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Archive through April 12, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Apr. 2007 ~ Jun. 2007: All Things Technical: The Help Desk (ARCHIVES): Which computer is 'better'?: Archive through April 12, 2007 users admin

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Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 12:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
i was at first turned off by the included printer in some of those, but then realized it was a photo printer that i had actually been looking at already.

how did any of the computers i posted look?

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 1:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
OK, two of 'em are the same as two others, with smaller monitors. Get the 19" monitors, definitely.

If I had to choose between the remaining three, I'd get the Gateway GT5408. Only because I think it's the faster processor and it's got a bigger hard drive (hard drive = storage).

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 2:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
did i post the same things?! told you i was confused! LOL
i definitely will get the 19" monitor.
oh..goodie, that's the one i was leaning towards, so maybe i am not so confused.

does that look like a 'good' one to get? i know there will always be bigger and better ones out there, but i don't want to buy one that's going to be too small too soon.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 2:49 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Annie, aside from gaming, you never did say what you use your 'puter for? Since you are getting yourself so confused, I'm guessing it's for pretty basic stuff, yes? If so, then yes, that computer is a good one to get. It'll do you for a long while. It's got plenty of memory and HD space, and it's a pretty fast system. Go for it!

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 3:49 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
oh..you want to know what i use it for? LOL
pretty basic, like you said. lots of word processing, lots of internet. i do store alot of recipes and stuff. and then the games for my kids like Sims and Civilization. also just got a digital camera so learning to do stuff with that! LOL

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 3:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Then get that one Gateway, the GT5408 with the 19" monitor, Annie. It'll do you good for a long time. Sims and the other game should run on it (do check and be sure they run on Vista). And it's got lots of space to store photos and recipes! :-)

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 4:49 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Wait, wait, wait. The 5408 might have the faster chip, but the first one, the 4600+ has 2GB RAM, and all of the others only have 1 GB. I don't know anything about gaming, and I suspect Texannie may not be doing the heavy duty gaming that REAL gamers do, but I am hearing that 1 GB is about the minimum you want to run Vista. Wouldn't she probably be better off with the 2 GB RAM?

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Wednesday, April 11, 2007 - 4:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
I thought they all had the same RAM? Still, I'd stick to Intel rather than AMD... you can add RAM, for not much $$ and quite easily, too.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 7:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
well shoot, i thought it had 2 GB too!
ok..so what is the diff between intel and amd?

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 8:05 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
For certain applications (including what I do on a daily basis), the Intel processors generally run faster and have better overall performance. For gaming, I think the Intel is preferred, too (this is from a bunch of gamers I used to work with, who were all World of Warcraft freaks). I googled intel vs amd and came up with this evaluation of the two in the gaming world: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1997005,00.asp\

Really, it's personal preference. The Intel chip is usually slightly more expensive, but I think it's better for professional or power users. The AMD chip can be less expensive, and I think it's more suited to home users. If the cost difference isn't great between the two, I would go with the Intel Duo Core every time.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 8:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
thank you for being so patient with me Cost!!!

my husband is really concerned that we have a 'good' video card. am i looking for a certain type or amount of space?

how much does it usually cost to upgrade? is it sometimes a better buy to buy the 1GB with expandability to 4 and do the upgrade right away or just go ahead and get a 2 GB (and then upgrade later if needed?)

for example, this one is Intel but 1 GB and $100 less
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8208263&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat103700050049&id=1167444938194


than this one that is AMD but 2 GB
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8208334&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat103700050049&id=1167444938260

and what's the difference between the 2nd one posted and this one?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8268091&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat103700050049&id=1170290383405

i have looked at both Dell and Gateways' sites and it seems like they are all out of my price range in the 2 GB.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 8:20 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
how are HP's? i love my HP printers, but never had one of their processors.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 8:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
OK Annie, you are gonna drive yourself nuts!!!

Gateways are good computers. HP are good computers. So are Toshibas, and Dells, and Sonys.

Your best bet... call one of 'em. Tell 'em what you want to do (gaming), and what you want (fast processor, 2GB RAM, lots of HD space). Tell 'em to "build you one" and see what the $$ is. If it's within your range, buy it. If not, see what they can do. If you aren't happy with them, take what you learned from them and call the next manufacturer.

I've always bought Gateways for home. And Dell for work. At Xmas, I bought my mom a desktop system. I had bought from HP, but they screwed up on the shipping address and gave me such grief over fixing it, that I cancelled the order, turned around, and called Dell. I actually got a slightly cheaper computer from Dell, so after all the hours on the phone it was worth it.

It's a computer. It's really gonna be outdated in a year or two anyways (even tho it'll still work just fine). So buy what you want or need right now, and don't worry about it.

As I said, my personal preference is Intel. Someone else's may be AMD. It's all personal preference, they are all good, they all work, they will all do what they are supposed to.

The extra 1 GB of RAM? It'll be somewhere around $100-150 dollars.

One last thing... are you going to buy from Best Buy or direct from the manufacturer? Because if you buy from Best Buy, that system is preconfigured. You'll have to buy the extra RAM separately and install it yourself. If you go direct to the manufacturer, you can build the system you want, and have it delivered all ready to go.

But seriously, you're gonna drive yourself nuts here! :-)

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 8:49 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
LOL!!! probably

in the past i have just called Gateway and said 'this is what i want' but was always told it was the most expensive way to go.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 8:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
The only thing about buying more memory later is that you want to make sure that you have a free slot to put it in. Otherwise you will have to pull out some of your existing memory and replace it, which is a bit of a waste.

I agree with Costa that you shouldn't stress too much over the whole thing. It sounds like you've learned enough and done enough research that you won't buy anything stupid so you'll be fine with what you get.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 8:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
The one thing that hasn't been mentioned here is if you know a local shop that builds computers? If you can find someone local that is reliable it is a fantastic way to go, IMO. The key is reliable though.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 9:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
It's not necessarily more expensive, but it IS the way to get everything you want. Which may seem more expensive, but in the long run it works out much the same.

Your best bet? Pick two manufacturers. Figure out the base requirements (for example, Intel Duo Core, 2GB RAM, and so on), then call 'em and ask 'em how much. If you have comparable systems, and you get a better price (say from Dell, call Gateway back up and tell 'em you got a lower quote from Dell and see if they'll match it).

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 9:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
Just an aside but I've never understood the concept of price matching as in "We'll match any price!" Why go with the guy who is only willing to match the price? Why not buy from the guy who gave you the lower price in the first place?

(I guess to answer my own question, it would be because you like the price matching company's product. But it always seems a bit disingenuous to me to offer to match the price. Beat the price!)

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 9:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Cause all things are never really equal?

Interestingly, after the HP debacle, I called back to file a complain with their c/s folks. While on the call I told them I got a comparable system for $100 less at Dell. They gave me a $100 coupon (HP did). Which cracked me up, cause, well, um, your c/s sucked so why would I buy from you again? (Actually, I love their printers, own both an AiO and a heavy duty laser printer, but still...).

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 9:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
I still say that you are better off if you can find a reliable local company to buy from. I agree though that the tough part is finding them.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 10:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Although I believe in supporting my local economy, I prefer to go directly to the manufacturer. It's my own personal preference.

For example, a major software app that I use in my day to day job is produced in New Zealand. They have local (US) resellers, but I *always* buy directly from the company.

I've found better support and increased reliability. So it's my preference. As always, YMMV.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 10:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
how would i find a 'reliable local company'?

i did find out something from the Gateway guy i didn't know. Vista and Ipod are having problems and not working and playing nicely with each other.

thanks for the vote of confidence.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 10:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
Oh I'm not suggesting buying from a reseller (in other words buying a name brand computer from someone other than the original manufacturer).

What I was suggesting was buying from a small local business that assembles computers. They buy the components and put the computer together.

Assuming they are reputable, you will get to choose name brand components and each component should have an accompanying manual or tech sheet. You can assemble exactly the computer that you want but better still you avoid proprietary components or proprietary set-ups that can cause problems in the future.

Also you are dealing with someone face to face. If you have issues, you can take the machine in and they will generally fix it right while you wait. Want to upgrade a component? Same thing. The place I used to go to didn't even charge labor. They even let me watch them do it.

How to find someone reliable? About the only way that I know of doing it is to have a reliable friend or acquaintance recommend one to you.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 10:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
To be perfectly honest, if you are not super computer savvy, I would NOT recommend going that route. It's better to purchase an all in one computer that has everything you need from the manufacturer. I know what you meant Jimmer, and that you didn't mean a reseller.

Sure there are some great places out there. There are also some not so great. Without a recommendation there's no way to know.

But really, if you are not computer savvy, go to a manufacturer.

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - 10:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
BTW, the "if you are having issues" and the "face to face" thing? Almost every major manufacturer of computers now offers in home warranty. For a nominal price. It's worth it. They come out to your home and fix it there. Buy it. It's just as good (or better) than bringing a computer in to the local mom/pop computer shop (or whatever).