strokeoluck
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2009
- Messages
- 353
Wondering if anyone out there can provide a little guidance on what to look for in a new desktop computer for home use. Specifically, what kind of "guts" should we request? Here's our situation:
- we have two kids: ages 11 and 9; they are not "gamers" and mainly use the computer for homework assignments (writing reports in Word, researching things on the web, sometimes doing web-based homework), email, a little picture sorting and reviewing - pretty basic stuff in my mind. I suppose if we get a nicer computer they might fire up the occasional game, maybe do a little picture/video editing but generally speaking there's not much of that taking place today.
- wife and I primarily use our 5 year old Dell desktop for email and surfing the web. I also use it to download pictures from our camera, and then edit them once on the computer. Our current computer runs unGodly slow when working on pictures; it runs (just) very slow all other times.
- we may also want to burn the occasional cd
- After having a technician come out and clean out old Dell, decompress it, wine it and dine it...it still runs very slowly. I'm beyond trying to figure out how to get this one to do more, I want to fire up a new one with extra horsepower.
- we have two computers in our house; one upstairs mainly for the kids. It's a two year old Mac. The kids like it fine enough for their basic use but since I grew up with Windows-based systems I really struggle to understand how the Mac operates. Everyone keeps telling me how simple it is, but I don't find it simple. Heck, the fact the Mac mouse only has ONE button vs. TWO throws my mind for a loop. I don't want another Mac in my house and the kids and wife aren't clamoring for another one either.
- our budget is <$1,500 for a desktop and monitor. We could live with our 15" monitor but I'd like to get something bigger.
- I understand Windows 7 comes out 10/22 and we'll probably wait till then to buy a computer loaded with it. After reading about how much work goes into loading a new O/S on a computer, I'm not really up for it.
So I know we need a basic desktop, but I'm willing to pay a little more for one with some "oomph" so a) we don't have to wait forever for it to start-up, and b) it will run fast even though we've got a couple things open or I'm working with photos, and c) it will still have enough horsepower to run strong in 2-3 year.
The problem is that I don't know exactly WHAT to request in a computer. It seems like my options are to either go on Dell.com and try and fall into one of their cute-sy consumer "buckets" and buy a packaged machine where they describe features that fly right over my head...or walk into a big box place where the kid talks in lingo that makes me feel I need a translator. Can anyone tell me - in layman terms - what I need in a computer, and what each "thing" will do for me?
Thanks!
- we have two kids: ages 11 and 9; they are not "gamers" and mainly use the computer for homework assignments (writing reports in Word, researching things on the web, sometimes doing web-based homework), email, a little picture sorting and reviewing - pretty basic stuff in my mind. I suppose if we get a nicer computer they might fire up the occasional game, maybe do a little picture/video editing but generally speaking there's not much of that taking place today.
- wife and I primarily use our 5 year old Dell desktop for email and surfing the web. I also use it to download pictures from our camera, and then edit them once on the computer. Our current computer runs unGodly slow when working on pictures; it runs (just) very slow all other times.
- we may also want to burn the occasional cd
- After having a technician come out and clean out old Dell, decompress it, wine it and dine it...it still runs very slowly. I'm beyond trying to figure out how to get this one to do more, I want to fire up a new one with extra horsepower.
- we have two computers in our house; one upstairs mainly for the kids. It's a two year old Mac. The kids like it fine enough for their basic use but since I grew up with Windows-based systems I really struggle to understand how the Mac operates. Everyone keeps telling me how simple it is, but I don't find it simple. Heck, the fact the Mac mouse only has ONE button vs. TWO throws my mind for a loop. I don't want another Mac in my house and the kids and wife aren't clamoring for another one either.
- our budget is <$1,500 for a desktop and monitor. We could live with our 15" monitor but I'd like to get something bigger.
- I understand Windows 7 comes out 10/22 and we'll probably wait till then to buy a computer loaded with it. After reading about how much work goes into loading a new O/S on a computer, I'm not really up for it.
So I know we need a basic desktop, but I'm willing to pay a little more for one with some "oomph" so a) we don't have to wait forever for it to start-up, and b) it will run fast even though we've got a couple things open or I'm working with photos, and c) it will still have enough horsepower to run strong in 2-3 year.
The problem is that I don't know exactly WHAT to request in a computer. It seems like my options are to either go on Dell.com and try and fall into one of their cute-sy consumer "buckets" and buy a packaged machine where they describe features that fly right over my head...or walk into a big box place where the kid talks in lingo that makes me feel I need a translator. Can anyone tell me - in layman terms - what I need in a computer, and what each "thing" will do for me?
Thanks!