On the search for a good computer....

BarginHunter1985

Is it ok to downgrad the 3 yr warranty...sounds a bit reckless?

Katgoddess

BarginHunter1985 wrote:

Is it ok to downgrad the 3 yr warranty...sounds a bit reckless?

When I was young and naive I brought a 3 year warranty and service package. Only used it once and that was for a question I could have probably got answered by googling.

Your computer should come with a free 1 year warranty. (Dell has one year basic included in price) This is all you need. Save the £60 for your next upgrade. If you have a hardware problem (as in can't switch it on) after the year is up you can take it to a local independant shop and get it fixed v cheap there. If there is a software problem (as in you can switch it on but its running slow etc) you can ask on here and get answers for free.

To be honest if you are just going to use it for emailing and browsing, any computer will do. If you decide to let the kids have games in the future you can always have a local person upgrade it for you. You might even be brave enough to do it yourself by then.

BarginHunter1985

Thank you....

Now I have decided my computer I will need to get a printer, scanner and web camera...any ideas guys?

Katgoddess

I've always found Tescos good for peripherals. You get 3% cashback from Quidco plus clubcard points.

Unless you know you are definitely going to use a scanner I wouldn't bother. They are good for photocopying though.

Little_John

Im just here to !!!!!! on your parade :P

What are you printing? photos? text? occasional colour?
Photos buy an Epson
Text buy a laser
Ocasional Colour buy an HP
Lots of stuff in large quantities then buy a colour laser HP 2600 are pretty cheap now.

A scanner, I have one and dont really use it that much once or twice a month if you have a use then buy one if not then I wouldnt bother

Webcam they vary in quality spend about £30 on one and you should get a good one Logitec and Creative ones are ok and reasonable priced and loads of places sell them. I buy my stuff from https://www.scan.co.uk nice prices and I can walk in and buy them as they are local.

BarginHunter1985

Mainly text, sometimes photos...colour- yes but again not always...and it will not be used in vast amounts.

ie- mainly for the kids school work, and my projects...

albertross_2

You could always get a multifunction device if you really want a scanner.

BarginHunter1985

Yea I guess so if there good1

BarginHunter1985

A friend has recommended me this...

http://www.pcnextday.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?ProductCode=3312-6601

any good?

Mercenary

That seems to cover most of what you want all in one basic package although the DDR RAM will need upgrading from 512MB to at least 1 GB at some point...possibly pretty soon.

Bear in mind that printers and other peripherals are often dirt cheap to buy separately even in places like a local PC World...where you can easily take it back if there's a problem within the year. After a year, it's often cheaper to buy again rather than get it fixed. Never buy extra warranty on cheap peripherals from PC World.
Extra warranty can be a good thing on PCs depending on which company, at what price and what it covers - read through carefully.
We usually pay Evesham about £30 extra (I seem to recall) for 3 years extended fix-at-home warranty. We once had a Hard Drive die suddenly and they came out, put in a new one and re-installed all the original software back for us, so it was a bargain. They've also fixed my latest PC when a Windows Update went horribly wrong and I got the Blue Screen of Death.

Unfortunately, PC buying is all down to the individual purchaser at the time, the (everchanging) technology available and the projected realistic use it will have. A lot of reading through some technical sites, other forums and magazines should be done to pinpoint what, exactly, constitutes a bargain for you or not. And what component parts you actually need in the machine.

Good Luck on your mission