Rant: Adware, Online advertising, etc.

[Shelby]

Firefox- Screw Internet Explorer
Symantec Norton Internet Security- Always used it, always will.
Adaware- One of my favorite programs.
Windows Defender- Eh, why not?
Sence- Very important, don't click yes to everything!

Thats how I run my computers. Also Windows starts to get bogged down and slows down over time, cleaning up can help, I recomend backing up your files and reformating your computer every so often... stupid MFST.

Here's a clean up utility I like.

 

[Rikter8]

I use Lavasoft Ad Aware SE and Registry Cleaner Exclusively on my jobs.
Its quick, easy and does a pretty good quickie job.
Its free to download, and you can purchase a full blown version as well.

Zone Alarm was a Piece of Garbage. It installs So smoothly...but OH to get it off the PC!! It digs in deeper than a Tenn. tick.
And just when youve stripped it out, it trashes your connections.

As for buying new PC's.... I don't think that there are too many companies left out there that really manufacture an upgradeable PC.

I build my own. My setups tend to last 6+ years, and run with the new ones.

C

 

[mindseye]

I build my own.

I definitely recommend building your own machine if you're going to buy a desktop computer -- if you're not technically savvy enough to build your own (and few among us are!) -- there are companies who will build one for you to order.

Among the reasons for building your own machine:

• You can get exactly what you want; no sense in spending the extra money for hardware you don't use.
• You can get interchangeable parts. The 'big box' companies -- Dell, Gateway, HP, etc. -- simplify their manufacturing process by integrating ("welding") video, sound, drive controllers, directly to the motherboard. If one of these goes bad (or you just decide you want to upgrade), you can't remove it -- at best, you may be able to disable it.
• You get a more stable operating system. The big box companies have deals with other companies that advertise on your computer's desktop. When you start your brand-new Dell computer, you'll find that AOL (for example) has already been installed and there's an icon to tempt you into buying their service. Any pre-installed software that you didn't want is still taking up resources on your computer, and may not uninstall cleanly.

 

[Chuck64]

I build my own. My setups tend to last 6+ years, and run with the new ones.

For my personal computers, that's the only way to go. My family needs the Dell warranty to make them comfortable.

A couple of DIY hints:

• If you can, buy all the internal parts locally. Last time I built one, I went back to Fry's 5 times before I got everything just the way I wanted it.
• Don't buy the cheap store-brand/generic memory. You'll have to replace defective chip after defective chip until you finally break down and spend extra for the middle-of-the-road name-brand stuff.
• Stay away from proprietary connections. Creative (the company that makes Sound Blaster boards) is especially bad about this now that they sell their own speakers.
• Once you get the hardware and operating system installed, download one of the free burn-in/stress-test programs off the internet and stress out everything - processor, memory, hard drive, video card, the works. It's cheaper and easier to replace it now than two days after the warranty or return period expires. And do it with the case closed so you know your cooling system can keep up with your video games.

 

[Freddie53]

If you want to go the free route, I like AVG antivirus and for spyware I run:
Spywareblaster
Spywareguard
Spybot Search & Destroy
Ad-aware
Microsoft Beta
Bazooka

Watch signing up for Spybot. There is a company called SpyDoctor. They use the www.spybot.com address trying to fool you. Spybot uses .user insead. If you google spybot, Zone Alarm also pops up and it is a good program as well.

On the google page after googling spybot, all the stuff on the far right hand side is stuff to pay for. Stay on the left side of the page. It is free.

 

[prickleyguy]

I make my living cleaning up other people's PCs and I use Webroot Spysweeper most of the time and I have found it by far the most effective cleaning program, it is not free but it works.

 

[Dr. Dilznick]

I definitely recommend building your own machine if you're going to buy a desktop computer -- if you're not technically savvy enough to build your own (and few among us are!) -- there are companies who will build one for you to order.

Meh. People don't realize how goddamn easy it is to put together a computer. Buying the processor from one place, the motherboard from another, the tower..(or even using your old tower)... $1,000-1,500 for a computer is crazed.