I'm in the market for a new computer and am kind of on a budget. the wife needs the computer for basic spreadsheet work and word processing. I will be using it for downloading music, searching the net, trying to figure out how use the torrent, burning cd's....
Just wanted to know what kind of computer i should be looking for...how many mhz, ram, hard drive space, what kind of sound card and or video card,.....remember i'm kind of on a budget. i've really only checked out the stuff at mdg.ca
any help would be appreciated.
You could also check out Dell as well. I've seen some decent machines for about $550, including monitor and printer.
i would not go with one of those 'local companies'. ive heard way too many horror stories with them and it seems they are built to crash right after the warranty is up. I bought a dell 2.5 years ago and just had it (the hard drive) crash on me. The warranty was up after a year, but they still fixed it free of charge. Stick to a name you can trust!
Get a Mac! It'll do everything you've mentioned and more.
Many Mac retailers have the previous generation of iMacs available at cut rates. If it'll run OSX you'll be happy. The only thing is the tend to appear more expensive - but if you get right down to the details of the components, you'll see that they cost about the same as PC's.
im with chris on this im using a powerbook g4 and its amazing
look into getting a g3 which is pretty kick ass or even look into emacs if you want a g4
there fairly cheap
If you can find an eMac with a SuperDrive - buy it! Loads of power, DVD burning, CD burning, big HD, enough RAM, etc. etc.
I'll have to agree with Chris! Macs are the way to go. places like Carbon Computing & Mac Warehouse can give you some pretty good deals on them. If you can get an eMac with a Superdrive, you are set for ANY kind of burning you want to do. Plus you wife can do everything she wants to do with spreadsheets etc.
I wouldn't suggest going to a future shop or best buy for their package deals because their pretty much rape you and leave you to fend for yourself. Not a good feeling.
Trevor
Far be it from me to join the stereotypical PC vs Mac flame war but...
Sounds to me like you're not someone who knows computers, and computers are a confusing and terrifying mess for people who don't know them.
Buy a service plan, not a computer.
By that I mean, when you purchase your computer, the most important part of it is the service plan you'll get to assist you if anything goes wrong.
When someone who isn't a computer person is thinking of buying one, I usually only have 1 word for them: Dell
I'd go take a look at Dell's site if I were you.
Personally, and I suspect it was entirely due to too many years working with PCs, but that last time I had to work on a MAC, it was an exercise in frustration and insanity. To the tune of I went for lunch and when I got back, my boss had stabbed the computer, it still worked and all that...but I think that says enough... he stabbed it.
Sunday
if your going to play games on your computer then i dont suggest getting a mac. Only blizzard software is compatible with mac. Although i have heard of a Macgames store somewhere...??
Games play fine on a Mac, and in some cases better than PC's. The only problem is that there aren't a lot of games available, nor are there as many compatible peripheral controllers. USB has closed the gap somewhat, but there still is a disparity.
If you are in the States, stop by an "Apple Store" (not just any store that sells Macs, and Official Apple Computers store) - and check out the games/computers.
Apple still makes computers?
cferneyh Wrote:Apple still makes computers?
Are you trolling? What's the point of your "question"?
Thanks everyone for your opinions, i didn't mean to start a MAC vs IBM war. I'm hoping i'll have my new computer in a couple of weeks
(hopefully with a dvd burner) Once i get my computer i want to start helping out others and burning shows for anyone who needs help.
Thanks
Darnell
I agree Sunday_Gamer... get a PC. They are much more commonly used and therefore there is much more support out there. Plus, if you use a computer at work, it is probably a PC, which means that you'll already be familiar with it (or will be familiar with what you could be using on the job in the future).
I also agree that service is key... and if you go with Dell, you don't have to spend much, but will still get the service. They have a Dimension 2400 listed for only $499. However, I would strongly recommend upgrading your RAM from 128 MB to 256 or 512 (so that your computer won't slow down when running many programs at once), your hard drive from 40 GB to 80 GB (if you plan on saving a lot of songs, movies, pictures, etc) and adding a burner like you mentioned. All of these, plus an extended warranty will still keep you under $1000.
chris Wrote:cferneyh Wrote:Apple still makes computers?
Are you trolling? What's the point of your "question"?
Settle down slugger. I think it is pretty clear that my comment was tongue in cheek sarcasm. Man, you Mac Nazis have zero sense of humour. You all take every anti-Mac comment as a personal attack. It's a friggin computer!
For the record, I have an iPod and I love it, but I'd hate to purchase a Mac as my first computer and run into situations where software X won't work on my Mac, etc etc etc.