Packard Bell iMedia D2317 query

ih8stress

Can anyone tell me if the above is a good computer for surfing, photo editing and very occasional games, please?

It is currently at PC World (I know!) for £349.99.

Thanks.

Marty_J

Personally, I don't think Packard Bell make very good computers.

However, the chances are that it'll run fine and do everything you want of it (provided by "games" you don't mean anything too intense). Though it will probably come with Vista, which is the bane of many a person's life.

If I had £350 to spend and didn't want to build my own, I would be inclined to see what I could find from Dell.

ih8stress

Thanks for your reply, Marty J. I've noticed that a few people on here seem to like Dell. I may get a local firm to build me a computer. Can you advise any other makes I should be looking for or avoiding?

Marty_J

Well I'm an Apple guy myself, and unless you go used, you're definitely not going to get one of those for £350.

Dell seem to be quite popular though, the main gripe being that their customer service apparently isn't the greatest at times.

ih8stress

Okay. Thanks, Marty J. I'll have a look around and post the result when I finally choose one.

macman

That PCW spec is pretty low end. Dual Core processor not Core Duo, only 2GB RAM (Vista needs 2GB min, preferably 3GB+), small HD (only 160GB, which is tiny by modern desktop standards), and Vista Home Basic, not Home Premium (amusing to see that at the top of the same page they then proudly proclaim that 'PCW recommends Vista Home Premium').
Even for basic home usage I would be looking for a Core Duo processor, 3GB RAM, 250GB HD and Vista Home Premium. The Dell Inspiron at £359 gives you a 250GB HD, slightly better processor and Home Premium for a tenner more. Then you can always upgrade the RAM yourself via Crucial. No contest in my opinion. And the added bonus of PCW not getting your business...