I'm on the market for a computer

[bluestateguy]

My needs are not overly complicated. I want 120GB; at least 2.4 GHz processing, though I'd like 2.6; I want the ability to write and burn CD's and DVD's. Most likely, I will not buy a monitor, unless I find a good deal. My current monitor is fine. My only other preference is that I'd like to keep costs at no more than $1,000. Any suggestions as to what kind of model might be best for me? I have looked around a lot of PC producer websites and some are more user friendly than others. Also, I don't know much about what models have good reputations and bad reputations. I will not buy a Mac (most of my workplace is on PC) and I am looking for a desktop. I'm not really in the loop on those things. I would be buying at the end of the year.

edit: new info

[WheresWaldo]

1. Get a MAC

excellent laptops run about 1G. no point in desktops, too bulky to move around, can get just as much out of a laptop.

[Lorien]

2. Good advice

once you go Mac, you'll never go back! ;-)

[Andy_Stephenson]

3. Don't buy a Dell

they outsource to India.

[sujan]

5. Buy a dell

support the developing economies.

[dani]

7. Dell is also

a big contributor to the GOP.

[FireHeart]

4. I buy Dell refurbs.

While I don't like Dell outsourcing it's technical help to India, their refurbs are great. I got a excellent deal ($1025) on a super system, with top notch cards.

By the end of the year, you should be able to top my purchase by a goodly margin.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Without a monitor, just about...

anybody will sell you a decent PC for well under a grand. Personally, I'll never get another Compaq, but they may been straightened out by the HP merger.

Yeah, I know you don't want a Mac, but an eMac with a Superdrive will set you back 1200 bucks, and an iMac 1800. You get 10 days to get your money back at the Apple store if you don't like it. You should like it, though, since you can do most anything you can do on a PC, and it's already set up for the multimedia stuff without the Windoze nonsense.

[ikojo]

8. Gotta defend the Mac....

I switched from the winBLOWS world to the Mac world in June of this year. I have not looked back. My 867Ghz Mac can do more tasks at the same time than my 1Ghz blows machine. I have NEVER received a low on system resources message on my beloved Mac and it has never required rebooting (you know the alt+ctrl+del thing that all blows machines require on an almost daily basis).

If you must stay in touch with the blows world you can buy Virtual PC and run blows apps on that.

Anything that can be done on winBLOWS can be done a Mac and as is often said...it's easier on a Mac!





I LOVE MY MAC :loveya:
I LOVE MY MAC :loveya:
I LOVE MY MAC :loveya:

:loveya:

[Zech Marquis]

9. go Mac my friend

your post regarding the things you plan on doing just spells out Macintosh :evilgrin: Go for an iBook, the combo drive model goes for $1299, and you can take it anywhere. The grapevine is telling me some new Powerbooks are on the way, maybe, just maybe, so new iBooks too. Not to mention later this Fal Mac OS X Pather is coming out.

And these are the releases already known...Steve Jobs has a few more surprises p his sleeve ;)

[BigMcLargehuge]

11. new iMacs debuted yesterday

1 gig 15 " and 1.25 Gig 17"

Same price point, which is a laughably bad decision if you ask me.

[BlueJazz]

10. Make sure you get Windows XP PROFESSIONAL

and not the Windows XP "Home Edition"

If you're playing a lot of games, make sure the Video card is top-notch.
The same can be said for the sound card although your choice of amp and (more importantly) speakers, can make even a cheap card sound great.

I personally believe any monitor under 19" is a toy. (use a 19" or larger monitor for a day and thereafter anything else seems severely lacking).