I would like to ask you your opinions on where you think the best place is to purchase a computer ... if Internet what site ... if brick and mortar which one?
and, which brand of computer is the best. I think I read here that something like 90% of the computers are made in China, but are there differences.
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17 or 19 inch LCD monitor dual processor minimum of 2.5 Ghz 100 Gig sata 1 Gig RAM
This is for home use with some gaming
Is this enough information? I appreciate your response. This is a major purchase for me so I am trying to get the very best deal and then never look back!
Please tell us what programs (by name) you will be using - and their frequency.
For internet use and word processing, the machine you described is extreme overkill. A pentium III would be more than enough
Any $200 Compaq or emachine would do the job for those tasks. Just add a little memory to bring it up to 512MB ($50 or less) and add the flat panel of your choice
June12345 said: I think I read here that something like 90% of the computers are made in China, but are there differences.
Thats an incorrect statement. Most motherboards come from Taiwan, many RAM chips come from Germany and South Korea, most soundcards come from Singapore. Hard drives are China and Singapore and Malaysia. Some laptop parts come from Japan. Some Intel chipsets and processors come from USA. AMD processors come from Germany and Malaysia. Most optical drives come from South Korea. Most LCDs come from South Korea. Sony has a manufacturing plant in Tiajuana Mexico.
Overall I'd say Taiwan plays a big part in almost any computer.
Part of my point is that just because something is a brand from a certain country doesn't mean it comes from that country. Even Sony uses labor in South Korea, Taiwan, and Mexico. Some Toshiba TVs are made in China. Really the stuff coming out of Taiwan is high-quality compared to most labor done is China, but capitalism is conning many companies to use the cheapest labor force possible and that means countries with weak economies.
One other thing is that I do not have high speed access, just plain old dial up, I want a computer that will load pages off the net (forums such as this, general information, etc) as quickly as possible. Does the computer I buy influence the speed of loading pages, or are all computers the same if you are using dial up?
Guess I have gotten this up to three questions now.
The governing factor of loading web pages is the speed of your connection.
Based on my limited understanding of your needs, virtually any current computer will do what you need. Just make sure you have 512MB of memory and you will be fine
I have not been reading Fat Wallet very long, but long enough to know red is bad. May I ask what I did to offend someone? I would really like to know.I did not give you red, but I am a little frustrated. There is a guide to asking help that you should read before posting - as it tells you what information we need to help you.
Then you were twice asked to post what your needs are - and your answers have not been fully complete
I knew it was going to be a mistake to post in this forum, I had a feeling I was going to get bashed. I read a long time before I got my courage up. I did read before posting and I answered all the questions you asked to the best of my ability. If I knew all that you all know I would not have to be asking any questions. If my simple questions frustrate you I am sorry, but I can't begin to tell you how frustrating this experience has been for me. I guess the person that gave me the red must be really frustrated ..... they couldn't even be bother to tell me how stupid I am.
Believe me I will never ask a question in this forum again, and I never would be so bold as to even try to make a response to someone else's post.
You really need to elaborate on what you mean by "some gaming". For some people that is an occasional game of solitaire. For other, that means several hours of 1st person shooter games a day, played over the internet, with several servers running simultaneously. People here are more than willing to help, but no one can give you a good answer without the correct information.
As ellory said, the system you describe is way overkill for using Office and surfing the web. The missing piece is what games you play, or may want to play in the future. please provide more details on that and we can give an informed oppinion. Othewise, we are shooting in the dark.
On a non-tech note, if you truely think you've been "bashed", maybe you should stay away from internet discussion boards. Most are MUCH more brutal than Fatwallet, and I don't think anyone has come remotely close to offending you here. One person gave a very informational and polite response to an incorrect statement that you made, and the other has tried serveral times to get the information needed to help you. If you worried that some anonymous person gave you a "red", then grow thicker skin. It's certainly not the end of the world, and everyone is entitled to an oppinion.
Hi June, and welcome. I think what ellory is trying to tell you is that "gaming" is a pretty generic term these days. I built a 3.2 GHZ system with two gigs of RAM, but I do use this sytem for video editing and for some fairly high-end games. What ellory (and I) is saying is that todays super-fast computers are only necessary for high-end multimedia applications. The reason he's asking what games you'll be playing is that some don't require a lot of processing power. A 486 is fine for playing Spades, but it won't cut it for Doom 3. Think of it this way, the Apollo modules went to the moon on only 39 Khz because the computer only handled basic functions of the ship and did number crunching.
June12345 said:I knew it was going to be a mistake to post in this forum, I had a feeling I was going to get bashed. I read a long time before I got my courage up. I did read before posting and I answered all the questions you asked to the best of my ability. If I knew all that you all know I would not have to be asking any questions. If my simple questions frustrate you I am sorry, but I can't begin to tell you how frustrating this experience has been for me. I guess the person that gave me the red must be really frustrated ..... they couldn't even be bother to tell me how stupid I am.
Believe me I will never ask a question in this forum again, and I never would be so bold as to even try to make a response to someone else's post.
Dont pay any attention to it. Some people give red to any and all questions or comments in the deal groups. They just want certain type of deal info posted. It doesnt affect you in any way.
I think what people are saying is your needs are probably low enough that almost any modern computer can do what you want. Besides any specialized areas such computer 3D graphics work where you have render tons of graphics or work with huge photoshop files for critical graphics work and things like compressing and uncompressing files all day ---- you really dont need a really high end PC.
The one exception is playing games. That probably puts one of the greatest demands on your PC so it depends on how deep you get into game playing. You also want the PC to be decent probably a year from now too. Thats important since things change so fast. If you get something marginal now but still OK it could be less than decent a year from now when newer games and Vista and other stuff comes out.
Almost ANY of the dual cores are decent since the lowest ones are very good such as the 3800 X2 for AMD. Intel just came out with the even lower level 805 less than 200 bucks , lower than their former budget dual core chip the 820.
The cheapest deals at FW often are random. They come randomly from Office Depot and CompUSA doing HP/Compaq deals usually though on some holiday or near one. CompUSA has their weekly sale and special midnight madness sales etc so you just have to sit and be ready. I think besides something coming out of the blue randomly --- Easter sales may be the best bet from OD, CompUSA, Circuit City or even BB.
The other source obviously is Dell. Signup for their emails cause they have special coupons etc all the time and check the HOT DEALS section.
If you have to get one now --- check the same sources Dell , CC, CompUSA, OD and even BB. The sunday papers are the best way and then check the Hotdeals section and the sites themselves. They all have their ads online. Check Salescircular.com just in case someone has missed something too.
Get anything decent ---- 3000 AMD 64 or above even a sempron 3100 is OK but it should cost less. An AMD x2 (dual core) would be great they start with their 3800 chip which I have. Intel has the 805 their new super budget dual core and then the 820 D. They are all fine. If you find a killer deal its around 100-200 for a prebuilt with barebone options.
Get at least 512 megs but I recommend 1 gig. Check the price though cause sometimes added options are cheap and other times they are a ripoff. You can get 512 megs for $25 bucks AR manytimes. The big problem is sometimes they arent compatible --- add on sticks with the system or the other stick already installed.
DVD writer ---- $38 bucks at NEwegg.
Get at least 120 gigs or more. HDs are super cheap though the big discount $29 weekly HD sale AR seems to be scarcer now after Maxtor was taken over by Seagate though that may not be the reason why its scarcer. Maybe a coincidence since Maxtor hasnt been aggressively rebated for a while now but it does eliminate some competition in the HD sector.
This week isnt the greatest week for PC sales. A little while ago there were intermittent killer CompUSA deals every month or two.
With Dell it varies all the time with coupons and sales. You really have to check weekly and signup for the emails.
This week maybe the Office Depot deal is the best. And this may vary cause I get OD deals a week late so it might not be happening this week where you are.
emachines $399 AMD 3500 AMD 64 17" CRT DVD burner canon 1600 printer 160 gig HD 512 megs memory Cheapo speakers included from the pic
300 bucks of rebates to get to 399 $110 to upgrade to 15 lcd. I dont think its worth it. Id look for a sale on a 17-19 for 150-200.
Add a 6600 GT AGP card for great game playing look in hot deals for a deal or go to Newegg.com and look for a close to $100 AR 6600GT The only reservation I have is the power supply built into the emachines and the fact DOOM3 goes from unplayable to playable on my 2nd system which consists of a 3200 AMD 64 and 9600XT from 512 megs of memory to 1 gig.
--------------------------------------------
$499 after 300 bucks in rebates They also have a HP Pent 4 517 80 gig HD 512 memory 17 LCD with speakers which will probably sound really tinny and thin no printer from what I see
------------------------------------------------ Actually BB , CC and CompUSA all have similar close deals on the emachines or Acer or other budget systems all the time. Once in a while youll get a KILLEr deals down to 100-200 for a barebones system. Depends on how long you want to wait. Right now the benchmark seems to be around 399 or so depending on options.
Look though hot deals to see if theres anything lower with coupons or something or if Dell can beat it.
June12345 said: Believe me I will never ask a question in this forum again, and I never would be so bold as to even try to make a response to someone else's post.
As others have said, no one has bashed you so there's no need for the self pity. Nearly all the questions ever asked in this forum get multiple accurate answers as long as you ask the right question and repond appropriately. If the red really bothers you you can click on it and see who it was.
This has really gotten ridiculous. I can't believe all the long answers you all are giving me that have nothing to do with my questions. My questions required no more information that I gave. The questions were:
1. Where do you purchase your computers, brick and mortar or over the Internet
2. What make of computers do you prefer (Dell, emachine etc.)
I did not ask you to tell me how to build a computer, find me the best price possible on a computer, I did not post in hot deals forum, or ask you to tell me your deepest darkest secrets.
I NEVER, NEVER said I had been BASHED (bashed Informal. To criticize (another) harshly, accusatorially, and threateningly:" from dictionary.com) I simple asked why someone elected to give me a red flag (anonymously, no backbone) for asking two simple questions. This bashed business has taken on a life of its own. One person said bashed and no one took the time to read what I had actually wrote. I only wanted to know what was wrong with my post so I would not make the same error again. Sheeeeezzz
KrazyKeyur, I am very curious how you knew it was RightHere that raised the flag, the name was not in the thread? Would you mind telling me? I did read that only certain people have been elevated to the status of flag raiser, so RightHere must be a valuable member that I have offended. He/She did not take the time to tell me what I had done to offend him/her in the forum, but did take the time to send me a PM telling me that my title "sucked" so I found out who it was, and what my offense was. I have also been informed by him/her that I should not be doing a back and forth in the form.
Actually, I think I have done a service for some. I think a couple of you were having a boring Sunday and were just looking for someone to shoot down (no, I don't mean RightHere's red flag) I just mean that no one yet has addressed my question but everyone has had a grand time telling me to get over myself. Got all of your fighting juices flowing. Some people are not happy unless there is a brouhaha going on. So glad I could make it a good day for some of you
June12345 said:This has really gotten ridiculous. I can't believe all the long answers you all are giving me that have nothing to do with my questions. My questions required no more information that I gave. The questions were: OK, I'll take your questions.
1. Where do you purchase your computers, brick and mortar or over the InternetD_ell, Comp_USA, Best Buy, Circuit_City. in short, whereever I could get the best deal at the time I need to make a purchase.
2. What make of computers do you prefer (Dell, emachine etc.) Whatver provides the best bang for the buck. In the past I've built my own from parts, then one day I realized I couldn't beat D_ell's pricing. D_ell has since raised prices so now I look around. Sometimes the B&M stores have incredible deals.
June12345 said:This has really gotten ridiculous. I can't believe all the long answers you all are giving me that have nothing to do with my questions. My questions required no more information that I gave. The questions were: 1. Where do you purchase your computers, brick and mortar or over the Internet 2. What make of computers do you prefer (Dell, emachine etc.) Depends on what type of computer you want. If you want one for someone who isnt going to do any games what so ever, get an emachines. If you want to do a mix of games and movies and internet, get a Dell. If you want windows and play games all day long, get an Alien. If you to do high level graphics and video editing, get a Mac. I did not ask you to tell me how to build a computer, find me the best price possible on a computer, I did not post in hot deals forum, or ask you to tell me your deepest darkest secrets.
I NEVER, NEVER said I had been BASHED (bashed Informal. To criticize (another) harshly, accusatorially, and threateningly:" from dictionary.com) I simple asked why someone elected to give me a red flag (anonymously, no backbone) for asking two simple questions. This bashed business has taken on a life of its own. One person said bashed and no one took the time to read what I had actually wrote. I only wanted to know what was wrong with my post so I would not make the same error again. Sheeeeezzz I read everything wou wrote and you didnt answer the questions that were given to you precisely. Nor did you did the research if someone has posted a similar question before. KrazyKeyur, I am very curious how you knew it was RightHere that raised the flag, the name was not in the thread? Would you mind telling me? I did read that only certain people have been elevated to the status of flag raiser, so RightHere must be a valuable member that I have offended. He/She did not take the time to tell me what I had done to offend him/her in the forum, but did take the time to send me a PM telling me that my title "sucked" so I found out who it was, and what my offense was. I have also been informed by him/her that I should not be doing a back and forth in the form. Click on the red/green. It tell's you who voted what. He was exactly right when he said that your title sucked and that you were wasting time going back and forth. Actually, I think I have done a service for some. I think a couple of you were having a boring Sunday and were just looking for someone to shoot down (no, I don't mean RightHere's red flag) I just mean that no one yet has addressed my question but everyone has had a grand time telling me to get over myself. Got all of your fighting juices flowing. Some people are not happy unless there is a brouhaha going on. So glad I could make it a good day for some of you No one is having a boring Sunday. No one is always looking for some entertainment or some newbie to get their hands on. You for one have lost your temper and are not realizing what other's are trying to tell you.
June12345 said:I NEVER, NEVER said I had been BASHED (
Perhaps you didn't say it. But you strongly implied it
June12345 said:I knew it was going to be a mistake to post in this forum, I had a feeling I was going to get bashed. ... I can't begin to tell you how frustrating this experience has been for me. ....
Believe me I will never ask a question in this forum again, and I never would be so bold as to even try to make a response to someone else's post.
June12345 said:My questions required no more information that I gave. The questions were:
1. Where do you purchase your computers, brick and mortar or over the Internet
2. What make of computers do you prefer (Dell, emachine etc.)OK.
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