|
southern MN | Anyhow I'd wait now - Windows Vista is not popular, and the next great operating system is about to be released. Sounds like it's not much better than Vista, but - at least you would get to skip the Vista mess if you wait a little while yet.
I like Dell, they took over for what Gateway was doing a decade ago - good price, good (in relative, computer terms) service.
You don't need much, even if you upgrade to a faster internet, you are not pushing a basic computer.
I always think the slowest processor they put in a computer is going to be slow, might want to bump that option up to 'better than a Celron'. Less waiting at the keyboard.
Memory, you need 1 gig, better to have 2. Nothing wrong with 3, these operating systems are getting huge.
Hard drive, you likely won't fill what it on the basic model. If you need to spend money, one that spins faster will help some things run faster - bigger size is only if you collect every file you find on the internet for 6 years - faster speed is a better bang for the buck, but really no need to upgrade unless you already know why you need it faster.
Graphic card is the only other option to bother looking at. Better cards allow the pictures to be drawn faster on your screen. If you are on high-speed internet, do some graphics editing, or play games, a faster graphic card above 'the cheapest possible' might be worth looking at. Can help prevent some waiting at the keyboard as the pictures draw.
For right now, the guys are right - you got a good computer that works fine with dialup. Just needs to be cleanned out. Just went to my cousin last week, shot the bull until 2:00am, and updated/ cleaned/ looked over his computer for the annual checkup. Helped him pick that Dell out 6 years ago, it's working fin with his DSL internet. Was a fun night. Look forward to it each spring. They have no clue on computers, he just uses it for looking up tractorhouse & ebay info, and emails. His daughter loads it down with myspace/etc stuff, that is where it is starting to get slow on - heavy graphics, big big pages to download and store & display.
We figure it has another year in it at least. They have been real happy with the computer, and went with my suggestions about as above when buying it.
You should be good with what you have until you get away from dial-up.
Both my desktop computers are older than my cousin's! Both Dells. Work fine. We've had 2 of these 3 lock-up - mine from an aborted update that wiped out the device manager - his from about 600 spyware/ virus/ worm infections - they didn't know when the antivirus licence was up, bad things happen.... :) Cleaned those machines up & reformatted them, they ran real fast again. You need all those original disks _and_ the paper sleeves with the serial numbers on them.
Anyhow, think a little cleanup and you would be good to go for another year with what you do & have.
--->Paul | |
|
I need a new computer
