Computer Help???

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I've never used a MAC, but I heard they are a sure fire way to get laid at any Starbucks...I have a Sony Vaio, which you can purchase at Best Buy with all the bells and wistels you want for under 1k...

I've heard good things about it those. How is it and what can you do on it??? That's a laptop right???

[Dundermifflinite]

I've never used a MAC, but I heard they are a sure fire way to get laid at any Starbucks...I have a Sony Vaio, which you can purchase at Best Buy with all the bells and wistels you want for under 1k...

I've heard good things about it those. How is it and what can you do on it??? That's a laptop right???

 

 

yup, laptop...I'm not much into specs or anything, but it's got plenty that I need...100GB hard drive, ability to burn cd's, three usb hubs, ability to burn dvd's, high speed superfast wlan for running up post totals ...the one thing that you might need to purchase if microsoft office...I don't have word or excel or anything like that...use my work laptop for that....I have XP but I'm sure all of the new one's come with Vista...

[Dundermifflinite]

ohh and I think best buy has three years no interest going on right now, that's how i bought my 50-inch Bravia...other than my 360 (you loser ), I'm all Sony...

[AR Husker Fan]

Personally, I prefer to build my own. Once you get out of the $300 throw it away in a year computer range, it is monstrously cheaper to order the parts online and assemble it yourself.

 

First, pick laptop or desktop.

 

The PS3 is independent from the comp. It connects to the internet through the modem(if you want more than 1 thing connected you need a router also) so it is a non-issue.

 

I HATE HATE HATE Dell. They will rape you on upgrade parts from the 'base' one they start you with. And they have some parts that are custom made to fit in their cases so you cant go outside them for aftermarket upgrades(and they charge 2x what you can get things for online)

 

In general I am not a big fan of most premade machines, but other than some of the screwy stuff that Dell pulls, computers are all made from the same basic parts. There are 2 CPU makers, 2 Video card makers, only 1 real sound option. The only places where there is really much difference is in the RAM and the motherboards.

 

If you get one with Vista, get 4 gigs of ram.

 

Get a firewall and anti-virus.

 

Any other questions, I will be happy to answer.

I'd agree with strigori on all points.

 

Having said that, however...

 

Dell has pretty good machines for folks who don't do much in the way of upgrading. They tend to be pretty reliable, they're inexpensive, and they do have pretty good (but by no means "great") support. The one area that tends to tick me off - and related to what strigori mentioned - is the use of propietary parts. In particular, they tend to use motherboards that have some funky connectors for the power supply. What this means is that if your power supply fails, you can't simply go and buy one from anybody - you either have to buy a Dell power supply or you need a special adapter for a "regular" power supply. There's absolutely no reason for that except to keep you tied to buying Dell parts. The other area that is problematic on many Dells is the case - the way it's built, you can't just slap in an off-the-self floppy disk drive (yes, some people still use them) or optical drive (CD/DVD).

 

That's the major issue with non-standard parts that I've encountered. Usually, the specs will show if you have the correct ports and slots to enable you to, say, upgrade your graphics - which is the most common upgrade.

 

If it's a laptop, I'd recommend a Leveno (sic) - what used to be an IBM. Very solid, well constructed machines. The quality seems to have remained high even after the sale from IBM to Leveno.

 

But I'm like strigori - I prefer to build rather than buy. I know exactly what I'm putting in there, I get precisely the configuration I want, I don't have to put up with "bloat-ware" - the list goes on. I use NewEgg.com for all the parts except memory, and I use Crucial.com for that.

 

If you go that route, you can get a reasonably priced motherboard, a good mid-level dual-core processor, the exact size of storage you want, the precise level of graphics, and so on.

 

And, again, I agree with strigori about the ram - get 4 gigs if you are using Vista. Even though the 32-bit version of Vista won't recognize the full 4 gigs, get 4 gigs.

 

EDIT: - fogot to mention; I'm moving this topice to the Computers sub-form.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Thanks AR. So what's your personal feelings on Mac's then???

[AR Husker Fan]

Thanks AR. So what's your personal feelings on Mac's then???

I have to agree with strigori, again. The problem with Macs is that you're paying a premium price for the name. You can get the same specs of a Mac on a non-Mac computer for a lot less. If you have to share files with a Windows user, that can be a problem unless you buy a Microsoft version of the Office for Mac. It's much easier to find applications for "regular" computers. Support is easier to find - there's always someone around that knows how to fix a Windows-based computer. Upgrades are easier and cheaper - there's far more development in the Windows world than the Mac, and, again, you tend to pay a premium for hardware that runs on a Mac.

 

Mac is a niche product. As long as you can live with the limitations, it's fine. But those are significant limitations.

[huskerguy]

I got a HP Laptop for $750 and it came with a $150 gift card to NFM... It's got enough space for all my music and videos (I have over 13 gigs of music and 30 gigs of videos) and it's fast enough to do the basic everyday stuff, and a little more.

[strigori]

one other thing, do not, i repeat DO NOT, pay for BEst Buy or NFM to 'set up' the comp. What it amounts to is they run updates(which ALL the programs that like to be updated will either do automaticly, to prompt you to the first time you turn it on) and load any software that didnt come preloaded. You get all that for the low price of about $250.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

one other thing, do not, i repeat DO NOT, pay for BEst Buy or NFM to 'set up' the comp. What it amounts to is they run updates(which ALL the programs that like to be updated will either do automaticly, to prompt you to the first time you turn it on) and load any software that didnt come preloaded. You get all that for the low price of about $250.

Well my wife has two cousins who are computer programmers so I'll let one of them come over and tinker with things to get it set up right. My problem is I want to make sure I have the right security on the computer to keep viruses out. I think that is part of my problem with my laptop now. It doesn't really have that great of security considering it's through the school.

[husker rob]

Personally, I prefer to build my own. Once you get out of the $300 throw it away in a year computer range, it is monstrously cheaper to order the parts online and assemble it yourself.

 

First, pick laptop or desktop.

 

The PS3 is independent from the comp. It connects to the internet through the modem(if you want more than 1 thing connected you need a router also) so it is a non-issue.

 

I HATE HATE HATE Dell. They will rape you on upgrade parts from the 'base' one they start you with. And they have some parts that are custom made to fit in their cases so you cant go outside them for aftermarket upgrades(and they charge 2x what you can get things for online)

 

In general I am not a big fan of most premade machines, but other than some of the screwy stuff that Dell pulls, computers are all made from the same basic parts. There are 2 CPU makers, 2 Video card makers, only 1 real sound option. The only places where there is really much difference is in the RAM and the motherboards.

 

If you get one with Vista, get 4 gigs of ram.

 

Get a firewall and anti-virus.

 

Any other questions, I will be happy to answer.

I'd agree with strigori on all points.

 

Having said that, however...

 

Dell has pretty good machines for folks who don't do much in the way of upgrading. They tend to be pretty reliable, they're inexpensive, and they do have pretty good (but by no means "great") support. The one area that tends to tick me off - and related to what strigori mentioned - is the use of propietary parts. In particular, they tend to use motherboards that have some funky connectors for the power supply. What this means is that if your power supply fails, you can't simply go and buy one from anybody - you either have to buy a Dell power supply or you need a special adapter for a "regular" power supply. There's absolutely no reason for that except to keep you tied to buying Dell parts. The other area that is problematic on many Dells is the case - the way it's built, you can't just slap in an off-the-self floppy disk drive (yes, some people still use them) or optical drive (CD/DVD).

 

That's the major issue with non-standard parts that I've encountered. Usually, the specs will show if you have the correct ports and slots to enable you to, say, upgrade your graphics - which is the most common upgrade.

 

If it's a laptop, I'd recommend a Leveno (sic) - what used to be an IBM. Very solid, well constructed machines. The quality seems to have remained high even after the sale from IBM to Leveno.

 

But I'm like strigori - I prefer to build rather than buy. I know exactly what I'm putting in there, I get precisely the configuration I want, I don't have to put up with "bloat-ware" - the list goes on. I use NewEgg.com for all the parts except memory, and I use Crucial.com for that.

 

If you go that route, you can get a reasonably priced motherboard, a good mid-level dual-core processor, the exact size of storage you want, the precise level of graphics, and so on.

 

And, again, I agree with strigori about the ram - get 4 gigs if you are using Vista. Even though the 32-bit version of Vista won't recognize the full 4 gigs, get 4 gigs.

 

EDIT: - fogot to mention; I'm moving this topice to the Computers sub-form.

 

do you want to build me one AR?

[Landlord]

I will build you one.

 

 

Also, I always stay away from big-name manufacturers regardless, even if getting a laptop.

[AR Husker Fan]

Personally, I prefer to build my own. Once you get out of the $300 throw it away in a year computer range, it is monstrously cheaper to order the parts online and assemble it yourself.

 

First, pick laptop or desktop.

 

The PS3 is independent from the comp. It connects to the internet through the modem(if you want more than 1 thing connected you need a router also) so it is a non-issue.

 

I HATE HATE HATE Dell. They will rape you on upgrade parts from the 'base' one they start you with. And they have some parts that are custom made to fit in their cases so you cant go outside them for aftermarket upgrades(and they charge 2x what you can get things for online)

 

In general I am not a big fan of most premade machines, but other than some of the screwy stuff that Dell pulls, computers are all made from the same basic parts. There are 2 CPU makers, 2 Video card makers, only 1 real sound option. The only places where there is really much difference is in the RAM and the motherboards.

 

If you get one with Vista, get 4 gigs of ram.

 

Get a firewall and anti-virus.

 

Any other questions, I will be happy to answer.

I'd agree with strigori on all points.

 

Having said that, however...

 

Dell has pretty good machines for folks who don't do much in the way of upgrading. They tend to be pretty reliable, they're inexpensive, and they do have pretty good (but by no means "great") support. The one area that tends to tick me off - and related to what strigori mentioned - is the use of propietary parts. In particular, they tend to use motherboards that have some funky connectors for the power supply. What this means is that if your power supply fails, you can't simply go and buy one from anybody - you either have to buy a Dell power supply or you need a special adapter for a "regular" power supply. There's absolutely no reason for that except to keep you tied to buying Dell parts. The other area that is problematic on many Dells is the case - the way it's built, you can't just slap in an off-the-self floppy disk drive (yes, some people still use them) or optical drive (CD/DVD).

 

That's the major issue with non-standard parts that I've encountered. Usually, the specs will show if you have the correct ports and slots to enable you to, say, upgrade your graphics - which is the most common upgrade.

 

If it's a laptop, I'd recommend a Leveno (sic) - what used to be an IBM. Very solid, well constructed machines. The quality seems to have remained high even after the sale from IBM to Leveno.

 

But I'm like strigori - I prefer to build rather than buy. I know exactly what I'm putting in there, I get precisely the configuration I want, I don't have to put up with "bloat-ware" - the list goes on. I use NewEgg.com for all the parts except memory, and I use Crucial.com for that.

 

If you go that route, you can get a reasonably priced motherboard, a good mid-level dual-core processor, the exact size of storage you want, the precise level of graphics, and so on.

 

And, again, I agree with strigori about the ram - get 4 gigs if you are using Vista. Even though the 32-bit version of Vista won't recognize the full 4 gigs, get 4 gigs.

 

EDIT: - fogot to mention; I'm moving this topice to the Computers sub-form.

do you want to build me one AR?

Sure - but are you going to come to pick it up?

[huskerfan500]

According to the super bowl ad, everyone will stare at u if u buy a Dell, and random hot girls will kiss you .

 

But there was also old guys slappin your butt

[huskeraddict]

According to the super bowl ad, everyone will stare at u if u buy a Dell, and random hot girls will kiss you

This is why I have a Dell

[strigori]

one other thing, do not, i repeat DO NOT, pay for BEst Buy or NFM to 'set up' the comp. What it amounts to is they run updates(which ALL the programs that like to be updated will either do automaticly, to prompt you to the first time you turn it on) and load any software that didnt come preloaded. You get all that for the low price of about $250.

Well my wife has two cousins who are computer programmers so I'll let one of them come over and tinker with things to get it set up right. My problem is I want to make sure I have the right security on the computer to keep viruses out. I think that is part of my problem with my laptop now. It doesn't really have that great of security considering it's through the school.

Norton or McAfee both get the job done. You need a firewall and antivirus, Zonealarm is a good free firewall also. I have always had Norton for antivirus, and have never had issues. I have had Zonealarm before and it worked well. I currently run Norton for that also, mainly as the security package was the same price as the antivirus when i bought it.

 

For the mostpart, set up on new machines is more or less foolproof unless you have a more complicated set up. Everything is pretty easy to use anymore, put the disc in, and follow the prompts.