Computer help, PLEASE!!!

[Wish-4-8]

IBM info only please.
Alright everyone. I need a new computer. But I know very little about what is good or what is out there.

Let me put it this way. I am running on Windows 98.
Yeah, I know, pathetic.

So I am looking online for a computer, and I run into a big wall of WTF!

What Pentium are we on now? 4? And what does that mean?

Then there is the operating system issues. People still swear by Windows XP. I am concerned that it is 9 years old and Microsoft will try to phase it out.

I just need the tower.

Is there a website that will explain everything about modern computers? I dont need a history lesson, just what is current so I could buy something that will last a while.

Then maybe I could use the other features on this website, among other things I want to do.

Thanks for your help. :smile:

 

[flame boy]

You normally can't go wrong with about.com. Hey, that kind of sounds like a marketing slogan.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

When you say IBM you mean PC, don't you? I.e. not Mac.

I wouldn't actually worry about the details like what processor, yada yada - you're clearly not that into computers as a hobby in their own right. What I would suggest is you concern yourself more with what you want it to do.

If it is really just about getting online, editing documents and basic stuff like that then a cheap Vista / Windows 7 Dell would be my recommendation. Dell isn't the only good brand - they just happen to be a company I trust. YMMV.

If you are looking for a specific use then you will need to choose more carefully.

And yes, I do still use XP myself. I have yet to try Vista or Windows 7 - I'm likely to skip straight to Windows 7 if I change PC any time soon and if I don't like it I may try tooling about with some flavour of Linux. But that's me. That kind of thing would amuse me. Again YMMV.

 

[faceless]

I agree with ManlyBanisters, a low-end Dell laptop like an inspiron or something would probably suit you quite well. I'd avoid any of the "netbooks" (small cheap laptops with an Atom processor) if it's going to be your only computer. Look for something with a Core 2 duo processor (rather than an an i5) and at least 2GB of RAM (4GB would be better) and a 13 or 15 inch screen size. That would make a good all 'round system.

I recomend a laptop over a tower type system because there's no real performance drop these days, and the portability is very useful, plus you can always connect it to a monitor anyway.

Drop us a line if you have more questions.

 

[Deno]

I buy all my computers at tigerdirect.com you have many choices. I usually buy the tower, processor and cpu seperately and build it myself. They also have barebones systems that are as low as several hundred dollars. This way you can get the best of what you need. The newest pentiums are not referred to by just a number, they are i3, i5 and i7 I think the fastest i7 is the i7 920 it states that its only 2.66 ghz but these are quad core processors not dual core so I guess they are much faster at doing stuff then the 3.2 ghz p4 I have had for like 3 years.

 

[B_Lightkeeper]

I'd like to help you however I'm an internet dummy! I have more problems with computers that the law should allow.

In checking my emails, I am getting the following messages a lot.

"The folder information cannot be retrieved from the server. This might happen because the folder has been deleted or due to connection problems. Please try again."

OR this one:

"We were unable to perform your request. Please try again."

Hughes Internet reps don't seem to know...or understand. (I can't hardly understand them either!)

 

[Wish-4-8]

Thanks everyone. I think I found something. PCSTATS.com - PC Hardware Reviews and Guides - Get The 'Stats and Stay Informed!

But I will also check the above mentioned.

 

[Catchoftheday]

Desktop computer buying guide - CNET Reviews - CNET Reviews

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

I may try tooling about with some flavour of Linux.

Well, if you have Linux on your puter, what kinds of word processor can you use that has complete compatibility with MS Word?
Is there such a creature?
I need to have such compatibility.

 

[rbkwp]

Dirty V you may be like me..toooo much P..on the damn things.hah
Came to the Mainland Xmas with a Thousand to buy a comp..(cheap now)
decided like what others have stated here .. buy for what you need

so have from trademe (ebay equivalent in NZ) a 280$ netbook
Need the Battery power for over on Island use
(took a chance) brought it
Trialled it, and looks like 3 hours..better than my Good?? comp Battery- 2o minutes..ha
New battery would pos have cost heaps..
So seem to have achieved...plus have a reserve comp now'
enz
sorry re the rave OP, but seems you have your Q resolved..

 

[Mr. Snakey]

Well, if you have Linux on your puter, what kinds of word processor can you use that has complete compatibility with MS Word?
Is there such a creature?
I need to have such compatibility.

You can run just about any Windows program on Linux using a program called WhineHQ and there are others. I'm running Linux on all my computers. I can tell you that i am Windows free and it's going to stay that way. Here is a interesting video showing Microsoft office and Ubuntu office side by side.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJCAj6oBwHg

 

[ManlyBanisters]

Well, if you have Linux on your puter, what kinds of word processor can you use that has complete compatibility with MS Word?
Is there such a creature?
I need to have such compatibility.

You can run just about any Windows program on Linux using a program called WhineHQ and there are others. I'm running Linux on all my computers. I can tell you that i am Windows free and it's going to stay that way. Here is a interesting video showing Microsoft office and Ubuntu office side by side.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJCAj6oBwHg

I haven't used Ubuntu Office - but I do use Open Office and I haven't had one single problem opening my old MS Office files in any of the programs - nor with saving things in .doc format - all seems fairly seamless to me. I wouldn't call myself a high-end office user, I don't stretch it all - but I do use it quite a lot.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

You can run just about any Windows program on Linux using a program called WhineHQ and there are others. I'm running Linux on all my computers. I can tell you that i am Windows free and it's going to stay that way. Here is a interesting video showing Microsoft office and Ubuntu office side by side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJCAj6oBwHg

Interesting, Mr. Snakey. Tnx for that.

I haven't used Ubuntu Office - but I do use Open Office and I haven't had one single problem opening my old MS Office files in any of the programs - nor with saving things in .doc format - all seems fairly seamless to me. I wouldn't call myself a high-end office user, I don't stretch it all - but I do use it quite a lot.

Well, I have MS Office, so according to Mr. Snakey, I can continue to use it seamlessly, with the WineHQ download.
And you say Open Office, which is free, is fully compatible with MS Word too.
So obviously there's not gonna be any problem.

But I know a widdow IT guy named wex2000 whom U & I are gonna have 2 bwing up 2 speed on these matters, MB.
You bwing the viowin stwing ... I'll bwing the pwiars.:evil:

 

[ManlyBanisters]

Interesting, Mr. Snakey. Tnx for that.


Well, I have MS Office, so according to Mr. Snakey, I can continue to use it seamlessly, with the WineHQ download.
And you say Open Office, which is free, is fully compatible with MS Word too.
So obviously there's not gonna be any problem.

But I know a widdow IT guy named wex2000 whom U & I are gonna have 2 bwing up 2 speed on these matters, MB.
You bwing the viowin stwing ... I'll bwing the pwiars.:evil:

I'll have Hick keep sketch.

Wittle wex maybe be talking about high end use and some serious macro use - I can't vouch for him being wrong about that. Open Office has its user base as software testers though and bugs are getting caught and fixed all the time. Also, I know from experience of running windows software on emulators for other OS that running software on an emulator is rarely 100% perfect.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Wittle wex maybe be talking about high end use and some serious macro use - I can't vouch for him being wrong about that. Open Office has it's user base as software testers though and bugs are getting caught and fixed all the time. Also, I know from experience of running windows software on emulators for other OS that running software on an emulator is rarely 100% perfect.

I exaggerate. (Yes, it's true ... I did.)
Wex just had some doubts about MS Word being Ubuntu compatible.
But he weren't certain.

 

[Incocknito]

Hi,

Depends what you want the PC for. Here are the vital stats and what they mean:

Processor speed: How fast the PC will do individual tasks. You see the differences between speeds the most when doing video or audio editing, if that's what you do

The higher speed (in Ghz) the better and the more "cores" the better.

FYI the best desktop processor (which is affordable) is called i5 and is made by Intel. There's also the newer/better i7 but its very expensive.

Memory/RAM: How MANY tasks the PC can do at one time before you start to see slowdown/lag/freezing of windows.

The more the better. Bear in mind that a 32 bit OS (the kind of OS you should get) can only "see" 3.75GB so more than 4GB is a waste.

DDR3 RAM is the newest and some would say best RAM/memory.

Operating System: Choose XP unless you like wasting time and you get a boner from 'This program did not install correctly' or 'compatibility issues'.

XP is good for at least another five years.

Now, if this is just a PC for browsing the internet then you only needa low spec PC eg low processor speed and RAM.

If you plan to do some gaming, or video/audio editing (or even DVD backups, etc) or even if you just want a "future proof" PC get an i5 based system.

Lastly, if you don't need high spec yet want to save space a Mini ITX PC is very small (about the same size as a Wii) and has a decent spec (2GB RAM, 1.6Ghz dual core processor).

I built myself a Mini ITX PC, it does the job.

Note: It's always cheaper to build your own PC. Well maybe not if you purchase an Acer Revo PC but they are not that high spec and have no CD drive so installing an OS on them is a bit technical and maybe too technical for the average user.

 

[HazelGod]

Personally, I gave all the big corporate bullies the middle finger years ago.

The last several machines I built all have AMD processors sitting on either nVidia or AMD chipsets, and they all use one flavor or Linux or another as the primary OS. My gaming rig is setup to dual-boot with a WinXP partition, but it only sees use when I feel like blowing shit up.

Until last year, AMD held the technology crown over Intel's head in processors because their chips had the memory controller built right in, whereas Intel's chips still had to talk to the memory via an external interface. With Intel's Core i7 chips, they've gotten with the program, so to speak...but I still think their abusive monopoly practices are repulsive and refuse to do business with them.

As to the chips, anything more than three cores is a waste. Modern applications still aren't well written to take advantage of the parallelism afforded by multi-core processors, so the performance gains from additional cores are typically minuscule for most users.

Also, Miss Piggy is right about OpenOffice. I've used it for years at work (my office laptop runs RedHat Linux) to work with colleagues and clients who use MS Office...never had any issues.

One other note...someone made the comment that laptops are as good as tower systems. This is true, unless you plan to play modern 3D games. The tower or desktop systems allow you to easily upgrade the discrete graphics adapter card as technology evolves...whereas most laptops don't allow installation of a discrete card at all, and their onboard graphics abilities are far below what you need to run games.

Bear in mind that a 32 bit OS (the kind of OS you should get) can only "see" 3.75GB so more than 4GB is a waste.

Seeing as how ever processor made for the last several years has been a 64-bit chip, why on earth would you advocate using a 32-bit OS? That's about like dropping an LS7 into an El Camino.

No, again I'd go with just about any flavor of Linux (Ubuntu is very new-user friendly, though I've always been partial to RedHat/Fedora)...or if you must use Winders, I'd go with XP Professional 64-bit edition.

 

[Xcuze]

I would suggest to get a PC that is as future proof as possible. Pay as much as you can afford for the high specifications, it will pay off long term.

Forget about Vista completely. Go for Windows 7. If you watch videos or DVDs a lot then get a minimum 17" screen. RAM should be as high as you can afford...minimum 2GB but 3 or 4GB would be much more useful should you start using your PC for multiple tasks. The heart of the PC is the processor so pay close attention; make sure it is a dual core at least. With desktops you can get quadcore ones fairly priced but I'm not sure how much extra they add over dual cores.

If you, or anybody else, would like to check how your processor compares to the rest then here is a good link. Find your processor then see where it ranks on right column.

CPU benchmarks

I'm officially jealous of anybody who has an Intel Xeon processor btw.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

I would suggest to get a PC that is as future proof as possible. Pay as much as you can afford for the high specifications, it will pay off long term.

:dunno: Moore's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Xcuze]

:dunno: Moore's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

:moon: "...as possible" :booty: