I need computer advice.
Well, it seems that the half-decade-old hand-me-down computer we've been limping along with at home has finally given up the ghost. And the next hand-me-down computer that somebody gave us recently sorta worked, except its modem appears to have been unprepared for actual use, and gave the death rattle the first time we tried to use it to actually get online. Thusly is dionysusdevotee once again stuck on the mountain with no internets.
I think we are just about fed up to death with hand me down computers that fail after 3 months of use. I'm considering scraping together enough money to actually buy a NEW computer. Which I never do, and I am not sufficiently schooled in what's out there and what's good, so I need advice.
Here's what we need: A RELIABLE, good machine that will not F#@%ING be dead in two months or cost me a fortune. It does not have to be absolutely top-of-the-line, but it needs to have enough memory and processing speed that it can keep up with most internet content. We need it for internet, storing and playing music, and maybe watching a movie on now and then. Energy efficiency would be good too.
We're used to using Windows machines, but not attached. I could learn Mac if it was worth my while.
We also need to switch to a high energy-efficiency monitor, like maybe a flat screen of some kind. The monster that we've got just devours our energy and that won't work in the wintertime. I'm willing to buy a monitor separately from the computer, maybe even used, if it saves money, but I've had it with used computers.
I probably cannot spend more than $600 at the most. I really need to get my money's worth so I'm looking for the best I can get within that budget.
What do you people recommend? Is any manufacturer or retailer better than others?
The Dell website has a build-your-own thing where you can pick your components and put a package together, and it seems like a decent setup can be had within that budget, but I don't know if Dell is a good buy or not.
Halp!
I think we are just about fed up to death with hand me down computers that fail after 3 months of use. I'm considering scraping together enough money to actually buy a NEW computer. Which I never do, and I am not sufficiently schooled in what's out there and what's good, so I need advice.
Here's what we need: A RELIABLE, good machine that will not F#@%ING be dead in two months or cost me a fortune. It does not have to be absolutely top-of-the-line, but it needs to have enough memory and processing speed that it can keep up with most internet content. We need it for internet, storing and playing music, and maybe watching a movie on now and then. Energy efficiency would be good too.
We're used to using Windows machines, but not attached. I could learn Mac if it was worth my while.
We also need to switch to a high energy-efficiency monitor, like maybe a flat screen of some kind. The monster that we've got just devours our energy and that won't work in the wintertime. I'm willing to buy a monitor separately from the computer, maybe even used, if it saves money, but I've had it with used computers.
I probably cannot spend more than $600 at the most. I really need to get my money's worth so I'm looking for the best I can get within that budget.
What do you people recommend? Is any manufacturer or retailer better than others?
The Dell website has a build-your-own thing where you can pick your components and put a package together, and it seems like a decent setup can be had within that budget, but I don't know if Dell is a good buy or not.
Halp!