Archive through June 15, 2001
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Archive through June 15, 2001
Mosessupposes | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 05:20 pm  Debi4514, if you can afford $799.00, then buy the Dell Computer package that they are currently advertising on TV. You can either order it over the phone or on their website. It is a very fast computer with plenty of memory and storage. Dell consistently holds the number 1 ranking for quality, reliability and service in this price range. Dell also usually offers free Internet Service through Microsoft (MSN Internet) for anywhere from 6 months to 12 months. You can probably get a comparable package made by E-Machines or some similar company for about $650.00, but they are not famous for quality or service. Don't buy a used computer unless you can get it really cheap and I do mean cheap. The value of a used computer is actually pennies on the dollar. Also if you have never had a computer or used a computer, you better get cracking. You will need to get familiar with it. Remember!!! Big Brother is just around the corner. |
Spygirl | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 06:15 pm  I'm with Moses on this one -- sorry Moon! -- Dell is wonderful! Especially when they run specials. But, I have a VERY OFF brand computer (MX300 -- MXTech) which I saw advertised in a Sunday flyer for CompUSA. The computer came with a 15" monitor, HPinkjet printer, Acer scanner, keyboard, etc., for only $499!!! It would have been $99 had I taken the Compuserve rebate. I was nervous about the quality of the machine -- and had some MINOR problems at first (lockups, error messages), but since the system was so cheap, I bought the two year warranty for an extra $80 and an extra 156 megs of memory ($90) and have had no problems since. I've had no mechanical failure and I use this thing CONSTANTLY. It is now almost two years old and the only thing I need to upgrade is the hard drive -- I've got too much crap on here! Check the flyers on Sundays, and call any local computer retails stores for these kinds of sales. Good luck! -SpyGirl |
Gail | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 06:25 pm  I have to say, in my new job I have a Mac Server (I think it is a G4) on my Desk along with a pretty nice Pentium PC and 4 servers at my finger tips. Last week, I bought a book - Macs for Dummies which is helping. I can see some of the attraction in macs but I will never go to that side of the force. I mean, it is cool the way the mouse cord can be connected to either side of the keyboard but what do you do when you have both lefthanders and right handers using it? And the cord is like a stiff cable so I feel like I am constantly fighting it - not to mention it is only something like 18 inches long. I keep running out of mousepad or something. I see how they have made things very simple - but I guess after 16 years of working with PCs from the old TRS-80s on through the Zenith 100s, I am just comfortable with PCs. I don't know if one is better then the other - I think it is what you were "brought up with". By the way - for anyone getting on a mac for the first time, I highly recommend Macs for Dummies. It won't make me love my mac but at least we will get along better. |
Highlander | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 06:26 pm  yep gail, got my IMAC for dummies (needed it after the computer crashed). |
Karuuna | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 07:11 pm  All I can say is that if you want to figure out how to uninstall and reinstall and learn all sorts of funky ways of getting around, get a Windows PC. However, if you want the easiest system to learn with the best graphical interface for the money, get a Mac. I've worked on both systems for over 12 years, and when I teach folks how to use computers, I can teach them how to use a Mac in half the time it takes to learn how to navigate around Windows. The reality that all those Windows users seem to want to ignore is that Windows was written to *copy* the Mac environment, and it doesn't do it nearly as well, and takes up to three times the memory to accomplish the same thing. The down side is that if you need help with your computer, and you most certainly will with your Windows computers, it is more difficult to find someone to help you with a Mac. YMMV.  |
Zeb | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 07:41 pm  This debate has been a perpetual one for years. Good luck on finding a wide selection of software for the Mac. |
Ryn | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 08:20 pm  Deb has never said how much she could spend. I have a feeling its not $799 or she would have done it already ;) |
Nagster | Monday, June 11, 2001 - 08:32 pm  Blessings to anyone out there who can come up with a solution to my problem! Thanks to a tinkering great-nephew, all the jpeg files I had on my hard drives (2) now have the either notepad or wordpad icon and come up gibberish. I don't really know the difference between the notepad & the wordpad. Furthermore, when trying to change these things back the way they were, I discovered I do NOT have a "save as" option when I right-click on any of these former jpeg files! Running just plain Windows 98, if that makes a difference. I really HATE the thought of losing all the pics I have (or had, depending on how I look at it) and would very much appreciate any advice, posted either here or at my Nagster@aol.com address. |
Gail | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 03:59 am  Nagster - should be simple enough to fix. . . Got ot Windows Employer and find one of your jpeg files. Right click on it and select Open with (do not use open, you have to use open with.) Then, instead of selecting one of the available options, select Choose Program That will give you the option of picking your graphics program to open your jpgs. There is a box there that if you check it will make that the default program to open jpgs. |
Ryn | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 05:58 am  Windows Employer?? LOL Windows Explorer (sorry - that is just tooo funny Gail!!) |
Debi4514 | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 06:41 am  thanks to everyone for the advice! I do have enough $$ to buy a new one if I sign up for the 3 year package and get the rebates, but being the "thrifty" person that I am, I am tempted to buy a used one to learn on, then I would have a better idea of what I am doing since I don't have anyone to show me, and the web t.v. was soooo easy to learn. I may go to my friends and play with that for a while, but if I do get one, I'll be asking you all for lots of help! So, I'll keep you posted... |
Ryn | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 08:55 am  You do know that the 3 year package ends up costing you more in the end - right Debi??? 3*12*20= $720 You get an instant $400 rebate and end up paying an additional $320 (roughly) for an ISP. I just popped on to Dells site (Gateway is good as well, and Macs can be fine as well!!). I "customized" a low-end system, and trust me, unless you are doing Major Gaming (Video games with lots of intensive graphics), you will be completely satisfied with the lowest priced systems any of those companies is selling. So here is a sample quote from Dell... Celeron 800mhz (for your needs this should be pleanty for the near future). 20 gig hard drive 128 meg ram 56k modem 15" monitor 48x CD rom (they have 2 days left on a free upgrade to a re-writable CD) I would upgrade to the MS mouse for $10 Free 6 months on AOL or MSN so here are the prices (including mouse upgrade) with 1 year on-site warranty $729 with 2 year on-site warranty $798 with 3 year on-site warranty $848 that does not include tax & shipping - I estimated this (using my zip in Indiana), on the highest priced system the total would be $95 shipping and $12 for tax. Now I just went to Gateway's site and found an almost identical system - here's the price for theirs.. with 1 year on-site warranty $799 with 3 year on-site warranty $999 Gateway gives you 1 year AOL as opposed to 6 months from Dell (6x20=$120 savings I guess). btw - gateway says they will beat any competitors price for a comparable system (of course the two I listed have different "free" isp options - can't hurt to call though). Ok - thats it from me - I would recommend the 3 year warranty however you go, I get that on every computer system I purchase (I manage a computer network so I buy roughly 10-20 systems a year). One visit or trip to a repair shop out of warranty will cost you $100 minimum. Please - no Gateway/Dell/Mac bashing - ok?? We al lhave our opinions, I have had good experiences with both Dell and Gateway and have heard bad things about both companies as well. Mac I cannot comment on much, I have delt with them in the past, my department has one (which I don't deal with much because the user is very computer savvy - although I will say nothing has broken on it in the year he has had it - but no floppy?? ARRGGHHHH). good luck debi - I hope this helps a bit |
Gail | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 03:52 pm  I like Dells. Ryn, what can I say? I'm glad I am able to provide a little humor in your oh - so - happy life. It was 5 am and I was dealing with a bunch of things this morning. I was thinking windows exploder actually and almost wrote that. |
Highlander | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 04:36 pm  From a customer support perspective I like Gateway. When I got my Gateway I was not knowledgeable about computers so I used their customer support frequently in the beginning and they were very helpful. I bought a dell recently which was not a fun experience, first they delivered without a monitor. Then when they delivered the monitor it was white and the system is black. It took a month to get the whole thing right. Have an IMAC and two months later the harddrive crashed and it had to be replaced. Had no problem working with Apple but lost all my files on the original hard drive. My Dell is great and with my cable modem I feel like I am in clover. |
Ryn | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 04:37 pm  Rofl Gail ;) I like both Dells and Gateway, I have recommended both to the faculty I work with and I buy strictly Gateway for my department - thats just because thats what we had when I started and I want to remain consistent - being I work for a major university we get great support from either company. It was 8am my time when I read your message and it was just the kind of laugh I needed. I figgured it was a freudian slip and your subconcious was letting you know it feels like a slave to Bill Gates Just brought in the mail and I have the latest flier from Dell - 1ghz system for $799 - but I bet thats with 1 year warranty. Do you agree that people should pay the little extra for the 3 year option??? |
Gail | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 04:48 pm  I definitely agree on the extended maintenance for computers. About 3 years ago, I had a friend who bought a computer from CompUSA with the extended waranty. 2 year later, her house got hit by lightning really bad. Her waranty covered the repairs. As someone who works on computers for a living and who also works on her own, I highly recommend the extra few $$. Monitors are really flaky, modems get zapped pretty easy, and hard drives crash. |
Ryn | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 04:51 pm  Highlander - I have seen the same problem with Gateway - a prof ordered a system and the monitor didn't show up - took a week to get it right but they did no colors for them to goof up. Its all the luck of the draw - people have horror stories about any company. Both Dell and Gateway go through growing pains when their support area is understaffed (long times on hold, etc). Another complaint about gateway I have heard was compatibility, that Dell had more compatible systems (when you try to add a component). I will say I bought my 1st PC in 1990 from Gateway - my rocking 386sx16 with a wopping 80meg hard drive (an upgrade from the 40 meg it came with by default). I still use the keyboard & floppy!!! The rest was parted out long ago. My most recent family purchase was a Dell for my in-laws. Why Dell? Head to head they were cheaper than Gateway. Both now offer the option to look up system info based on your s/n (something Dell had 1st - very nice!!). |
Ryn | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 04:55 pm  And to comment on Gails post, Surge protection!! A MUST!! The main culprit to zap your system is via the phone line btw - not the power. I have seen many systems (and entire networks) taken out by a lightning hit to a phone line miles away - comes in via the modem and zaps everything. For power protection I reccomend APC (American Power Conversion) products - I am not sure if it still applies, but I know that their old policy was lifetime support, you buy a surge suppresor and if it EVER stops working for any reason, call their 800# and they will replace it free of charge. |
Highlander | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 04:57 pm  Agreed Ryn, I love my dell. |
Gail | Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 05:18 pm  And, to add a comment onto Ryn's post, surge protectors need to be replaced periodically. Over a period of time, they take a few hits here and there in the course of doing what they are designed to do and they break down or lose effectiveness. |
Grooch | Friday, June 15, 2001 - 10:56 am  I bought my new computer last month and now I finally getting around to buy a printer. I was hoping someone can point me in the right direction of what I should be looking for. I am so clueless. I want it to have a fax (so I can get rid of the fax machine and save room.) But I was also thinking of getting a scanner too. Do they make printers w/ scanners? And what is better? A scanner or a digital camera? If I have an old photograph, I would need a scanner to put it on the web, right? A digital camera is only good for new photos I'm assuming. Anyway, any info would be appreciated. This way it help me from being talked into something I don't want by a "used car" salesman. |
Karuuna | Friday, June 15, 2001 - 12:57 pm  Grooch -- you can get all in one machines by Brother, HP and Epson. You should be able to Fax, scan and print all from one machine. I've never purchased anything by Brother, so can't speak for those. However, I have several HP's and Epson's. One thing I will say is that the Epson customer support is *miles* superior to HP, and HP is pretty darn good! |
Nancy | Friday, June 15, 2001 - 01:00 pm  i have an epson printer/scanner/fax combo--that i swear by--not all that expensive either... |
Ryn | Friday, June 15, 2001 - 01:05 pm  Just depends on what you want to spend Grooch, last year I bought an HP printer/scanner/fax combo for the office and it works great... and it was 600 or more dollars (at that time). I know you can get cheaper ones now. The basic set up of any of these is a scanner sitting on top of a inkjet printer. Some require you to use the computer to fax, others fax on their own (like my HP). If you have no real need for a digital camera then the scanner will do you fine once you learn how to scan (you can scan your old pics too and save them for the future). In a pinch you can use a digital camera to take a picture of your old picture but lighting tends to be a pain to deal with since the picture will be reflecting light and may have shiny areas in the digital image. The BIG thing for anyone wanting to post pictures on the web, DON'T try to do it using the bitmap (bmp) format, use Jpeg (jpg) - its not a high quality format for printing, but for web pages to be seen on the WWW its perfect. I have seen many people send each other 500k-2meg or larger bmp pictures when they could have sent the same picture at a much smaller size in jpg format (one again assuming you do not want to print them out). As for brand name, I like HP, Epsons are probably good as well. Brother I am not sure about and I bet you will find they are the cheapest in price (and possibly in quality, but once again I have no experience with them, I only think of typewriters when I think of the brand name "brother"). Good luck!! |
Spygirl | Friday, June 15, 2001 - 01:11 pm  For Christmas, Santa brought me a Brother multi-function center. It is a laser printer, fax machine, and copier. It doesn't scan, but I already had a scanner. I believe Santa picked it up at Office Max for about $200. A really great deal. I would recommend a laser printer over an inkjet because the prices of lasers are really good right now. I have been VERY pleased with Santa's selection and hope that he will bring me the digital camera this year. -SpyGirl |
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