Must buy new computer...Ideas?

[BillW50]

Leythos wrote on Mon, 6 Sep 2010 19:32:59 -0400:

Buy an Intel i5 series CPU, 4GB RAM, and a dedicated video card with at
least 512MB of Dedicated memory, as large a drive as you can afford,
some form of DVD read/write drive, a case with at least 4 USB ports, a
quality keyboard/mouse and good LCD screen, and then Windows 7 in the
version that works for you. Once you have all of that, install Avira
Antivirus Personal (FREE) and enjoy the computer.

Depending on how old your programs are, they may not install properly or
may not be fully supported on the new Windows 7 platform - but you
should get a Win 7 64 Bit operating system with a machine that also
supports 64 bit. Anything lesee and you're wasting your long term money.

I would never be interested in such a machine myself. 64 bit Windows has
lots of problems running older software for one. And I ran 32 bit
Windows 7 for a year on three different machines and they didn't run all
of my programs either. But Windows XP does. So I switched them all to
Windows XP which I found to be far better.

 

[Adela]

Thank you SO much Daave!

Your current PC is too old to have been shipped with XP. It must have had
either Windows 98SE or Windows Millenium, and then you must have upgraded
it to XP at some point.

Correct! I bought it with 98SE, but it was only from last year or so that
it became gradually but surely slower....I didn't know XP demanded more than
what I had. I bought it without asking anyone anything, as I do now, so no
one told me this, among other things too.

Warning: If the new PC comes with a 30-day free trial of McAfee, uninstall
it post haste!

When I bought it (a decade ago!) lol! it came with McCaffee too and was
advised to get rid of, and got Norton (from the frying pan to the fire).
At present I have Avast and intend to keep it.

Programs will need to be reinstalled (and I'm not sure how many of the old
ones will be able to be run on the new Windows 7 OS). Data can be copied,
however. I would recommend purchasing an external hard drive if you do not
already have one.

Good idea! I've been wanting to get an external HD to make my backups
easier and more secure. Do you think that a techi could copy them for me
without having to install a program? By copying...do you mean copying the
entire HD "as is"? With defects and all? Or is there a better way?

You can opt for the more expensive Windows 7 Professional in order to have
the option to switch on demand to run in virtual XP mode. This way, you
can install programs that will only run on XP.

What programs and what advantage would I have by using also the XP?

Thanks a lot again, I'm learning a bit more with each kind advice received
here! ) Adela

 

[Adela]

Hi tommyold and thanks so much! Good thinking, however, it has gotten SO
VERY SLOW that it's making me really sick! I guess I would only wait if the
techi that I know, can't help me right now as I'd appreciate his opinion
before I finalize the purchase. Also, once before when I had problems with
the computer and told him I wanted to buy another Dell since it gave me
such good results, he said he can make one for me for a fraction of Dell's
computer. So now, I don't know whether to have him do it, or go with my
hunch about Dell's... But I would love to wait until the holidays as you
well said! )

Thanks again a lot! Adela

 

[Adela]

LOL! Hi Cheng! You are funny but, in a serious way. I agree with you.
This is the beauty of this wonderful forum where ideas are crossed and
thought over so that one comes out with the best filtered solution. )
You are also right in that the newest components will not be cheap; however,
I don't have to have the latest! Just a good quality one AND...the
fastest!!! lol! So I've already emailed my techi and hope he'll give me his
definite solution.

....and sadly enough you are SO RIGHT that being blown out by muslims today
is not just an exciting movie anymore! You're very sensible!
Adela

 

[Adela]

Good thinking here too! ) Adela

They could maybe save the money they would have spent now and spend
the same money later.

If they really won't have a job then, they should not buy a computer
now either.

 

[Adela]

THANK YOU HeyBub! A 2nd hand computer would be a good idea, except not
knowing how old it is and in what condition, it would be risky.

It is almost a trivial task to clone your existing hard drive to the drive
in the new machine. Most hard-drive manufacturers provide a free bit of
software to move everything from a smaller drive to their larger, new,
drive. You need only visit the new hard drive's web-site (Fijutsu,
Seagate, Western Digital, etc.)

Oh this is very encouraging! I have the Samsung (sp?) HD and I'll look into
it. If for some reason my techi won't or can't do it, I'll certainly try it
myself.

And, lastly, do you have access to a twelve-year old male?

....what's this??? )

Thanks again! Adela

 

[Daave]

Thank you SO much Daave!
YW!


Correct! I bought it with 98SE, but it was only from last year or so
that it became gradually but surely slower....I didn't know XP
demanded more than what I had. I bought it without asking anyone
anything, as I do now, so no one told me this, among other things too.

From what I have seen, here are the major causes of slow performance:

1. Malware

2. Resource hogs like McAfee (and earlier versions of Norton)

3. Lately, many people have been having horrible problems with automatic
updates from Microsoft Update.

All of the above can be corrected. But in your case, I'd say it's time
for a new PC.

When I bought it (a decade ago!) lol! it came with McCaffee too and
was advised to get rid of, and got Norton (from the frying pan to
the fire). At present I have Avast and intend to keep it.

Avast is a good free antivirus program. But it is important to configure
it so it doesn't consume too many resources. For example, e-mail
scanning is unnecessary and can be turned off.

Good idea! I've been wanting to get an external HD to make my backups
easier and more secure. Do you think that a techi could copy them
for me without having to install a program? By copying...do you mean
copying the entire HD "as is"? With defects and all? Or is there a
better way?

You could copy the data (no, not the entire hard drive!). You don't
necessarily need a tech; I mentioned that because some people aren't too
comfortable with "techy" things. You don't need any program (it's just
data). Just use Windows Explorer.

What programs and what advantage would I have by using also the XP?

Only you would know this. Some older programs that can run on XP may not
run on 7 (if you paid for these programs, you could contact their
support and ask if they can be installed on 7). If you don't need XP
Mode, don't pay the extra premium for it.

Thanks a lot again, I'm learning a bit more with each kind advice
received here! ) Adela

YW again.

 

[Adela]

Hi and thank you Leythos! Your advice makes sense too...

Buy an Intel i5 series CPU, 4GB RAM, and a dedicated video card with at
least 512MB of Dedicated memory, as large a drive as you can afford,
some form of DVD read/write drive, a case with at least 4 USB ports, a
quality keyboard/mouse and good LCD screen, and then Windows 7 in the
version that works for you. Once you have all of that, install Avira
Antivirus Personal (FREE) and enjoy the computer.

....except I was thinking of more GBs so as not to have to upgrade later.
Does it make sense? Or will I have problems when the time comes? I'll
continue using the Avast AV.

Depending on how old your programs are, they may not install properly or
may not be fully supported on the new Windows 7 platform - but you
should get a Win 7 64 Bit operating system with a machine that also
supports 64 bit. Anything lesee and you're wasting your long term money.

I didn't know that the computer had to fit into the Win 7/64 Bit. I can see
it's more advisable to just go to those programs and download them from
scratch.

You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
Trust yourself.

This is so true, Leythos, but sometimes even our best 5 senses need
advice... ) Witness that the highest government officers have attached
their advisors!

Thank you a lot again. :^) Adela

 

[Adela]

I would never be interested in such a machine myself. 64 bit Windows has

lots of problems running older software for one. And I ran 32 bit Windows
7 for a year on three different machines and they didn't run all of my
programs either. But Windows XP does. So I switched them all to Windows XP
which I found to be far better.

Oh no Bill!!! I think I'm used to XP so I found it easy but, as to whether
or not it's ACTUALLY good...only a techi would know it? So then apparently
Windows 7 with 32, even 64 Bit is not so hot...

Oh Goddess Computer, please tell me the secret! lol!

Thanks much Bill! Adela

 

[Bob I]

Dell has refurbished, dents and scratches at the "Outlet" also "off
lease" if you are looking for bargains.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Paul, would you then say I should get a cuad core instead of the dual core
if I want it to last ten years from now?

All of your wonderful advice to me in getting the right machine will help a
lot as I gathered all the info and am going to start looking armed with this
great arsenal fo info!

THANK YOU ALL! ) Adela

Well, a question you should ask yourself is if you really want a
computer to last 10 years? It doesn't matter how powerful it is now, by
the time it's ten years old, it'll feel abysmally slow & limited.
Thinking back 10 years ago, the most powerful processors available then
would not even be able to cut it with today's cheapest processors.

I think it's best to just simply go with the cheapest acceptable
computer for today, and then in three years, you can get another. A
family friend recently bought a cheap $299 Emachines desktop, to replace
a Dell from around 2003-2004 era which must've been an $800 machine
around then. The new box not just puts the old box to shame in speed
(everything is way more responsive), it also packs more features into a
tinier box. The new machine must be 1/4th the size of the old one!

Yousuf Khan

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Hi Yousuf, I suppose I could have the cake and eat it too by keeping both,
my present WinXP and Win7? After all I'll have plenty of power in my new
computer, no? Adela

You mean like a dual-boot system? Yes that's possible, though that's a
little disk intensive. There is a program called Zinstall-XP7 (i.e. Win
XP to Win 7, thus XP7), which lets you take your existing Windows XP
image and migrate it to your new Windows 7 machine (it can even migrate
it over the network). The Windows XP runs as a virtualized sub-process
of the Windows 7. You simply hot switch between the XP and the Win 7
desktop as you like. The virtualized Win XP even retains all of your
existing programs and settings (including your existing desktop
wallpaper, etc.), you don't even have to reinstall any of them.

You start up your Windows 7, and then once you're in, then you click on
the Zinstall-XP7 icon and you are back in your old XP environment again,
as if you never changed your machine. Mind you, for this to work
properly, you need a fairly quick machine, but it saves you a lot of
headache in relearning stuff.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Hi...yes, I too hear a lot more good things about Intel than other
brands.... Adela

The processor brand doesn't matter, you can have just as many problems
with Intel processors as any other brand. The issue has more to with
Microsoft Windows bugs than processor problems.

These days AMD processors offer slightly better performance/price
ratings, while Intel processors offer slightly better ultimate
performance ratings. Those were reversed about 5 years ago, so it's
something that changes over and over again.

Don't worry about processor brands, or even anything to do with the
processor at all, just worry about price points. Generally, all machines
are priced properly for their performance these days. If you compare a
machine in the $300 range, they will generally be all of the same
processor types. Then most $500 machines are comparable to each other,
and $700, etc. The only ones not comparable are the Apple machines which
are usually $200-$300 overpriced.

Yousuf Khan

 

[~*Laughingstar*~]

someone send the lady a computer!

 

[Unknown]

Your opinions or facts? What are failure rates of the various processors?
AMD vs Intel?

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Your opinions or facts? What are failure rates of the various processors?
AMD vs Intel?

Opinion, just as yours is. With a lot of experience thrown in.

Failure rates are pretty much zero for all processors these days. When
was the last time you saw a processor die all by itself with no external
stimulus? Such as someone pulling the heat sink off of it, or a
lightening strike (which would probably kill the power supply but rarely
the processor).

System reliability is now measured on non-processor feature
compatibility mostly, which is usually down to a device driver or
software problem. Does a piece of software work on your system? Does a
piece of hardware work on your system? If they do, then do they work as
advertised or do they have some minor problems, etc.?

Yousuf Khan

 

[Unknown]

You post as if they were facts. Clarify your posts.

 

[BillW50]

Unknown wrote on Wed, 8 Sep 2010 10:38:48 -0500:

Your opinions or facts? What are failure rates of the various processors?
AMD vs Intel?

Well I bought four AMD HP desktop computers back in 2000. All of the
same model and they came with Windows ME on them. Nothing but problems
with them. Bought four copies of XP and replaced Windows ME. Still
wasn't solid computers. Video files would skip a frame or two and every
few seconds jump a frame backward. Recording from my TV Tuner was the
very same. Replaced video cards with another manufacture and nothing but
the same. These computers were refubs and I swear HP had a few spare
parts around and created these monsters. So maybe it would be unfair to
blame AMD, but I never bought another one again.

Back in February I was playing The Sims 3 on one of my Gateway MX6124 (I
have three of them). Although this one read the Celeron 1.5MHz 10 to 40
degrees F cooler than the other two MX6124. The error was worse the more
CPU usage it had.

Well you guessed it, after 6 weeks of maxing out the CPU all of the time
the CPU fried. Oops! Swapped the CPU from one of the other ones and now
that working CPU reads low too. I have no idea what is wrong, but it
must be something wrong on the motherboard. They all have the same BIOS
versions and everything. Swapped the heatsink and fan and no help. And
they used thermal pads and not thermal grease. Although I don't think
that matters.

My guess is this motherboard was somehow believing the CPU was running
cooler than it really was. Thus the fan never kicked up on high or
anything when it should have been during high CPU use. I still use it
today, but only for low CPU use tasks. I thought about putting a thermal
switch on the heatsink and thus kicking the fan on high if it get hot.
But I haven't got around to it yet. Other two never had a problem and I
run high CPU use games on them all of the time.

 

[BillW50]

Adela wrote on Tue, 7 Sep 2010 22:18:01 -0400:

Oh no Bill!!! I think I'm used to XP so I found it easy but, as to whether
or not it's ACTUALLY good...only a techi would know it? So then apparently
Windows 7 with 32, even 64 Bit is not so hot...

Oh Goddess Computer, please tell me the secret! lol!

Thanks much Bill! Adela

Well I would listen to a computer scientist and an electronic engineer.
I may not agree with them, but I would at least give them a fair hearing
anyway.

And while the last I heard, 80% likes Windows 7 and 20% doesn't. I just
happen to fall into the latter camp. As I am not so impressed with these
newer hand holding OS that are meant to be idiot proof. And you know
what they say about making something idiot proof right?

 

[Adela]

Thanks Yousuf, it's interesting and makes sense what you say. Only thing is
I dislike having to learn so much before buying a computer (so I know what
I'm getting), and so was hoping I wouldn't have to search for another 10
years if I get now one loaded with plenty specs....

However, I will think about it and will pose the question to this techi whom
I'll ask to make it for me, and if not, gather all the good info here and go
find one in a store.

Thank you again! ) Adela