I am thinking about buying a computer this summer and was wondering what would be the best way to go. I know a few things about computers but not as much as I should to buy a computer. I was just looking for some simple pros and cons.

What are you going to use the computer for?
Do you want to play lots of cool online games?
Do you want to edit video, audio, do complex graphics editing and other stuff?
Are you just gonna surf the web and do email?

i like windows because you can do more with it then mac but i been told macs are more stable just my $.02

Stability is almost not worht mentioning these days. I crashed my neighbor's Mac on new years eve :D. I guess that's what happens when a PC user touches a Mac.

You can now get Mac computers with an Intel processor in them. I think there is also a Mac version of Windows XP out - if not, it's under development right now.

Pretty soon, there's not going to be much difference. For me, there are more software titles for a PC (running Windows) than there is for Mac. PC's have more game support also. PC's are more upgradable. If you buy a Mac, you are stuck with that hardware for good, upgrades are expensive. The only people who really use Macs these days are writers, people who do lots of video or music editing (art/music/producers/etc) or people who buy them for school or just to be trendy (from my experience). I personally can't use them worth a dang. OSX (Mac's comparison to Windows) is confusing to me. IT doesn't make any sense how it's all laid out.

Just my 2c.

A happy MAC user... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6553260189868317794

just a thought

your going to be using a puter the rest of your life ,why not take another step build your own they plug together really not that much to it puter boards and clubs to help you if you get lost but other help you right here .so whats in it for you well the mark up is about 100% so youget twice as much or the same as a store for 50% less
heres an addy to start best place i ever found to buy parts
http://www.newegg.com/

i will help you if you want more info

:agree:

That sounds like a really good idea Dick, but when it comes to computers I don't really know that much. I don't know what good brands of parts are or what I need. I don't want to do any gameing or anything like that. I definately want a windows based computer, but if I was just to buy a prebuilt computer I don't know what make I would want to go with. All I really want is a good computer that I am getting my money's worth.

Read this post:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=186169

Dell is about the best you can get for something really nice under $700 with a 3yr warranty (always, ALWAYS get a 3yr warranty) and a 19" LCD monitor. The deal I linked up in that thread is expired, but you can click on the "look at similar deals" link a that same website and find something close to it.

DO NOT buy a Pentium "Celeron" processor. It's not worth it. Try to get at least 512MB of RAM.

My mom bought a computer two years ago, the same thing as a Dell it was just put together in a town 50 miles from my house and i think cheaper, but I kinda like the idea of building my own computer. I might have to see if I know someone who could help me out.

If nothing else, you got some ideas you want, I know Dick can help, I can help (I'm building a kickass new one this week with an $1800 price tag) and there are other guys that come in here all the time that can help with parts. Wish you lived closer, I could give you tips and everything to get it up and going. It's about like putting an engine together, then firing it for the first time :) Only thing is, believe it or not, it's a lot less complicated and damn sure a lot less picky!!

Shifty,
I really like the idea of building my own computer but the first thing I would need is some basic info on computers. I understand some but I don't know what all the numbers and specs mean when looking for one. I just want a basic computer no vidio editing or things like that. Just to surf the web mostly, but I don't want a pile. I want to ability to game just incase I decide to. I don't need a computer until May at the earliest because I will be graduating from college in may and moving to a different town to my new co-op I got at the Greatest job you can get in ND. I will be working as a Mechanic at a Coal mine in the western part of the state for 8 months and then hopfully getting hired after that. Sorry I got side tracked I am just excited because this is a great achievment seeings how getting a co-op there is next to impossible.

I personally use a mac myself. I also build and sell just about anything. I like the fact that there are few if any virus written for the mac. I agree with the other posts, that if your aren't going to do a lot of graphics, video editing, music recording then the expense of the mac isn't justifiable. If you can build a small block the putting together a computer won't be that difficult.
http://www.danasoft.com/sig/rgray71.jpg




www.kandrcomputers.com

Honestly if you want to understand everything about computers and you don't mind reading a quick book and looking at some links for reference, then coming back here to answer questions if you have any, this book comes highly, highly recommended:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0072255595/fonerbooks-20/103-7407083-6182206?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1

You can probably find it at your local book store. The author has a page on the internet here:

http://www.daileyint.com/build/

Click on the links on the left of that site and read it entirely entire for pictures and details on how to assemble the hardware.

The latest edition of that book will cover building an AMD 64-bit system which is what I am building right now. 64-bit computers are the next generation in PC's.

I can't begin to explain to you in here what all of the numbers mean with processors, RAM and other things. That would be like me trying to unload 10 years of learning onto you in a single post, it's just not possible.

If you want to build a good gaming system most of your system should revolve around the video card. If you can give me an idea of what your budget is, I would love to help you build a gameplan on how to get there.

To give you an idea of what I am building this week, I have an $1800 pricetag on my rig coming in this week.

(1) AMD 64 4000+ San Diego core 90nm CPU (2.4GHz, but faster than a 3.2GHz Pentium4 CPU)
(1) eVGA 133-K8-NF41 Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI motherboard
2GB RAM: OCZ DDR400 Platinum 2-3-2-5 (model #4002048ELDCPE-K ... 2 x 1GB sticks)
(2) eVGA 256-P2-N518 Geforce 7800GT 256MB GDDR3 (running in SLI mode)
(2) 80GB SATA II Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 hard drives (running in RAID 0)
(1) Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 ATX12V 550W power supply
(1) ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro HSF COMBO CPU cooler
(1) Lian Li PC-V1000 Plus case

www.newegg.com is where I buy most of my parts from. They're the best on the web.

Shifty,
I see all the parts that you bought for your computer but I don't understand anything. I want to learn more about computers whether I build my computer or not, I will need to know more for my job in the future and we don't get taught anything in my current classes.
As for a price range I guess I would like to spend less than $1,000 if I build my own computer and there would be very little gaming, maybe some photoshoping if I ever get a program. I will be doing a lot on the internet from searching, checking my E-mail, to talking on MSN.
As for the book that you sugjested I just am wondering if someone with my computer knowledge will beable to read it and not get totaly lost. I will check into it though.
Thanks for all the help eveyone, like I tell people you could probably ask any question on this forum and get an answer:metal: .

Read this post:

[url] (always, ALWAYS get a 3yr warranty) and a 19" LCD monitor.

What exactly does this get you---if a component fails in 12-36 months it is likely obsolete--do they upgrade? Please explain the real benefit--IMO 'most' extended warranties aren't worth the cost.
Thanks
Rob

Benefit: I've purchase 35 laptops from Dell in the past 3 years. All had a 3 year warranty. Typical component failure on laptops are a screen and the hard drive.

In the past 3 weeks, i've had 2 systems lose hard drives, two lost motherboards (serial port blew on one, the memory controller died on another) and one had a cracked screen. I called Dell, reported the problem and with every system except one a guy was at my door with all the parts to fix it in less than 18 hours. THAT is why you get a warranty.

Common problem with desktops when dealing mith manufactured computers is fialing hard drives and motherboards. Motherboard is less common but average life on hard drives these days is about 2 years. So, when your drive fails (as it will), they will replace it free of charge in 24 hours if you get that warranty I mentioned. Think of that xtra $80-100 as "insurance". No matter what computer you buy in today's market, something is gonna die within 3 years, almost without a doubt.

Also - Dell has so many parts on hand it's not funny. They send all parts - even those that are out of production - back to the manufacturer for repair or they refurbish from trade-ins. They will find a way to get a good-as-new part to you, regardless. And it *will* be the same part they started with. I have 6yr old servers in our office that use Pentium II chips and PC 66 SDRAM and they even replaced a PII processor 2 years ago. :thumbs:

I like Dell - mainly for their warranty.

Mac Tiger!!!

You want the opinion of a Mac user? Watch this:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6553260189868317794

Note: There is a bit of foul language involved, but it's all in good humor and serious enough. This video drops a few f-bombs, but it really explains my new years eve Mac experience to a "T". I don't understand how people use them.

The real kicker for me though is you can't really upgrade the hardware for a MAC ... and if you do, it costs an arm and a leg. I like that I can go to the store and buy any of one hundred sound cards for my PC running Windows. You can't really do that with MAC. I also hate the fact that my neighbor can't look at the 200GB portable hard drive I have because his MAC can't see the drive...it's formatted with NTFS, which is required to use more than 32GB or 137GB drive size (I forget which). Strange, even Linux and Unix see NTFS, not sure why MAC doesn't.

I think Macintosh users are like Harley riders. They use the computers that cost 3x as much as any other computer and you may hear something like "if you gotta ask why I pay so much for it, you don't belong" or "it's a lifestyle, you wouldn't understand" coming from them. The computers are flashier and you pay extra to be a part of the "club" even though the Macintosh is has no more real features. In fact, non-Harley's are probably easier to work on and their parts definitely cost less.

Just my 2¢ of course.

And here's another :D

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3602055360534110299&q=redvsblue

I'm not sure I agree that building your own computer is a good idea. I build my own, but I also realize it isn't for everyone. Just like with cars and trucks, most people are better off buying a new one with a warranty.

Building your own computer can be rewarding, but it requires that you be willing to do research and spend a lot of time learning stuff. Also, despite what many people think, you won't save any money building your own computer any more.

Unless someone is truly interested in building a computer as a hobby, I recommend that they buy a Dell. As Shifty said, they are good and they are cheap. The best thing is that you can call them at 2:00 a.m. when you have a problem with their product. A friend might help you build a computer, but will just yell at you when you call him for help at 2:00 a.m. :)

As far as Mac vs. Windows, go with what you know and what you are comfortable with. Shifty already made all of the good points about software and hardware availability. If you are the type who is constantly trying out new software and hardware upgrades, the Mac is a poor choice. That stuff is just not widely available. When you do get it, it will be expensive. However, most people I know have a computer that looks about the same software and hardware-wise when they get rid of it as it did when they got it. If that is you, and you are okay with the Mac operating system, a Mac would be fine. Just a warning...they are pricey.

Slonaker

I am a happy mac user, but I am a designer and the software I use is sub-par on the PC (although it is much better than it used to be). That being said, I can't recommend the average person buy a mac. They are 2-3 times the price, 1/3 the software is available and nobody supports them. I recently bought a LinkSys wireless router. They don't come with manuals anymore, you just have to call the tech support number. Of course, the lady on the other end had a fit when she found out I had a MAC. 3 hours and two different techs, and I finally just hung up the phone. The next night, I was able to figure it out myself by completely ignoring everything the tech was telling me to do.

Buy a PC with a 64 bit processor. Dell has good prices, but many of the independents will put together a top quality system for much less than the name brands.

The one and only PC in my office came from http://shop.hdnw.com/asp/default.asp. They built our whole system for under $700. A comparable MAC at the time was around $1800.

I run a dual processor 2.5ghz G5 with 5gigs of ram at work. At home I have a 1.25ghz G4 with 1gig of ram and a 500mhz G3 iBook with 640mb of ram. The clock speeds of MACs are usually around 1.5 to 2 times the comparable clock speed of a PC. ie, a 1.0ghz MAC is almost as fast as a 2ghz PC. The dual processor is optimum for graphics,especially photoshop, as it uses one processor for the in and one for the out.

It has to be Windows all the way. Macs cost a lot and have a smaller selection of software to draw from. If you look long term, the availability of parts for a PC is massive compared to MACS. As a network administrator I really appreciate these factors when it comes to repair and configurating my machines.

And finally, any advantage that MACS had with graphics and video are no longer an issue. There is amazing PC software out there and you can equip your machine to run it very quickly.

Look where Apple is going - they are carving out the high-style tech market with products like their iBook and iPods. Style is great, but you pay for it in a number of ways when you get into the Mac/Apple world.

You can buy Mac Mini for $500 that has the same specs as the $3000 powerbook I have. I got a mac when I graduated College and will not buy another PC. I use both everyday, but i prefer the was OSX works. If you don't know anyone with a MAC than maybe you shouldn't buy one because not everyone finds the OS intuitive. However i know many people that have switched to OSX. People like myself who hated MACs in the OS9 days. I guess I have different opinions about stuff. If you were just buying a computer to surf the internet and read e-mail and you wanted a PC I would buy the cheapest computer you could find $300-500 and just buy a new one every 2 years.