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| If I had to buy a brand, I'd go with Dell, one of their enterprise/professional models.
They are usually more "standard" than HP or Compaq, making it easier and cheaper to upgrade them past the warranty, although even Dells are pretty much integrated these days, not much empty space wasted for potential extensions, especially the compact cases
But I haven't bought one for years, so don't take my word for it. Maybe check Consumer Reports, select a few models from different manufacturers that you may like and look for customer reviews. Computer magazines are probably mostly ads, I don't know if there's one that publishes honest reviews ;) I haven't bought a computer magazine for at least 8 years, when I used to subscribe to several monthly and weekly magazines a looooong time ago...
There's also some Asian brands that might be worth looking at, like Asus or Acer. I have no clue what they offer though.
I also think a PC is best for computer education, good choice.
How old are your kids, if I may ask?
Old enough to program mobile phone apps? ;)
As for Windows, I personally use Windows 7 on the desktop, but I have to build another one soon, so I'll probably try the latest 8.1.1. The next 8.1.2 update will apparently reintroduce the Start menu, so it may be workable without third party Start menu app if you can click on the Start menu icon or press the Windows key from the Desktop without launching the Metro full scream interface, just the Desktop Start menu. I usually prefer to go with the latest version of Windows for security reasons, and also for the longest support duration, as we've seen for XP, although it's never been a concern for my desktop computers. Unlike hardware, like CPUs, the latest version of Windows does not really costs more than the ones it replaces, another argument for staying on top. | |
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Needing a new pc, which one?
