Advise, please help!!!!!!! Or find someone that can help

Ashura · Post by **Ashura** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:37 pm

Well, I have an IBM Pentium 4 Thinkpad. I love it to death, but would now like to have a Desktop. I don't play games. I watch anime that I download from Streamload, surf the web, email and I just want to be able to burn cds, dvds, and other types to Cd/DVD formats. Really normal stuff.

My friend in California recommended Dell to me as well.

Thanks everyone for their help. keep all thoughts and opinions coming!!!!!

Not Sir Phobos · Post by **Not Sir Phobos** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:51 pm

Dell is fine for a normal at home computer. It's like buying a Toyota Camry, it works and yes there are Ferari's and Rolls royces out there but you're not getting a Pinto.

The only thing I can say about Dell is DO NOT FINANCE!! Buy the computer with cash/check and/or a credit card.

Example: We bought a laptop through Dell financial and it was a horrible experience. We were always a month ahead on our payments and every month they would send us a collection notice. Me made phone calls every week and every time they said the problem was fixed, untill we'd get our next collection notice. It got to the point where their bone collectors were calling me at work demanding payment on late fees for collections they made in error. In the end we took a loan to pay them off just so the harassment would stop. We even had a lawyer waiting for them to touch our credit score so we could sue.

Look it up on the Better Business Bureu. Dell computers gets excellent marks while Dell Financial (That's right, two separate companies) actually has bad marks with BBB.

Some life experience advice from a friend.

Ashura · Post by **Ashura** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:02 pm

HOLY CRAP!!! @_@, I was considering it too!

Thanks for the warning

Keep all opinions coming

zerospace · Post by **zerospace** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:08 pm

Gotta go with NSP on the financing thing as well - I did that with my Dell laptop back in 1998. Bad idea. I swear they were constantly changing whoever administers those loans, etc... because I got collection notices OR no invoice at ALL! I must've called them 100 times to complain and it never got any better. The best day of those few years was when I paid the balance off and got the letter in the mail stating so.

zerospace · Post by **zerospace** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:13 pm

Sorry for the double post, but I missed Yoshito's last comment about HP going back to that horrible put-windows-on-the-hard-drive thing... that was the way the last two HP machines I've worked on were setup. No recovery CD, just a partition. Neither was really really new - but neither one of those machines was more than 2-3 years old. I suppose they could've changed that in the meantime.

As far as Dell Windows CDs working on other machines.. well, if it's a copy of Windows XP that must be activated, it won't matter. XP's activation contacts the microsoft server with a code - based on the hardware in the machine. This means that if you change enough of the hardware, you won't be able to activate that copy of windows xp and your CD and CD key are useless. Thanks microsoft...

Not Sir Phobos · Post by **Not Sir Phobos** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:24 pm

zerospace wrote:Gotta go with NSP on the financing thing as well - I did that with my Dell laptop back in 1998. Bad idea. I swear they were constantly changing whoever administers those loans, etc... because I got collection notices OR no invoice at ALL! I must've called them 100 times to complain and it never got any better. The best day of those few years was when I paid the balance off and got the letter in the mail stating so.

We should go out for coffee sometime and bitch about Dell financial.

zerospace · Post by **zerospace** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:32 pm

Not Sir Phobos wrote:
zerospace wrote:Gotta go with NSP on the financing thing as well - I did that with my Dell laptop back in 1998. Bad idea. I swear they were constantly changing whoever administers those loans, etc... because I got collection notices OR no invoice at ALL! I must've called them 100 times to complain and it never got any better. The best day of those few years was when I paid the balance off and got the letter in the mail stating so.
We should go out for coffee sometime and bitch about Dell financial.

We can bitch about them at the Sacramento cel gathering.. I'm still planning to be there! LOL!

yoshito · Post by **yoshito** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:42 pm

Wow interesting. Glad I only use my CC, will park this info into my brain for later (if I ever need it).

Actually I used to remember the old Windows 9x/ME disks would look for a code in the computer to verify it was a "Dell/HP/Compaq/Etc." machine and if it didn't detect it, would just reply, "Sorry you don't have a Dell/HP/Compaq/Monkey not installing, so SUCK ROCKS!". That's why I was asking. Know about the proc key sensor as well... I so hated those days when people were freaking out, "OH NO!!! Intel knows my CPU code!" Which are the same people who are fine with MS knowing everything but your mother's maiden name when patching. >.>

Gah, so offtopic now huh? ^_^;

Ashura wrote:My friend in California recommended Dell to me as well.

So you're calling California hmm? You really trust us sunshine boys/girls? =P All we know is our surfboards and skateboards...

Hm, in your case... maybe a Sony with their uber DVDRW drives (not as uber as the Plextors) would be nice? Just can't beat the Dell prices though. T_T

<- is a Sony DVD RW lover (I have two... one I haven't used yet, the one where you plug in the VCR and convert it straight).

Japoro · Post by **Japoro** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:45 pm

zerospace wrote:HP going back to that horrible put-windows-on-the-hard-drive thing

Ahh come on, that was the best use of hard drive space.. ever

Deleating that partition gave me great joy.

I myself prefer the custom built computer using individual components. Nothing like the joy and frustration of piecing something together

If you want a pre-built system, a Dell might be right for you. Both my parents have had a Dell system for a year now, and they have had zero problems with them using them daily home use. One of their best features IMHO, is that they are quite.

Then again, the cheapo Dells at work have been hit or miss. My supervisors computer has had two bad power supplies and a bad hard drive within the past year. My work computer and another have had their Lite-ON CD drives go bad to a point that they can not read any disks with the slightest imperfection on it. But then there are the other seven Dells in the room that have had zero problems.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:45 pm

Not many people say both.

Not Sir Phobos · Post by **Not Sir Phobos** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:52 pm

Japoro wrote:
zerospace wrote:HP going back to that horrible put-windows-on-the-hard-drive thing

Ahh come on, that was the best use of hard drive space.. ever Deleating that partition gave me great joy.

I myself prefer the custom built computer using individual components. Nothing like the joy and frustration of piecing something together

If you want a pre-built system, a Dell might be right for you. Both my parents have had a Dell system for a year now, and they have had zero problems with them using them daily home use. One of their best features IMHO, is that they are quite.

Then again, the cheapo Dells at work have been hit or miss. My supervisors computer has had two bad power supplies and a bad hard drive within the past year. My work computer and another have had their Lite-ON CD drives go bad to a point that they can not read any disks with the slightest imperfection on it. But then there are the other seven Dells in the room that have had zero problems.

Yup we've had some dell workstations at work go fubar as well. But really you get that with any computer. Like I said they are a Toyota Camry.

zerospace · Post by **zerospace** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 3:39 pm

Not Sir Phobos wrote:Yup we've had some dell workstations at work go fubar as well. But really you get that with any computer. Like I said they are a Toyota Camry.

The same can be said of any computer, I agree. I prefer my self-built systems as I've already said, but that's definitely not the way to go for a lot of people. You can still get a DOA hard drive or CD drive or power supply (I've had a processor come to me DOA already) with a self-built system. That's what warranties on computer parts are for.

yoshito · Post by **yoshito** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:09 pm

zerospace wrote:
Not Sir Phobos wrote:Yup we've had some dell workstations at work go fubar as well. But really you get that with any computer. Like I said they are a Toyota Camry.
The same can be said of any computer, I agree. I prefer my self-built systems as I've already said, but that's definitely not the way to go for a lot of people. You can still get a DOA hard drive or CD drive or power supply (I've had a processor come to me DOA already) with a self-built system. That's what warranties on computer parts are for.

All this talk is making me want to build another rig. >.< I'm holding out for the better PCI-E cards and better CPUs though. Must resist... ... ...

Good thing I have to buy a new keyboard. ^_^

Not Sir Phobos · Post by **Not Sir Phobos** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:18 pm

yoshito wrote:Good thing I have to buy a new keyboard. ^_^

I know exactly what you mean, I kept spending money on my rig untill one day I looked at it and realized I HAD all the best parts. Not a single thing I can do to my computer know to upgrade!

irmgaard · Post by **irmgaard** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:54 pm

If you want a pre-built computer with quality components I can recommend ABS Computers, http://www.abspc.com. I know they are known for “gaming” machines, but I have been using their computers in a business environment and have found them to be lightning fast and “rock-solid” dependable. They look a little odd, glowing lights, etc., but since I am in an Artist’s Studio/Gallery, the George Jetson look

works for me.

Before you decide anything you also might want to read about your possible choices at http://www.resellerratings.com.

I hope this information is useful to you.