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.

[jrhepfer]

Tech support is the biggest worry with buying any computer now. Gateway, Compaq, HP, Dell. Even if you spring the extra dough and get the corporate line product (have over 400 Dells here) then you may still run into the same issues with language barriers.

If you are like myself and do not think that wasting time on the phone is worth your while, let me pose an option to you. Consider purchasing a HP or Compaq from a store like Staples or Circuit City. Buy the extra protection plan from them if they will take care of servicing problems. I've never done this myself but would consider it an option.

If you are set on Dell, check out their Outlet Store. Cancelled orders and machines that do not pass testing are then rebuilt and put up in the Outlet Store. Savings can be considerable. Laptops at $1,900 versus $2,500 for example. You get the same warranties as you get with "new" products. The downside is that you can not customize the computer you choose. So you just have to wait until one like you want comes available. Stock rotates constantly so you need to watch it often.

Regards,

Jim

[TroutStalker]

I don't know all that much about them anymore, but more than I want to know. Check the options in your email software; there should be a way to select the default program you want.

[KellyAdmirer]

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?

I missed this the first time around. If all your files will fit on a floppy, then this is the way I would do it, unless I wanted to set up a network or use the old hard drive in the new computer. Very easy to transfer files this way.

[Salgak]

That's a pretty basic computer. As you've no doubt been told, you need more RAM, but you can buy that and put it in yourself. Winfax will work. . .but check with Symantec about a cheap upgrade to the latest and greatest.

Also, the hard drive could be bigger: I'd push for a 80 GB.

You also didn't specify what you'll be doing with it: word-processing and surfing, it'll do fine. If you're a gamer. . .you need better. MUCH better. . .

All you need to be compatible with broadband is a network card. If you have no other options, Comcast is acceptable, but I'd try for DSL with Speakeasy first. Message me privately and I'll show you how to check. . . .

Lastly, you probably need a better monitor, you can generally get a decent 17 inch CRT in the $150 range

[GunnyHartman]

"How can I reprogram or click on something to have my computer open email text files in Word Perfect or Notebook? "

Try right clicking the document's icon. You should see an Open With... menu selection, click on it. A listing of applications should appear. Select the appropriate application (Word, Notpad, Adobe, etc.). You should be in business.

[Iris7]

Sounds like your machine is clogged up with parasite programs picked up while web browsing. Use Ad-aware and Spybot Search and Destroy, both downloadable at no cost to clear them out. Even possible more malicious programs than that are running in there.

With Windows XP don't use less than 512 megs of RAM. Sounds like you are running Win 95. A some of your programs may not work properly in Win XP, but most should.

Think about a two year old machine. They go for peanuts.

[Truth Table]

Dell is Great! One at the office, one at home in my Den, and am buying one for my children for Christmas. I used to swear by Gateway, but Dell overtook them about 8 years ago.

[ZULU]

Dell's are the Toyotas of the Computer world. They are reliable and long-lived.

[mass55th]

I'm with you on Macs. I've used them for years. Wouldn't consider anything else. I've had this iMac for over 3 years and have never had to call customer support. I'm handing this one over to my son in the spring and getting myself one of their new 20" screen iMacs. Can't wait. It's my retirement present to myself.

[Sprite518]

Verify the processor is not an Intel Celeron. If it is, then do not waste 400 or 500 dollars on it. I would recommend either an Intel Pentium, or AMD processor. Here is the analogy for you. The Celeron is like a one lane Highway. Moreove, the traffic can only go one way at a time. An Intel Pentium is like four lane Highway. Traffic can travel both ways, therefore its a lot faster. I hope this analogy helped you out. Good Luck!

[azsportsterman]

I bought a Dell 8200 about two years ago. The computer is fine, but the support sucks. I fought with them for two years trying to get my system to connect to the MS Windows XP auto update site. They said it was Microsoft's problem, Microsoft said it was OE software and Dell was responsible for the fix, since the problem was in the Dell software, not XP. After thirteen months of fighting with Dell, they told me they could fix my problem, all I had to do was pay for the support. When I told them I had a three-year maintenance agreement, they went back to the original story. I contacted MicroSoft again. They person I talked to there wasn't very impressed with Dell either. He sent me a clean install of the XP software (no Dell code overlays); my system has been fine ever since I loaded it.

[Truth Table]

...And get detto intellimove to xfer your files and operating environment from your old machine to your new one...

Dell has it on their website.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Thank you so much. I will try to remember that the next time I get a text file. I have been going nuts with this.

I also have a problem with downloading files on my new laptop and the USB not recognizing anything that I plug into it, but I think I have to take it back to the people who downloaded Windows on to it. I don't think that they did a complete job.

Computers can be fantastic or a real frustration.

[Porterville]

I usually don't need support. I reformatted my hard drive, hooked up a wirless network and it running like a champ. I am very impressed.

[Labyrinthos]

Don't buy Dell. Tech support is difficult unless you are use to talking to people with very pronounced Indian accents. Buy a Gateway. Better product for the money and it comes with domestic tech support.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Windows XP comes with a fax driver, so you don't need Winfax.

You can buy a $15 network card and a $10 crossover cable from Circuit City/Office Depot/Staples/Wal*Mart to network the old computer to the new computer and copy anything you like.

[warchild9]

The Warchild family won't buy from a company that puts Americans out of work in favor of Indians and Communist Chinese slave laborers.
Cut down the above and make a deal with your local computer guy to build you a custom model.

[Protagoras]

You have to keep an eye on the sales. Last month I bought a Dell for a total price of $830. Including shipping as well.

Dell 4600
Pentium 4 2.8 GHZ
80 GB hard drive
512 RAM
CDRW
15 Flat screen monitor
Dell Printer
2 extra ink jet cartridges

[Aliska]

Recent Digital Camera Thread on FR

92 posts, think the person ended up buying a Canon A80.

[Labyrinthos]

Forget the floppy drive- save yourself a lot of trouble, by a network card for the old PC and you can copy your data over in a fraction of the time it takes to burn CDs or swap diskettes. LAN cards are dirt cheap- you can get one these days for the price of a box of CD-Rs.

The problem is finding a ethernet card that works with Win 95.