New Computer

[Cavtrooper088]

My old computer, a seven year old Dell, has finally given up the spirit. If you were buying a new computer would you go with one of the big names like Dell, or would you have one built locally? I use Excel and both my wife and I enjoy computer games.

Cavtrooper088

[LarryJ]

You can buy a very well-equipped new Dell for what you would pay for any other PC, be it local or a name brand.

I am using a Dell Hybrid that my wife picked out off of QVC, for, like, $600 bucks. I've also an Acer 17" laptop that is as good as most any desktop that you can buy (3gb memory, 300gb hard drive, dual AMD Athlon processors, etc.) that she also bought at QVC....don't remember what she paid for it, but it was less than $1,000. The days of someone building "homemade" computers and being able to sell them and make any kind of profit, has driven some of these "hobbyist builders" in order to be able to compete with the "big boys" to use cheaper and cheaper componets.

Which is a shame. I used to have clients that I provided very "expensive" software "packages" to, and I'd build highly "specific" desktops for these apps. No more. They can now go to Best Buy, etc., and pick one off the shelf with the same capabilities.

[Cavtrooper088]

You can buy a very well-equipped new Dell for what you would pay for any other PC, be it local or a name brand.

I am using a Dell Hybrid that my wife picked out off of QVC, for, like, $600 bucks. I've also an Acer 17" laptop that is as good as most any desktop that you can buy (3gb memory, 300gb hard drive, dual AMD Athlon processors, etc.) that she also bought at QVC....don't remember what she paid for it, but it was less than $1,000. The days of someone building "homemade" computers and being able to sell them and make any kind of profit, has driven some of these "hobbyist builders" in order to be able to compete with the "big boys" to use cheaper and cheaper componets.

Which is a shame. I used to have clients that I provided very "expensive" software "packages" to, and I'd build highly "specific" desktops for these apps. No more. They can now go to Best Buy, etc., and pick one off the shelf with the same capabilities.

Thanks LarryJ--that does makes a lot of sense.

Cav

[Pete53]

The reason that you want to buy a name brand computer is cause they usually come with hundreds of dollars worth of software. If I was you I would look at the sales. In Dallas we have to big computer stores that usually compete pretty hard Fry's and Micro Center.

I have a Gateway

Gateway LX6810-01 Desktop PC with TV Tuner

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz / 8GB RAM / 640GB Hard Drive / DVD±R/RW Drive / GeForce GT120 Graphics / TV Tuner / Vista Home Premium 64-Bit SP2

It cost 650 bucks and I bought a nice monitor to go with it for 200.

The only thing that sucks about it is Vista 64

I think that if you wait a short time you will be able to get Windows 7 supposedly a much better Operating System

[vet12]

I may be buying a new computer soon myself. Mine is 7 years old.Thanks for the info. I have a question. I don't have Vista on my computer. No one that I know speaks very highly of it. What are your opinions? Also a friend says a replacement for Vista may be coming out soon. ???

Thanks,

Vet12

[carlie]

Don't know if this helpa or not but,

I know that Tbird went to a Mac and swears by it.

carlie