All-in-one desktop?

AliceBanned

After much deliberation, I've bought one. I went for this, from Curry's.

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/packard-bell-imedia-s-2885-desktop-pc-10011021-pdt.html

I paid £80 for a monitor on top. I know it is way more than I wanted to spend, but I thought it would be a good long term option. I got 0% credit for six months, and can manage to repay.

I liked the fact that it is a desktop but looks nice enough for home, as it is quite diminutive. It seems a good spec as far as I can tell. I hope Nifty approves - I know it isn't budget but I just had to make a decision and had to go for quality and just get on with it. Thanks for all your advice as it really helped me get to a decision on whether to have laptop or desktop. there was a nice Lenovo all in one in there too, but the spec wasn't as good and it was only £100 less.Sure it looked nice, but I decided that the Packard Bell was a good compromise.

PS it's not out the box yet, let's hope all goes well.

NiftyDigits

I certainly wouldn't buy PB or call it quality. Though I suppose they ACER in all but name. But that's just my opinion. £80 monitor from Currys to match? I'm sure there are already a few shaking their heads at this thread. Enough said.

I'm on holiday. I'm out.




Apart from that...the spec is ok

AliceBanned

Thanks and enjoy your holiday. A friend came with me to pick it up and said I should have bought the Lenovo all in one. The guy at the desk said " this is the kind of friend you need" (being ironic). The Lenovo is cheaper and looks nicer. i suppose whatever I got some people would make me feel crap about it. I could take the monitor back and get my money back, but then what, get a £10 second hand one blah blah. Is it really worth it? As I said I had a very second rate refurbished laptop for some time and it really doesn't help when you are jobhunting etc.

zarf2007

AliceBanned wrote: »

After much deliberation, I've bought one. I went for this, from Curry's.

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/packard-bell-imedia-s-2885-desktop-pc-10011021-pdt.html

I paid £80 for a monitor on top. I know it is way more than I wanted to spend, but I thought it would be a good long term option. I got 0% credit for six months, and can manage to repay.

I liked the fact that it is a desktop but looks nice enough for home, as it is quite diminutive. It seems a good spec as far as I can tell. I hope Nifty approves - I know it isn't budget but I just had to make a decision and had to go for quality and just get on with it. Thanks for all your advice as it really helped me get to a decision on whether to have laptop or desktop. there was a nice Lenovo all in one in there too, but the spec wasn't as good and it was only £100 less.Sure it looked nice, but I decided that the Packard Bell was a good compromise.

PS it's not out the box yet, let's hope all goes well.

while it pains me to say it (as Mac is the only sensible choice in life), spec wise I think you definitely made the right choice over the Lenovo......

just make sure you download and install (for free) classic shell:

http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/

it actually makes windows 8.1 almost as useable as windows 7 and is well worth it!

RumRat

zarf2007 wrote: »

while it pains me to say it (as Mac is the only sensible choice in life), spec wise I think you definitely made the right choice over the Lenovo......

just make sure you download and install (for free) classic shell:

http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/

it actually makes windows 8.1 almost as useable as windows 7 and is well worth it!

Or you could actually learn how to use W8.1. it has some issues but the lack of a start menu isn't one of them....

zarf2007

RumRat wrote: »

Or you could actually learn how to use W8.1. it has some issues but the lack of a start menu isn't one of them....

i'd rather not waste my time as I use it only when I need to. IMO removing the start menu (which fundamentally changes how users interact with the OS) is one of the main reasons people have avoided upgrading. I mean, years of 'familiarity' with microsoft OS's is what kept people using them as they new nothing else. Once you change that then you may as well try OS X or Linux as MS clearly tried to combine a tablet with PC OS and failed miserably. If you look at windows 10 you will see how much they have back tracked.....

of course you can spend hours learning a dying OS or just install classic shell which will tie you over until Windows 10 is released....your choice.

almillar

Definitely a fanboy.
Obviously all these iOS features slipping into OSX are completely different from MS's 'dying' OS moving towards touch.
Packard Bell are a budget brand, AliceBanned, sortof a Currys own-brand I suppose, but the stuff inside will be the same as other brands anyway. Have a go at the new Windows before installing potentially unnecessary stuff. The Start menu is now full screen, that's about all you need to know!

AliceBanned

The label states that it is "Acer" ie Packard Bell pcs are made by them I think.

I set it up last night and am quite happy with it. I think it looks uglier than the all-in-one Lenovo and others, but I decided to go for something that would be better in the long term. The smallish tower is quite nice and doesn't dominate like the older style ones. So I did go for style;) but also substance as the spec on the Lenovo wasn't as good.

I have managed to find my way around Windows 8 so far but haven't done a lot yet - thanks for the advice on this, which I will read properly and try out later. I also have free support for one month as part of the warranty which I'm going to cancel (£5 a month after mone month). They tried to sell me all sorts and fair enough as they convinced me not to go for free anti-virus so I bought two years' McAfee. My laptop was probably destroyed by viruses and it was a nightmare using the free ones and getting loads of advertising.

Yes maybe it's not as great as an IMac and it isn't a cheapo refurbished from the internet, but I quite like it now it's up and running. It definitely is way better for a day working at home than my laptop - can't believe I did that for so long!

RumRat

zarf2007 wrote: »

IMO removing the start menu (which fundamentally changes how users interact with the OS) is one of the main reasons people have avoided upgrading.

Ahhh, so we agree, it's your opinion. Thank you for the clarification.

of course you can spend hours learning a dying OS or just install classic shell which will tie you over until Windows 10 is released....your choice.

So you don't think W10 has any similarity in the way it's used as W8.1? If you like living in the past then you will have the choice to use the new style Start menu or not. Otherwise, it operates the same.
I'm willing to bet though, that the vast majority of Classic Shell users will just continue using it. As you said, they are not capable of handling change of any kind....;)

NiftyDigits

AliceBanned wrote: »

The label states that it is "Acer" ie Packard Bell pcs are made by them I think.

I set it up last night and am quite happy with it. I think it looks uglier than the all-in-one Lenovo and others, but I decided to go for something that would be better in the long term. The smallish tower is quite nice and doesn't dominate like the older style ones. So I did go for style;) but also substance as the spec on the Lenovo wasn't as good.

I have managed to find my way around Windows 8 so far but haven't done a lot yet - thanks for the advice on this, which I will read properly and try out later. I also have free support for one month as part of the warranty which I'm going to cancel (£5 a month after mone month). They tried to sell me all sorts and fair enough as they convinced me not to go for free anti-virus so I bought two years' McAfee. My laptop was probably destroyed by viruses and it was a nightmare using the free ones and getting loads of advertising.

Yes maybe it's not as great as an IMac and it isn't a cheapo refurbished from the internet, but I quite like it now it's up and running. It definitely is way better for a day working at home than my laptop - can't believe I did that for so long!

The news just gets worse...

As to the stuff inside being the same.... if it were true then all brands and models would show similar levels of reliability.
Advent, HP and Packard Bell would not be on my shopping list. Though to be fair, their PCs may fare differently and now that they are owned by ACER it might be different.
As to the £80 monitor...I'm guessing that what Currys would give for £80 would be rubbish.
I would have spent perhaps £25 more in order to get a 24" IPS, as opposed to a bog standard 21.5" model that perhaps has not even an HDMI or DVI-D connection. Did you buy the AOC 21.5"?