TIF: Help Me Decide

[Faux]

Alright, I have a chance of upgrading my current desktop. It's 5 year old and really really crappy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<256 MB RAM

 

 

 

<30 GB HD

 

 

 

17" CRT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, my options are between a desktop and a laptop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please don't tell me to 'build' my own desktop because I don't know and it's not my money so I don't want to risk it. Maybe next time, but I just don't trust myself as of now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If its a desktop, what model/manufacturer would you recommend?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If its a laptop, what model/manufacturer would you recommend? Would I be better off with a Macbook and just bootcamp Windows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm going to uni the year after next. Whichever one I don't get (laptop/desktop), I'll get it next year. But for now, I have to decide which one I'm getting before the other. Like for desktop, should I wait for next year til the bugs in Vista have been ironed out or if for a laptop, are any good ones coming out? Or if I do get a laptop, should I get a macbook later because of the Leopard?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Target price is about $1500 CAD / $1350 USD. I'll prolly end up paying about $ 2k after taxes and accessories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being indecisive ftl :|

[Jaziek]

If ur gettin a good PC/laptop the year after next anyway.. dont worry too much abt this one..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wud go for a desktop this time... Advent are a pretty good make.. mine hasnt needed new parts or anything in 3 years...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do U want some guidance for specs as well?

[Chris]

For a ready made PC you really can't beat Dell...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They do make good computers and they have good warranties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not to mention they're cheap as chips...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only problem with most Dell desktops is they don't play games very well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dunno if that's a problem for you as you don't have a very good PC atm anyway. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously though, look through Dell.com. You should be able to find something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd get a cheap desktop this year and go for a more expensive laptop next year for going to Uni. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember, cheap desktop? DELL! :mrgreen:

[JoeDaStudd]

It depends on;

 

 

 

*What you will use it for

 

 

 

*Does it need to be portable

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you plan on playing the lastest games then its going to cost more but perform better all round. But if your only going to use it for homework and websurfing, it isn't going to cost much but wont be able to play many new games if any.

 

 

 

If it needs to be portable (ei movede around atleast once or twice a week) then a labtop is going to be what you need, these takes a desktop out of the options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dell are a good all round company for PC/Laptops, theyre cheap and offer fairly good warrenties.

 

 

 

Personally I would go for a desktop, with a decent Core 2 Duo Processor, 1Gb or more RAM (533Hz or better), DVD-RW, a decent graphics card (onbaord is okay if your not planning on gaming on it).

 

 

 

As for laptops, if your going to get one look for a dual core processor and and okay graphics card (remember is nearly impossible to change a laptops graphics card, so pick a good one.)

[zonda]

Get the desktop first, and then once you hit uni get the laptop. Laptops are useful for classes and what not, more so then a desktop can be since you can work on your stuff whereever you are, plus if the proff's allow it you can use it to take notes in class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a premade desktop, you can get decent one's much cheaper then $2000, dell's good. They have their downsides, but for what your asking for they sound good for you.

[Mementh]

i recomend at least checking out "leo's picks"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.twit.tv/dell it has some decent dells and if you purchase though that link twit.tv gets a small cut (a good netcast network )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if you want a budget one

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the $649 one that is listed AT THIS MOMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dell Dimension E520 Desktop Computer

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Intel Pentium D 820 @ 2.80GHz

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst CacheÃÆââââ¬Ã¾Ãââ

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 19 inch display

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if you want a high end you can't beat too easily $2964 though (more then you want)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dell XPS 700 Red Desktop Computer

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 @ 1.86GHz

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst CacheÃÆââââ¬Ã¾Ãââ

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 20 inch display

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but if you click though you can work out what you need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if you want vista you can purchase it as a addon.. but i want to stress.. when you get vista you need to WIPE your computer (Start over) because upgrading from one major windows os to another usually is a MAJOR problem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

btw this is what i chose going though as what i felt is a good gaming/home computer ( i started with the $649 deal and upgraded from there) (also listing why i chose what)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The total cost for what i chose $1,108 USD so its well within your limits and gives you some room for additional addons/changes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hardwear

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ PentiumÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâî D Processor 820 with Dual Core Technology (2.80GHz, 800FSB)

 

 

 

(upgrade supposed to be a better processor)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Genuine WindowsÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâî XP Media Center 2005 Edition

 

 

 

(basic OS that they choose)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium from XP Media Center Edition

 

 

 

(premium edition is easyer IMHO to use in windows XP, and since its no cost xtra :/ )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 4DIMMs

 

 

 

(ram is like candy, you can never have enough, 4 gigs ram is the most that windows XP will address (there is a known issue with java and ram over 2 gigs, there is a simple fix to do to allow runescape to run best)

 

 

 

(if you needed to save money go with 2 gigs and save $211)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst CacheÃÆââââ¬Ã¾Ãââ

 

 

 

(you can buy a 400 gig drive from a computer store from about $200 later on)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 16x DVD+/-RW Drive

 

 

 

( i chose a only one drive since if you want to copy a DVD or CD you should copy it to the hard drive for a temportary solution)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 19 inch UltrasharpÃÆââââ¬Ã¾Ãââ 1907FP Digital Flat Panel

 

 

 

(decent monitor size)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache

 

 

 

(best video card IMHO since i prefer Nvidia, add $41 if you want ATI)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Integrated Sound BlasterÃÆââ¬Å¡ÃâîAudigyÃÆââââ¬Ã¾Ãââ HD Software Edition

 

 

 

(works well, and if you ever play old classic games they more then likely worked with sound blaster)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Accessories

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Dell AS501 10W Flat Panel Attached Spkrs for UltraSharpÃÆââââ¬Ã¾Ãââ Flat Panels

 

 

 

(gives sound, unless you already have a setup you prefer get it :) )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse

 

 

 

(basic mouse/keyboard, can't remove)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ No Floppy Drive Included

 

 

 

(most people don't use floppies anymore, but if you do, add)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 56K PCI Data Fax Modem

 

 

 

(you probabbly wont be using this but it adds no cost)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Softwear

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ No productivity suite- Includes Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD

 

 

 

(get open office which is free or add for a small increase in charge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ No Security Subscription

 

 

 

(get the free virus scanner AVG and firewall Kerio (also free but nags sometimes to purchase the full version for options most people don't need)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ No preinstalled software

 

 

 

(you probabbly wont need anything here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Service

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service

 

 

 

(basic, IMHO parts fail in the first 30-90 days for hard drives and DVD/CD drives if there is a defect and other parts usually within the first year)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ 6 Months of EarthLink Internet Access Included

 

 

 

(can't remove in options, you probabbly wont ever need, uninstall as soon as you can)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also Includes

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Mouse included in Wireless, Laser or Bluetooth Package

 

 

 

(basic mouse/keyboard combo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ AdobeÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâî AcrobatÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâî Reader 7.0

 

 

 

(free software, dell gets paid to put it in)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Integrated 10/100 Ethernet

 

 

 

(used for high speed access which you probabbly have)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Windows VistaÃÆââââ¬Ã¾Ãââ Capable

 

 

 

(eh)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãââ Award Winning Service and Support

 

 

 

(use the local service its cheaper IMHO)

[insane]

I would recommend getting a laptop for university. It's up in the air for me because of your timing - buying a laptop now would be a bad idea, I think. Especially if you're going to go mac, since they have random large drops in pricing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want a cheap desktop to tide you over until university, get a Dell. They may have a bad rep around Ontario, but even if their hardware goes out on you, they have good warranties to keep you covered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd suggest getting a cheap desktop now, and then a laptop for university, if you can afford it. That way in two years we'll be able to tell more if buying a mac is worth it - it gives you some time to see what will happen in the PC/Mac front.

[Mementh]

I would recommend getting a laptop for university. It's up in the air for me because of your timing - buying a laptop now would be a bad idea, I think. Especially if you're going to go mac, since they have random large drops in pricing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want a cheap desktop to tide you over until university, get a Dell. They may have a bad rep around Ontario, but even if their hardware goes out on you, they have good warranties to keep you covered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd suggest getting a cheap desktop now, and then a laptop for university, if you can afford it. That way in two years we'll be able to tell more if buying a mac is worth it - it gives you some time to see what will happen in the PC/Mac front.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a decent mac can dual boot to windows nowadays and/or use parallels to run side by side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this means you get the best or worst of all worlds

[Faux]

Thanks for the posts. I'm kind of leaning to the laptop right now. I realized that if I get a desktop now, it's going to be obsolete once Vista comes out with the new GFX cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Macbook, I'm not sure of that anymore either. I'm not really a multimedia person so the advantages of having a Mac doesn't really apply to me. And of the 5 years I've had this computer, I've never had any problem with virus and such. The only thing I thought I'd want it for is cause it looks really sleek... and that's pretty much it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my friends recommended this Toshiba laptop a couple of days ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toshiba Satellite A100-TA9C 15.4" Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 1.83GHz Media Center Laptop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Processor Type Intel Core 2 Duo T5600

 

 

 

Screen Size 15.4"

 

 

 

RAM (Preloaded / Maximum) 2GB DDR2 (Exp. To 4GB)

 

 

 

Hard Drive 160GB SATA 5400RPM

 

 

 

Optical Drives DVD+/- Super-Multi Double Layer

 

 

 

Graphics NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 with 128MB DDR

 

 

 

Average Battery Life 3 Hours 27 Minutes

 

 

 

Product Weight 2.8 kg

 

 

 

Audio Type Realtek 861 Software, 16-Bit Stereo

 

 

 

Battery Type Lithium-Ion

 

 

 

Cache 32KB/32KB L1, 2MB L2

 

 

 

Fax/Modem 56K V.92

 

 

 

I/O Ports See The Features Section

 

 

 

Included In Box See The Features Section

 

 

 

Network Card See The Features Section

 

 

 

Other Software See The Features Section

 

 

 

PC Card Slots 1 Type II, CardBus, 1 Express Card

 

 

 

Pointing Device Touchpad

 

 

 

Preloaded Operating System Windows XP Media Center Edition

 

 

 

Processor Speed 1.83GHz

 

 

 

Product Dimensions 26.70(W) x 3.68(H) x 36.00(D) cm

 

 

 

Removable Storage No

 

 

 

Screen Type XGA TFT

 

 

 

Speakers Built-In Stereo Speakers

 

 

 

System Bus 667MHz FSB

 

 

 

Warranty 1 Year Parts & Labour Limited

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$1,599.99 CAD?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm going to be looking into some Dell, Acer, and HP laptops as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

edit: Alright, I looked around Dell's website and I think the 12.1" XPS isn't a bad deal @ $1,489 CAD. Just not so sure if 12.1 is a bit tad too small. I read a review of notebookreviews.com and it seems decent.

[Kinslayer777]

A laptop will be MUCH more obselete. Unless there's a massive benefit to the laptop DONT GET IT! Desktop wouldn't exist if it wasnt better :) Desktops will be more powerful then any laptop of the equal price. Laptops need to have less hot proccessers, space cutback (my graphics card would fill up over a fourth of any massive laptop even :P)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dont recommend dell after looking at a few of the crap configurations they 'recommended' for a friend. They nearly got him buying a conroe system but with everything else being TRASH so it looked good but would be worthless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.ibuypower.com has extremely cutthroat prices (especially for being able to customize parts alot). Be wary of their cases, talk to the customer support via text if your configuration doesn't have a good case. They have certain cases you have to request, like the Antec P180 which is way better then the crap flashy cases they show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, two warnings:

 

 

 

1. A few people claim it's not great. Don't expect any better support then you'd get from Dell. Its not greatest support.

 

 

 

2. You still need to research parts you want. http://www.tomshardware.com to see what parts are good.

 

 

 

3. Try out different configurations of the same things. Prices vary. Check newegg.com to compare to ideal things. I found is sometimes even beeing slightly cheaper then newegg.

 

 

 

No.2 isn't a warning, just a note.

[Kinslayer777]

 

 

 

a decent mac can dual boot to windows nowadays and/or use parallels to run side by side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this means you get the best or worst of all worlds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Macs are even more overpriced then windows. Dual booting would require dropping another 200 dollars. Ridiculous waste of 18% of his budget. Even more if you aren't factoring in the fact mac hardware is overpriced.

[Fadfdfd]

Do you go on a lot of trips and are away from you house a lot? Do you have a TV in your room that you would put the desktop?

[zonda]

A laptop will be MUCH more obselete. Unless there's a massive benefit to the laptop DONT GET IT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree for the most part - especially if your going to be gaming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if you are going to be gaming, then I retract my previous statement and say don't go with dell... anything that isn't a mid-range system from them has been overpriced to the max, and junk for how much your paying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like I said, if I were you get the desktop now - and use the laptop once you get into college, they are very useful in a small dorm room or to take to class / the library / ect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just note that they will both be obsolete come 2 years :-k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I were you I would just get the laptop - especially if its more for work and school then horsing around on games.

[Kinslayer777]

Wohoo Zonda agreed with me ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another note: If you become adament for Dell then make make *make* sure you research the configuration they suggest. Please? I'd really hate anyone get nearly screwed like my friend :s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<>

[Faux]

If I do game on the laptop, expect them to be simple stuff like Gunbound or something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think gaming and laptop go hand in hand. If I do want to game, I'll wait for Vista and the DX10 video cards then get a desktop. Also, I can afford a much better budget (for the desktop) come next year once I get a job + my parents' money. Besides, I might be getting a 360 come Christmas so there's really no need to game on the computer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So pretty much, I need something for work and stuff. A laptop will be really useful because of the self-directed learning highschool I go to. My question now is what laptop :|

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And thanks for everyone for posting, it's very appreciated :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Kinslayer, if I do get that dell, I'll opt in for a dedicated video card

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Fad, no TV and I don't travel a lot