Whats a Decent Computer to buy these days?
Name some computers that you see off the internet or in stores
that look good to you and why you would choose them.

Things to think about Ram, Memory, Graphics, Audio, Dual Boot ect.

Just build your own....make it to your specs....that's what I did

I don't have the time, Just seeing what others would buy if It wasn't customized

Yes, building is great, if you know how. I build my own, but I wouldn't necessarily suggest somebody with zero computer build skills attempt a build. It isn't really hard, but there are many things to remember to check for, and then you are your own computer support if something goes wrong. I spent $950 in hand-picked, top quality parts, then searched DELL our of curiosity to see what the similar featured machine at DELL would have cost... $3,500... and at Apple, they would have had me cough up $5,500 for the same machine.... just ouch... and the DELL machine would have the same "specs" but with all cheap-as-they-come parts from who knows where.

My best suggestion would be to buy a used machine that is about a year old. Seek out companies on the Internet that sell previously leased computers. NEVER just walk in to BestBuy or some retailer and break out the VISA card for a machine... ohmygod... that is the best way to piss off a $hitload of money really fast.

There are companies that lease the latest-greatest machines to businesses. They are usually very well maintained. They usually dump the bad machines (if any) before they get to the second-hand market. A second-hand retailer will buy the machines from the leasing company by the pallet full, including monitors, keyboard and mouse.

Here is a link to one such second-hand retailer:
http://www.pcsurplusonline.com/index.cfm

They may or may not have something you want in stock right now, their stock changes constantly, so you have to check back from time to time. I've bought several machines from pcsurplus and they all worked great. They also offer a short term warranty.

Unless you are ultra-rich and just simply want to piss off a bunch of money, I would suggest NEVER buying the latest-greatest computer at the retail outlets. As soon as you walk out of the store, the depreciation of the machine begins instantly. You are much better off to buy an already depreciated-in-value machine from a second-hand retailer.

It still works as a computer, it still opens e-mails, it still does word processing... it just saves you a ton of money that you can use to do other things in life.

You should be able to get a used machine for about $200-$300, less if you are a frugal shopper and compare specs. There is absolutely never any need to buy the latest-greatest junk, unless you are of the mind set that you don't mind paying premium prices for plastic junk that is going to be worthless in about 6 months.

The only one hitch about a used computer is that you will need to install your own operating system and software. But Windows XP can be had for less than $50 on eBay these days. I have a computer networking degree, and I still refuse to screw myself by loading Windows Vista. Windows 7 is just the un-screwed-up version of Windows Vista... literally the same thing with less errors. An older machine will still run WinXP just fine and WinXP is an awesome operating system.

>>> DON'T buy into the "you've just got to have the latest everything" marketing the computer industry thrives off of...

All the old software still works fine... they need you to buy the new software because they need to stay in business.

One other thing about an older machine, it might have a smaller hard drive than what is available in a brand new machine. BUT... if it is only a year old or so, it should have a hard drive that is large enough for your needs.

Also... assess your needs....

What do you use the computer for?

E-mails, Word Processing, and surfing the net?

Then you only need the most basic system, and a fairly small hard drive.

RAM helps, but WinXP does not recognize RAM over 3GB, which many computer manufacturers never told folks who bought oodles of RAM for that same operating system. So, if its a WinXP machine, 3GB is all you are ever going to put in it. It has to do with 32-bit operating systems only being able to access so many addresses on the RAM. A 64-bit operating system like Vista or Windows 7 has the ability to access more RAM, so you can buy whatever your ego tells you you need if you really are into spending money.

I still have a Pentium III 866MHz computer that runs just fine on the Internet with 512MB of RAM. On a high-speed Internet connection it opens web pages only slightly slower than a much newer machine. It also has a 256MB video card, and runs just fine. I don't do games, so I have no need in that machine for any special video card.

As far as a sound card, no need to really waste much money there, either. Digital music is digital music, just how great of a sound are you looking for out of a set of computer speakers anyways?

If you are an audiophile, then you need to be tracking down a component separates system at the hi-fi store... pre-amp, receiver, tuner, CD, etc...

There are decent computer speakers these days, for not that much money. I have a Logitech system that comes with two main speakers and a subwoofer. The sub is worth its weight in gold as far as sound reproduction. And... the lady upstairs still calls the cops if I am jamming out to some mp3s over my computer system... the Logitech speaker were all of $40 brand new.

Even the DVD burners are no big deal these days... I used to be on this kick where I thought Plextor drives were the only way to go, so I'd buy them at premium prices as soon as they came out.... ick... until I burned through about three of them, and realized I was wasting money, so now I just pop in a $25 LiteOne drive and do the exact same thing as the very expensive Plextor drives.

I wouldn't waste money on any "premium" component unless you know exactly why you need to spend extra money on it. Chances are very good that you are just paying for a company's name and not really buying any more quality.

This isn't necessarily the case when buying all-in-one computers off the shelf. For instance, an Acer is NOT the same inside as a Compaq or an HP. Acer, and a few others cheese-out the internal components to the cheapest contractors, and that is how they cut the corners on the costs. They are do this to some extent, but some are cheesier than others for a reason.

Don't buy a DELL just by product name recognition only. Ten years ago I would not have said that, because DELL got to where they are today by putting together really nice stuff, at one time. Now they do the cheesy thing very well, and their computers are pretty crap-o-la right off the block these days... PLUS they also have 100% of their home tech support... NOW LOCATED IN INDIA... so if you like struggling with cultural differences and heavy-accented tech support agents, buy a DELL by all means.

My last experience with the "new" DELL tech support agents was this... I had to (I'm not kidding) spell my name to the guy SEVEN times... "J-A-M-E-S"... he still never got it right. THEN... he ended up sending the on-site tech support guy out to replace my CD-ROM drive... TO MY PARENT'S HOUSE 120 MILES AWAY !!! After that, I said "to hell with dell"... that was my last DELL machine... and that was Jan. 2003... SIX YEARS AGO... and DELL is still going at it with the Indian tech support... and, by the way, lot's of American tech support folks no longer have a job at DELL because of their globalization of off-shored tech support to India... my take on DELL... stay the hell away from DELL.

HP and Compaq are the exact same company now-days after a merger, so no difference there.

I wouldn't suggest buying a SONY computer, either. In my experience with anything and everything SONY, everything I have ever bought with the SONY name on it has fell apart after a very short time. Including Walkmans, alarm clocks, stereo gear and other "SONY" branded junk... I was amazed when they entered the computer market... thing "Sony Walkman" goes computing... not a great idea for a purchase there... about the only thing I can think of that SONY ever got right and their claim to fame was a SONY TV set... everything else was crap and a way to expand their business.

If you just gotta buy a new off-the-shelf machine, I would suggest buying off the Internet NOT in a walk-in retail store. One good web site for computer buys (and price comparisons) is NewEgg

http://www.newegg.com/

But they are NOT always the best price. They do have a lot of information about each and every model of anything they sell. Plus, there are customer reviews posted on most every items on the web site. And, they include specs on every ad, too, which is helpful if you're building a machine.

One online place to avoid is TigerDirect. OhForCripesSake... I ordered a video card from these guys... and days... months later they were still calling me and telemarketing me at inconvenient times, asking if I wanted to buy any more crap. I hate telemarketers as it is... let alone a company telemarketing me after just one purache. I didn't give them my contact info to bother the bah-jeezus out of me. Screw them guys...

If you are building your own, or seeking to upgrade, a cool web site is PriceWatch:

http://www.pricewatch.com/

All you do is enter in what you are searching for (motherboard, RAM, video card, etc...), and the web site finds you the best price available on the net. They are NOT a retailer, they are just a computer-searcher web site. I imagine they make money off of certain retailers some how or another, but they generally do have the lowest price. You do the search, the lowest price and several others come up, then you click on the small link and it takes you to the retailer who IS selling the item. Originally they just did computer components, but I notice they now do other items such as apparel and shoes. That is new...

Another great way to shop for computer parts is to simply enter either the model name or part number into Google. Sometimes I have found the best price this way. Usually, the PriceWatch page will have the best price. But you might luck out and find an even better price by just "Googling" the product name or part number.

Another way to find a cheap used computer is... if you have any kind of college in your area... they will have a "property disposition" department. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, home to the University of Michigan (U-M). The U-M is constantly upgrading computers in classrooms and throughout the campus... they have a HUGE supply of used machines. I'm talking probably 500 used machines on hand at all times. Used monitors, keyboards, everything. At a place like that, they wipe the hard drive so you'll need to install your own operating system and software, but they will sell you a machine for like $100-$250... comes with a short-term warranty... there are colleges in most cities.

Just for reference, here is the web page to the U-M property disposition department:

http://propertydisposition.umich.edu/

I doubt they ship anything to anyone, but use that as an example of what to look for at a college near you. Chances are they will have a similar department that is recycling old working machines. The technology might be 2-3 years old, but still very functional.

If all else fails, you might put a new computer on your Christmas list (if you celebrate Christmas, I do not any longer do gifts at Christmas...)

Pawn shops and thrift stores sometimes have computers, but buyer beware there... I wouldn't recommend buying a machine from a pawn shop or thrift store unless you know exactly what it is, and know exactly how to fix it if its messed up. People often give stuff to thrift stores just so they don't have to pay for the recycling fee associated with placing them in landfills (which isn't a good idea, because there is a BUNCH of toxic stuff inside of every computer ever built... a great way to pollute the environment is to dump your old machine or monitor in the nearest dumpster... )

Whew... my arm hurts from typing all that....

My HP serves me well. :)

wow telephone man probably answered ur question jeje

Alright, I've been researching parts just in case I decided to change my mind and perhaps build one my self. What hardware is good or what goes and what doesn't?

seagate hard drives...

Maxtor, nvidia, ati, asus to name some...

I just read that compaq is re-entering the laptop market (in the U.S.) with a low cost offering to compete with netbooks. However it's supposed to be a full function laptop with a 15 inch screen. Entry price is going to be $399. I'm anxious to see how it performs.

What exactly do you want to do with this computer?

Whatever one you get make absolutely SURE it has a great anti spyware on it AND be sure you clear ALL of your cookies and cache EVERY TIME you leave a site.

Nowadays you can build your own online with guides for easy understanding.

look:

this might be too much for some, but they are actually cheap and you can really put together a powerful system with the latest/greatest.

http://ibuypower.com/IbpPages/CustConfig.aspx

Everything! Games, School work, Music Production, Music, Movies, Downloads.

Any computer can handle all that without the cost being ridiculous
If you know the right parts to buy and some research

Software isn't really my concern. Yes firewalls, spyware, anti-virus are important for security purposes

Parts-wise you are looking way cheaper, if you want to play todays games. If you are talking about full-blown music production you will need a graphics card with a high memory overhead, and almost definitely a Quad-Core (unless you want to spend extra and go for the i7 975, but that is more expensive and a Quad will do for now). I had a 9800GT at 1GB virtual memory because I do video editing and music production, that was an awesome graphics card and it is only $100.

Depends on how much you're willing to spend. I just received my new laptop a few weeks ago and paid through the nose for it but it's by far the best, fastest and most stable system I have ever owned.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-alienware-m17x/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-alienware-m17x&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

Previous user feedback gave it a 4.7 out of 5. Most of the .3 that they didn't get was because they bought a 17" laptop and didn't realize how big it was going to be.


PROCESSOR
Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad QX9300 2.53GHz (12MB Cache, 1066MHz FSB)

OPERATING SYSTEM
Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit, English

WARRANTY AND SERVICE
1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis

VIDEO CARD
ATI CrossFireXTM – Dual 1GB ATI RadeonTM Mobility HD 4870

LCD PANEL
17-inch WideXGA+ 1440x900 (900p)

MEMORY
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz

HARD DRIVE
500GB 7,200RPM w/ Free Fall Protection

INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE
Slot-Load Dual Layer Blu-ray Combo (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW, CD-RW)

Do you want a laptop or desktop.

What the main roles this PC will have?

Just surfing the web, games, business apps, just learning?

It makes a big difference.

If you use Ubuntu, you can get away with a P3 with 512mb of ram and a 32mb video card for like 99 bucks.. But then it depends what you want to use it for...




Microsoft Certified Security Engineer

I don't need something that pricy to surf the web.
Yes I do download alot =)
I like to do everything for this pc but not to go over board on price
Once I make good money I won't have the need to ask what a decent pc is

i'm looking for a desktop with 4gig ram
if it handles games awsome but isn't a must
yes business apps and learning is involved