What desktop pc should I buy?

beachbeth

When is Windows 7 coming out? This is the only trouble with buying a pc. No sooner have you bought it than its out of date again!

Should I go to the extra expense of a HD screen and a blue ray dvd drive? I can't decide. My husband can't see the point in these but I love new technology!:p

iltisman

I always use Dell optiplex office PCs I just do a search on Ebay for Optiplex 745 which is a fairly new model and there are always some about for less than £100.

isofa

beachbeth wrote: »

When is Windows 7 coming out? This is the only trouble with buying a pc. No sooner have you bought it than its out of date again!

Should I go to the extra expense of a HD screen and a blue ray dvd drive? I can't decide. My husband can't see the point in these but I love new technology!:p

Do you need a Blu-ray drive? A reader only will enable you to watch Blu-ray films, but do you want to sit in front of your PC to watch movies? A writer (more expensive) will allow you to burn high capactity discs for backups, do need need that or will a dual-layer DVD burner do?

Everything you buy will be superseded in a few months, but that's irrelevant, if it does the task you purchased it to do, why worry, unless of course you want to get sucked in to buying a new one every year or two. I've computers that are years old that perform very well. It's usually better economy to buy a mid range computer now (unless you have specific needs). If you need it now, buy it now.

Jakg

macman wrote: »

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Which are never going to be the basic models, which in this case is all the OP needs.

fwiw the profit margin on a £280 laptop is similar to the profit margin on a £500 laptop - they aren't encouraged to sell specific models, rather extras.

M4RKM

just to let you all know, that PC World doesn't have salespeople...

they have customer advisors, so they're not selling to you at all..

i know this because i was a sales person at PCW many years ago, and then they told me they would cut my wage, get me to do the same job, and give me a new shiny job title..

i told them to stick it..

the store i worked at was one of the few that had people who knew about computers though, and could help people properly... shame it's the same as every other store now, with people doing a job, and not really bothered about what they're doing...

margin on all computers is low, around 3%, it's the software, and the extras that make the money.. why do you think they'll sell a cheap computer, but tell you that you can't put an old office on it, and need the new one... because the new one is high margin, boosting the overall sale...

rant over...

beachbeth

I already have a cd/dvd writer, so I want these on my new pc. Can anyone explain what dual layer means though?:o

M4RKM

isofa wrote: »

Everything you buy will be superseded in a few months,

not entirely true..

i bought a computer may 2008, and in march 2009 it was superseded... 10 months of the same model being out, that anyone could have bought in the march before a newer, slightly shinier model came out..

JMW77

Don't know if you would consider an apple mac , but they are fantastic i would never go back.

beachbeth

JMW77 wrote: »

Don't know if you would consider an apple mac , but they are fantastic i would never go back.

My younger brother has one and loves it. Im not sure though.

f1charlie

beachbeth wrote: »

I already have a cd/dvd writer, so I want these on my new pc. Can anyone explain what dual layer means though?:o

Writer can write to dual layer DVDs which are higher capacity than the normal single layer variety:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD


If you do buy Dell, there's 6% cashback at Topcashback :j