Now is when I really wish you were on the same coast as I was. One of the things we in my household is fix people up with computers. Not the latest gaming computers, but solid workhorses.
If you are going to be doing design, you will need a system that can handle some graphics. While a laptop may seem ideal at first, when it comes time to sit down and do design, you'll want a faster desktop and a good monitor. Your eyes and injured brain will thank you.
Talk to your adviser about the software you'll be using later on. That's what you need to get the computer for. Otherwise you'll always be on the upgrade treadmill, or waiting for the slow thing to load while you are trying to do your work. You may need to go with a Mac, although those are about twice as expensive. Most of the programmable sewing machines have a PC interface, however.
Do not get a PC with Vista - it's a failed OS. If you go with Windows, get either Windows XP or Windows 7.
For the quick and dirty, OpenOffice (a free software package) will open and write Word 97 files (.doc) without significant trouble. It doesn't do the newer Word 2007 .docx files that nobody likes. It also handles Excel 97 as well.
I work in the computer field, and have done (*shudder*) tech support. If you have questions, I'll try to answer them.
If you are going to be doing design, you will need a system that can handle some graphics. While a laptop may seem ideal at first, when it comes time to sit down and do design, you'll want a faster desktop and a good monitor. Your eyes and injured brain will thank you.
Talk to your adviser about the software you'll be using later on. That's what you need to get the computer for. Otherwise you'll always be on the upgrade treadmill, or waiting for the slow thing to load while you are trying to do your work. You may need to go with a Mac, although those are about twice as expensive. Most of the programmable sewing machines have a PC interface, however.
Do not get a PC with Vista - it's a failed OS. If you go with Windows, get either Windows XP or Windows 7.
For the quick and dirty, OpenOffice (a free software package) will open and write Word 97 files (.doc) without significant trouble. It doesn't do the newer Word 2007 .docx files that nobody likes. It also handles Excel 97 as well.
I work in the computer field, and have done (*shudder*) tech support. If you have questions, I'll try to answer them.
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