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Need new desktop
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paul the original
Posted 9/19/2016 08:43 (#5537384 - in reply to #5537098)
Subject: RE: Need new desktop


southern MN
I see a nice i7 tower Dell on their business site for $860, that's not too much over your Asus price below.

I've heard good things on Asus too, so would not be a wrong choice there either.

I've helped a couple dozen folks order online, and most have been Dell around here, I think I'm on their good-deal list by now, might influence my view. ;) they had a period when their support wasn't the best, as most companies go through, but seem to be ok again. I liked Dell towers and HP laptops for a long time, then HP said they were going to get out of computer hardware so I avoided them - HP still out there, changed their mind.

In general most of the brands that aren't the absolute cheapest at Best Buy/ Walmart are pretty good.

The business labeled models are a tad higher but generally worth it, offer a machine that will handle newer softer a year or two longer than the bargain machines, don't need to buy new so often.

Avoid anything that has 'Celron' in the specs, that is a half brain dead processor will slow any computer way way down.

I don't pay attention to processor speed, as long as it's a good modern processor. Often a bit of a graphics chip or card upgrade will make the computer appear faster than a tad faster processor. A solid state small hard drive to hold the operating system likewise makes an average processor appear much faster.

If one can pick out the right pieces and get them together under the hooded one can have a much better computer of average pieces, rather than having one special fast expensive part but surrounded by poor cheap bits that make the whole computer sluggish.......

It's hard to advise on that in a general way, every need is a little different.



When XP was new a couple relatives wanted a computer they were on the poor side of things and needed low end, what should they get? I said don't get a Celron chip, avoid 2 brands at Best Buy they are cheap slow junk, and I have a $10 printer cable I will sell you don't buy a expensive cable from them they are trying to make extra on that from you. Anything else will suit you fine.

They went off bought one, asked me over to set it up for them.

It was an Acer Celron lowest of the line cheap junk machine. And he pulled out the $35 printer cable he proudly said would make the printer work better because the clerk told him so.

Oh, if that had spent that $35 on a better computer, I would have given them my cheap printer cable for free.....

That Acer was such poor components it barely ran XP out of the box.

And they kinda got on hard times, so the computer was their only entertainment out in the country. I had to keep it running for them for 11 years, went from dial up to DSL (I told thrm the Internet will be faster than the computer.....) I had to put in a spare either net card the computer didn't come with one. At about 6 years it wouldn't keep up, they begged if I could adjust something, keep it going just one more year. I said going from half a gig to one gig memory would help, but it's not worth it. But we did, for 25 bucks or so. That got them to 11 years. It took 7 minutes to boot the machine by the end. Finally avast (or avg?) ran out of room to run, there just weren't enough resources on the machine any more. They wondered if we could upgrade something, they are poor.....

Thankfully a lightening storm took it out. Could we replace... No! It's dead Jim, give it a proper burial! You used it for twice as long as it should have, you bought the worst possible machine you could, let it die....... I looked it over but I wasn't going to actually try anything with it, just had to ease them into the 'it's dead' concept.

Whew.

Went shopping with them, went along this time, they agreed they needed to buy better than they did last time, not the bottom end junk.

But get there and, oh we are poor, have to shop the bottom of the lineup.... (They have motorcycles, JD lawn mower, one trades vehicles every 2-3 years, they aren't as poor as they say.....) I got them moved up to a $340 laptop which was low end but had some performance. They were agreeing the extra $20 might be an ok investment over the aweful low end laptop in the line......

And then the Walmart salesman says, well we have some clearance laptops out back, year old but more economical........

And my hour of preaching went up in smoke.

They saw a clearance laptop for $289 instead from out back, and I could see in their eyes anything said would not be heard. All they saw was $$$$$.

So, they came home with the $289 Celron laptop, not much memory, a year old slower processor......

Sigh.

They were really happy with how 'fast' it was. Compared to their XP wreck, I suppose.

But oh, what another $55 would have bought them, a much faster, much more capable machine. And that was still a bargain cheap one, but it would have had the components match up to work well. Skip 3 times eating out and they could have had such a nicer machine - which I know they will try to use for 12 years......

Sigh.

I'm just a simple dirt farmer, I've not paid so much attention to computers of late, lot of you know worlds more then me.

Trying to help folks out can be interesting, those of you who do this more steady must have some good stories on it all.

This deal was my most disappointing 12 year computer adventure, I take no pay for any of this help with friends and cousins, I just love to see the smile when things start working again or when they get a machine that works well for them.

It was just so disappointing to me to see these 2 choose the worst path twice, and then look at me why doesn't the machines keep up with what we try to do......



Man I wrote a book here, no one will read to the end of this! It is misting again this morning, guess I'm taking my hay making frustrations out on my virtual keyboard for no reason.

Paul
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