Recently I made the decision to start replacing and upgrading items in my house that are showing signs of age. Normally I am all about denying myself but I’ve started to realize that attitude isn’t helping me. I hold off on purchases thinking I am saving money and then everything starts failing at once and I am looking at a huge bill just to get myself back. So I bought a TV and new bedsheets. I am also getting two windows replaced and my shower refurbished. The last thing on my list is a new computer. My laptop SUCKS! I hate it. It’s slow to start, slow to run, and slow to shut down. Multi-tasking is practically impossible. So I want a new computer but I don’t want to spend a lot of money. I found a nice looking computer at B.J.’s but the specs aren’t terribly impressive and the reviews are less than glowing. I looked at Best Buy and they have the same desktop computer but nothing much else. You see, I think I want to get a desktop computer since I have had very little luck with laptops. They last 2 years and then they poop out on me. Besides, if I get a desktop it could be my anchor PC. And when I want to surf in bed or in the kitchen, I can always use my shitty laptop since it’s still running (however badly.) The thing is, I don’t want to spend much more than 500 for the tower. And I want a small tower. And 4 gigs of RAM. I have no clue where to even look other than NewEgg or TigerDirect. Should I try to buy a bundle or just get the individual parts and build it myself? I don’t know. At one time I knew quite a bit about hardware– something happened and I have no clue the differences between AMD and Celeron or ACER and HP. I found a cheap computer at Tiger Direct that I am drawn to but I am not sure if I am asking for trouble buying refurbished. All I know is that I know nothing.
donnaville
sugar and spice and everything groovy
I’ve never bought a refurbed computer, but I’ve been quite happy with various other been-through-the-mill electronics, including my HDTV, for which I paid something like 59 percent of list.
My laptop, an ancient Toshiba Satellite, was a factory second: sticky floppy door, a tiny dent in the case. The mere fact that it has a floppy door should tell you how old it is. But it’s still running after all these years; I’ve added wireless (via PC Card) and doubled the RAM, but it’s the same old box I had in 2002.
The Tiger Direct link isn’t working right– it’s not pulling up the correct computer— but it’s close.
Charles– I’ve had Toshiba’s and they belly up just like my WinBook and HP’s had done. I wonder if you lucked out– or maybe you just don’t surf as much pr0n as me 😉
Maybe a little of both. We had two Satellites almost exactly like mine in the office fleet, and both of them were killed in the space of six months. I dunno how much pr0n they were catching, but given the number of machines that are routinely turned in for virus/spyware eradication, I’m inclined to think that there were moments when they were used for purposes that weren’t quite business-related.
If you buy a new PC, wait until Windows 7 is avaialable.
Now you would get Windows VISTA which is a nuisance and would not solve your issue since VISTA is abnormally slow in everything. I am speking from experience with VISTA and I hate it.
I totally agree– I HATE Vista. Most of my issues I believe stem from it. But will Windows 7 be any improvement?
According to what I read from very good sources like the newsletter Windows Secrets, the judgement on Windows 7 is very positive. MS published a Window 7 upgrade adviser (Beta) which I will use and see what it tells me. My notebook is from HP and they do not offer a special upgrade, so I told them their products will never again be considered in a buying decision.Windows 7 is expected on retail shelves before Christmas and PC with it preinstalled will be available in October. Hope you can survive until then.
I thought 7 was coming out sooner than October– I can’t wait! I don’t want to wait! Oh no!
Sorry, Donna, that is what MS has planned. I do understand your impatience because the same is true for me. By the way, I hammered HP and they will not budge. What do you do against such a company? Do not buy their products.