Computer Recomendations

[jtm1631]

All right all you computer geeks, it is time to pony up and make a recomendation.

I have an old Dell PIII that takes about 20 minutes to boot up. Unfortunately, it has now started booting up to my desktop but will not run any programs. About one in every ten boot ups I can actually use the computer. I recently bought the kids an inexpensive eMachine to run games and let them surf the internet. Now it is time to replace my old Dell.

Here are my system requirements that I want:

P4
512MB Ram
DVD +/- R/RW
CD-R/RW
Windows XP

I use my machine for internet, turbo tax, excel spread sheets, etc. I will start using it to burn DVD's from our digital video camera. It seems most machines have the same specs in the $1,000 price range. The big question is build quality and customer service. I will not buy another Dell because of the horrible customer service provided by their reps in India. eMachines build quality is not high enough for the data I will be storing on this machine.

What other options are there? Sony, HP, any others?

Any recommendations on brands would be great. I am going to use my old 19" behomath monitor and old speakers, sub-woofers. I do have a new iPod I just got for my birthday so I will be downloading music files to use on the iPod.

The good news is I was pretty good about backing up all my digital pictures to CD so even if I can't get another boot out of my Dell, I won't lose anything other than my old data files.

One last question. I have the two machines on a wireless network to access the cable modem. I am assuming that if I get a new machine the best way to transfer some of the old data files from the Dell to the new machine is over the wireless network? The network is an 802.11b so I know it will take some time, but it seems to be my best option. I guess my other option is to use my iPod and copy files onto that and then transfer them over to the new machine. Any suggestions on this?

Sorry for the length, but I really appreciate any help.

JT

[Babaloo]

I'd still go with the Dell. Customer service is a sore point with all manufacturers and Dell is still rated among the highest in customer satisfaction as far as quality, warranty & services. I used to be a Gateway loyalist but they've fallen on hard times and their tech support has always sucked. There are deals to be had with Dell.
My two cents.

[Bumper]

HUH????

Sorry, just couldn't resist. Boy, can I ever be of assistance...NOT!!! I push the button, and if the lights don't come on...I call somebody. :o

There's lots of computer-clever folks that hang around the looney bin though, so I'm sure they'll be able to help. Good luck.

[sctx]

You may want to compare Dell to the cheaper E-Machines products with the AMD Athlon 2600 XP+ , 80 gig with ethernet and 6 USB ports....picked mine up on special sale @ Cosco for $399 ... it's pretty much a low budget screamer with all the faetures your looking for.... use it for games and hours upon hours of Excel/Access and Powerpoint work and digital pics.... was pretty amazed at how fast I can transfer over 100 high res pics to my hard drive.... zip bang done!!!

Oh yeah, I did have a minor problem (user)... but when I called tech supprt, I was connected immediately with ..... an American !!!

[tommy]

my computer was custom built by a friend..it has P4 all 512MB ram dvd cdrw I bought a 17 thin screen from another friend brand new in the bow for $350.00 and Im very happy with it it is 2.8g very fast and my cousin loaded a bunch od SW....the main things we use it for are I-net...Pic's and Music...I have about 1500 songs on it...I did just buy my daughter a Dell dimension 4600 for college....

we use Dell's at work....they work really good..I would go with a Dell or a Sony vaio..

[jtm1631]

Thanks for the comments (yeah, I guess even you Bumper ). I think I will probably end up with the Sony. Dell is not even an option. We have some at work and I can't stand being connected to India and dealing with the language barrier on tech support.

I used to build computers many moons ago, and while the idea of buying all the parts and putting a machine together myself is intriguing, I just don't have the time to do that. I want to be able to come home tonight, unpack the new machine, hook up the peripherals and be on my way.

I may check out Costco, but I have found that on Computer products, Circuit City and Best Buy usually have the same prices as Costco.

I'll let you know how things end up. Maybe if I have all the parts shipped to James, he will build a machine for me and I can pick it up in two weeks when I am down there.

JT

[Bumper]

Originally Posted by jtm1631

I think I will probably end up with the Sony.

Okay, it looks like you've made up your mind JT. So I can now throw in irrelevant stuff with a clear conscience. See...aren't you impressed with my restraint?

A POEM FOR COMPUTER USERS OVER 30

A computer was something on TV
From a science fiction show of note.
A window was something you hated to clean,
And ram was a cousin of a goat.

Meg was the name of my girlfriend,
And gig was a job for the nights.
Now they all mean different things,
And that really mega bytes.

An application was for employment.
A program was a TV show.
A cursor used profanity.
A keyboard was a piano.

Memory was something that you lost with age.
A CD was a bank account.
And if you had a 3-inch floppy,
You hoped nobody found out.

Compress was something you did to the garbage,
Not something you did to a file.
And if you unzipped something in public,
You’d be in jail for a while.

Log on was adding wood to the fire.
Hard drive was a long trip you were on.
A mouse pad was were a mouse lived,
And a back up happened in your john.

Cut you did with a pocket knife.
Paste you did with glue.
A web was a spider’s home.
And a virus was the flu.

I guess I’ll stick to my pad and paper,
And the memory in my head.
I hear nobody’s been killed in a computer crash,
But when it happens, they WISH they were dead.

[tommy]

very good Bumper....I remember the car biz before Pc's..or the internet....how did we get by?

[mckinzie]

Originally Posted by sctx

You may want to compare Dell to the cheaper E-Machines products with the AMD Athlon 2600 XP+ , 80 gig with ethernet and 6 USB ports....picked mine up on special sale @ Cosco for $399 ... it's pretty much a low budget screamer with all the faetures your looking for.... use it for games and hours upon hours of Excel/Access and Powerpoint work and digital pics.... was pretty amazed at how fast I can transfer over 100 high res pics to my hard drive.... zip bang done!!!

Oh yeah, I did have a minor problem (user)... but when I called tech supprt, I was connected immediately with ..... an American !!!

Spoken from a guy with DELL in his backyard

[mckinzie]

Originally Posted by jtm1631

Thanks for the comments (yeah, I guess even you Bumper ). I think I will probably end up with the Sony. Dell is not even an option. We have some at work and I can't stand being connected to India and dealing with the language barrier on tech support.

I used to build computers many moons ago, and while the idea of buying all the parts and putting a machine together myself is intriguing, I just don't have the time to do that. I want to be able to come home tonight, unpack the new machine, hook up the peripherals and be on my way.

I may check out Costco, but I have found that on Computer products, Circuit City and Best Buy usually have the same prices as Costco.

I'll let you know how things end up. Maybe if I have all the parts shipped to James, he will build a machine for me and I can pick it up in two weeks when I am down there.

JT

Contact my buddy

Tracey Day
DELL Inc.
Dcp Software/Accessories
Project Manager
Tracey_day(at)dell(dot)com
1-800-915-3355 ext. 51335

Tell him his buddy Mckinzie sent you

[sctx]

Originally Posted by mckinzie

Spoken from a guy with DELL in his backyard

Spoken from the guy that designed and installed the landscape entry to Building 1 at the the Dell Campus ... right under Mikes office !

[mckinzie]

Originally Posted by sctx

Spoken from the guy that designed and installed the landscape entry to Building 1 at the the Dell Campus ... right under Mikes office !

SWEET!!!
Was it bidded out or did your name speak for itself?

[sctx]

Originally Posted by mckinzie

SWEET!!!
Was it bidded out or did your name speak for itself?

No, they came to me , wanted to present an better image since they were starting to play with the big boys at that time ... plans and elevations went up to Mikes office for his approval... pretty cool actually... too bad he couldn't afford for me to do his house.... it turned into a huge fiasco and he ended up spending almost a million more than if he would have used our company.

[tommy]

from computer's to landscaping..you guy's are amazing...

[mckinzie]

Originally Posted by sctx

No, they came to me , wanted to present an better image since they were starting to play with the big boys at that time ... plans and elevations went up to Mikes office for his approval... pretty cool actually... too bad he couldn't afford for me to do his house.... it turned into a huge fiasco and he ended up spending almost a million more than if he would have used our company.

Damn!! I hate it when that happens.
I bet he has a pretty swanky house.