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Re: Any IT Geeks Out There
You'll never catch me buying a Mac. Absolutely Never. Personal choice but Macs aren't powerful enough for me and don't allow me in to tweak things that I want to tweak. They're well built etc etc but the IBM format PC's are now catching up big time in this regard. With windows 7 now out, I even caught a Mac salesman the other day suggesting to a customer to put that on a Mac laptop he was looking at, and blow the MAC OS away. Windows 7 is extremely simple to install. Microsoft have sorted the install process in a big way. It's a personal choice though, and I've never got on with Mac's at all.
The Mac VS IBM format PC debate will rage until the end of time. Bottom line. Both formats are fine. Check that any software you want will run on the PC you buy though.
There are some good deals flying around with laptops at the moment including 8GB Ram. Very good. Unless you want portable though then I'd go with a desktop, simply because you can tweak every aspect of the machine. Don't like the keyboard..... change it. Want a bigger monitor..... get one. Want a more powerful graphics card....... get one. Extra ram later down the track..... get it, though make sure you have room to upgrade upon purchase.
Having worked in a smaller well known PC store in Perth, I find it very difficult to recommend them. Which leaves people in a bit of a bind I'm well aware. Stay well away from the likes of Harvey Norman etc. Their own PC's are worth less than toilet paper and often aren't even built by people who know what they're doing. Been there. Seen it happening. {EDIT: They sell name branded PC's though that they don't build themselves and these can be good value.}
Often, the cheaper models of PC's that smaller chain stores (maybe 2 or 3 stores, won't mention names) build are also often not worth any more than the box they come in. The store I worked in bought cheap components, filled their lower spec PC's with them and passed them off as "good" PC's. No way.
Yes you can buy desktop pc's for $800.00 to $1000.00 but honestly, be very careful with this. Stuff like that screams cheap components to me.
And look. Some of those cheap PC's go for years. God knows how but they do. Some last 5 minutes, and you're left battling the underpaid tech bay guys who are under pressure to get you back out the door with minimal cost to the business. If that means 2nd hand parts for your PC.. so be it. Been there, seen it happen, done it myself much to my great shame.
Unless you can build your own PC. Then look at the higher spec models some of the smaller chains produce. But take someone with you who can look into the components and ask some pointy questions. You will be amazed what people at the sales desk are told. I left the PC industry purely because of the underhandedness and pure lies we were asked to push on customers. I will never do stuff like that again. There is so much competition amongst smaller PC stores that they will do what's necessary to make a profit margin. Bottom line is, you will often pay for something that should be worth around 1/2 what it's being sold for. Some of that stuff works for a while, some doesn't.
If you are really stuck with nobody to help you out. Buy a Dell PC like the guys have said. Dells are built to a standard and at least won't include drastically cheap gear inside. Plus, the after sales care Dell provides will crap all over anything the smaller chains can provide. Not sure about now, but Dell used to have a team of call out techs that actually come to your house if you have an issue. But check that because that was some years ago and I'm not sure if they still do it that way. I think, if I remember correctly, another brand called "Packard Bell" did the same thing but that was 10 years ago so check!
Otherwise get a laptop. They are made wholly by the manufacturers and cannot be mucked around with too much by unscrupulous dealers. You can go online and read all about the laptop you're thinking of buying. If it's crap then the online community will know this and tell you all about it. Try and steer clear of deals that include no actual windows CD. You own a license to windows when you buy a laptop and have the right to a copy of windows on CD as backup. You even have the right to trash your laptop and put it's copy of windows on another PC {See correction below}. You don't have to buy yet another copy of windows just because you're buying another PC. But windows must be removed from the 1st before it goes on the 2nd.
You'll never catch me buying a Mac. Absolutely Never. Personal choice but Macs aren't powerful enough for me and don't allow me in to tweak things that I want to tweak. They're well built etc etc but the IBM format PC's are now catching up big time in this regard. With windows 7 now out, I even caught a Mac salesman the other day suggesting to a customer to put that on a Mac laptop he was looking at, and blow the MAC OS away. Windows 7 is extremely simple to install. Microsoft have sorted the install process in a big way. It's a personal choice though, and I've never got on with Mac's at all.
The Mac VS IBM format PC debate will rage until the end of time. Bottom line. Both formats are fine. Check that any software you want will run on the PC you buy though.
There are some good deals flying around with laptops at the moment including 8GB Ram. Very good. Unless you want portable though then I'd go with a desktop, simply because you can tweak every aspect of the machine. Don't like the keyboard..... change it. Want a bigger monitor..... get one. Want a more powerful graphics card....... get one. Extra ram later down the track..... get it, though make sure you have room to upgrade upon purchase.
Having worked in a smaller well known PC store in Perth, I find it very difficult to recommend them. Which leaves people in a bit of a bind I'm well aware. Stay well away from the likes of Harvey Norman etc. Their own PC's are worth less than toilet paper and often aren't even built by people who know what they're doing. Been there. Seen it happening. {EDIT: They sell name branded PC's though that they don't build themselves and these can be good value.}
Often, the cheaper models of PC's that smaller chain stores (maybe 2 or 3 stores, won't mention names) build are also often not worth any more than the box they come in. The store I worked in bought cheap components, filled their lower spec PC's with them and passed them off as "good" PC's. No way.
Yes you can buy desktop pc's for $800.00 to $1000.00 but honestly, be very careful with this. Stuff like that screams cheap components to me.
And look. Some of those cheap PC's go for years. God knows how but they do. Some last 5 minutes, and you're left battling the underpaid tech bay guys who are under pressure to get you back out the door with minimal cost to the business. If that means 2nd hand parts for your PC.. so be it. Been there, seen it happen, done it myself much to my great shame.
Unless you can build your own PC. Then look at the higher spec models some of the smaller chains produce. But take someone with you who can look into the components and ask some pointy questions. You will be amazed what people at the sales desk are told. I left the PC industry purely because of the underhandedness and pure lies we were asked to push on customers. I will never do stuff like that again. There is so much competition amongst smaller PC stores that they will do what's necessary to make a profit margin. Bottom line is, you will often pay for something that should be worth around 1/2 what it's being sold for. Some of that stuff works for a while, some doesn't.
If you are really stuck with nobody to help you out. Buy a Dell PC like the guys have said. Dells are built to a standard and at least won't include drastically cheap gear inside. Plus, the after sales care Dell provides will crap all over anything the smaller chains can provide. Not sure about now, but Dell used to have a team of call out techs that actually come to your house if you have an issue. But check that because that was some years ago and I'm not sure if they still do it that way. I think, if I remember correctly, another brand called "Packard Bell" did the same thing but that was 10 years ago so check!
Otherwise get a laptop. They are made wholly by the manufacturers and cannot be mucked around with too much by unscrupulous dealers. You can go online and read all about the laptop you're thinking of buying. If it's crap then the online community will know this and tell you all about it. Try and steer clear of deals that include no actual windows CD. You own a license to windows when you buy a laptop and have the right to a copy of windows on CD as backup. You even have the right to trash your laptop and put it's copy of windows on another PC {See correction below}. You don't have to buy yet another copy of windows just because you're buying another PC. But windows must be removed from the 1st before it goes on the 2nd.
.CHEERS TINKERA
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