im shopping for a new computer but im hoping to find a new computer but i want to get the most for my money any suggestions

Whatever you do, don't buy anything from eMachines. They're junk, and anyone who says different doesn't know squat about computers.

What do you intend to use it for? Get an idea of what you're going to do with it, and that'll make choosing one much easier.

Playing a lot of games? Look for upgraded memory (2GB Memory, 3, even!)

Want portability? Look for something small on features, light and easy.

Do a lot of video or music or photos? Look for something with a decent hard drive. Nowadays, 80GB is on the small end of standard....

Etc.

me too! only i need a new laptop.

Yep, we really need to know how you plan to use before we can give much advice

i play mostly pokerstars and wow

i don't like laptops cause i cant fix or upgrade them myself

hear hear , emachiens is garbage
I would sugest if you realy want to get just the right computer then either build it yourself or have someone you know that know about computers build it.

i'm a college kid. i need it for papers and projects and class kinda stuff. and also for emailing and instant messaging and that kinda stuff.

I'm a Dell kinda guy, and with Dell there's not much middle ground. People either love em or hate em. I just got a new one and fell in love all over again. The thing with Dell's, though, is they can be rather pricey.

A simple to middle-of-the-road notebook would work for you, Katrina. Somewhere no more than say, 699.00 would be easily possible. Some brands in that area include Toshiba, HP, and Acer (Acer is made by HP, as are Compaq). At that price you're looking at about:

160GB Hard drive
1-2GB Memory
Integrated wireless
AMD Turion or Intel Core processor
CD/DVD Burner

That'd be more than enough to do e-mail, IM, and writing/researching papers.

Start spending more and you'll be paying for:
better processor (Core 2 Duo, AMD Phenom, etc)
More memory
bigger hard drive

i dont have time nor know anyone that will put one together for me . so i was looking for a dependable company

If you don't already have your OS, then I would suggest this: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3350672&Sku=J156-4614

It's not a great computer, but you get computer and OS for $260. You can add a year long service contract for an extra $50. This would probably play WoW, right out of the box, but I would grab some more RAM and an AGP video card so that WoW looks nice.

You would still need a monitor and speakers, but everything else will be in the box.

You can play WoW on a 800 GHz computer and this is a 3 Ghz processor. So paying $310 for the computer and warrenty...around $150 for a cheap LCD and $20 for some cheap speakers and you get a full computer for $480. If price is your highest priority, then you can't beat this anywhere.

if u go cheap u definately want to invest in some more RAM....VISTA is a bit of a memory hog...

Laptop Sale at Geeks.com

http://www.geeks.com/sales.asp?cm_mmc=geekmail-_-daily_html-_-20feb08_FREEBAGDEAL-_-FREEBAGDEALbannerLaptopsale

I got a cheap upgrade and am liking it. Compaq Presario with Windows Vista Home Premium. If you have the money I've heard only good comments made about Dell.

go to bestbuy they always have sales on computers at low prices

Buy a consumers guide, or go to cnet.com

classyjeff

heres a heads up on buying a computer


dont get one from walmart cheap
or kmart even cheaper they fall apart
and target thats just a waste of time

go to bestbuy who actually knows about electronics

i was looking at the walmart ones
i dont know though cause i worry
the best buy ones look nice and are a little more pricey
just wish i had the money to invest in what i want

hey classyjeff,

Unfortunately, much like a lot of other things, with computers you get what you pay for. You buy cheap, you get cheap. That's not to say the computer won't do what you want it to, but it's something to keep in mind.

That being said, and not knowing exactly how much you want to spend, buying a budget system from a brand name OEM isn't a bad option (like Dell and Gateway for example.)

Just keep in mind that sub-$1000 boxes are typically bare minimum on specs to push the operating system, and have the standard 90 day or maybe 1 year limited warranty. If you are concerned about that, upping the warranty to 2 or even 3 years usually costs anywhere from an extra $200 - $300 depending on the OEM or store policy.

As others have mentioned don't bother with anything from Wal-mart, etc. eMachines are junk heaps, HP's are mildly better, and Sony VIAO's are real hot and cold in terms of build quality. If I had to actually buy a mainstream PC, I would buy a Dell and that's about it.

And speaking of, here are some options you might want to consider: http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/inspndt_bundles?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

The Inspiron line is one of the cheapest they produce, but have decent specs. As usual, bump the memory up by at least 1GB for a total of 2GB, Vista will be the happiest with 2.

Best of luck, and feel free to ask more questions if you find something.

look anf find a dell 1100b model its upgradeable and depenable most have celron d 2.53 mhz processors very fast and takes up to 4gb ram ,i own one very good machine...

Get a used one, 1 or 2 years old. Youll pay about half the price of a new one and lose very little in performance..