buy a name brand computer, you can consider it a throwaway when the warranty runs out. You don't get a real copy of windows, and you can't install any non brand parts that will survive a reinstall. If the disk crashes you lose everything, including windows -- unless its still under warranty.

When our 6 yr old Gateway crashed, our tech guys where I work not only built us a new computer, but fixed the old one, transferred all the hd data from the old to the new, and now our 7 yr old has his own computer to play games on and practice typing/word processing.

[1L]

Have you looked at Apple? Using a Macintosh means no virus problems, no product activation codes, fewer privacy worries, and a much better user experience.

It also means MUCH higher prices, little support for software that is Windows only, SSSSLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW machines and OS, and creates file sharing issues. Believe me, I wanted to like the Mac and OSX and seriously (and I really mean very seriously) considered getting a TiBook and running VPC to run my Windows only apps (which I have several of). That machine is a borderline JOKE!

By all standards, that machine was slower than any Windows machine I've used in the past 2 years. The OS has issues that I could probably get used to, but would have productivity problems in the first place. Finally, the price of a TiBook configured similarly to the ThinkPad I bought was darn near a thousand dollars more. Add lousy Apple service (you can't get home repair like I did with IBM) that nobody other than Mac trolls think is any good, and you have a very inferior experience.

The IDEA behind the Mac/OSX is sound. The application is very poor. Apple could rule the world if 1)they would lower their hardward prices; 2)They would quit making false and misleading claims (file compatability); 3)They would accept that after a dozen years of Windows, there are millions of folks that like the way it works and don't appreciate Mac Nazis lying and saying it is technically inferior; and 4)start marketing the product as a serious business machine and not just a pop culture icon. People like me get turned off by the later.

[Squawk 8888]

*Slaps forehead* D'oh! One nit to pick, though- putting both drives on the same controller can slow it down- the copy will run faster if the old drive is connected to the second IDE controller.

[jalisco555]

I've never been an Apple fan, but I may become one soon.

Roger that. I had a Dell laptop that froze on me in the middle of a Powerpoint presentation to 75 people. Dell tech support said that I needed to update the video drivers and BIOS, despite the machine only being 2 months old. Well, the problem continued off and on for another year with no solution despite multiple calls to tech support in Bangalore. Finally the agreed to replace the hard drive (but they only sent me a 4 Gig drive to replace the old 20 Gig version) and RAM and it works OK now.

Anyway, I gave the Dell piece of you-know-what to my son and I got a Mac laptop. Now I'm happy as a clam.

[Conservative4Ever]

Have two Dell laptops....love them. They have a CD burner/DVD drive so I can burn CD's or watch DVD's. If the new computer doesn't have a floppy drive you can purchase an expernal one for about $20.00. I did and occasionally have to use it. I have had to call tech support a few times and as yet have not had to deal with an Indian accent. Love the Dell products and good to know they are a Bush supporter.

[js1138]

I build computers from garage sale parts. It's not hard if you have at least one complete copy of Windows. But on the bargain PCs you don't get a Windows disk.

[JoeSixPack1]

I have an S3 geforce4 FX

I have been out of the loop on graphics for a short while but Nvidia chipset for the Geforce4 FX 5700 has an awesome FPS rate that is hard to match.

Of course, unless you are a major graphics freak, or a heavy duty gamer, or an autocad rendering maniac like me, fps rates are way beyond the bus speeds of most motherboards and become a money dump for prestege.

You have a great card with the GeForce4 FX. Save your money, stick with it until you have a good reason to upgrade. Moving up from a Geforce4 FX is a major investment. Now dropping down to a GeForce4 MX440($50-$90) from a GeForce4 FX 5700(or 5600)($300 -$420) also cuts your FPS rate about in half.

[dennisw]

What I do fault them for is that they had SPECIAL NON-STANDARD power supplys feeding SPECIAL NON-STANDARD motherboards, so we got screwed with these machines... had to go the DELL and pay $80 for a simple powersupply! ......................


You can get P/S adapters for ~10$ that allow you to put a regular standard ATX power supply in one of those screwy Dells.

[Conservative4Ever]

Forgot to add, you can call their 800 number and order just what features and size hardware you want. I suggest you get the 512 ram for XP. 256 will work, but more is better. :)

[RightWingMama]

Bill Gates, is that you?? LOL