Looking for a PC for the parents...

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M

Matlock

Banned
The dell is getting more and more unstable by the day (right now we've had it on an uptime of over a month because it won't boot reliably from a power-down)...so...

Three years of love for that machine, and it's dying.

SO.

I need something brand name that's in the 600-800$ range.

Additional questions:

1. ibuypower.com: Admittedly I'm not all that familiar with mobo/processor combinations: are the defaults for the packages usually the best bet? Are they quick for shipping? How's the service?
 
What are the specs for the Dell? The reason I ask is if your parents don't need it for anything more than email, MS Word and web, all the machine probably needs is a reinstall.
 
Why not get something that you will not have to fix because they downloaded spyware, a trojan, etc:

softwaretop20040831.jpg
 
Shog: tried that, scandisk, defrag, pretty much anything but replacing the HDD. Trust me, it's on its last legs. :P

Agent Dormer said:
Why not get something that you will not have to fix because they downloaded spyware, a trojan, etc:

softwaretop20040831.jpg
Click to expand...

I keep trying to convince them of that, but it's a bit outside their means.
 
Mom despises Dell (for their service). She's currently looking at HP/Compaq, but I'm looking more towards IBuyPower if I can get a decent enough set of impressions about them. :P
 
Matlock said:
Shog: tried that, scandisk, defrag, pretty much anything but replacing the HDD. Trust me, it's on its last legs. :P
Click to expand...

WTH, I don't see the word "reinstall" in that list. To expect an OS install to last over 2 years without a problem, be it XP or OSX, is pretty foolish. And you had that thing probably from the original factory install for all 3+ years.

Unless you have a hardware problem (I hardly doubt if you know one way or another), not to try reinstall at least once is just stupid. Not my opinion, but fact.
 
Matlock said:
That = reinstall. :P
Click to expand...

Oh good. Then it must be hardware problem. Carry on then.



As for you Mac jackasses, did you ever bother to think that maybe some people wouldn't want to bother with an OS switch? Everytime, you guys are like fucking cockroaches.
 
Matlock said:
Shog: cool your jets and start reading more closely: I said I wanted them to get a Mac.
Click to expand...

Shog's just mad because some Mac guy stole his girlfriend or something.

If they are afraid of/hate Dell service, I'm not sure how you're going to sell them on IBuyPower.com :D

I would get them a Mac if and only if they are open to having a Mac. If so, yeah just get them an eMac G4 1.25 Ghz. It may live longer than you will :)
 
Matlock said:
Shog: cool your jets and start reading more closely: I said I wanted them to get a Mac.
Click to expand...

Dude, did you even ask your parents if they wanted to re-learn everything about computers? Not to mention rebuying all software?

Again, Spending over $800+ for an eMac is waste of that $800, and spending over $1500+ for an iMac when all you need is to spend $800 for a decent PC package is probably not what they think is smart either.

ASK THEM FIRST.
 
Hrm, and a few sidenotes about the eMac:

How's the screen clarity?
How's Apple's service?
Do most PC accessories (printers, scanners (all USB, mind you) work with it?
Would there be any problems with dialing-in to a server because of the different OS?
Is there a good all-in-one chat alternative for the mac (mostly looking for ICQ and Y!)?

And most importantly: if something does go wrong, is it easy to fix?
 
Shogmaster said:
Dude, did you even ask your parents if they wanted to re-learn everything about computers? Not to mention rebuying all software?

Again, Spending over $800+ for an eMac is waste of that $800, and spending over $1500+ for an iMac when all you need is to spend $800 for a decent PC package is probably not what they think is smart either.

ASK THEM FIRST.
Click to expand...

Rebuying software? Relearning everything about computers? :lol

Surely you jest, they're mostly ICQ, e-mail, music, n' internet users. :P
 
Matlock said:
Hrm, and a few sidenotes about the eMac:

How's the screen clarity?
Click to expand...

Average quality none Aperature Grille CRT.

How's Apple's service?
Click to expand...

Decent if you spend $150 or so for Apple Care.

Do most PC accessories (printers, scanners (all USB, mind you) work with it?
Click to expand...

As long as they have Mac drivers available (95% of them should).

Would there be any problems with dialing-in to a server because of the different OS?
Click to expand...

Dialing in to a server? Huh?

Is there a good all-in-one chat alternative for the mac (mostly looking for ICQ and Y!)?
Click to expand...

No idea.

And most importantly: if something does go wrong, is it easy to fix?
Click to expand...

It's the worst of the all in ones. Forget any part replacement. With CRT inside, I probably would hesitate to even open the bitch up.

Matlock said:
Rebuying software? Relearning everything about computers? :lol

Surely you jest, they're mostly ICQ, e-mail, music, n' internet users. :P
Click to expand...

It's not like you provided abundance of info on them for us. :P
 
Matlock said:
Hrm, and a few sidenotes about the eMac:

How's the screen clarity?
Click to expand...

Very good. My wife has one that she's been using for almost 2 years now and she loves it.

How's Apple's service?
Click to expand...

Believe they are the top rated at the moment. My personal experience with the one time I've called them is that they won't treat you like an idiot and are more than willing to drop ship a machine to you if there is a problem.

Do most PC accessories (printers, scanners (all USB, mind you) work with it?
Click to expand...

Most but not all. If you've got some specifics I can probably give you an idea. Just about every printer that is USB. I would assume most scanners because I've gone through a few and now have one attached to my all in one that works just fine - but I dunno about that.
Would there be any problems with dialing-in to a server because of the different OS?

Is there a good all-in-one chat alternative for the mac (mostly looking for ICQ and Y!)?
Click to expand...

Plenty of them. Many people use Fire, many others use Adium. General purpose software won't be one of your problems.

And most importantly: if something does go wrong, is it easy to fix?
Click to expand...

If its a software problem - trivially easy. If its a hardware problem it depends on the model. eMacs have some trivially easy to fix pieces and some pieces that are just not fixable outside returning the unit to Apple (as is the case with most all in one type units).
 
Matlock said:
As in: is there a chance that the ghetto server in the middle of nowhere wouldn't recognize a 56k modem request from a mac instead of a PC? :P
Click to expand...
That would be have to be a pretty ghetto server if it can't recognize something that is supposed to be universally recognized.
 
You make a good point, and a solid one therein. I'll talk to el parentes about all of this. If they go along with it, to the apple store I go (right before I finish finals).
 
HP uses good, reliable parts in their computers. they're probably the best mainstream/name brand computer manufacturer out there.
 
Joe said:
HP uses good, reliable parts in their computers. they're probably the best mainstream/name brand computer manufacturer out there.
Click to expand...

Can't complain about HP... except for the morons who made a recovery disk that wasn't bootable from the DVD drive (fixing a friends computer).
 
Matlock said:
Would ye olde intellimouse explorer work with it? Also: are there any mac-styled two-button mice? I've never seen one.
Click to expand...

Yeah, just plug it in and it works fine. Got an optical one here and a tilt wheel on the wifes machine. For the additional functionality of the tilt and to be able to configure the buttons to do 'special' things you can just change the settings in the control panel or download Microsofts special hardware drivers that overrride OS functionality and use those.
 
Shog: I'm a Mac user who's critical of Apple, but I just want to say you do a good job of making sure those who suck from Jobs' tit have to second guess their unchecked fanboyism. All in good fun, eh?
 
Matlock said:
You make a good point, and a solid one therein. I'll talk to el parentes about all of this. If they go along with it, to the apple store I go (right before I finish finals).
Click to expand...
Ah, a student? You can get a student discount and get it for like at least fifty bucks less. Plus discounts on anything else you buy (even iPod).
 
Phoenix said:
Can't complain about HP... except for the morons who made a recovery disk that wasn't bootable from the DVD drive (fixing a friends computer).
Click to expand...

I can complain about HP. Thanks to that bitch, I lost a good job.
 
I'd recommend not getting an HP. Even Dells are better than HPs.

Why don't you just build them a PC? :\ It's cheap and you can get them exactly what they want and none of what they don't.
 
Rorschach said:
I'd recommend not getting an HP. Even Dells are better than HPs. HP's peripherals are pretty good for the most part, though.

Why don't you just build them a PC? :\ It's cheap and you can get them exactly what they want and none of what they don't.
Click to expand...

Ineptitude.
 
Agent Dormer said:
Shog: I'm a Mac user who's critical of Apple, but I just want to say you do a good job of making sure those who suck from Jobs' tit have to second guess their unchecked fanboyism. All in good fun, eh?
Click to expand...

I think most know by now that it's for shits and giggles. :)
 
do they need a monitor?

I just built a system for a friend that was only $875 without monitor and it is pretty damn sweet! It is sweet looking too!

56-101-456-03.JPG


Shuttle XPC SB83G5
Intel LGA 775 Pentium 4 520 2.8 GHz, 800MHz FSB
Kingmax 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200
XFX nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT PCI-E
Seagate 200GB 7200RPM
NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW

Probably $150 could be cut by dropping the HD size and using a lower end graphics card.
 
I don't know. Dell has some incredible deals if you look in the right place(fatwallet). And their services is one of the better rated ones. On the other hand HP sux, my school just got some new ones and the front cover of the case doesn't even work right. Their service is not all that good either.

I don't know nothing about Macs :P
 
Trust me for computer neophytes, an OS change is a HUGE deal. It is not to be undertaken lightly.

It took my mother around a year to get comfortable with freaking hotmail. Changing the entire OS would be like starting from below zero because she'd have to unlearn windows habits before starting to get comfortable with OSX.

Edit: How about getting a cheap Dell and one of the permium service packages?

Edit2: because it might be that Dell customer service was fine, but your mother needed extra support (almost to the point of a guy sitting there showing her how to do things) since she's a noob and all.
 
Between the fact it was an Indian guy who apparently wasn't too clear with english (she's had some experience with native Pakistanis, so it musta been bad), and when the HDD failed they ran through a step by step process of reseating the cables before even considering the mail-back process (mind you, we bought the premium 3-year warrantee).

Dell's kind of on her shit list.

As for being relatively new to computers: my mom knows how to do her stuff, and doesn't care much about the rest of it (although she ran a unix box at work for god knows how long). My dad's the only one I'd have to worry about, but all he ever does is gets on ICQ to talk to me or search for electrical schematics on google. :P
 
element said:
do they need a monitor?

I just built a system for a friend that was only $875 without monitor and it is pretty damn sweet! It is sweet looking too!

56-101-456-03.JPG


Shuttle XPC SB83G5
Intel LGA 775 Pentium 4 520 2.8 GHz, 800MHz FSB
Kingmax 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200
XFX nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT PCI-E
Seagate 200GB 7200RPM
NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW

Probably $150 could be cut by dropping the HD size and using a lower end graphics card.
Click to expand...

That's hot. Where did you get the parts?
 
Updates.

*$&%

Don't want to get an eMac, as they're releasing the G5 in early 2005, apparently.
Maybe want a Dell, but the prices are godawful inflated.
iBuyPower is definitely out, as they don't trust a non namebrand.

And the kicker? "Oh, my desktop isn't doing that anymore, but it's about time to upgrade anyway."

mad.gif


Too...much...hassle.
 
Matlock said:
Updates.

*$&%

Don't want to get an eMac, as they're releasing the G5 in early 2005, apparently.
Maybe want a Dell, but the prices are godawful inflated.
iBuyPower is definitely out, as they don't trust a non namebrand.

And the kicker? "Oh, my desktop isn't doing that anymore, but it's about time to upgrade anyway."

mad.gif


Too...much...hassle.
Click to expand...

New eMacs will probably be announced at MacWorld San Francisco in Jan/Feb timeframe.

Dude you can get cheap Dells ALL THE TIME. Just hit anandtechs hot deals forums, fatwallet or slickdeals.net and you'll start finding coupon codes and whatnot that will make your Dell dirt cheap. Hell for their needs, Dell was selling Good PowerEdge servers (nice for a desktop and had PCI-E) for less than $300 last week (and maybe still into this week). If you spend more than $500 bucks on a Dell - you spent too much.
 
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