New Computer Advice, Please

[ugadog99]

My Gateway that was purchased in late 1998 is on its last leg. I know I don't want another Gateway because of all the problems I've had with this one. I have two daughters: 15 and 12 who are really into music and digital cameras. I have been looking at Dell, Sony, and HP. I am so not into all the computer stuff that I don't really know what we need. We are on the internet a lot and do a lot of school work on the computer. No one here is big on gaming so that isn't an issue. So, please give me your opinions of what might be best for us.

Thanks!

Melanie

 

[gallaj0]

I have an HP and love it. It handles multimedia really well; music, video, and pictures; sometimes all at once. It has an Athlon processor; the new Athlon chips are some much better than the new Pentiums right now, I'd shop for that and plenty of memory before anything else.

Sony is pretty high end, and costs it.

I don't know too much about Dell. I have heard some customer service issues about them and their call centers, but nothing specific I can remember.

 

[lap3]

Have you considered getting a Mac? It may be what you're looking for. I've been using my current Powerbook for about 3 years now and it has performed very well for me. Something to consider...

 

[jfulcer]

I wouldn't buy Sony right now for all the money in the world with the problems that they've caused with their Digital Rights Management software they 'included' on their CDs.

I've always had good luck with HP - it's a good solid brand, IMHO. Dell has some GREAT prices - but remember if you have a problem you have to send it somewhere to get fixed unless you have a geeky friend that can help you. Even then you still may need to ship it out.

 

[Shutterbug]

My GF's cousin has a Mac its pretty awesome when it comes to handling photos, music and even digital video from a digital camera.

In any case make sure what ever computer you get has firewire connections.
Also media files can take up lots and lots of space. My 60 gig hard drive is pretty much filled up with music and photos.
A big hard drive is always a plus.

 

[mill4023]

the new Athlon chips are some much better than the new Pentiums right now

That's a broad statement that really isn't true.
AMD and Intel are very close to each other performance-wise. The Athlon 64 chips are better at certain types of tasks while the Pentiums are better at certain tasks. Unless you have to have that extra 2% performance advantage in one particular program, either one will do fine. AMD chips are historically less expensive for equivalent performance, but that doesn't necessarily mean an AMD system from HP or Compaq is going to be less expensive than an Intel based system.

Dell has some GREAT prices - but remember if you have a problem you have to send it somewhere to get fixed

Also not true.
Dell offers in-home service warranties and you can get one that is good for up to 3 years. That means if they can't fix something over the phone, they send someone to your house for you. You don't have to ship the computer anywhere. Depending on the current deals, it can be relatively inexpensive to include a 2 or 3 year in-home warranty with your new computer purchase. I can't comment on how good or bad Dell's service is because I haven't used it.

I bought a Compaq in 1998 that is currently sitting in my garage, but still works just fine and has never had any issues. I've also heard of some people having quite a few issues with Comaq though.

We have a Compaq laptop that has also been trouble free.

I've built my last 2 desktop PC's, but if I was going to buy one, I'd recommend either HP/Compaq or Dell. Gateway's seem to have a lot of issues. Sony's tend to be overpriced for what they offer.

 

[jfulcer]

Also not true.
Dell offers in-home service warranties and you can get one that is good for up to 3 years. That means if they can't fix something over the phone, they send someone to your house for you. You don't have to ship the computer anywhere. Depending on the current deals, it can be relatively inexpensive to include a 2 or 3 year in-home warranty with your new computer purchase. I can't comment on how good or bad Dell's service is because I haven't used it.

That's true, I suppose. Since it's $150 extra for 3 years, it's going to be something that people are likely to pass on to keep the cost of their system down.

I agree on the Pentium/AMD thing though.

 

[mill4023]

That's true, I suppose. Since it's $150 extra for 3 years, it's going to be something that people are likely to pass on to keep the cost of their system down.

I agree on the Pentium/AMD thing though.

It looks like most of the Dells come with a 1 year warranty standard. But from what I can see, that 1 year normally includes the at-home service, so even if you don't pay extra for a longer warranty, you still wouldn't have to send the computer anywhere if there was a problem in that first year.

For people who can't fix their own computers, I'd recommend spending the extra money to get the 2 or 3 year warranty. That's what I did when I bought our Compaq laptop. I like knowing we won't have any costly repairs for a couple years.

 

[Talking Hands]

I am really happy with my Sony VIAO laptop.

 

[gallaj0]

That's a broad statement that really isn't true.
AMD and Intel are very close to each other performance-wise.

Actually, I was just reading some reviews yesterday on CNET that compared the new AMDs with the comparable Intels, and the AMDs outperformed on every single test they threw at them. On some of the tests, they weren't even close.

 

[ugadog99]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am really leaning toward the HP at this point. Based on what my needs are, can someone recommend a specific model (or whatever it's called?) of HP? Ya'll are GREAT! Thanks so much for helping me.

Melanie

 

[ugadog99]

I've spent a large portion of the morning looking at different HPs online. I am considering the A1223w-b or the A1230n. Anybody have any opinions of these two?

 

[mill4023]

Actually, I was just reading some reviews yesterday on CNET that compared the new AMDs with the comparable Intels, and the AMDs outperformed on every single test they threw at them. On some of the tests, they weren't even close.

Your statement was true for one portion of the market, but probably not for what the OP is looking at.
I looked at the CNET articles and what they are comparing are the newest top of the line dual-core processors. AMD was the first to go to dual-core and does have a clear advantage when you look at that specific segment of the market, especially for gaming applications. But the dual-core market is still a very small segment currently limited to high-end / gaming PC's.

If you are looking at mid-range or budget processors, it is much more even depending on what applications you are looking at.

There's a roundup of CPU benchmarks in various applications here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20051121/the_mother_of_all_cpu_charts-43.html
Yes, the Athlon64 dual-core processors lead most of the benchmarks, but they are also very expensive. If you look a bit down from the top of the list, you'll see a mix of AMD and Intel chips running close to each other in performance.

OP, I'll take a look at those systems you mentioned in a few minutes.

 

[ugadog99]

At Staples, I have found a HP a1220n regular price at $899.94 and HP a1118n regular price $849. Both come with monitor-the first with 15" and the second with 17". Any thoughts?

 

[mill4023]

I've spent a large portion of the morning looking at different HPs online. I am considering the A1223w-b or the A1230n. Anybody have any opinions of these two?

Looks like the A1223w-b may be a Walmart exclusive model.
From what I can see, the difference between the 1220 series and 1230 series is that the 1220 uses Pentium 4's and the 1230 uses Athlon 64's. I don't know how much the configuration changes depending on where you buy it.

Both of those models look like they would fit your needs well. For digital photography, having the built-in memory card reader on the front panel will be nice. It's also nice having USB, Firewire and headphone/mic jacks on the front. Much more convenient than having to plug things into the back.

Have you looked at ordering a customized system directly from HP?
You can check out http://www.hpshopping.com to see what kind of deals they have.

 

[ugadog99]

Thank you so much. You have answered many of my questions. I will be printing this thread out and taking it with me when I go computer shopping!

Melanie