Posted on 11/21/2003 10:13:15 AM PST by 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.
Since then, I have built and torn apart hundreds of computers, including many laptops. Dell machines are built as solidly as anything I've ever seen. Generally, they don't use el-cheapo parts, and right now, they are practically giving them away. Do yourself a favor and wait six more weeks, after Christmas, computer prices always take a big drop. I've used coupons from Ben's Bargains, www.bensbargains.net and often found the best deals that way.
The complaints about tech support are right on, you will get shifted by some sort of faulty Internet-based telephone system to India, where the jittery quality of the phone connection will make the Indian accent even harder to get through. I found this out only once, after that, I just gave up on them (maybe that's the point!) and found my own answers by Googling them up.
If you can find a knowledgeable friend, you can more easily make the transition from the old one to the new one. Networking the two together will require you to install and configure a network interface card, easy if you've done several, but a bit daunting if its your first time.
Something tells me you might not have such a friend, a knowledgeable friend would not have let you suffer three years with a broken CD-ROM. Maybe you can find someone at a local tech school or community college who would like to make a few bucks helping you. If there is a PC servicing class at the school, the instructor could refer you to a worthy student.
It probably doesn't. My newer copy (version 9)has issues with XP. The latest WinFax version 10 can be had for less than $100.
My daughter has a one-year old E-Machine that has a 3.5 so we could always copy to that and then to cd and then load to the new Dell, is that practical or is it difficult?
You could. When copying from CD to harddrive you might want to remember that the files are often changed to "read only." You may have to go into Windows Explorer and change their attributes. Not hard, but someone who knows how will probably have to walk you through it. BTW, Dell may offer the floppy as an add on. They are usually about $20.
My only problem with the low-end Dells (and Gateways, and Compaq/HP)is their proprietory video and audio set ups. Usually they are motherboard based (which means they eat up processor cycles and slow the machine down) and the video often "shares" memory with main system so instead of using all 256MB of RAM, you have available only 224MB because 32MB is "reserved" for video processing.
If you only use your computer for light word processing, e-mail, and web surfing, such an entry level machine will probably be adequate. As I advise my clients, figure out what you are truly willing to spend, and then find a reputable dealer that will give you most for your money. I find that more people under-buy (spend too little) and then complain that their computer is too slow or underpowered. BTW, the "sweet spot" in computers where dollar/power are balanced is in the $1000 - $1200 range. Under that price point you are making compromises (weak monitor, integrated video/audio, too little memory) and over it you may be paying for things you don't need (are you really going to burn DVD's?).
Just my two cents...
If you need support for software that is Windows only, then by all means feel free to buy a Windows machine. My iBook has (purchased) copies of Microsoft Office, Canvas, and Carrara which all run native OSX and work just fine, thanks. Most of the Windows-only software that I can think of for which there is no Mac version or comparable software are games and and custom corporate software written using using Visual Basic. In the case of the latter, if performance is not a major concern, there is always Virtual PC that lets you run Windows XP in a window. And if I want a game machine, I'll buy that Playstation 2 that I've had my eye on.
SSSSLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW machines and OS,
I haven't noticed. When was the last time you used a Mac? If you are talking about the TiBook running Virtual PC, well a program running under Windows running under emulation under Mac OSX clearly isn't going to be as fast as the same software on a Windows machine.
and creates file sharing issues.
I've only noticed one file sharing issue between Microsoft Office for the Mac and Windows and it is so obscure that I doubt most normal users would ever run into it and the problem was easily corrected on the Windows end. AppleWorks has a passable ability to read from and write to Word format. But if you really want to be Office compatible, using Office for the Mac is the way to go, of course.
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!
I wouldn't buy a TiBook, personally. But that's hardly the only computer Apple produces. They iBooks are incredibly good values and Apple has upgraded the processor to a G4 and put in 32mb graphics cards. The rest of the PowerBook line has been revamped and has been greatly improved. As for Mac OSX, 10.0 was not ready for prime time. The Finder had all sorts of performance issues. 10.1 was barely ready for prime time. 10.2 and 10.3 are highly usable and greatly improve the operation speed of the computer.
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.
That machine was not the best Apple had to offer. They no longer make it. Look at the current models. But if you want a Windows machine and are concerned about the performance of Windows software, then buy a Windows machine.
Finally, the price of a TiBook configured similarly to the ThinkPad I bought was darn near a thousand dollars more.
Take a look at the price of the current 12" iBook. Or the 14" iBook or 12" or 15" PowerBook, for that matter. I've been looking for a PC laptop on and off for about a year and I've yet to see anything from Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, Fujitsu, or IBM that is as good of a quality and value proposition as an iBook.
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.
If you want to recommend and IBM, then recommend and IBM. How much did you pay for that home repair service?
The IDEA behind the Mac/OSX is sound. The application is very poor.
You are judging the application from, I would guess, OSX 10.0. Should I judge the quality of Windows based on Windows 98 or ME?
Apple could rule the world if 1)they would lower their hardward prices;
They have. You can get an eMac from MacMall (a special) for under $800 with 17" flat panel displays, a huge selection of I/O ports, and a DVD-CDRW drive. You can get one for under $700 if you just want a CDR and don't mind a slower processor. iBooks start at under $1,100 and really can get 4-6 hours out of their battery on one charge, also with a DVD-CDRW drive. Price compare with an IBM or Dell with the same features and tell me how much they cost.
2)They would quit making false and misleading claims (file compatability);
What claims are those? Yes, the AppleWorks translators are usable but not perfect for complex documents. Of course I've historically seen similar horror stories with Microsoft Works so I hardly find that surprising. Microsoft Office v.X for the Mac, on the other hand, is essentially a perfect workalike and every other application that I've seen that has a Mac and PC version has no trouble transferring files between the two. What, specifically, was you file compatibility problem?
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
If you are going to judge Apple for all eternity based on a laptop that is no longer being made and a first version of a new OS that was admittedly not ready for prime time, why can't we keep bashing Windows for the flaws of Windows 95, 98, and ME?
Of course the real reason why "Mac Nazis" come out of the woodwork is because we get sick of hearing Windows victims complaining about how awful their experience is. If you love Windows and have no problems, then great! Use it. Kiss a picture of Bill Gates before you go to sleep every night if that's what floats your boat. But if you are finding your Windows experience to be a nightmare as every one of these threads seems to indicate that some people do, perhaps they should try something else.
If you want Windows, get a Windows machine. End of story. If you are unhappy with Windows, why shouldn't you try something else, especially when so many Mac users don't seem to be unhappy with their experience?
4)start marketing the product as a serious business machine and not just a pop culture icon.
Apparently you've missed Xserve and the Xserve RAID array. They are essentially FreeBSD servers plus.
People like me get turned off by the later.
It is silly to buy a machine only because of marketing. It is also silly to not buy a machine only because of marketing. At least pick a good reason not to buy a Mac -- like Al Gore's presence on the Board of Directors.
Sure, some people will have problems, as will any computer manufacturer. As I recall from a recent Consumers Report review, Dell was #2 as far as reliability was concerned, with Apple being #1. But a comparable Apple is twice the price, so don't bother.
I bought a Dimension 4550 P4 2.4, with 60gig Hard Drive, cd burner and Flat panel LCD monitor a year ago for $600. This past summer, I bought a refurb Dimension 2350 for my daughter for $240, and just a couple weeks ago bought a refurb Dimension 2400 for $220. All were with free shipping. Dell offers some incredible deals if you're willing to be patient, and know where to look!
We've been Gateway people since 1998. Got a G6-350 in Dec. 98, then a Celeron 500 in 99, and an AMD 700ish MHz in 2000. They've all been "farmed out" so in September we got new Dells...
Desktop 4600, Pentium 4, 2.8, 80g hd, 512mg RAM, CD-RW, 17 inch LCD, had to add a floppy extra.
Notebook Inspiron 8500, Pentium 4, 2.6, 60 g HD, 512 mg RAM, CD-RW, they threw in the 15" wide screen. Has the swappable CD and floppy.
We've been very very pleased so far! Make sure you get the video on its own card, not in the motherboard.
Oh, we networked the old Gateways to the new Dells, did the MS FAST Wizard, had the files swapped over in less than an hour total - for both new computers. Haven't looked back!
And I just wish they'd bring back the "first" female intern - the blonde!
Please show me the price of a Dell with comparable features that costs half as much as an $800 eMac or an $1,100 iBook.
I've bought many computers (for home, school and business) from Dell for ten years now. They work great, service is fast (though rarely required) and feature for feature they are the best deal out there.
I don't want to slam DELL too hard -- Compaq is *MUCH* *MUCH* worse when it comes to weird & non-standard hardware. Just recently I've had to deal with a Compaq ML370 (the older model) which doesn't even have a real BIOS, and you can only boot up off the internal SMART2 RAID, which is populated by the now greatly obsolete 9Gb drives. Compaq says they don't even support hard drives on the IDE -- its for CD-ROM only (of course, i got Linux up on IDE anyway and boor via floppy -- the Compaq IDE is still squirrelly though...)
ROFL!!! I've bought 2 Dells systems in the last year - and from the point of sale phone conversations to tech support calls - you got that right!
Absolutely. And go even higher than that. XP won't thrive unless it has 1GB RAM. (Unless you're doing real simple stuff, which I'm not.) I've got a 160GB drive, and it's not enough. I've got a TV board ($99), and record movies and music to DVD's. Doing this is becoming common on PC's, so don't get left behind by buying a PC that can't handle this stuff.
Like others say, keep the old machine and put together a home network. I've got a P90 with W95 that I still use every day, along with the 2.4GHz XP machine.
Yeah, I just helped a co-worker with an old Compaq having problems. The CMOS battery was dead, and Compaq had soldered it in place. You can't easily replace the battery without buying a whole freaking board. (Unless you're handy with a soldering iron and bypass the original battery.) Compaq sucks.
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