# Buying a Computer...



## TriWinkle (Oct 2, 2011)

My computer is among the departed...In short it's dead, gone, stiff, among the deceased, into the light and pushing up daisies.

So, in the words of General Custer, hhhhheeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllp!!!!

To summarize my concerns:
What to buy?
Where to buy?!
What to avoid?!
Which brand is best?!
Which brand is worst?!
Who's on first?!

Will be used for:
Web surfing
Occasional Netflix watching (by kid)
Working from home VPN (by me)

Please understand that this is an emergency...because if I have to use this cursed Netbook for much longer, bad things may happen...The apocolypse is just around the corner...I can hear the four horsemen as I type!!!


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

That's a broad question, IMHO. LOL

To be honest, for what you've specified, pretty much any computer you buy will suffice for #1 and #3; you might want a decent sound/video card for #2, but again, any computer will handle that as well.

IMHO, if people want a computer for basic surfing, I usually tell them to find the cheapest computer they think will do the job - and then step up one or two levels, if for no other reason than to accommodate the size of operating systems and the added demand they have.

As far as brands go, I usually recommend for reliability, and Apple, Asus, Acer and Sony tend to be at the top all the time. (Yes, I know, Apples are not PCs, they're Apples; but they're computers, and yes, they're reliable as heck. I've got two of them; have had them for going on 7 years now; and neither of them have broken on me, ever.)


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

I pretty much agree with Kung (except for the Apples - but then its mainly Apple users that give me indigestion rather than the computers themselves:croc 
For what you listed pretty much any computer will do it. 
I'm partial to Dell's myself for home computers, I've never had a problem with the 3 we own. We use Lenovo's at work and they are good also.


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## Kari (Mar 24, 2008)

I agree with both Kung and mnn2501.

You need to decide what your budget for a new pc is, then go from there. 

Any new pc from a major company will work...and yes there are horror stories for every brand on the market. Then again, in my line of work, I can easily say that 95% of problems are user inflicted.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I also agree. And having this iMac now going on 4 years, and with Apple's customer satisfaction WAY above their closest competitor i really like my iMac.
And I have had H-P's and the last one Dell. But this iMac outperforms those hands down.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Kari said:


> Then again, in my line of work, I can easily say that 95% of problems are user inflicted.


As a computer tech I agree with that 100%


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

If budget is critical, I'm seeing a lot of dual core processor laptops coming off corporate lease for the first time. Those are available at eBay in the $150 to $200 range and are suitable for running Windows 7. Here is a search for dual core laptops between $150 and $200.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_udl..._dmpt=Laptops_Nov05&Memory=2%20GB%20or%20more

If you can go $275 to $300 then there are new laptops available that would be suitable for what you need.

For better performance and more features, laptops go up in price from there.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Agree w/pretty much everyone here. (Something you'll NEVER see said in General Chat. LOL)


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Good grief, I followed my own advice. I saw I dual core processor laptop that I couldn't live without. It will more than serve the purpose, and at $155 (free shipping) it was a great bargain.


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2012)

This one works good for me: http://www.walmart.com/ip/eMachines-1TB-PT.NCV02.001/16608490

And I do a lot of downloading, and a LOT of streaming videos.


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## TriWinkle (Oct 2, 2011)

Thank you all for your help...I read your posts today while at work, and thought of a few more questions to ask...Unfortunately I cannot post on here from work and have since (Squirrel!) forgot what those questions were...

To be continued...


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## wogglebug (May 22, 2004)

If you are going to be using a laptop extensively for work in a fixed location, it's probably worth buying separate USB keyboard and red-eyed mouse - probably Logitech or Microsoft. They are easier to use than the ones built in, and you don't wear-out the built-ins. Maybe even a BIG separate screen as well, although we're beginning to talk bigger dollar amounts with the screen.


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## legacy (Oct 16, 2005)

While you are looking, and if they are near you, you might want to check out Electronic Express. I was looking for a new lap about a year and a half ago and went in there for the first time. I had this kid-geek (this best kind) showing me around, and finally I said, "What would you buy," and he promptly showed me a really nice, floor model Asus that had never been connected to the web. He told me he had one exactly like it, but I was going to pay almost $400 less. It came with a full year, anything-goes warranty (i.e., drop it, no prob, they fix it or replace.)

It has been a great 'puter. I love it.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Nevada said:


> Good grief, I followed my own advice. I saw I dual core processor laptop that I couldn't live without. It will more than serve the purpose, and at $155 (free shipping) it was a great bargain.


As a follow-up, the new (well, new to me anyway) laptop arrived today. I'm really surprised at the performance. It's a 1.2 GHz Intel Centrino Core 2 Duo, which isn't considered a particularly hot processor, and 2 gigs memory. I was more than a little concerned that it was going to be sluggish with Vista. I'm delighted at how snappy the machine seems to be. Here's what I got.

HP Business 2510p Ultraportable Notebook 1.2Ghz Core 2 Duo 2GB RAM DVD-RW-Vista (883585282838) | eBay

The machine was clean with no damage. It came with an AC adapter and battery, and the battery appears to have about a 5 hour life. It came with Vista 32-bit SP1, but I'm applying service packs & updates as we speak. I was going to upgrade to Windows 7, but it's running so well on Vista that I don't want to change it.

This laptop isn't for me. I don't particularly care for the ultralight-class of netbooks, since their monitors are small and the keyboards seem a little cramped. But this is exactly what she wanted. Gross weight with battery (not counting AC adapter) is right at 3 pounds, which is amazingly light.


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## Truckinguy (Mar 8, 2008)

I"m also in the market for a laptop and I find the deluge of makes, models and specs completely overwhelming. It was different when the difference between 32 mb of ram and 64mb of ram was a big deal. At this point, if you're not a heavy gamer, it seems like one of the cheaper computers will do the job. I run simple excel spreadsheets for my personal finances, go on forums like this one, occasionally order something from Amazon-type sites or rarely go to YouTube, although that eats up my data plan real fast. I use the hotspot on my iPhone for internet which works very well. Once in a while I like to spend some time playing Civ4 but that's about the most gaming I do. I don't download movies but I do watch video attachments sent to me by e-mail.
I"ve had a Dell desktop and laptop these last few years and they worked well until there was a mechanical failure of some kind. I've heard so many good things about the Apples but they are expensive and I don't think Civ4 would work on them, although it's something I should probably give up anyway.
Lots of good advice on this thread, food for thought.


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## pcwerk (Sep 2, 2003)

so what does everyone think of Emachines? my budget is low but they seem pretty cheap, and a friend was telling me that he has had his for 5 years now w/o any problem? thanks for any input...


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2012)

pcwerk said:


> so what does everyone think of Emachines? my budget is low but they seem pretty cheap, and a friend was telling me that he has had his for 5 years now w/o any problem? thanks for any input...


I have the one I linked to in post #10 above. It's been good to me.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

I don't really give a care about brand. They all use the same components. The only real difference is in customer service.


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## pcwerk (Sep 2, 2003)

thanks for the info! i'm currently running a Dell Deminsion 2300 and i think its time for an upgrade


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