I want/need a new computer and advice please

Maisie

My old windows 95 (Mesh 8 yrs old) is making a lot of noise and on it's last legs I fear.

I'm not techie minded just do emails/letterwriting simple things on pc.
I do store a lot of pictures on pc that people send me.

I want broadband and be able to connect a digital camera. Which I can't do now. Have a Epson C60 printer which is ok but uses a lot of ink so would like something more economical.

I'm with NTL paying full whack but with advice from MSE will change this. haven't 'made that call to NTL' yet. Have 2 phone lines so hope to cut costs with broadband. One line is for calls other for computer.

need your good advice on what to buy. I can spend up to about £400

Thanks for any help. Maisie

margaret_3

Hi Maisie,

I have a super PC less than a year old but I hardly ever use it since I got a laptop. I have broadband on it, I use my digi camera, in fact anything that I did with my PC.
The laptop is a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo and I got it from Comet for about £350.
:cool:
Margaret

Maisie

Thanks Margaret. I hadn't thought about a laptop . It would certainly help with space in our little house.

Is your smiley wearing sunglasses cos it's sunny up in Scotland? ha ha . It's raining down here in Herts.

heatherw_01

Have you had a look at Dell?

Maisie

Idid look at Dell but all the technical jargon doesn't mean a thing to me. ie memory gbz etc etc.

I need someone to tell me what to look for. I'm hopeless at this techie stuff.

margaret_3

Maisie.

What's that thing in the sky? It's red and hot? Is that the sun they talk about saff of Watford?:rotfl:
I would steer clear of Dell. Their after-sales is terrible. If anything goes wrong during the guarantee period, they expect the customer to explore all options before eventually they send someone out.
You would LOVE a laptop. Trust me, I'm a doctor.:beer:

Maisie

I trust you Margaret if you're a doctor!!
Someone else told me Dell were not reliable etc etc. I need someone to hold my hand and guide me through all this techie stuff to get the best buy for me.

We had a good spell of fine weather down in these parts but it's been raining on and off since Saturday. the garden's looking good for all the rain though. The sunflower has shot up. I thought they liked the sun too!

Viz_2

If looking for a desktop PC i would suggest it has the following......

3.0 Pentium 4 processor
120 gig Hard-drive
512mb RAM
A DVD re-writer ( to put any photo's on disc )
128 Graphics card
At least built in sound

All PC's should come with keyboard mouse and speakers

All this should be a minimum.

To save money you could always carry on using your existing monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers.

I bought my current PC from Dell and haven't had a problem in 6 months.
Bought from ...

http://outlet.dell.com/Emea_Dfo/EuDispatcher?country=GBR&target=InventoryPage&lob_constraint=DIM

As you can see its the Dell outlet store. If you are prepared to search and wait, a good deal will turn up.
Some system are the same but priced differently.

Viz_2

For example....

System Price £441.26


Dimension 5000 Pentium 4 530 3.00GHZ
English - Win XP SP2 Pro (Backup Media)
Operating System: English - Win XP SP2 Pro (Backup Media)
Memory: 1G Memory, 2 X 512mb (400, 512)
Hard Disk Drive: 160GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Video: 128MB PCI Express ATI RadeonTM X300 SE
Modem: V.92 Data Fax Modem UK
CD Read-Write Drive: 16 X DVD +/- RW

If you are lucky this price could come down to about £350

Maisie

thanks Viz for all those details. I think I might now have an idea of what to look for with your help.

Maisie

zzzLazyDaisy

Don't ignore the little local computer shops. Sometimes they have very good deals, and if things go wrong, they are nearby. Also, they are usually happy to talk to you about your needs and requirements, and should be able to recommend something to suit you in your price range.

I have bought my last three pc's off the internet, after shopping around. But am now having one built to my specification by my local computer shop. Previously I always avoided them, assuming they would be more expensive, but actually, this time, that isn't the case.

My local shop had an offer on a laptop a few weeks ago for £350. Having said that, you get a lot more spec for your money with a desk-top.

At the very least, you should come away with a list of minimum specs and prices, so you have something to compare when you shop around.