Replacing Computer and would appreciate some help....LONG

[bassman]

OK computer gurus...this is a LONG one....my Dell desktop just took a dump and
needs to be replaced...it is 3 years old and the hard drive is kaput.  Estimate to
repair and reload everything is $450-500 so I'm going to replace it.  Here are my options
from Costco:

HP Pavilion desktop w/ 25" monitor
1 TB  Hard Drive
10 GB RAM
AMD A8 processor
Windows 8
$700

HP h8xt Desktop Chassis only
1 TB
16 GB RAM
Intel Core i7 processor
Windows 8
$700
Reuse my existing monitor

HP dv6t Quad Laptop 15.6" Screen
1 TB Hard Drive
16GB RAM
Intel Core i7 processor
Windows 8 with Microsoft Office
$900

Dell Inspiron Laptop 17" Blu Ray Laptop
1 TB
8 GB RAM
Intel Core i7 processor
Windows 8 with Microsoft Office
$800

HP Envy 17.3" Screen
750 GB
8GB RAM
AMD Quad Core A8 processor
Windows 8
$600


AND, may as well throw Apple into the mix with the MacMini and iMac:

MacMini
2.5 dual core Intel i5
500GB
$600
+ $100 for 8G
+ $79 for External drive
= $779
Use my existing keyboard, mouse and monitor

MacMini
2.3 Quad core i7
1 TB
$800
+ $100 for G
+ $79 for External drive
= $979
Use my existing keyboard, mouse and monitor

iMac
2.5 dual core intel i5
1 T
$1300
+ $200  for Quad core i7
=$1500
Has wireless mouse and keyboard

Whew!

I use the computer primarily for email and web surfing (Valk Board) and maybe load / store 200 pictures a year.  How much "power" do I really need in a computer...I mean 16G of RAM????  My current one had 8G.  I know I'm mixing laptops and desktops here but which do you think would be the best bang for the buck?  And, is a Mac really that good and worth the additional cost? 

What'cha think?  Any pearls of wisdom you'd care to share with a computer novice?  Or ANY
computer advice for that matter.

TIA !!!

[CajunRider]

You won't need much power for that sort of stuff.  Nor will you need 1 TB of hard drive. 

Re-make your list with options that do NOT include Windows 8... aim for Windows 7.

When all you want is internet and photos and such... also aim for cheap and portable.

[Psycho]

Neil, with your money, price shouldn't be a concern.

[..]

Did you back up?

If so just buy a new hard drive and use the back up to reinstall.

[Phil57]

+1 on the new hard drive.They are cheap and easy to replace. If you replace the computer I would look at Mac. I never thought I would use anything but a PC but I bought a Macbook Pro and got it from the Apple Store. It's a strange place to shop at but I have never been treated as well at any retail store. They set it up synced it with my phone and my I pad set up the cloud and everything talks to everything. It was very easy and I love my Mac.I think I paid around 900 for it. They have classes to take in the store or on line. This laptop is the easiest computer I have ever used which is a good thing because i'm really a dumb ass.

[Robert]

I am assuming you are not handy with a computer but a hard drive is about 100.00 or less. If you have the operating system disc that came with your Dell all you have to do is install a hard drive and reinstall the operating system. The discs that came with your Dell will get you up and running  and the hard drive is just unplug the old one and plug in the new one. I agree with Cajun Windows 7 is better than 8 and intel i7 dependent on model is good. Get all the ram you can and don't worry to much about the amount its not that much more and the same with the hard drive. NEW XPS 8500 Starting Price   $699.99.
This includes enough bells and whistles that it will be fine. Asus makes a good computer at about the same price with more bells and whistles and better specs. Take a look at them on the internet and see what you think.

[FLAVALK]

Did you back up?

If so just buy a new hard drive and use the back up to reinstall.

DITTO. Hard drives are cheap. Unless you are a gamer or have a special need, you probably don't need anything high powered or glitzy. I replaced the HD in my 4-yo laptop and it does everything I need and then some. I think I paid less than $100 for a 60g HD and installed it myself...not hard to do.

[hubcapsc]

I just got a Lenovo X1 Carbon... it is the winders equivalent to a macbook air...

I used a macbook pro for a few years as my desktop at work... you might like mac fine, or
maybe meh... it was meh for me. I've been a unix programmer for 30 years, and macs are
unix underneath, but its kind of whacky proprietary unix, and whatever it is underneath,
its mac on top. Windows is not very exciting, but stuff like the no-name slide digitizer I got
from Amazon for $40 just plugs into windows and works...

whatever you get, there's what you need, and there's what is awesome... hardware like a
macbook air or the X1 Carbon is awesome, the look, the feel, the durability, the lighted keyboard...

-Mike

[donaldcc]

Go to Costco and buy yourself a laptop for $600 -700.  just get one that just looks good to you and it will have all the memory and power you need.  for your use it will be more convenient than others you are looking at and much more portable.  for that amount of money you will get a good laptop you can take anywhere and will satisfy you needs.  if you don't like it, costco's return policy is great.

[Scott in Ok]

If you get a PC with Windows 8, I hope you have better luck figuring it out than I did at first glance.  I messed with a few in a store last weekend and it was the most confusing thing I have ever messed with.   I"m sure its great once you figure it out, but it was just weird to me.


-Scott

[donaldcc]

  you might also consider a tablet that would be even more convenient for you and more portable.  will have plenty of power and memory for your needs.

[Titan]

Whoa! bassman... there's no reason in the world to replace that computer! But you need to find another shop, or technician, to get the old machine back up and running. Hard drives die. If they run long enough, every one of them on the planet will eventually die. Some just go sooner than others. All you need is a new hard rive that may cost $60.00 - $80.00 or so. Since you don't know how to do it yourself, maybe ask around and find a friend who can do it for you. Otherwise call different repair shops till you get somebody reasonable.

I'm a diehard Mac user and I'm in the business of supporting Macs. I replace hard drives all the time and I generally charge $75.00 to $120.00. to install the drive and install the operating system and whatever factory software came on it originally. Oh, plus the cost of the drive.

Data recovery is an additional cost in any shop, mine included. If you have files that you want recovered from your old drive then you would be charged for that and it would depend entirely on how much work goes into that part of the job.

I'm not here to try to get you to switch to a Mac. I'm here to talk you out of spending money unnecessarily, just as I do with all my clients. Your old machine may give you several more years of use for the cost of a new hard drive.

If you do decide to get a new computer, based on your description of what you use it for, save yourself some bucks and don't let anybody tell you that you need a super fast computer with a terabyte hard drive and 16 gigs of RAM. You just don't. Think about it this way... your old Dell was doing everything you wanted it to do. It still can. Look for a better price. There's thousands of tinkerers out there who can install hard drives!

[cookiedough]

I just bought a samsung 15.6" laptop black friday at best buy for 350 bucks, normal price 550 bucks.  Why not get like I did an Intel i3 core processor, 500gb hard drive,  4GB RAM L3 cache.  That is all you need why would anyone need nor want a 1 TB hard drive and anything over an i5 core processor.  i7 processor is way overkill for 99% of users, when an i3 core processor should be just fine. 

You can find a new laptop easily under 500 bucks brand new.  Yes, you can restore your old laptop with new hard drive and may or may not be able to recover your data, but if going to cost over 150-200 bucks,  I wouldn't bother repairing it, just get a new one under 500 bucks all day long. 

[Patrick]

If you really want/need a new puter,,, MacBook Pro.. I didn't think I'd ever get a Mac,, but,, now,, I'll never go back..  Macs work..

[Robert]

There is a good program called Casper, it automatically makes a clone copy of your hard drive so if the hard drive fails all you have to do is unplug one and plug in the other one and you are up and running again. I use it at work and as with any computer the name of the game is backup. So I have this running and also use a external drive and backup important programs to that so its like a double backup. The advantage to Casper is that its a bootable direct copy of your current hard drive updated daily if you want. So if one goes down you just switch and your back and running in minutes.
http://www.fssdev.com/products/casper/ I had the hard drive in my Dell go more than once and with this program was just able to switch and no data loss and no headaches. I also used a larger hard drive than the one that originally came on the computer so now I also have all the space I need.
One thing I did forget to mention if you buy a Dell or Hp they use really cheap boards most of the time and make them so that you cannot upgrade to far without buying a new computer. Thats another reason I like the Asus they make good boards and you can upgrade easily. Like the AMD 4 core can easily be upgraded to the 6 or now 8 core.  Same goes for Intel but I would say 4 cores is the minimum to go with. Oh one more thing it seems all the computers that you are interested in are a 64 bit operating system that is why the increased memory just make sure that the programs that you have on your current computer do have 64bit versions otherwise you will be buying new programs also.

[..]

If you need new software for basics like Word and Excel I recommend
http://www.openoffice.org/product/index.html

[cookiedough]

If you really want/need a new puter,,, MacBook Pro.. I didn't think I'd ever get a Mac,, but,, now,, I'll never go back..  Macs work..

I guess if what he wants is a new computer and wants to spend 700-900 bucks on a windows based over the top PC really not needed for most users,  why not consider spending a few more hundred bucks on a MAC.  Never used one, but heard they are very nice much more bulletproof than windows based which we all use.  My neighbors daughter bought one for college and she loves it I guess.  Like everything else, it takes time to get used to it.

[hubcapsc]

mac-os isn't for me, but check out this thing (21 inch screen) they're
about to release - $1500 for the studliest version... I bet it is an awesome
computer...



I guess there's a cpu and ssd pasted inside the bottom edge of the screen.

-Mike "if  Lenovo made one you could ditch the mouse, too  "

[Blues]

Only Mac... all the way... since 1985.  I have an old MacBook Pro that I've always loved, but since I travel less these days, I mainly use an iMac for a desktop.  I have an older one that still serves me well.  What I really want now is a MacMini to hook up to my television.  I've also started using iCloud to sync my calendar, address book, and any photos, videos or music that I want between the laptop, desktop, and smart phone.

The amount of RAM memory is most important if you are doing high-end graphic, photo, or number-crunching work.  The size of the hard disk is important if you want to store lots of photos, music, videos, movies, etc.  If this is the case, 1 T is not too much.

Also, if you mainly want it to surf the web, email, movies, videos, and games, you might also want to consider an iPad.

[bassman]

As usual....outstanding input from you all and VERY much appreciated....I'll be
considering it when I make my final decision....Thanks again !   

[bassman]

Neil, with your money, price shouldn't be a concern.

Michael....pay close attention buddy......I understand you drew my name
as my SECRET SANTA and I'm just giving you a "list" of things on my
Christmas list !

[Dr Bobs Patient]

Heck, I'm still using a 9-year old Dell laptop that's on it's third hard drive and no battery!  At work, we never buy a new PC, they're all bought from the Dell outlet as scratch and dent or refurbished.  That being said, my dear wife wanted a tablet - all she does is email, FB, pictures and games.  She's happy with a scratch & dent Kindle Fire HD that only cost me $165!

I had one of my techs think if he broke his laptop, he'd get a new one.  A week after he turned it in we gave it back to him with a new screen!  Oh and we're still running Windows XP on most of our machines!

DBP

[Valkyr01]

I think the suggestions to get the 3 year old PC working are valid, but.......

Here's some other things to consider if you decide to replace your existing machine -

What's going to be connected to the computer? Do you have an 'all-in-one' printer/fax/scanner or individual components? Do you plug a camera into it occasionally? Do you have the audio hooked up to an amplifier?   

Do you prefer large monitors or are you satisfied with a smaller screen?

Do you need the mobility of a laptop or tablet? Or do you prefer sitting at a dedicated space? 

Just a few thoughts
Joe V.

[amazngrace]

bassman,
When you get the new one, send me the Dell! I'll
gladly pay the shipping!

...ED