Hello all, I might be going to Florida at the end of the month, which of course calls for a massive shopping spree. My parents have been thinking about getting a new computer, and they think $1200 wil be enough to get a decent machine, and I agree. However, which one is the best one out there, considering our budget? Will an extra $100 get us a deal worth $1300 or is the difference insignificant? Also, is it better to build your own PC, get one at the big boys' (Compaq, Dell), or get one that has been built by such merchants as AlienWare (I think that's what they're called). I know how to set up a computer, but I'm afraid I do not know what hardware fits best with the other, which I've heard will cause great problems. I've also heard that computers from places such as Compaq are very hard to upgrade, which is something I don't want. I could also go through an internet merchant, as I have a mailing address in Miami. What would you do? PS- Prices are so high here in CR, that buying a computer in the US is worth it, trust me. ------------------ Nederland 2000 NBA+stupidity=Brand ROY NBA+common sense=Franchise MVP Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!
Ace, give us a little bit more specs. What is the primary reason for the machine? School work and study , gaming , built a web server in hopes to compete against Clutch.net , or view p*rn on the net . Since you said you know how to setup a computer, I assume you know some of the different parts. What are some of your minimum requirements for the speed of the processor, the size of your hard drive, how much RAM, do you need a monitor too and how big, etc...? If you can be a little bit more specific, I think we can give you a much better answer.
Get an iMac, ever since I got mine I have been in love with it. For $999 you can get a 350mhz G3, 6 gig, iMac. All macs are easy to upgrade and use is simple. Plus with the upcoming Mac OS X system Apple pulls into the lead over any competitor. Whatever your choice is you should definitely go with Apple. ------------------ THE DEAN HAS WRITTEN
The man specifically said he wanted a PC--not some toy. ------------------ stop posting my damn signature
I don't really have any minimum requirements, just a budget. The only things I truly want is a 19 inch monitor, something better than a celeron 466 (which I currently have), and DVD. The latter might not be possible because of my budget, though. A machine for web development use would be ideal, as I am currently finding that my computer is a bit slow when it comes to web design and such. ------------------ Nederland 2000 NBA+stupidity=Brand ROY NBA+common sense=Franchise MVP Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!
Pole: watch your mouth - my "toy" has designed web sites, done sophisticated audio recordings and smokin' graphics. Besides, the Mac is still the industry standard in the audio recording, video editing, graphics and desktop publishing industries. Nearly every major magazine and newspaper is layed out on a Mac. The majority of graphic design is done on a Mac. Most video editing houses use Macs and just about every song you hear on the radio (modern, that is) was recorded at least in part on a Mac. It isn't a crime for a computer to look good and be easy to use. But, right next to my iMac is a Dell, so I'm cool with both of them. They each have their pluses and minuses. ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com [This message has been edited by Jeff (edited May 19, 2000).]
Ha Ha; I was able to provoke the exact comments from the exact person I was looking to provoke. Actually, I've been thinking of getting a Mac; it could certainly make me a more well rounded network admin. ------------------ stop posting my damn signature
Ace, the last time I checked (which is about 3 or 4 months ago), a 19-inch monitor will run you at least $400. I have a Quantex (www.quantex.com) for about 3 years and have had no problem with it. For $1200 - $1300, you can get a descent machine. You can configure it to the way you want it (ie. HD, monitor, ram, cd or dvd (make sure you get decoder on board & not software decoding), soundcard, videocard, etc...). The only thing I didn't like about them is the selection of parts, there aren't that many to choose from.
For $1200-$1300, you can build a very good machine. FYI, if you're running a 466 MHz Celeron, stay away from any of the PII's. You will not see much of an improvement from the that CPU upgrade alone (without getting too geeky, Celerons are bastardized PII's, but cost a hell of a lot more). Also, you may wish to look at AMD Athlon-based PC's. If you're not comfortable troubleshooting your PC's, just buy one from a local store where you can take it back for servicing if needed. I personally put mine together myself simply because I can put whatever I want to put into it as opposed to some dealers who give you a fast CPU, but shortchange you on the video card or the sound card. Dollar amounts for similar PC's will vary greatly because of the different hardware (video cards, hard drives, etc.) used in them. So for $1300 you can get an average PC, while for $1200 you can get a screamer (for the most part). If I were forced to buy from a retailer, I'd only buy from 3-4 companies. Among them are Dell, Micron, Compaq, and Gateway, and possibly HP. Of course, you'll also end up paying more for these guys because they do use better parts than some of the cheesier dealers (and yeah, you pay for the name, too). You also said that your computer is a bit slow for web design. Slow in what way? What are you doing that makes it seem slow? What programs seem slow? The speed of your CPU isn't the only thing that matters in image processing, for example. Other things that GREATLY affect it are the video card and amount of memory. Some general guidelines for Windows PC's nowadays : Get at the very least 64MB of RAM. If you can, get 128, 256, or even more if you'll be doing image processing (depending upon how hardcore your graphics development is... LOL!). Get a PIII if you can. Most people can't tell the difference in speed between a Celeron 466 and a PII 500 on "everyday applications". Although for image manipulation the floating point advantage the PII has does give it somewhat of an advantage. Let's see here : PIII 667 CPU : $230-$240 Motherboard (several to choose from) : $85-$125 Mid-tower case : $50-$60 LS120 Drive (instead of a floppy) : $45-$50 19" Monitor : $300-$325 (for a decent one) 128MB RAM : $100 Soundblaster Live! OEM card : $40-$45 32MB GeForce video OEM card : $135-$155 48x Toshiba CD ROM : $40-$50 (add about $100-$150 for DVD) 20GB Maxtor IDE HD : $110-$115 Keyboard/mouse/cables, etc. : $50 I think I have everything in there. Total price for the above would be around $1150-$1350 if you built it yourself. It'll be more if you count shipping. The prices are just off the top of my head, but should be fairly accurate. You also get a pretty fast PIII as well. Some of the better PC store websites have online configurators which can give you an idea of what it will cost. One such site is at www.bunta.com. Good luck! ------------------ ? [This message has been edited by Dr of Dunk (edited May 19, 2000).]
Damn, DoD. I haven't even read the message, but the length of it already tell me you went through a great deal. Thanks! Ok, I'm going to read it now ------------------ Nederland 2000 NBA+stupidity=Brand ROY NBA+common sense=Franchise MVP Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!
DoD, Yeah, I do want something greater than a PII, as Celeron seems to be pretty similar to it. I want something worth getting a new computer, not something that is slightly better. The reason I am hesitant to build my own PC with an Athlon based system is because I have heard that certain pieces of hardware don't work well with Athlon. Can anyone elaborate on this point? Also, I've heard that building your own system can sometimes even be more expensive, as the deals that are out there nowadays at companies such as Dell now have constant "sales" which seem to be rather decent. About web design. I use FLASH, Fireworks, and Dreamweaver and often I want to switch between them. Opening those programs sure takes a while, which can get annoying, especially when you would actually want them to be working together. Just wondering, when replying, could you tell me about your (bad) experiences? The reason I'm asking you guys is because you live in the USA, and so you should have a good idea about the "deals" out there. The other day, Clutch posted a nice link to a shopping site. Thanks! Any other such links (doesn't have to be computer related) will sure be appreciated! ------------------ Nederland 2000 NBA+stupidity=Brand ROY NBA+common sense=Franchise MVP Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!
DoD, Which OS and the cost of for the system configuration above? Mango ------------------ Arch Stanton lives! Donate Blood!
I guess I assumed it would be a Windows system and he already had Windows. As for the cost, are you talking about the cost of the system? I think it's around $1100-$1300. The OS varies, but you can get Windows 2000 OEM with that setup for about $120. You can get Win98 even cheaper. ------------------ ?
Pole: glad you enjoyed that I thought you'd appreciate it!!! On that topic, you really ought to at least try the G4. If I could afford one, I'd get it in a heartbeat. That thing is ridiculous and with Soft Windows, the world is at my feet....um, I mean fingers. Oh, whatever. ------------------ "No one gets out ALIVE!" SaveOurRockets.com
I'm glad to see some Mac users here! I use both PCs and Macs and I am fluent in both. There are good points for both platforms. Personally, I have an iMac. The only way I would ever buy a Wintel computer is if I wanted a larger library of games to choose from. Ace, are you only looking to buy a Windows computer? ------------------ I need a new signature. 302
Yes, I am planning to get such a system. I was wondering if the internet has better deals than the actual stores have in the USA. Does anyone know? ------------------ Nederland 2000 NBA+stupidity=Brand ROY NBA+common sense=Franchise MVP Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!
The Internet always has better deals than the average CompUSA, Micro Center, Computer City, etc. Try www.shopper.com and www.pricewatch.com for prices. ------------------ ?
To add to DoDs thorough coverage: Seeks savings in every component (eg, don't buy the latest chip), and place that savings into a phat monitor, peripherals and software. I could tell you some scary stories about Intel's marketing dept from their chip engineers. Good Monitors do not go obsolete. You can always tuck them under your arm and use them in your next machine. Bad monitors will lose convergence within 3 years easy. I've had a 2nd-tier 21" Nanao for 5 years and 3 machines now. That baby was $2,100 in 95 and still maintains its top convergence. Todays equivalent Nanao is at $1,500 to show you how prices have dropped. A $500-600 Viewsonic will make you very happy for years to come. An Intel chip will never make you proud like that for years to come. It looks like you have the software budget covered (already own it or pirated it). I strongly recommend ignoring the chip. Go for biggest savings and get a monitor and 128MB memory. The memory will get those 3 programs to open, not the chip, and the good monitor will give you space to use those 3 programs, better, plus it tends to get you to use your machine more. I know a great deal about monitors and virtual memory, and can assure you that the chip will not solve your problems, and bad monitors (of any size, especially the bigger ones) do cause headaches. The best monitor for the price is Viewsonic, pretty much hands down. Any of my friends who have taken my advice to look for savings in all parts and put that into a better monitor have always thanked me, later. [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited May 24, 2000).]
