I had a horror-show with dell, my link is futher down in the thread. I have been looking at the Tiger direct catalog. Would they build them for me? Then I need to add in two operating systems. Where would I find the two operating systems and things I need, (Mail, word) at a reasonable price. Do I have to buy more than one and is there a discount?
Hi,
I think for what you want go here:
http://pcpartscollection.com/inpeniiisoc3.html They start with the basics, and then you add what you want. I like these guys. I once ordered a hard drive and motherboard from them. When it arrived the hard drive was upgraded. Just nice guys I guess!
As far as add-on go, here are my thoughts:
A) Go with Intel. I used to like AMD ATHLON, but they have a over-heating problem.
B) The processor- anything above 1.4 gig, but you don't have to get the fastest ( i.e 4.2 gig). It is not really necessary. It is for school work, not gaming??
C) RAM. Go with DDR ( double data rate) good stuff!
D) You will never need anything bigger than a 40 gig hard drive. I do webdesign, and have only used about 1/3 of its capacity.
E) Video card: ASUS is always good(anything they make). A good middle of the road is ASUS GeForce 2 Pro $109.00
F) Sound Blaster is good for your sound card. The 5.1 is nice. Here, like the videocard, the more you pay the nicer the quality; more bells and whistles!
G)There is 1 choise for modem.
H)If you are going to get two computers, a network card might be nice. They can talk to each other and use one internet connection.
I)DVD if you want to watch movies???
J) I would rather see you spend the money on a Re-Write CD/player! The new standard is the 52 speed. I see they have a 52x24x52 WOW! that is a fast reader/writer.
K) I LOVE Widows XP, even with the occassional difficulties. Very friendly! Has the networking software built-in. Whenever you get new software, always go up on the manufacturer's site and get the latest updates.
When chosing a monitor there are two considerations. Size of screne and depth of machine. Never get anything smaller than a 17" screne. It is hard on the eyes!
If you have a shallow work station, then a flat screne is your best choice. But they are a little more expensive.
SECURITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I suggest Norton AntiVirus. Strong/reliable. I hate MacAfee! There are Issues!
Go to a site called ZoneAlarm.com It is great firewall protection. Get the PRO version. It is about $39.00. Online download. WELL worth it!
I hope that this helps. Please let me know if I can help anymore.
P.S.
Home-scholers Rock!!