If you could buy any new & reasonable computer

[caudio51]

What would you get?

 

[derek]

All depends what your idea of reasonable is.

I might buy the wife a new MacBook for xmas.

If so here are the specs:

Black 13"
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
120GB Serial ATA drive @ 5400 rpm
Superdrive 6x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
Final Cut Express preinstalled
AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook/iBook - Auto-enroll
AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth

That will run around 2,300 or so

I would prefer to get her a MB Pro but she doesn't want the 15". Since when does size matter to a women...hahah

 

[caudio51]

Good point, let's say around $1,500-2K

 

[Poni]

YOu could get something really nice in that prices range. What's it for? games, work, both? Is the warranty cost included in the price range?

 

[Greg]

What's your preference:

Mac or PC?

 

[caudio51]

PC

Mostly web browsing but I want the gaming option.

I don't know shit about computer warrantys

 

[Greg]

Hmmmmm....this Mac is pretty badass though:

iMac

 

[SeanGAR]

For Vista or most gaming you want a separate video, not the integrated Intel chip. Dell allows you to choose a 256MB GeForce 7400 (which is just ok by desktop standards, but is much better than i950) on the XPS M1210, which is the direction that I'd be heading if I had 2K for a laptop.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz FSB), Windows® XP Professional, free upgrade to VISTA Business, integrated Webcam and Mobile Broadband Antenna, 2GB Dual Shared Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms), 100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability, VIDEO CARD 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7400 TurboCache™, integrated Audio. 1 Yr warranty, $2035, around 4.4 pounds.

I will note that I hate the way that Dell sells the computers (am I a home office, small business .. WTF??) but I have been happy with the reliability and service that I have received.

 

[Electric Sheep]

In that price range, there are a TON of computers you could buy...and almost everything in that range should be a Core 2 Duo (or better).

Personally, I'd buy a MacBook, but I did recently help a co-worker buy a damn-fine HP laptop with Winders XP Media Center Edition.

And naturally, you can get more 'bang for the buck' by purchasing a desktop rather than a laptop.

 

[indyrob]

You could put a very nice computer together for under 1k. Fry's is a good place to go for motherboards and HDD's, but power supplies and cases are cheaper at Geeks.com

Seagate 400gb HDD $129
Hammer DVDRW $29.99 After Rebate
DDR 512MB 3200 $49.99
ECS C51GM-M NVIDIA® nForce™ 410
Socket AM2 mATX Motherboard $79
AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 3800+ $153

No shipping if you go to Fry's.

So far that's $308.96

9-Bay ATX Window Case w/450W Power Supply (Silver/Black) $29.95
Water Cooler Kit for Socket 478/754/939 CPUs $38.99

Add some cheap shipping:$13 (for case and water cooler)

And the total is:$390.90

 

[joshua]

I get a dell employee discount, message me on AIM or PM sometime. The pricier the model, usually the more discount they give. Flat panels are included with the XPS line as well as free shipping. Sometimes theres coupons you can stack on top of my discount if you are lucky.

 

[Rank_Tyro]

I can build a very powerful machine for under $600 bucks, and it can do double duty as a gaming rig and as a Digital Video Recorder.

Most computers are INSANELY overpowered for todays common applications. Very few people are actual CAD/CAM users or video special effects editors.

Games are usually the most intensive things run on the normal home users PC, and even then, with a good video card you don't need 2 gigs of ram and a super fast 64 bit duo processor.

With an AMD Athlon processor, 800 mhz front side bus, a gig of ram, and a good video card, you will have a better gaming platform than the X box or Play Station.

 

[BradMc]

Sounds like we have a price war going here .....Good luck, Tom, I just want a Puter that works............

 

[Greg]

I need a computer too!!

 

[caudio51]

Man, looks like I have a lot of options.

I also need a monitor.....

 

[indyrob]

Here's another option that I did for my kids...

Salvation Army distribution center charges by weight and I picked up an HP Pavilion 2.2 ghz for $7.

 

[Poni]

Personally I would consider a laptop. I hate having to sit infront or desktop, the mobility of the laptop is great.

 

[caudio51]

I wish I could afford both.....hmmmm do I want a laptop

 

[AZsteelman]

a laptop is the only way to go...you are able to go just about anywhere with a wireless connection. I can sit on the patio, out by the pool, in the front courtyard...no way to go back now!

 

[Electric Sheep]

Very few people are actual CAD/CAM users or video special effects editors.

I'm one of those "video" people. I've got over a TERABYTE of live disk space, 1.5 GIGs of RAM, a 64-bit processor, and a 20" widescreen HD display...and to be honest, it's barely adequate for my real-world, everyday use.

I'd love to have a quad-Xeon machine, but I can't afford to shell out the multi-thousands of dollars it takes to buy that level of workstation performance.

:frown: