Computer opinions needed

[big dog cowboy]

OK here is the deal. After always competing with my wife for our computer she decided to buy one for herself. She needs one for her job, I need one for the CZ. This will help restore peace in the Big Dog casa.

So she sees this ad in today paper for a HP Pavillion Desktop AMD X9150e Phenom X4 Quad-Core Processor. 4GB DDR2 memory, 500GB hard drive, 64 bit, Wireless LAN and Windows Vista for $450.00 at Office Max.

I don't have the time to get into computer shopping so I need some help. Is this a decent computer or not? No games or music concerns just surfing the internet and the faster the better.

Like Howie Mandel says.....deal or no deal? Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!

 

[Yeagermeister]

OK here is the deal. After always competing with my wife for our computer she decided to buy one for herself. She needs one for her job, I need one for the CZ. This will help restore peace in the Big Dog casa.

So she sees this ad in today paper for a HP Pavillion Desktop AMD X9150e Phenom X4 Quad-Core Processor. 4GB DDR2 memory, 500GB hard drive, 64 bit, Wireless LAN and Windows Vista for $450.00 at Office Max.

I don't have the time to get into computer shopping so I need some help. Is this a decent computer or not? No games or music concerns just surfing the internet and the faster the better.

Like Howie Mandel says.....deal or no deal? Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!

For just general use just about any computer will do that. When you get in to gaming is when you have to pump up the horses.

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

That's a nice rig and is more than enough for your day to day stuff. Good price.

 

[iceberg]

OK here is the deal. After always competing with my wife for our computer she decided to buy one for herself. She needs one for her job, I need one for the CZ. This will help restore peace in the Big Dog casa.

So she sees this ad in today paper for a HP Pavillion Desktop AMD X9150e Phenom X4 Quad-Core Processor. 4GB DDR2 memory, 500GB hard drive, 64 bit, Wireless LAN and Windows Vista for $450.00 at Office Max.

I don't have the time to get into computer shopping so I need some help. Is this a decent computer or not? No games or music concerns just surfing the internet and the faster the better.

Like Howie Mandel says.....deal or no deal? Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!

HP makes good stuff. having a quad core puts you on cutting edge as far as that goes. not the fastest one out there but w/a quad core pure speed doesn't matter, getting apps multi-proc aware does. that will come in time.

overall a solid machine for the $. i'd buy HP w/o question or concern these days.

 

[CowboyWay]

I have to disagree with Iceberg on the HP. I have one and I think its garbage. I've had several problems with it, including replacing a motherboard after only 14 months of using it.

I also have a brother in law who's a software designer for HP, and he laughed at me for buying an HP computer. He told me they were junk when I bought it.

 

[Kangaroo]

I have to disagree with Iceberg on the HP. I have one and I think its garbage. I've had several problems with it, including replacing a motherboard after only 14 months of using it.

I also have a brother in law who's a software designer for HP, and he laughed at me for buying an HP computer. He told me they were junk when I bought it.

All the big manufacture basically use the same hardware outside of doing a custom box and getting things like Gigabyte motherboards or Abit etc.

I used Dell; HP and IBM at companies they all have there issues

 

[Kangaroo]

If you are not doing anything fancy it will be fine it is not the processor it is the integrated Video with computers like that. The integrated Video shares resources and memory but if you are not doing high end games or high end applications you will never notice.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well, the think that I would say is that if you have the money, I might consider investing in a Laptop. It makes it nice if you can pick it up and move it around. Take it her or there. However, if you can't, then a good DeskTop or home PC will do just fine. Just gotta make sure that you rearrange your furniture to suit your PC. For example, if you have a favorite chair that might sit in front of your Cowboy Game TV of choice, you probably want to pick out a PC and desk that will fit in the area your chair used to occupy.

Seriously though, I hate Vista and I would probably look for another package. Vista, IMO, is not the best work Microsoft has ever produced. Memory is a bit light IMO but if you are able to install additional memory yourself, then maybe it's not a problem. I don't love HP myself but it's cheaper and so there is a value there. All manufactures don't use the same parts. For example, Dell, HP and a few others buy parts and use them to build systems in bulk. You may have different types of Vid Cards, Memory etc. but they will all fit a minimum specification for a given system. On the other hand, a manufacture such as IBM does not do that. They spec specific options and then build out with just those in most cases. That's one of the reasons it's more expensive to buy those systems but again, it's a trade off. Hope this helps.

 

[Dallas]

I feel that the Dell laptops are the best on the market. The models are very solid and nobody comapares to Dell as far as support service.

I purchased my son a new laptop for Christmas. I think I paid 500$ for it.

It has everything built in.

Wireless Internet
SD slots
130gb HD
Very good video
4GB Ram



It even has built-in a web-cam so the little guy can sit and visit w/ his mom (she lives in PA.) during the evenings.

 

[DIAF]

all desktop pcs from the major manufacturers are just a slight notch above "junk". For a cheapy desktop, i'd just hit the Dell Outlet and get a refurb for cheap. Snagged a quadcore off it back in sept for 350 bucks shipped.

 

[Yeagermeister]

I feel that the Dell laptops are the best on the market. The models are very solid and nobody comapares to Dell as far as support service.

I purchased my son a new laptop for Christmas. I think I paid 500$ for it.

It has everything built in.

Wireless Internet
SD slots
130gb HD
Very good video
4GB Ram



It even has built-in a web-cam so the little guy can sit and visit w/ his mom (she lives in PA.) during the evenings.

I agree but I like their business class laptops much better. They just have a better feel to them.

 

[DIAF]

I agree but I like their business class laptops much better. They just have a better feel to them.

yep. My Dell Inspiron laptop feels like a cheap chinese knock-off when compared to the Latitude I have for work.

 

[iceberg]

I have to disagree with Iceberg on the HP. I have one and I think its garbage. I've had several problems with it, including replacing a motherboard after only 14 months of using it.

I also have a brother in law who's a software designer for HP, and he laughed at me for buying an HP computer. He told me they were junk when I bought it.

i'd not buy the "compaq" version of the HP hardware but i have no problems iwth my HP equipment so far to date. i have a desktop here at work and a personal laptop from HP at home that has been flawless in a lot of consistant use.

i've talked to a lot of people inside the company of many companies and like out in the real world, you get mixed results.

 

[dback]

To touch on what ABQ said, if you look for something with more than 4GB of memory, then you need to get a 64-bit operating system. 32-bit OS cannot see more than 4GB unless you install the PAE version of Windows.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension