Final questions on new computer.

[kellyinkc]

Hey, narrowed choice down to HP or eMachines. Anybody have experience with eMachines? Best Buy has a pretty good deal on one. After rebates it's 500.00. Specs are: AMD 64, 1GB RAM,200GB HD.
LightScribe, monitor, printer and media reader!! So I can finally post pics from home.
Debating between a CRT or LCD monitor. Finally DSL or high speed cable? Thanks alot.

Kelly

[sneek]

my eMachines power supply died in little over a year. I then replace the power supply only to have something else die weeks later!!! i trashed the hunk of junk minus the expensive power supply and ordered a dell

[Paramedic]

I had the same problem with a emachine only it was video card, then power supply, then hard drive. I junked it there and went with a dell aswell. I have been extremely happy with Dell. Only thing I like from HP is there printers. Always had a photosmart printer and really like them.

[Detalnewb]

Avoid eMachines at all costs. Dell is good, HP and Sony are good options too. Or build it yourself - it's not as hard as it sounds.

CRT vs LCD. I'd go LCD, but you have to think about what you're doing with it - if you like to watch DVDs on it or play games, you'll want to look for one with a decent (12ms+) refresh rate. If you're just surfing, you can do with whatever. I recommend that you spend a little more on a digital LCD instead of an analog (and make sure that your computer has a digital output for it - most of the time they're white and look like this: )

DSL vs. Cable. Tough call, depending on your local providers. My local cable provider was $65/mo (at 5Mb/s), but I recently switched to Qwest DSL for $20/mo (for 1.5 Mb/s). I notice the difference, but it's still FAST. DSL through Qwest was nice for me also because the DSL modem has a built-in wireless router so my laptop is connected too

My Dell desktop has lasted me 3.5 years and I've only had to replace the power supply. My Dell laptop has had a lot more problems

[skyace888]

Avoid eMachines at all costs. Dell is good, HP and Sony are good options too. Or build it yourself - it's not as hard as it sounds.

Everybody has their own opinion on specific brands of computer. I work in IT and I've seen it all. There are very minimal differences in quality between all the top brands out there. I know people with eMachines systems from 1998 that are still running strong. I also know of a 3 month old Dell where I work that just had its hard drive replaced. My advice is to buy a warranty from a retailer, such as Best Buy, so you are covered and have peace-of-mind. Building your own machine is not as cheap as it used to be compared to retail systems, and if there is a problem, you will likely end up having to fix it yourself.

For an Internet connection, go with whatever one is cheaper between DSL and Cable. Both are great services with pros and cons. DSL tends to be more consistent though the speeds are typically slower. Cable will have faster top-end speeds, but can fluctuate throughout the day depending on how many people are using the network.

Good luck with your decisions!

--Al

[kellyinkc]

Thanks all!! My employer is giving discounts this weekend for Compaqs. 200.00 off. Wife and I decided to go this way.
Nothing fancy but will do what we need it to do.


Kelly

[sneek]

Originally posted by Paramedic
I had the same problem with a emachine only it was video card, then power supply, then hard drive. I junked it there and went with a dell aswell. I have been extremely happy with Dell. Only thing I like from HP is there printers. Always had a photosmart printer and really like them.

HP makes great printers i have a $450 colour printer thats 10 years old and still works lol i use it when i dont need quality colour prints and i use it when the laser needs toner

also i have had one problem with a dell laptop before i didnt have a warrenty but they replaced it free so the brings the dell count to 4

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by Detalnewb
.....Or build it yourself - it's not as hard as it sounds.

I know this post is irrelevant now, but I prefer the home build too myself. Course, OEM computer packages have gotten so cheap that their hard to pass up.

I just like the ability to install only the programs & features that I want.

[SiriusRIMZ]

I've built my own too, its much easier really, and you get exactly what you want. I built a $2,500 system for about $1000.

I had an E-Machine, and had problems with it from day one. Dell's are OK, I've found they can be pricy, but reliable I suppose.

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by SiriusRIMZ
I've built my own too, its much easier really, and you get exactly what you want. I built a $2,500 system for about $1000.

I had an E-Machine, and had problems with it from day one. Dell's are OK, I've found they can be pricy, but reliable I suppose.

I tried to talk my brother into building a pc, but he opted for a Dell instead...................Set him back about $2000.00.

Course, he has dual processors too........I suppose he could run Vista on that thing.