Computer Advice Wanted

[sdelmonte]

We are gearing up to get our next computer. So we want suggestions.

Can you recommend a specific brand for a desktop? Can you recommend a specific brand for a laptop? What else might you recommend? Where did you buy your computer? Is Windows Vista really as bad I as I hear? Is there a laptop computer that comes with a place to hook not just a mouse but a standard keyboard (for use at home)? If you were a desktop user, how quickly did you get used to the laptop, and can you switch back and forth between laptop and desktop efficiently (as my work computer will still be a desktop)?

We are just beginning the process, but it's been ages since we bought a computer and so much has changed since then. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Comments

[badninja.livejournal.com]

Having used vista ad xp both, i prefer vista way more. you can turn off the babysitting and the new features are a lot more helpful.

Never get an hp laptop, ever. If you get a toshiba satelite and use wireless, expect to replae the wireless card - the default one is shoddy.

[camwyn]

Vista's driving me mad despite all efforts to turn off the 'oh, oh, someone just asked me to do something potentially system-changing! Was that you or is an EEEEEEVIL HACKER doing it? huh huh huh?' security 'features'. If you can buy a computer through Dell, you should be able to get it with XP still on. You won't find PS2 (round) mouse or keyboard ports any more, so if you have a USB mouse and keyboard you can hook them up just fine. Otherwise you need a PS2/USB converter, which is around $4 to $9. I'm good with my laptop except for the paternalistic 'you didn't really want to do that, did you?' abomination that is Vista, and I can switch pretty easily between the two.

My laptop, currently named Dion (it'll be renamed either Ultra Magnus or Ironhide once I wipe it and install XP), is a Toshiba Satellite and it's pretty sweet. I got it at Best Buy on a President's Day sale. $650.

[aisforamy]

This is the computer I have. I really love it--the monitor part swivels, and can be turned around to lay flat over the keyboard and used like a tablet with a stylus. It as some pretty cool features on it, but this one doesn't have a whole lot of memory, so you should really consider an upgrade for that.

I got this model at Amazon, because I won one of their drawings and was one of 250 people offered this model for $299.00. I couldn't pass that up! My sister also has this model, and she uses it for all of her school work and for Power Point presentations in class. It's got a DVD burner in it and comes with Vista, which truly DOES suck pretty much as badly as they say, but is still usable.

I am the least technical person in the known universe under the age of 40, so I don't know much more than the fact that I can use it without blowing it up, or wanting to beat my head repeatedly against a wall. I didn't have much trouble switching from a desktop to the laptop...I basically emailed myself all the files I wanted to transfer, but you could just save them to a memory stick or whatever, too. I still use my deskptop occasionally, but not very often.

Good luck with you decision!

[muji]

The only real words I have are laptop v. desktop. My laptop at home (MacBook) does not prevent me from still feeling comfortable with my desktop (Dell something or other) at work. In fact, I like it, because its two different hand positions, back and forth between them. ^_^; Change of pace and all that.

[misslucyjane]

If you've got sufficient memory for Vista, it's not bad. My new laptop has 1 GB memory and I haven't noticed any lagtime.

I've had an IBM, a Gateway and an HP laptop and can't really say if one is better than the others: the IBM died an ignominious death after a run-in with a concrete floor, the Gateway last almost three years (which is, apparently, average lifespan for a laptop) and may not be completely dead, and the HP is running smooth. The IBM was a gift, the Gateway I bought from CompUSA and the HP I bought from Best Buy.

If you have a keyboard with a USB plug or adapter, most laptops should be able to handle it, I'd think.

The main thing to get used to with a laptop is the touchpad: if you're doing any kind of precise graphic work you'll want a portable mouse or graphics tablet. And I have worn off a layer of skin from my forefinger because I've been playing games too much, so there's that odd little quirk.

[hms42]

Ok. Name brand recommendations - Anything retail TENDS to be decent. Mail order - Dell/Gateway. Both are decent.

I just got an interesting quote from Dell (for a work machine) where they offer the machine with Vista and it has included and option to downgrade to XP.

Any purchasing, I would hold off till Vista SP1 is INCLUDED with the machine. (Make sure any mail order says it or store box says it and is NOT a sticker.) I am suspecting this week for SP1 release.

As for hardware specs -
LOTS of RAM. 2gb min, 4gb if you can afford it (and it turns out to be cheap.) Many current laptops max out at 4gb of ram, but a desktop can go higher.

Hard drive - These days, you can purchase terabyte drives @ Microcenter for $200 or less. I think the smallest you are going to find is 250gb or 320gb drives in desktops, laptops, not sure.


As for my computers @ home -
Custom built (I build it) desktop machine from 2002. Looking @ parts again in the fall to replace it.

Laptop - MacBook Pro. Using it for audio recording and road web browsing.


Harold

[agonistes]

Desktop which currently resides in Atlanta is a Dell Dimension. I have had ongoing problems with the power supply with that machine -- sometimes it will turn on, sometimes it won't. However, I've had it since summer 2003, it's loaded with all manner of odd software and good tunes, and (when it turns on) it still runs like a champ.

My Dell laptop (an Inspiron 6000) is heavy. It is also slow, and prone to overheating, and I have had to wipe the hard drive entirely and reinstall the OS. It is a workhorse as well, but not as good as my Dell desktop. I also had to replace the CD drive entirely, which was really, REALLY obnoxious.

If there's a better option than Dell in terms of power and durability for your money, I'm not sure what it is. Expect to pour in $500-1000 into repairs in the next few years, though.

When I first got the Inspiron, I had a few problems with wrist pain -- though that is due to bad posture and the kitchen table being too high, I am thinking. I generally keep my wrists elevated when I type on a desktop keyboard -- old piano player habits die hard -- but it's not as easy to do on a laptop. With a laptop you definitely have to pay attention to how and where you're sitting. I also find it difficult to be productive on a laptop if I'm not sitting at a table, but that is more likely than not just me and my attention span.

I made the switch to a MacBook Pro two weeks ago, and after two weeks, I can safely say that unless my job or my graduate school requires it, I will never switch back to a PC by my own choice. The only bad thing so far is that I keep messing up the keyboard commands when I'm at work -- ALT is not Command, et cetera. But I'm getting better at that daily. A Mac is worth a look. Something else that's nice about a Mac is the AppleCare program -- should my MacBook have issues like my Dell laptop and desktop (i.e. $500+ worth of repairs), that's covered for three years. To my mind, that's well worth the initial investment, especially considering that the life of a laptop tends to be three to four years.

You ought to be able to get a USB keyboard, whether you go with a Mac or a PC. Most laptops will come with at least two USB ports.

Everything I have heard about Vista makes me want to set it on fire.

[newredshoes]

Apple Apple Apple Apple Apple!

Vista is SATAN. Go Apple. Microsoft is AWFUL. Go Apple.

If Sam Winchester can do it, so can you!

Apple Apple Apple Apple Apple.

...yeah, I have nothing of value to add to this discussion. I just love Macs.

[wickedtrue.livejournal.com]

I would really seriously think about investing in a Mac desktop. You can install both Windows XP and the Mac OS to dual boot without a problem, so that gives you loads of options of programs to work with and the current mac machines last a long time. That's what I'm doing when I upgrade to a new desktop next month.

They can be expensive, but I think the machine would be worth it.

[the_croupier]

I'm assuming you're not looking for a Mac, so I'll spare you the evangelism (my laptop was my first ever Mac).

But on the desktop to laptop question, going with a laptop last time was a very good choice. The portability changes everything, more than you even expect. So I would highly recommend going that way.

But having said that, if you're picky about keyboards like I am, you'll find yourself not giving up your desktop's. My Powerbook has the best laptop keyboard I've ever used, but it still falls short of the tactile experience of using a desktop keyboard. I have absolutely no complaints about using it on the go, but I wouldn't want it to be the only keyboard I ever used.

Then again, you could probably just use your old keyboard with your laptop if it has a USB connector.

[rushin-doll.livejournal.com]

There's plenty of good advice here. I recommend you go with that. If you've got specific questions about specs and such you can ping me (you could ping them too, but they sleep in so late...)

Helpfully,
Ana