New PC....spec?

ArmitageShanks

Hello

We need a new desktop.

It needs to be able to handle a million and one firefox tabs, outlook, explorer, chrome, word, excel, photoshop and fireworks open at the same time.

No gaming.

What's the minimum spec we would need for pain free computering? and...
Where should we get it from?

Thanks.

DatabaseError

mid range core 2 duo...~e5200, ideally 4gb of ram + a 64 bit OS...onboard graphics/sound will be fine.
Where to get it from..build it yourself, of course

ArmitageShanks

Thanks

Where to get it from..build it yourself, of course

Time is of a premium....:rolleyes:

Marty_J

ArmitageShanks wrote: »

Thanks

Time is of a premium....:rolleyes:

Well you can go to any Apple Store you like.

Gers

Against my better judgement I bought an HP pavilion (small CPU) and it's brilliant. Only today I found that, along with everything else, it prints onto CDs. I know, small pleasures and all that.

Before this I'd heard such bad things about HP PCs but for the price (somewhere in the region of £340.00) it's absolutely amazing. I too use multiple programmes, firefox etc and it copes so well. Whilst I'm not in the least techie a close friend is and he came with me to buy it. Can't fault it.

HP s3621uk
Intel Premium dual CPU e2200@ 2.200 Ghz
Memory (RAM) 3.00GB

(I don't really know what it means )

The PC is networked through homeplugs and just works and works easily.

Marty_J

You'd struggle to buy a computer nowadays that couldn't run all those programs.

It might not like running them all at once, though I believe it's possible to "close" programs (stop me if I'm getting too technical), which results in them no longer being "open", thus "freeing" "up" resources to then "run" other "programs".

I trust that's cleared matters up for everybody.

DatabaseError

Marty_J wrote: »

.... I believe it's possible to "close" programs (stop me if I'm getting too technical), which results in them no longer being "open", thus "freeing" "up" resources to then "run" other "programs".

How does that work..then? I have been known to pause my GPU folding client when gaming...but that's about it..
A full taskbar is a happy taskbar

ArmitageShanks

Marty_J wrote: »

You'd struggle to buy a computer nowadays that couldn't run all those programs.

It might not like running them all at once, though I believe it's possible to "close" programs (stop me if I'm getting too technical), which results in them no longer being "open", thus "freeing" "up" resources to then "run" other "programs".

I trust that's cleared matters up for everybody.

As its for business use opening and closing tabs/progs isn't the most efficient use of time, especially when your internet connection is that dire it takes an hour to navigate back to a page.

Marty_J

DatabaseError wrote: »

How does that work..then?

I don't know, I think it might be experimental.

Perhaps I'll get shot for talking about it.

I have been known to pause my GPU folding client when gaming...but that's about it..
A full taskbar is a happy taskbar

You make your wife stop folding laundry when you're playing games?

Strange fellow.

DatabaseError

That would be funny if I wasn't doing the laundry right now...well I should be..just popped online to have a check around..taken half an hour so far...I'd best get on with it again

Marty_J

ArmitageShanks wrote: »

As its for business use opening and closing tabs/progs isn't the most efficient use of time, especially when your internet connection is that dire it takes an hour to navigate back to a page.

Well if you're worried your workflow is going to slow everything down, I'd say it might not be as efficient as you imagine.

That's one of the nice things about using a Mac; OS X doesn't equate a window with an application. Meaning you can have an application running in the background with no open windows to call home, ready to instantly pop back into life at a moment's notice.

For instance, when I close the iTunes window, the program itself stays open, but it uses far fewer resources than it does if it's simply minimised (it's currently between 0 and 0.1% of my CPU), but, because it's not closed, when I click iTunes, it pops back up instantly. I can have loads and loads and loads of applications all open at once, all ready to use, without draining my system resources. That's efficient.