New Computer...Is This A Good Deal?

[LixyChick]

I must appologize for the length of this thread before I start. I am sorry! LOL!

Most of you who know me know I am NOT all that computer savvy. I've learned some things over the years, but I still have trouble with most "puter speak". Mr. Lixy knows less than I do. So we are lost when we talk to "geeks" and we bow to their knowledge.

Our computer is extremely antiquated and we want to get a new one. We have no kids so we will be setting it up for our use only. Mr. Lixy searches the internet for hobby related info and also for porn. He emails and sends and receives attachments. We don't have a CD burner now but he's always wanted to do that.

I do more work on the puter than he does. I shop online and do my banking. I type any of the important stuff we/I need using the (included) word processor. I resize and touch-up our pics. I store and organize them too. I IM peeps and keep two email addresses (would be three if I used our ISP email, but I don't). I don't get crazy creative because, as I've said, our current computer is antiquated. We are still on dial-up, but that will change with a new set up.

We currently have a Compaq Pressario 5000 running Windows ME. I found a deal on a Dell in a flyer that came to our house the other day. The puter I have my eye on was a basic model with a nice free upgrade. The deal was this...

Dell Dimension E521...AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual-Core Processor 3800 plus a free upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium...1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 Memory...250GB Hard Drive...Plays and Creates CD's and DVD's...17" Flat Panel Monitor.

The price (as is) was regularly $809, but with a 25% discount from this flyer it would cost $599 (or $18/mo.).

I went to the Dell site and typed in the E-Value Code and pulled up the above package. I could purchase as is for the very price quoted and have a good deal. The site was VERY imformative and gave me ways to figure out what we felt was necessary for what we do now and what we want to do in the future. We want a good set-up and we don't want to have to do this again for a long while. I did some upgrades and I want to ask if you think I went too far or if I could bump it up even more? Here's the package I upgraded to...



Module Component and Operating System - Dell Dimension E521...AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual-Core Upgraded to 5600...Free upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium w/1GB memory

Memory - Upgraded from 1GB to 2GB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM @ 667MHz-2DIMMS

Keyboard and Mouse Bundles - Took the included deal. Will shop on my own if necessary. Included = Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse

Monitor - Upgraded from 17" Flat Panel Display to 20" Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Display

Video Card - Upgraded to NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU

Hard Drive - Upgraded from 250GB to 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache

Floppy Drive and Media Reader - No Floppy Drive included. I didn't choose one cause I don't really know what I would need it for. Can you think of a reason why peeps like me and hubby would need this?

Network Interface - Integrated 10/100 Ethernet included. (whatever that means)

Modem - 56K PCI Data Fax Modem included. Can't remember if I had a choice...and if it was important...lol! Are there choices and is it important?

Adobe Software - Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0 included

CD ROM/DVD ROM - Upgraded from 16x DVD+/-RW to Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive +16x DVD+/-RW

Sound Cards - Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio included

Speakers - No Speakers Included. I could have ran the spectrum here (basic to blow your ear drums out) but they seemed too pricey for our purposes...even the basic ones. I'll purchase them seperately.

Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) - Upgraded from Basic Microsoft without Works (but will run some word processing functions) to Microsoft® Works Suite 2006...includes MS Word 2002, Encarta 2006 and much more!

Anti-Virus/Security Suite - McAfee Security Center w/anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall...36 months included. Didn't upgrade from here...though lots were offered. Figured I could do that on my own for less as well. Good Call?

Warranty and Service - Included...1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service. Could have chosen up to 4Yr for a price. What are your thoughts on warranties? I haven't ever needed service on this old thing I'm on now. Shouldn't 1Yr be enough to know if you got a lemon? Tell me your thoughts on this one, please!

Internet Access Service - Choice between AOL or EarthLink (included). I won't use either but they make you choose one so I picked EarthLink cause I had AOL before and I hated it! I don't have to activate it...ever.

Miscellaneous - Included...Award Winning Service and Support

Dell Digital Entertainment - Included...Trial pack-Basic and trial products from Corel and Yahoo

Software - I want to purchase a way to move my files and pics to the new puter. I scrolled through the choices and found one for Windows ME to Vista. It's called LapLink PCmover. Says it'll move applications, data and settings to my new PC. Does anyone know if this is just for "from a laptop to a PC"? I NEED to do just what it says but I am NOT on a laptop. I have a desktop. HELP!!! It's $29 and I don't know if that's a good price or can I get one on my own and cheaper.

I didn't get a web Cam cause I don't have one now and I don't see the importance. I know some will say otherwise...but if I want one in the future I can do that then.

Total after upgrades - $1,172.25 (includes taxes and FREE/3-5 day shipping and handling) or $36/mo. I'll have to wait a few extra days to have it shipped because of some of the upgrades. Shipping is still FREE as long as I order before May 15, 2007.



So...there ya go! Did I do good? Did I under or over do it? Tell me your thoughts please! I trust your expertise and I don't want to fuck this purchase up!

[LixyChick]

P.S. Should I "link" you to the site, on the page I was on to do all the upgrades so you can see the options? Or am I ignorant in thinking you wouldn't know the upgrades I can get or the basic stuff I should stick to?

[Lilith]

A $599 computer will end up running $1100? I have bought 3 systems on sale in stores and paid much much less and have never been missing a program or device that I could not later get inexpensively or free on the web. I am no expert on what is what so I can't help I just worry you are spending nearly twice as much as you were going to be originally paying.

[LixyChick]

I know what you mean Lil. I thought the basic model sounded great as to what it does. I didn't know there was so many "upgrades" and I did a lot of reading as to what they are for before I made any choices.

Mr. Lixy just kept saying, "I want to be able to link up with NASA"! In other words...he wants power/longevity and he doesn't want to have to purchase it after the fact.

He loves the idea of being able to burn CD's and DVD's. He wants to download vids (probably mostly porn) and he wants them to run uninterrupted (he hates that stop/start thing while they are "buffering". I thought DSL would change that. I don't know for sure). He doesn't play games online or even by himself on the puter. He has a PS2 for game play. He wants a good monitor with a beautiful picure. He's rather a push-me-pull-you when it comes to wants and needs. I just don't know if the basic model is enough for what he wants/needs and if we'd need more in the future.

Thanks for your input!

[PantyFanatic]

good idea to let us see 'exactly' how they are presenting it ;)


I have to run now but will be back at ya with some thoughts
(you will will get GOOD imformation from the other Pixies in the meantime)






[don't worry about a web cam. I'll be happy to buy one of those for YOU :tongue: ]

[Casperr]

Dell Dimension E521...AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual-Core Processor 3800 plus a free upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium...1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 Memory...250GB Hard Drive...Plays and Creates CD's and DVD's...17" Flat Panel Monitor.
For the simple work you're doing, that's plenty good enough. The only thing I'd change is the RAM... Vista is better with 2Gb.

Module Component and Operating System - Dell Dimension E521...AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual-Core Upgraded to 5600...Free upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium w/1GB memory
Doubt the upgrade was all that necessary. Unless you're doing lots of video editing or gaming, upgrading the processor is pretty pointless.

Memory - Upgraded from 1GB to 2GB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM @ 667MHz-2DIMMS[/quote]
You've done good!

Keyboard and Mouse Bundles - Took the included deal. Will shop on my own if necessary. Included = Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse

Monitor - Upgraded from 17" Flat Panel Display to 20" Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Display
Good work. More screen space is always good.

Video Card - Upgraded to NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU
Eh? You upgraded? to integrated? What was it standard?
And in any case, that's fine.

Hard Drive - Upgraded from 250GB to 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache
250Gb is plenty, unless you're downloading lots of movies, doing lots of video recording, or if Mr. Lixy is downloading a TON of porn!

Floppy Drive and Media Reader - No Floppy Drive included. I didn't choose one cause I don't really know what I would need it for. Can you think of a reason why peeps like me and hubby would need this?
Nope you don't need one. When it says "media reader' I think it might mean Compact Flash or Secure Digital cards, like you store photos on for a digital camera. Might be worth it for convenience sake, but most cameras should be able to plug directly into your computer.

Network Interface - Integrated 10/100 Ethernet included. (whatever that means)
Basically that's the thingi you plug your broadband modem into. No point upgrading or anything, the integrated one will do fine.

Modem - 56K PCI Data Fax Modem included. {can't remember if I had a choice...and if it was important...lol!)
If you've still got your dial-up modem from your old computer, (ie it's a separate box that plugs into your computer) then you might as well stick with that.

CD ROM/DVD ROM - Upgraded from 16x DVD+/-RW to Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive +16x DVD+/-RW
Ok, so where you originally had one drive you've now got two: a read-only and a burner. This is convenient, because you can copy an audio cd for example, and leave the original in the reader (probably the top one) while you burn it directly in the other drive. Convenient, but not strictly necessary if you don't mind swapping discs over in one drive.
Price of dvd burners these days, might as well go with two like you've selected.

Speakers - No Speakers Included. I could have ran the spectrum here (basic to blow your ear drums out) but they seemed too pricey for our purposes...even the basic ones. I'll purchase them seperately.
Probably best idea. I doubt you'll need anything special, some basic $10 ones should be fine.

Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) - Upgraded from Basic Microsoft without Works (but will run some word processing functions) to Microsoft® Works Suite 2006...includes MS Word 2002, Encarta 2006 and much more!
All good.

Anti-Virus/Security Suite - McAfee Security Center w/anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall...36 months included. Didn't upgrade from here...though lots were offered. Figured I could do that on my own for less as well. Good Call?
Yeah, good call. McAfee is one fo the best paid-for antivirus etc companies. When the 36 months expires, it might be worth uninstalling it and going with the pretty good free options around - Avast or AVG for the anti-cirus, Spybot and Adaware for malware, and Zonealarm for firewall.

Warranty and Service - Included...1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service. Could have chosen up to 4Yr for a price. What are your thoughts on warranties? I haven't ever needed service on this old thing I'm on now. Shouldn't 1Yr be enough to know if you got a lemon? Tell me your thoughts on this one, please![quote]
Warranties are like insurance, you'll only ever need it when you haven't got it.
If you don't know a tech wiz nerd who'll come over and replace your fried power supply when it fizzles after 13 months, and if you can afford to up the warranty by another year or so, I'd recommend it.
After two years, if anything dies it'll be cheaper to replace it.

[quote]Internet Access Service - Choice between AOL or EarthLink (included). I won't use either but they make you choose one so I picked EarthLink cause I had AOL before and I hated it! I don't have to activate it...ever.
Never heard of Earthlink, but yeah heard lots of awful things about AOL. Good work!


Software - I want to purchase a way to move my files and pics to the new puter. I scrolled through the choices and found one for Windows ME to Vista. It's called LapLink PCmover. Says it'll move applications, data and settings to my new PC. Does anyone know if this is just for "from a laptop to a PC"? I NEED to do just what it says but I am NOT on a laptop. I have a desktop. HELP!!! It's $29 and I don't know if that's a good price or can I get one on my own and cheaper.
Hmm....
Laplink will work fine desktop to desktop. Although I haven't used it in 10 years.
Normally I'd just suggest networking them and copying things over. And that might be something you can look into, easiest way would be when you get broadband to get a modem with a built in router, that way you can plug both computers into it and they should be able to see each other.
But yeah, Laplink's probably easiest.... deferring to other Pixies here!!!

[LixyChick]

Thanks PF!

Here's the link for the Options Page for Ordering Process (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?cs=19&kc=6M140&oc=DDDDBS2&x=3&y=9)

Hope that works!

EDIT: Yep! That's it. I checked the link and it's right. That's the page I started on and I went through all the components and read everything there is to read about them. Compared side by side...read their purpose as opposed to the "included" stuff...etc. Dell makes recommendations and sometimes I took um up on them and sometimes I didn't.

[LixyChick]

Hiya (((((Casper)))))!!! LTNS hun!

Oops to the upgrade for the video card. That was the standard. Sorry for the mistake!

Still reading your input...but had to say hey when I saw you here. TY for all the considerations. I've got a lot of reading to do!

*hugs*

[Winston77]

I just stayed with a simple E machine , It gave me all I needed without all the bells and whistles (which you don't really need unless your in to programing, massive game playing and such) plus remember every computer that comes out now is already obsolete by a few years.
http://www.e4me.com/products/
Why pay for all the extras you probaly won't use

[LixyChick]

TY sooooooooooo much for all the attention to detail Casper!

So I don't need to upgrade the CD Rom thingy? Okie Dokie! I was really thrown on that one!

Sounds like the basic model was good except for the monitor and memory upgrade?? I can save a lot of money if I delete some of the other stuff.

Oh wait! For the anti-virus thing I went with the Dell recommended upgrade. Sorry for the slip-up...I only printed out what I selected and went from memory as to what was offered and what came standard. It is $74 dollars for the upgrade but I have a FREE 30 day trial included in the package deal. I'll just go with the trial for now and work on it later online or in store.

As to the LapLink info you supplied...here's where I sit like a deer in the headlights when you start talking about networking and broadband and all that other stuff! I don't know what the hell it means but it sounded good! LMFAO! So...I'll research the transfer better before I choose to do anything. I can learn if I can see it done or can follow the instructions!

Thanks again hun! You gave me a plethora of info!

[LixyChick]

I just stayed with a simple E machine , It gave me all I needed without all the bells and whistles (which you don't really need unless your in to programing, massive game playing and such) plus remember every computer that comes out now is already obsolete by a few years.
http://www.e4me.com/products/
Why pay for all the extras you probaly won't use
I'm thinking more basic is better for us too Winston. I like the recommendations and explainations Casper supplied and I'll downgrade my upgrades accordingly.

As to an obsolete computer...you should see the one I have now! YIKES! But...it still works (no matter that I curse at it like a sailor on shore leave) and that says a lot about longevity. It just doesn't have any more memory to go DSL (or anything faster than dial-up) and we can't introduce a burner of any kind because I think the last intro of our digital cam took all it's strength to try and operate. It gives me problems on start up BECAUSE of out last intro of the new digicam.

If I want to upgrade to future (yet unknown) additions...I just want to make sure I'll have the machine to take the beating.

TY for the input hun!

[Mark Vieth]

Ok (puts hands together and cracks fingers) Lixy I know a bit about pc's and have built my own. Even though mine is a little out dated it still runs with the best of them. Here are my pc's specs just so you get an idea of what setup I have:

AMD Athlon xp 1.6 gig cpu. 512 SD Ram, the video card is a nvidia 6200 which has 256 mb ram at x8, 2 hard disk both partitioned so I have 4. A cd-rom and a dvd r/w. Which is read and write. In other words a dvd burner which can also burn cd's. I am running xp as vista has all kinds of problems and personally I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot poll. XP still has the better compatibility and reliability. I am surprised that you are running ME. If you have ever used xp you will shit yourself. XP is much better.

Most computer geeks will try and hit you with the speed of the processor and how fast it reads data and also how much ram you need. You only get a pc for your needs and requirements not the other way around. For example if you are only doing internet surfing, email and word processing, then anything under 2.0 gig will do just fine. 256 ram is more than enough. 512 is nice too. If you are running high end games or things that require lots of nice visuals then you go for something a bit higher up. DVD's will run on any machine over 800 mghrts. Anything under and it lags. So a 2.0 gig or under will easily do the job. Even though mine is a 1.6 gig it runs much higher and I have no issues with mine. Price is another thing, most people buy the latest thing with all the bells and whistles and they only end up using about a 3rd of the bits and pieces anyway. Warranties etc, are only good for their duration after that any repairs you will have to cover.

[LixyChick]

Hi Mark. TY for the info! I am running ME because XP wasn't out when I got my puter. Mine came with ME and I haven't changed it cause I never had a problem. I decided that when I got a new puter I would get some things based on what I learn/learned from this ole thang and from hearing what others like and why.

I know Vista is new and I haven't heard much about it. I've heard both sides of the coin with XP.

Now, what kind of problems do you refer to when you say "Vista has all kinds of problems"? I'd like to hear specifics if you could share them.

BTW...that was more than enough puter speak! It doesn't impress me much if I can't understand it...lol! Could you please drop down a few levels and try to explain in plain English? Thanks!

[Booger]

Lixy from what I read you are looking for a good basic computer and it looks like the one you are looking at is more then you need. my best advice would be to go out to a computer store that sells used computers and find something good there. Most likely you'll be able to pick one up for about half of what you'll pay (the original price) for this one and be getting more in lines with your needs.

My second piece of advice is avoid Dells. I've knowen a couple people who have had problem with them. including my dad who's mother board went out 2 weeks (or at least it died then after he had problem with it for over a month) after the warranty ran out. When he called they told him sorry his warranty was over but they could sel him a new mother board. They ended up sending him the wrong mother board. When he called again they told him he could wait while he shipped them back the one he got and then they shipped him a new one or he could but buy the prosser that would work with that board( they were nice enough to throw in next day shipping for free). I also have a friend who will never buy another Dell because of the problematci one he had. I would say look around for a good HP or Compaq (they are both basicly the same being they are made my the same people)

If you have your heart set on the Dell I would have to say avoid the Vista it has only been out for a sort time and like any program like that is going to be problematic. With XP they have worked out must of the bugs.

[Booger]

PS don't let then get you with the buy now or you don't get the free shipping it's one of those ploys to get you to buy before you think about it to much.

[Booger]

PSS I noticed you are planing on up dateing from dail up. If you have a choice between Cable and DSL. I would go with Cable (dependeing on the prices difence) DSL get slower the farther you are from the source where Cable dosen't matter where you are.

[jseal]

LixyChick,

I agree with Mark & Booger about using WinXP rather than Vista. You probably will not get anything from Vista that you can’t get from WinXP. Mark may be referring to the reports that quite a few device drivers are not yet available for Vista although they are for WinXp, and as Booger pointed out, WinXP has been debugged, while Vista is new.

[LixyChick]

TY guys...for taking the time to explain in (somewhat) plain speak.

I've honestly never heard a bad thing about Dells unless I was on here, in another thread, and the preference discussion got going. I was always told that the a brand name on a computer is like a personal preference in a car. If you like Fords you'll down Chevy's...and vice-versa.

I take all the advice, insight and personal stories I get here and weight them carefully. I won't ever try to disagree with you unless I know to what I speak.

As to buying a used puter to save money...it's not an issue. It's like life/health insurance to me, to purchase the best and get only what I need. With computers...I don't understand what all the "bells and whistles" are...but if I am going to need them someday I want to have that option now instead of having to purchase more to upgrade later.

I don't want to overspend for no good reason but I don't want less just to save money either. I want to grow with this new computer and I want it to grow with me. I want it to be able to help me as I learn as well.

BTW...Windows ME is obsolete as far as Windows Update is concerned. Vista is the newest of the new. Someday XP will be obsolete as well. Couldn't being new be a good thing too?

I'll take heed of your advice about XP and Vista...but I need to do more research.

[LixyChick]

BTW Boog...we only have one cable company around here. That's Comcast and they have a great intro deal but they zap ya after six months.

Verizon DSL is in the neighborhood and I haven't heard a bad thing about it yet. Price is good and so is the connection. ANYTHING would be faster than what I have now!!

Will my new puter be any faster on dial-up till I get DSL? I don't know if that just depends on the ISP and connection or what?

[Wicked Wanda]

I must confess my eyes sort of glaze over when I read technical things. I am more or less computer literate as requirement for my profession and for my MSN Degree work. But my philosophy is "It's all FM".
To explain;
I once dated this wonderful woman who was in the Air Force as an electronics person, (married to a nice man as part of her "cover", she was gay and he was straight, they never had sex with each other, and I got to happily fuck both... damn I love my life!!) Anyway, she used to say that all electronics was "FM" - "Fucking Magic" In otherwords, the question is "does it work, not how it works".
I have an Apple, a used one that is set up to run both the Apple system and Windows XP. I can switch back and forth when I want to. I also have a used Dell. I bought used, (Apple has a refurbished sales program I like) to save money. My machines are both upgradable if I want (the Apple more than the Dell), and have never ever broken. All the problems have been other things like my cable modem, or DSL or whatever it is. Both are wonderful computers, and do all that I need. I have heard of others having problems with Dell, but I think all the problems in my machine were sorted out before I bought it, an advantage in purchasing used.
My Dell is hooked up to an old fashioned twenty two inch "TV" type monitor that I bought used for 40$. The same size flat panel is about 1000$, and I have a sharp, clear picture.
"Fastest bestest" is a trap. Buy the machine you need today and will do what you need to do for the next year. Add on and upgrade as you need. I agree with darling Lil that a 599 machine that suddenly costs 2 times that is scary. The Dell people are kind of famous for this, I am told.

Just my thoughts...

Wanda Kitty

[Irezumi Kiss]

I sometimes envy you non-graphic-artist-non-Mac-users. You have it all so simple for your needs.

I love my Macs and wouldn't cheat on them for the world, but saving up for what I need for my needs is akin to saving up for a DeBeers diamond ring for my fiancée.

If I had a fiancée.

Or a DeBeers diamond ring.

Or money, period! :kissass:

[jseal]

LixyChick,

I have been using Verizon DSL for 3+ years now for my home network. I have had two outages. I just ran a speed test, and I’m getting a bit over 1 Mbits/sec.

I do suggest that you check with Verizon before you buy the service, because, as Booger mentioned, the farther you are from their point of service, the lower your speed will be. Verizon doesn’t tell you that up front, merely stating something like “available speed depends on distance from Verizon’s service’. They can tell you what speed you can expect if you tell them what your phone number is.

You will also have to put filters on your telephones when they add the DSL service to your phone line, but that takes all of 5 minutes.

[Jude30]

PSS I noticed you are planing on up dateing from dail up. If you have a choice between Cable and DSL. I would go with Cable (dependeing on the prices difence) DSL get slower the farther you are from the source where Cable dosen't matter where you are.

BUT cable is dependent on how many people are on the network. During peek hours you might notice a slow down.

I switched to cable for one month last year and it was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. And I'm not exagerating. During peek hours I was getting download speeds as low as 33Kbps. That's slower than dial up. I averaged under 400Kbps, with my DSL I consistently get DL speeds of 1300Kbps and UL speeds approaching 300Kbps.

SBC/AT&T DSL is also a hell of a lot cheaper. Plans start at $15/month. Plus SBC will set you up with a wireless network and router as part of the set up.

[Jude30]

I sometimes envy you non-graphic-artist-non-Mac-users. You have it all so simple for your needs.

I love my Macs and wouldn't cheat on them for the world, but saving up for what I need for my needs is akin to saving up for a DeBeers diamond ring for my fiancée.

If I had a fiancée.

Or a DeBeers diamond ring.

Or money, period! :kissass:

GOD I love PCs.

I've been building a comp off and on now for a while. Pick up the case here, the DVD burner there, that sort of thing when sales happen. I don't know if I could hack it if I had to have two months salary to play World of Warcraft at decent framerates.

[osuche]

Lixy - I am computer clueless but I just wanted to say that I hope you enjoy your new computer!

[Casperr]

OK...... a few things.

Vista. I'm running Vista on four machines here and at work. Have absolutely no problems with it at all. No compatibility issues, no bugs, no errors or crashes. It's a dream.
If you get it from Dell, it will be pre-installed with Vista and will work like a charm.

I agree with Mark that there's no need to upgrade processor speed for the sort of work you're doing Lixy, but I definitely think 2Gb is the ideal amount of RAM. 1Gb you'll manage with, 512 is no good with Vista.

As for cable or DSL, much of a muchness really. As you say, either one is a significant increase in speed. I don't know anything about how they price them in the US, so I'll stay out of that debate.
You also won't really notice the speed difference between cable or dsl all that much for just web surfing. If one is 'faster' than the other, it's mainly for large downloads - movies etc.

Good luck!
And hi! Good to see you too! :D

[scotzoidman]

I've just upgraded my puter to a used one with XP...I think it's an HP with a Pentium 4 chip, beyond that it's hard to say what's actually in these used models since the dealers do an inspect/refurbish on each one...but the bottom line is I'm very happy with the new(er) model, & I go along with boog on buy used puters...they're like cars, the biggest depreciation comes when ya take it home...yeh, last year's model will be obselete sooner, but since the Lix family doesn't have any gamers that need state of the art speed & graphix...well, hell, you've survived for a while with an really old system, believe me, you're mind will be boggled enough with even a little upgrade...especially with moving up to broadband. I have Comcast, & yeh, it's a little pricey, but I imagine that DSL would still be a big improvement as well...which leads me to...



As to the LapLink info you supplied...here's where I sit like a deer in the headlights when you start talking about networking and broadband and all that other stuff! I don't know what the hell it means but it sounded good! LMFAO! So...I'll research the transfer better before I choose to do anything. I can learn if I can see it done or can follow the instructions!
I'll try to take the tech-speak down a notch...when you switch to broadband (DSL or cable), you will get a special modem provided, that'll be connected by an ethernet cable that looks like a phone line on steroids...if you want to connect 2 puters, you can get a router that ties into the modem...the router should allow the 2 to communicate with each other & pass info from one to the other...

As for whether to go with an upgrade to Vista, my experience (as well as many other's) is that it's always best to let the techies work out the bugs on anything Microsoft introduces...seriously, my mind is blown enough by my move from 2000 to XP...

Mostly I'm thrilled that you're upgrading so that maybe now you'll have the puter you need to spend more time perving with me...us, I mean, US!!!

[Neige]

I am computer illiterate, but I know my parents just bought a new (used) computer last week for about 300$ and they chose to buy used because they had heard nothing good about Vista and they couldn't find any new systems without it.

[campingboy]

I currently have three computers. My main on is running Windows XP hooked up to the world via DSL. My other desk top is in pieces and will like never work again - my special touch. My laptop is running Linux. I love it. It is stable, easy and free (I'm talking software - get your mind back on track). You would be surprised at the amount of new software that is being written to run on a Linux box.

[dm383]

I didn't think I had much to offer to you Lixy (Well, not about computers, anyway! ;) ) but here's my 2-bob's worth, for what it's worth.

My main PC runs Windows ME. I've only ever had a problem with it once - easy fixed. It's stable, pretty much bug-free but sadly, no more upgrades. It only runs on dial-up now, too (no cable round here), so a bit slow, like your present PC. Good thing is, though, the virus-writers have always seemed to miss out on ME!!

The laptop I tend to use most of the time now, also has a dial-up connection, but a few months ago I found it can also utilise wireless broadband! So now it "piggybacks" my neighbours service (for a small fee!!) and our phone bills have gone down considerably!! Seriously, the LT runs Windows XP, with the Internet Explorer 7 upgrade (fabbo, btw!!!) with no real worries so far. Not heard much re Vista (not looking/listening!!) so can't help there.

Re Dell - the Pixie lady with whom I used to live (you'll remember who, Lixy), her two kids had a Dell PC (not laptop) and we had nothing but hassle with it. Dell's online AND phone help; well, they didn't - but that might just be a UK thing.

Reading that back, I've been no help at all, really!! But it's been nice talkin' to ya sweetie!! :D

DM

p.s. LOVE the new Av.!! :hot: :69:

[Mark Vieth]

Ok (puts hands together and cracks fingers) Lixy I know a bit about pc's and have built my own. Even though mine is a little out dated it still runs with the best of them. Here are my pc's specs just so you get an idea of what setup I have:

AMD Athlon xp 1.6 gig cpu. 512 SD Ram, the video card is a nvidia 6200 which has 256 mb ram at x8, 2 hard disk both partitioned so I have 4. A cd-rom and a dvd r/w. Which is read and write. In other words a dvd burner which can also burn cd's. I am running xp as vista has all kinds of problems and personally I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot poll. XP still has the better compatibility and reliability. I am surprised that you are running ME. If you have ever used xp you will shit yourself. XP is much better.

Most computer geeks will try and hit you with the speed of the processor and how fast it reads data and also how much ram you need. You only get a pc for your needs and requirements not the other way around. For example if you are only doing internet surfing, email and word processing, then anything under 2.0 gig will do just fine. 256 ram is more than enough. 512 is nice too. If you are running high end games or things that require lots of nice visuals then you go for something a bit higher up. DVD's will run on any machine over 800 mghrts. Anything under and it lags. So a 2.0 gig or under will easily do the job. Even though mine is a 1.6 gig it runs much higher and I have no issues with mine. Price is another thing, most people buy the latest thing with all the bells and whistles and they only end up using about a 3rd of the bits and pieces anyway. Warranties etc, are only good for their duration after that any repairs you will have to cover.

Ok sorry Lixy. Here is a basic run down of some computer words. RAM is shorthand for Random Access Memory, the long and short of that is the OP (Operating System) access the memory randomly when it needs it. 1.6 or 2.0 gig is the speed of the cpu. Before the 1.0 gigahertz machines were around, we were all running the older machines which were much slower. 800 megahertz is a good example. Basically the speed of the cpu is how fast it is able to process data, nothing more. So the idea is the higher speed the faster the cpu can access data.

That is why I said that only get a pc for your needs and requirements not the other way around. Don't get confused by all the techno bable by the computer geeks who are trying to sell it to you.

[mayhem1978]

:D ok time for me to add my moneys worth here.. I also build and maintain PC's but not for a living. My PC that Lizz is using a lot I built from scratch and works like a charm still after 2 years.

The core components look good from here. For what you want to use a faster processer and a motherboard (the brains of the PC) is the best. It means that there will be less time loading and updating images. As for the operating system...Windows Vista is fairly new and not yet proven totally in the field. Myself personally i am waiting for about 6-12 months before upgrading to it. I want the bugs to be worked out totally and them upgrading. Perhaps you could talk to them and get yourself XP pro???

Memory - In my eyes the more the better so this is good.

Monitor - I always ask.. Do you have the room for it and is a big screen really needed?

Video Card - Nvidia is one of the best makers about (again a personal opinion) I always use them if i can. This is probably a very good match for what you want

HD - Serial ATA is very good, reduces read/write times and 350GB is great. Plenty of room for porn

Floppy Drive.. The only reason for this now is if you want to share small files with others.... It was important back in the days of ME for emergancy boot but now you can sort the PC out to boot from CD if really needed

Network.. Great if you have 2 PC's and one internet point. Means that they can both access it providing they both have a network card, 10/100 is the standard.

CD-ROM - Good call on the Duel drives, less wear on the drive for reading/writing and as has already been said means you can copy disks (if you need software for this give me a PM i have a HUGE stash of suitable about)

Sound Card/Speakers... Good option BUT i would have looked for a seperate sound card, that way if it fails you can replace just that and not have to look for a new motherboard

Office/Firewall.. Good call. But if there was an option for Norton/Symantec i would have gone for that. Everyone says that McAfee is great BUT norton tops the easy of use, reliable everytime. It may be a little more expensive BUT you can get bargains on it.

Service option - If anything is going to go wrong its going to be in the first few months. 1 year is more than long enough and by then most of the componants will be out of date anyways (usually happens in 6 months)

Might i make a couple of suggestions as well.

When i build a new PC i always run a benchmark test to check and make sure that all the components are working together. I also do a "burn in" session as well. I leave the PC on for 24 hours, not connected to the 'net and then a further 6 hours connected to the net. I use the PC as and when i need to during this. Again if anything will fail its during this as well.

Overall though I think you have a good deal there and if you have any more questions drop me a PM

Enjoy it

[Lilith]

http://www.woot.com/

Today's Woot is a nice system. It's refurbished. Shipping is $5 on all woots.

[maddy]

Just to provide some re-assurance on your choice of Dell (that is if you need any) - my first laptop was a Dell. It was a dream, worked wonderfully and got me through my Grad school years until the built in mouse buttons broke. It was well used though and that's part of the downfall of a laptop (all components in one neat little box). Then I went to IBM, well you don't care about that really. But the important part is when I was back in the market for another laptop I went back to Dell.

I love my Dell products!

About what you are getting, I have no real suggestions other than after going through a desktop and being on my third laptop in about 12 years, I finally did the "smart" thing with my most recent laptop purchase a year ago. I upgraded the processor, the RAM, the hard drive, and the CD Rom. Through my experience these are the things that if you buy on the low end or "today's standard" you will find your machine being a slug in a couple of years as the technology moves and yours becomes obsolete.

I haven't looked on Dell's website lately, but my guess is Vista is your only option. From my persepective you don't have a lot of choice. In the coporate world we don't rush to anything new from Microsoft we wait for at least the first service pack to be released. This allows most bugs to be worked out and they don't have to deal with 4,000 buggy machines around the world. I went to XP shortly after it was released, mostly because that's all Dell had available. Short story, I think it's likely your only option. Just make sure you keep current on updates that come out. If you are on DSL this will be much easier to do than on dial up.

Lastly, on dial-up vs cable. I've had both and DSL is certainly the cheaper option to go. I had two problems with DSL, my phone lines in my house were hinky so even though I applied the filters to all the necessary phones, I still got bumped off the net everytime the phone rang. Second, it was sluggish at times because our phone lines weren't the best. They were in the process of upgrading all the lines when I moved. I have cable now and have not had any issues. The only reason I have it is because I refuse to pay for a landline phone just so I can add DSL on top of it. So my cable is more on the surface, but I really had no reason to have a landline phone.

Good luck, and I'm certain you will be thrilled with whatever you get.

[Casperr]

But if there was an option for Norton/Symantec i would have gone for that. Everyone says that McAfee is great BUT norton tops the easy of use, reliable everytime. It may be a little more expensive BUT you can get bargains on it.
This is where I'm going to disagree with strong vehemence. Symantec is god awful. Revolting interface, resource hog, expensive and ineffective. That's right, IT DOESN'T WORK.
My first computer was running it for about a year. I felt things weren't quite right with it, so I did the free online scan at housecall.trendmicro.com - guess what! Six full blown viruses. Stay. Away. From. Norton.

McAfee has probably the best reputatation of the paid-for anti-virus software.

But I've had no problems at all running Avast (http://www.avast.com/eng/free_virus_protectio.html) on my machines - works like a charm.

[Jude30]

To open another can of worms I don't think I would pay for an anti-virus program these days. I've been running AVG's free anti-virus now for over 6 months with barely a problem. I say barely because sometimes it decides to update itself in the middle of a game and then things bog down but I just shut it off and run it later if that happens.

[Neige]

To open another can of worms I don't think I would pay for an anti-virus program these days. I've been running AVG's free anti-virus now for over 6 months with barely a problem. I say barely because sometimes it decides to update itself in the middle of a game and then things bog down but I just shut it off and run it later if that happens.

I've also been using AVG and I love it!

[IowaMan]

Yep, AVG is what I'm using on the one I just bought too.

[LixyChick]

WOW! You guys are incredible! I mean absolutely INFUCKINCREDIBLE! You are a wealth of imformation even if you don't realize/think you are getting to me.

I'm keeping tally on good vs. bad and I know it boils down to personal experience and personal preference. It's the experience, backed by a fact, that helps me most.

I had a thought about Vista...and all that was said about it. I was thinking that due to past experience with new programs (XP, ME, 98, 95...etc.) and all the bugs that had to be worked out before those systems were "set"...don't the programmers of each new system learn from the mistakes of creating all those before it? It would make sense to me that they would. Correct me if I'm wrong (please do)...but doesn't EVERY new Windows application have it's "bugs"? And do they get less buggier with each new introduction of a Windows program? Kinda like playing chess. I know what went well this time and I know what won't work ever again. I'll try to get the same end result in the future, but in a different way this time. Seriously...in almost all aspects of life there will be "bugs" to work out. From buying a computer to making a marriage work...and everything in-between! I just need to know if this theory applies to the conjuring of the next addition of Windows? If I sit here with "rose colored glasses"...PLEASE tell me so! I mean...who are the peeps that help work out the bugs but you and I...right?

Again...I have to stress...THE COMPUTER I AM ON NOW IS MORE THAN OBSOLETE AND IT CAN'T TAKE MY SHITTINESS MUCH MORE! To give you an example: On Pixies...if I open a thread with "smilies" or attachments in it it could take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes to open. If I click on a link that requires me to download a vid (say...fromYouTube) it could take up to an hour depending on it's size.

What I'm most worried about is losing the good stuff from this ole thing, and on the other side of the coin taking bad shit with me in a transfer. I've tried my best to keep this computer free of viruses and keep it ship-shape to run at it's best efficiency. It's old and wants to retire. I highly doubt I could even donate it fore all the porn and such we have on here. AFTER I do get a new set up...I am going to have to destroy the mother board so as not to spread my pussy pics around the neighborhood.

Oh...on that note...ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW TO MAKE THIS COMPUTER COMPLETELY DISABLED?? I don't want it to ever be able to show ANYTHING that was ever on here!!!

But I digress...as usual...lol!

Suffice it to say, I am making many a list from what I learn in this thread. Don't think that I dismiss any of your experiences or suggestions. Being of the scientific nature that I am, I weigh each and every thought/reply/contribution and categorize it for a summation!

Gotta point out...it was sooooooooooo friggin fun to hear from WickedWanda and Casper! I rarely strike a nerve lately to get you guys to jump in my thread! *hugs to you* and all the info provided!!!!

TY for the link Lil...*woot*

NOTE TO SELF: Perv more with (((((Scotz)))))!!!!!!!!!!!!

IK...Did you say you were buying me a DeBeers diamond? Oh...damn I wish I could decypher fuckin puter speak!

jseal...Pop-In-Law got his very first PC and went directly to Verizon (motha-fuckin-sum-na-bitch). I had to help him set it up and speak to ISP for him and all that stuff about phone lines. In the end...now that he's set up better than us...he's happy with his computer. Imagine...a man who NEVER liked technology (scared I think) is now on a better set up than me! But...I learned a lot from his Verizon stuff! TY for the input hun!

Jude...*giggle* I've marked you down as "no cable" and you're so sweet to reply more than once in this thread!

(((((Osuche))))...nuff said!

((((Neige)))))...You'll always be PS *hugs* to me! TY! Casper says a few good things about Vista. I'm weighing all the possibilities.

campingboy...*blink, blink* Um...Now ya went and made me go blank. LOL! Sokay hun...I read it all and get what I can from each! Love you!

dm...I know to whom you refer and I appreciate the input! Nice talking to you too sweetums, lovey cakes!

Mark V...*blink, blink, blink* LOL! I got it...sorta. I ain't gonna say I got all of it but I do appreciate the effort!!! As to "techno babble from computer geeks"...I can ground them with the best of um! I'm not your stereotypical "dumb blonde". Oh...wait...I ain't even blonde! LOL! What I'm trying to say is if I don't understand what you are saying...either in person or in type...I'll halt you and make you word it so that I can understand. It's not to say that I don't know/understand the words you are using...it's the context in which you define. I know what RAM is and I know a lot more than I think I know if you/anyone would just use the more common/understandable name/terms instead of the "geek speak". Seems to me that "geeks" think that everyone who has a computer knows the lingo. Some peeps are more invloved than others. Computers have NOTHING to do with my job or most other parts of my life. If I had to scale it, I'd say 1/64 of my life involves working on a computer. Some people have jobs that require computer use all day long. Some peeps make it a hobby. Myself? I NEVER use a computer at work or as a hobby. I'm a casual user. I choose to do it...I'm not required to boot up and understand! That I am not forced to do it makes me "the curious one"! I'm willing to learn if you are willing to realize I am not stupid and can learn. TY for the double input (((hun)))!

mayhem...Oh (((((mayhem)))))! That's what I wanted! Spell it out for me! To me it's like...(me being a seamstress) if I have a sewing machine here (in my country) and I try to tell you how to work it all the way over there(in your country)...I'd do a step-by-step. I know you don't sew (or you might...but not as good as me...lol!) but you are there and I am here. The Vista thing? I don't know if I should be...but I ain't scared! I went ME when everyone was still on 98 and I had some adjusting to do but I didn't have the expectations that "highers up" would have. I just learned the system and took to it like a duck to water and worked through the bugs. TY so much for the time and I will heed your words carefully! As with anything in my life, there is rarely a time when new adventures come off without a hitch. Though I proclaim my patience level is less than it could be, if I am learning I am more patient with the material...not necessarily with myself. I want to be the know-all-end-all and I hate when I can't "get it" (whatever it is) on my first or second try. It doesn't make me dumb/ignorant...just makes me want to try all the more! *hugs*

maddy...Seems to me that it's the old "Ford vs. Chevy" theory again. I work with a girl who only ever had a Gateway and then went Dell. She kept saying she HATED Dell because it's nothing like her Gateway. I asked her what she was running in her Gateway and she said Windows 98. I asked what was in Dell and she said XP. I told her...it's not the name of the puter but what's inside that's changed. Peeps around here HATE change of any form. So anyway...that was about a year ago and this girl has come around to XP. She had problems personified in the beginning because she wanted to work in her old fashion on 98. Now that she's of the understanding that it's different but still workable she is navigating more and getting used to the differences. The cable vs. DSL thing isn't an option for me. Comcast sucks you in and gives you a deal if you do "all three" (phone, cable, puter) and then gouges you at the end of six months. When they sent letter after letter and I didn't reply...they started calling me till I finally put a squash on that. On one call I said, "This sounds like a good deal up front. What happens after six months?" The girl on the phone was hesitant (because we were being recorded and I doubt most would ask this question)...and then said, "Well ma'am, the cost would go up for each service that you had". I told her I now have "Premium Cable" (which is above basic but doesn't include High Premium with HBO and such) and if I get this deal I can have phone, cable, and computer on the same deal for $33 each a month for six months...totalling $99 plus tax and sir charge...etc"? After six months the cost[s] goes up to $65-75 a month per individual service depending on if you keep all three or keep one or two. She was a bit taken aback at the $ amount but never said it...just a big pregnant pause. Trust me...I'm doing this scientifically! TY sweety!

Casper...I had Norton and uninstalled it after problem after problem. It came across to me like AOL did. It wanted to run my puter...not me running it! I live and learn!

Again peeps...TY soooooooooooooooooooooo much for all the info I have to weigh!

[PantyFanatic]

OK my special lady,:) I'm going to go backwards from most of the posts and my first knee-jerk reaction. I too gasped at the doubled price that IS the normal retail/assemblers procedure, at first blush. After a little walk around to a different prospective, you haven't done bad at all for what I believe YOU want and need.

I'll give you a 'Lixy type answer' to a 'Lixy type question' because I like to sit next to you and peek up, I mean, talk about your new puter. :D I'll give you a link to the component you're 'upgrading' to so you can poke around and do some of your own comparison shopping. You already know opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one and mine is as worthless as everybody else's, so here it is. :sad:


First I agree with you about the Ford-Chevy views of these sellers. The biggest difference is that unlike the auto makers, Compact, Gateway, Dell and the rest, all manufacture NOTHING! They all are primarily sales organizations (like car dealerships) that buy ALL the components and assemble balanced and matched packages (one of the PRIMARY factors for you) for resale. Buying from one of them eliminates all the mess that the Silicon-Heads run into like the hot-rodder trying to put a ford fuel pump on a 427 Chevy engine. There are as many horror stories as praise for any of them, but they all put together a basic package that is hard to beat price wise, then they make their REAL $$$ with the add-on, like buying parts from the dealership instead of the car parts store.

I agree with Casper on the pricey processor upgrade. That "additional" $188 isn't a bargain for what you get and what you want to do. All of the 64 x2 processors are well matched for your Operating System and will handle all the new software that will be coming down the pipe for quite a few years. There isn't much bang for the buck in the upgrade here, in my opinion.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010340343+50001028+1050717007&name=Athlon+64+X2

I'll go with you 100% on the Vista OS. There is a little of the same horror/praise stories here, but there is no question this is going to be the system for a long time and to have a legitimate, installed copy, that MS will keep you updated on is the way to go now. You are not the geek 'looking' for the glitch that might be there for some convoluted application. I do believe there is a combination of historical computer development that has been constantly improving over the past couple decades and the change-resistance syndrome that is part of all of us.

No contest for the 2Gb of memory. That will keep you slightly ahead of the curve and at a good price for the upgrade.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010170147+1052308477&name=2GB+(2+x+1GB)

:D This is the place I think is going to blow you away, Lady! I think you have (at best) a 17" CRT now and I know it's been giving you grief for a while. YOU ARE GOING TO BE SO HAPPY with your new monitor. When you turn that on, you are going to think you went to the drive-in. :cool: There isn't a lot of specs given on the Dell site about each component, but this is one place you may want to wade through some details as you are going to be looking at it for a long time. Here is a place I would take $90 of that over-priced processor money and even move up to Dells 20" 'Ultrasharp'. Good deal either way.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010190020+1309821318&name=20%22

I'm not as impressed with the video card upgrade for something that IS going to already built into your motherboard. Again, the bang for the buck isn't here. (put it into the monitor ;) )
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048+1068309611&name=256MB

No big deal either way on the hard drive. Today storage is so cheap for what it is. 250Gb is a shit load of space and 320GB is just a bigger shit load for less that 2 $20 bills to have over half again as much. You can't go too far wrong here.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150014+103530105&name=250GB+-+320GB

You need a 3-1/2" floppy drive today like you need a 5-1/4" floppy drive and leprosy. Enough said.

The network card is what you'll plug your "phone line on steroids" into and the fax/modem is probably already on the board. You're set.

The Adobe Software is something you get for free online, download and install in less than 3 minutes. NBFD if they already did it or didn't.

The 16 x burner is actually about as slow as you can find today and for $30-$35 I wouldn't get any of their choices, but they don't give you that option and again, it'll be installed with the software, so you're fine with that.
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=5&name=CD-DVD-Burners-RW-Drives

Unless you're planning to set up a digital sound studio, you are spot on with what you're getting and going to do on the audio portion of your new setup.

DON'T pay an extra dime for any Office application! I know where you can get a super deal on the current BIG BUCK$ Office Pro. :nod:

Your antivirus. Here is the one place that I will have everybody up in arms with torches and pitch forks. I'm not only WITH Casper on the free versions of Avast or AVG, I would prefer either over McAfee or Norton. I have one 'associate' that is very much a Silicon-Head that says he would rather have a virus than Norton antivirus. lol In an effort to show something that warrants their cost, they have become akin to Homeland Security. These Big Two have good antivirus programs running in the background but have coupled in in-your-face "maintenance and warning" that really hampers additions and updates of hardware and software, legitimate downloads and operation of some programs to show you it is there and doing the job. I get the same (or better protection because I personally believe that more hackers write for these popular defenses) protection with my AVG and a LOT less annoyance and complications. *ducks airborne vegetation* :doorslam:

You are right about the warranty 'deals' being the same as the one on your washing machine. You are covered with the basic to find any QC problems that may have gotten through and the cost for a 'maybe' down the road isn't worth it.

The rest of the package is going to be crammed in there, like it or not, and you may wish half of it wasn't already activated, but you don't have much choice.

The last item I have a thought about is that $30 PC Mover program. You will still have your old system (keep it set up in the corner for a couple months) and with a 2GB USB thumb drive, you will have a super-simple and very controlled way to transfer any data to the new unit and still have something that is very useable afterwards. I think you may be a little uncomfortable with something that going to just start moving a WHOLE BUNCH of stuff from the old system to the new one and not knowing what is happening. If I understand it correctly, it is a data version of PC Ghost and is going to require a special $10-$20 cable to make it work. You can web search that program alone to see exactly what it is and how it works if you really have question about moving your old files.
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=522&name=USB-Flash-Drive

This was important enough for me to give a "Lixy answer" because it is important to you. When I took my second look at what I believe you want, I had to think of it as myself shopping for an $8 berry pie and having somebody gasp when they know you can buy a bag of flower for $1.50. There is no way in hell it will EVER be a bargain for ME to put together a pie, regardless of the ingredients cost.
I think you are looking for a package you can take out of the boxes and plug up for the next few years. My experience is that you can be running in the front of the pack for about 3 years with an good, new setup. You'll be very functional for at least 5 years and work around the road blocks for a couple more after that. When I figure I am going to pay at least $25/mo for just my internet service, my 5-7 year investment is a good deal. :rolleyes2

In summery, I think you are doing fine and not overpaying at all. When I ran your system on the Dell site with the options I mentioned, it came out to $1140.00, and with the 25% discount that automatically popped up, it was $852.95. When you figure at least $100 for shipping that you are not paying, it sounds like a hell of a deal to me. You are doing good girl ;)





(if you get this puter, I WILL send you that web cam and buy MYSELF a new 22" monitor :tongue: )

[PantyFanatic]

Peeks-up Skirt ........ I mean, Post Script :p

While I was fumbling through the erection of that post I see everybody has been busy too. :)

I DID want to add that I think you will be SO blown away with the 'RIGHT-NOW' action of your new system with any high speed connection that you may just want to shop price for now. The small hair splitting differences and trade-offs will not be important for a long time to you.

As for transferring your data from the old machine, I guess my suggestion was more pertinent than I thought. That IS a good option to consider after seeing your additional post.

As for disabling your old puter, remember the data is in the hard drive, not on the mother board. ;) When you are sure you have moved everything (and ONLY what you want moved) to the new one, you can just click the 'command of death' and FORMAT the HD. That WILL remove everything, forever!





(If you happen to miss one of your pussy pics, I may know where you can get a copy. :rolleyes2 )
:rofl:

[LixyChick]

*all teary eyed*

OMFG PF! I understood EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!

My Pixie Peeps? Can you believe I understood all of PF's EVERYTHING??????

JHCOAB! I am in awe sweety. You know "Lixy Speak" and you proved it!

I am especially impressed that you went to the site/link I provided and went through each component that was offered and all it's upgrades/downgrades! I'm not surprised...I'm just so totally impressed!

That's not to discredit all of the responses before...but to add to them personified!

OK...OK...How can I thank you properly? You name it...it's done (within a reasonable time)!!!

I bow and await your request!

:undies:

[PantyFanatic]

.....OK...OK...How can I thank you properly? You name it...it's done (within a reasonable time)!!!

I bow and await your request!

:undies:
*hopes she is turned around when she bows* :loveshowe




I'll try to think of SOMETHING. :rolleyes2





















:69: :bj: :slurp: :hump: :molest: :licker: :3way:

[1nutworld]

*all teary eyed*

OMFG PF! I understood EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!

My Pixie Peeps? Can you believe I understood all of PF's EVERYTHING??????

JHCOAB!



What is JHCOAB?

That one I didn't understand. I am SOOO losing touch!

[Lilith]

Jesus H. Christ On A Bike :D

[1nutworld]

Ahh...
Thanks Lilith!

[LixyChick]

LMFAO! Oh Lil...you remembered! The Lixionary lives on!

But I pose another question. Does anyone know what the "H" in JHCOAB stands for?



















Clue: A current band says it's a reference to them

[1nutworld]

I was told that the "H" you are referring to was Holy, but obviously WTF do I know.

[Lilith]

Hoobastank :D

[LixyChick]

Yeah Lil!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cobalt]

Well, we were away getting my son married off this weekend, but it looks like the pixies here took care of you just fine. I knew if PF got a chance to he would explode it and give you a very complete and detailed description that you would be able to understand. Which when I read on, he did just that. GOOD JOB PF!!!!!!!!!!!
From what I read, I feel that you have had great advice. Just wish I could have been here to service you, I mean help you,LOL.

I am so surprised that you got along as well as you did with Windows ME, it is the worst operating system there ever was. Most people have nothing but problems with it, you were very fortunate.

You will be blown away with the speed and reliability of a newer computer. Hopefully!!!

Vista is so new, that they still haven't got all the bugs worked out yet. We prefer XP Pro, I haven't tried Vista yet!

[Casperr]

Amen to PF's post. It's so nice to be agreed with!

Everyones mileage will always vary, but you seem like you're on the right track.

But I will say this about your old system: there are probably two reasons it's so slow. The first is viruses and spam. Make sure you scan it with good software every now and then. But the second reason isn't really the computer at all. DIAL UP IS SUPER SLOW!!! 30 seconds to 2 minutes to load a page? Standard fare on dial up. The slowest DSL you can get, will be a dream compared to what you're on now. You'll actually think (Oh god, I can't believe I'm actually going to use this cliche....) that you're on the information super highway and not just the local parking lot!

Oh god, I can't believe I said that. Somebody, please, shoot me! Shoot me in the face!
No, no, I'm joking Mr. Vice President. Seriously, it's sarcasm dude - you need a sense of humour....

[Lilith]

/me pulls the buckshot out of CasperTG's bootay :D

[sodaklostsoul]

This is where I'm going to disagree with strong vehemence. Symantec is god awful. Revolting interface, resource hog, expensive and ineffective. That's right, IT DOESN'T WORK.
My first computer was running it for about a year. I felt things weren't quite right with it, so I did the free online scan at housecall.trendmicro.com - guess what! Six full blown viruses. Stay. Away. From. Norton.

McAfee has probably the best reputatation of the paid-for anti-virus software.

But I've had no problems at all running Avast (http://www.avast.com/eng/free_virus_protectio.html) on my machines - works like a charm.
I like that Avast, love the little blue ball on the task bar. Thanks Casper!!

[dicksbro]

Lix, I think ya' done good. PF's got some good points (as do the others). I especially like his idea of the webcam and bigger monitor. Hmmmmm ... I'm going to have to look in on this. :)

One thing on the antivirus. A couple of years ago I got the Corporate version of Symantex's antivirus and I've loved it. It doesn't "expire" each year and automatically keeps the definitions up-to-date. It's caught several virus attempts prevented any harm. Used to have the "off-the-shelf" packages and hated it. Big difference with this. Got it from a local technology center and wouldn't trade it.

:thumbs:

[LixyChick]

Hiya Peeps!

I got lost for a few days (Nor'Easter was trying to bite us) but I'm back now.

TY, TY, TY for all the advice and replies! I've been checking in on PCWorld.com and ConsumerReports.com and places like that, and trying to get some info on Vista and Dell and other stuff.

I found out that Windows XP is being phased out for new puters. It's still available for office networks and upon insistance for home as well, but Microsoft would like Vista to take it's place ASAP.

I think this is where ignorance is bliss for us computer dummies. When I got ME I didn't know my ass from a hole in the ground and I navigated it quite well, if I do say so myself. Not that I know the difference between a hole and my ass, but still far behind most in the knowledge department, I'm just not scared of taking the leap to Vista.

I haven't confirmed anything yet and I am still researching and tweeking. I'll get back to you all when I get all squared away.

Congratulations to your son and his new wife Cobalt and Chey! Oh...and you service me just fine everytime you pop in one of my threads!

I agree about the viruses and spam and dial-up stuff Casper...and nobody is shooting anybody! Least I could understand that silly cliche...lol!

Soda and db...TY for the feedback! NOTED and NOTED! *hugs*

[Coaster]

Well Lix............. you certainly got an earful!!!! Next time ask us how to get a better orgasm and you'll get a........

Anyway, PF said everything I was putting together.... and his Lixyspeak was so eloquent! I also discovered AVG.... it found things that Norton did not.

As far as totally destroying your old hard drive....... ( many months after you've taken out what you want) I was told the only true destruction is to remove the hard drive and drill 4 spaced out holes thru it. Then it's junk! PF mention bringing old stuff into your new computer..... I wouldn't want to chance bringing in crap (so be selective)and will your imported software be upgraded to run on vista?

I've got 8 Dell's and a Dell laptop..... I did start out with 4 Gateways many years ago.... my biggest complaint is that I don't speak Indian/English..... I always insist on tech support from Texas.... I can at least partially understand them!!! :D

A puter friend I've known since childhood told me years ago to turn my new puters on and leave them on for a week. If anything was to fail, it would do it by then. After purchasing 12 puters for my biz and another 6 for family, I've always done this and have only had 1 video card quit...... and it did it 1 month after my 3 yr extended Dell warranty expired. They did charge me for it and gave me misinformation on how to install the card and NEVER sent me the drivers after repeated calls...... until Dell brings tech support back to the states we will have to put up with the BS. Good Luck hun.... send me all those ol' pics of you and I'll keep them safe!!!! :D

[LixyChick]

Weeeeeeeee! TY my peeps!

I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but the computer I am on now is only my 2nd computer ever. And to top that off...our first system was used...never refurbished...out of an office system after they got new. We only got the first one to see if we were going to like/have time using a computer at all...LMFAO! But, I swear I didn't even know if I wanted to take the time when I initially got one. Of course I had no idea what an addiction/necessity it'd become. When we realized what we had been missing and that the used system was outdated and lacking upgradable memory we bought the Compaq I am on now.

That we even had the limited knowledge to realize we needed a new puter was such a breakthrough for us. We actually bought this system we have now at a local (yearly) computer "show and sale" and it was cheap, cheap, cheap! It came as is...everything in the box...no upgrades...what you see on the side of the box is what you get! We were still very ignorant of the "how's and why's" and have had to learn along the way since then. That was 6, almost 7, years ago. (<---not much time when I look back now)

As I said initially, we don't know nearly as much as most people out there. But I am confident that I have learned enough to warrant some bells and whistles in this next purchase. I have taken a lot of time to research this purchase...starting here! I've tallied all the very helpful responses, and with that and some off-site comparison shopping (checked out other systems such as HP...etc.) I think I can honestly say I am ready to make a confident purchase.

For what we felt we wanted and needed we can get a really good buy from Dell. With a rebate here and a discount there...for the money...Dell had the best offer. I've heard and understand the quirks and mishaps everyone has told me about Dell and their support. I TY Coaster, for cluing me in to insisting on US support if/when I need it. In setting up an ISP for my father-in-law for an "inexpensive" way to get on the net, I had to speak with plenty of East Indian representitives who are, supposedly, trained to speak English. I was the only one who had the patience (imagine that!) to sit on the phone for several hours and decypher the information they were trying to relay. It helped that I don't have a racist bone in my body too! My father-in-law is such a racist/bigot...and believe me he couldn't get past it in order to set himself up. LMAO!

BTW...I'm NOT saying everyone who doesn't like the support from East India is a racist!!!! I'm just saying that it was THE major reason why my in-law couldn't get himself set up. Eventually he dropped that ISP...for that reason only! But, I digress...again! LOL!

I've tweeked the system I put up initially. I took away the unecessary upgrades and kept the ones recommended as "good" or "you'll appreciate it" or "best for the system" or "good buy"....etc.

My total system, including tax, will cost $971.31.

It is:

Dell Dimension E521
AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core 4400+
Free Windows Vista Home Premium upgrade...1GB memory included
Upgrade to 2GB Dual Channel SDRAM
Keyboard and Mouse Bundle included. Didn't like their options. Will find my own mouse.
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics IPU included
Upgrade to 20" Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Monitor
Upgrade to 320GB Hard Drive w/Data Burst Cache (from 250GB)
No Floppy Drive
56K PCI Data Fax Modem included
Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 included
Upgrade to Dual Drives: 16x DVD ROM Drive and 48x CD-RW/DVD Combo (they've changed the price and made it an offer I can't refuse)
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
No Speakers (too pricey for our needs...we'll get our own)
30 Free trial McAfee included...will scout our own when needed
2yr. LTD Warranty and At-Home Service upgraded from 1yr. included offer (They lowered the price when I didn't bite on an initial upgrade. Offer too good to refuse!)
Microsoft Works Suite 2006-includes MS Word and a bunch of other stuff I liked. They'll pre-install and test it. They lowered the price on this one too. It's a good thing to be a hold-out!

And then there'll be a bunch of trial packs I can choose to install or not. Stuff like ISP's and New Yahoo stuff and Music thingies...a buncha stuff!

So...that's the deal! I can't wait! I should probably take a week or two vacation time cause I want to get a puppy soon too! YIKES!

Thank You from the bottom of my bottom to EVERYONE who contributed to this thread and helped me immensely. And to all who have PM'd me periodically to add a tid-bit!

I Love You Guys!!!!!! :loveyou:

Wish us luck!

[sodaklostsoul]

Good Luck!!!!

[LixyChick]

TY (((((Soda)))))!!!

[Lilith]

Happy Surfing!

[jseal]

Good for you. :) Enjoy yourself!

[Scarecrow]

Don't get lost in cyber space. hahaha

[Casperr]

Nicely done, Lixy! You'll LOVE it!

[PantyFanatic]

For the next couple months there is NOT going to be enough hours in the night. ;)



I'm happy for ya hun. :D You are going to :heartbeat it. Now you just have to be sure you have TWO high-back computer chairs and I bet Mr. Lixy will stay closer to you than on your honeymoon. ;)

:cheerlead YAAAA for the Lixy household :cheerlead

[IowaMan]

Congrats Lixy. Now I'll expect that you'll be posting some pics of the puppy as well? I'm not much help with computer advice but puppy stuff is right down my alley. :thumb:

And if a pic or two of you happens to slip into the mix............. ;)

Oh yeah, and of your new computer too. :D

[LixyChick]

Awwwwwwww! TY guys...TY soooooooo much for all the well wishes and all of your help!

I'm feeling much like an expectant momma right about now. It is in the making as we speak and will, most likely, be shipped on Wed. (tomorrow). I'm expecting it by the 30th but it could be as late as May 2nd. I'll get a better gist by tomorrow.