new computer advice

[Deb]

I desperately need to replace my old PC. It's over 10 years old and barely functioning. Need advice on the new purchase. No one will be using it for gaming but I would like something that is going to last for a while. Yes, I know 10 years is unrealistic.

 

[fla4fun]

I desperately need to replace my old PC. It's over 10 years old and barely functioning. Need advice on the new purchase. No one will be using it for gaming but I would like something that is going to last for a while. Yes, I know 10 years is unrealistic.

The best advice I can give you is to buy as much memory and storage as possible. It will make your computer more expensive at the beginning, but will pay off when it’s still able to run the latest technology years later.

As far as brands, I have had Lenovo, Dell and Apple, and they have all lasted at least ten years.

 

[_19disnA]

Hou you plan to use it and what you want to spend are the biggest determining factors. Laptops are more portable then desktop, but if you never plan to take it when away from home, that won't matter as much. If you mostly do email or surf the internet, then you don't need a high-end machine with a lot of fancy extras. Do you prefer an actual keyboard or do you like to use those 'virtual' keyboards found in many of the tablet type devices?

Monitor size is also a factor since you want something large enough for ease of viewing. Some devices have those tiny screens which makes viewing cumbersome.

 

[DLgal]

Recommend Lenovo, Asus, or Acer brand. No need to spend a lot. Just get a good processor and enough RAM.

 

[RoseGold]

I just bought my mom a refurbished Macbook Air on amazon. You can see the refurbished options under the full price. Apple support will help you with whatever you need, assuming you are near an Apple store. For $300 it's not the fanciest computer, but it's super portable and big upgrade from what she was using.

 

[piccolopat]

I just bought my mom a refurbished Macbook Air on amazon. You can see the refurbished options under the full price. Apple support will help you with whatever you need, assuming you are near an Apple store. For $300 it's not the fanciest computer, but it's super portable and big upgrade from what she was using.

I saw some deals on Amazon the last time I bought a desktop but ultimately decided to go to Best Buy. Amazon will not take back a computer that is defective from the start. You have to put a warranty claim in. Best Buy took back the desk top that wouldn't even start and exchanged it with no problems. I don't know if that is the case with either on them but it is something you should check into before buying.

 

[RoseGold]

I saw some deals on Amazon the last time I bought a desktop but ultimately decided to go to Best Buy. Amazon will not take back a computer that is defective from the start. You have to put a warranty claim in. Best Buy took back the desk top that wouldn't even start and exchanged it with no problems. I don't know if that is the case with either on them but it is something you should check into before buying.

Not true for the one I bought, it had a 90 day Amazon warranty.

 

[CynBeth]

I had to get a new laptop from Best Buy around November or December. I did not need a lot of bells and whistles so picked an HP it was the middle size forget the name it is one where you can use the keyboard but you also have a touch screen option and absolutely love it. Just a heads up I had to buy a few things in addition to install so I have all of the programs I need.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Since things get so dated so fast, if it was just me and using it for stuff like reading articles, shopping, email and posting I would go with a cheap refurbished like RoseGold suggested and just know it will need to be replaced every now and then.

 

[EACarlson]

What are you planning on using it for and how much are you willing to put up with as far as delays go? If you're not looking for much and willing to wait a few extra seconds for webpages to load, I love my Chromebook. I bought it for $150 from Walmart. I'm looking for a low end Windows laptop and found this one at Microcenter for $200: https://www.microcenter.com/product/663100/lenovo-ideapad-3-14-laptop-computer-platinum-grey

 

[Praying Colonel]

I just bought my mom a refurbished Macbook Air on amazon. You can see the refurbished options under the full price. Apple support will help you with whatever you need, assuming you are near an Apple store. For $300 it's not the fanciest computer, but it's super portable and big upgrade from what she was using.

I'd encourage anyone looking to buy on Amazon (especially a used laptop) to double-check the return policy, just in case. DW and I are Mac people and we were looking for an inexpensive 2nd laptop, so we bought a refurbed Macbook on Amazon (around $300). It had a problem with the mouse always pulling to the left and hanging there, requiring a restart. Tried several software fixes and then gave up and got a refund.

After returning the used Macbook, got a new Lenovo Chromebook which I really like.

 

[1420Elexismc]

My husband has a chromebook and my son has one for school and they both like them. No issues at all. Very reasonably priced as well.

 

[Deb]

Not really looking at chromebooks , or Apple products

 

[sayhello]

If you have a Micro Center near you, they can build a PowerSpec tower Windows PC for you that will fit whatever your needs are. Or you can go with one they have already put together if one suits your needs. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but it has a ton of memory and storage (including a 6TB additional hard drive I had them install). I don't game, I use it mostly for email, message boards, document creation, social media and as a Plex server. I'm quite happy with the performance. It's 5 1/2 years old at this point, and just starting to slow down, but that's mostly my fault because I tend to have a kajillion tabs open on my browsers.

Sayhello

 

[nw6675]

We had bad luck with our Lenovo laptop (not a Chrome Book). The charging capability went out and evidently was a known issue. We scrapped it and bought some no name brand (MSI) for my daughter. It seems to be ok, but so bulky and heavy.

Mine is a Samsung laptop (again not a Chrome Book). I have LOVED IT. it has wireless and network capability. I'm not sure if they still make it. I will cry when it dies.

I had two Dell in the past that bit the dust. One in a puff of smoke.

 

[bcla]

The best advice I can give you is to buy as much memory and storage as possible. It will make your computer more expensive at the beginning, but will pay off when it’s still able to run the latest technology years later.

As far as brands, I have had Lenovo, Dell and Apple, and they have all lasted at least ten years.

Depends on the setup and whether or not it's upgradable. I've seen some where the cost of more memory and/or storage from the manufacturer cost more than a DIY installation of the same. At least in the past they were very expensive and got much cheaper over the years. For my current computer I think something like a 250 GB SSD would have been something a $600 premium, and would instead of the standard hard drive. And in the case of my current Mac, they didn't even offer the max memory, but it's well known that the max memory that works is double what Apple claims. I've bought a new 1 TB SSD for $80.

But the user can't upgrade any current Macs. PCs are another matter. Some are permanently fixed to the main board while others use industry standard modules for SSDs and memory.

 

[fla4fun]

Depends on the setup and whether or not it's upgradable. I've seen some where the cost of more memory and/or storage from the manufacturer cost more than a DIY installation of the same. At least in the past they were very expensive and got much cheaper over the years. For my current computer I think something like a 250 GB SSD would have been something a $600 premium, and would instead of the standard hard drive. And in the case of my current Mac, they didn't even offer the max memory, but it's well known that the max memory that works is double what Apple claims. I've bought a new 1 TB SSD for $80.

But the user can't upgrade any current Macs. PCs are another matter. Some are permanently fixed to the main board while others use industry standard modules for SSDs and memory.

True, however, based on the original post I got the feeling the OP simply wanted to buy a new computer and use it for many years with little to no maintenance or upgrades. I am not confident enough to attempt a DIY upgrade myself, although I have a family member who can. Part of me feels that if the OP has the skills to do the upgrade, they probably wouldn’t be here asking for advice, but I could be wrong.

 

[bcla]

True, however, based on the original post I got the feeling the OP simply wanted to buy a new computer and use it for many years with little to no maintenance or upgrades. I am not confident enough to attempt a DIY upgrade myself, although I have a family member who can. Part of me feels that if the OP has the skills to do the upgrade, they probably wouldn’t be here asking for advice, but I could be wrong.

At this point the cost of storage is so cheap that there isn't that much of a price premium for more. Except maybe with Apple (some call it the "Apple tax"). But one of the issues I have is that a lot of the best bargains aren't really configurable. They're sold as appliances more or less. And I've purchased some inexpensive PC laptops and couldn't figure out how to take off the cover.

I personally like tinkering, but that's becoming less available. My work Mac was completely fixed.

 

[tvguy]

I desperately need to replace my old PC. It's over 10 years old and barely functioning. Need advice on the new purchase. No one will be using it for gaming but I would like something that is going to last for a while. Yes, I know 10 years is unrealistic.

I don't think 10 years should be unrealistic. I'm in the same boat, except my 16 year old Dell computer is running just fine, other than all the messages that my version of Windows is no longer supported, that my browser no longer supported and my anti-virus software will soon no longer be supported for my version of windows.
It is frustrating that the hardware is fine, but the industry has moved on.
I'm lucky in that my son works in computer IT and is giving me suggestions. In his opinion a Dell built to order in the $800 range will come closest to my needs.

 

[dizneegirl]

DH and I swear by Asus. I'd recommend their laptops to most anyone. The top end are robust enough for gaming, the low end are great for basic computing, surfing and streaming. And there are some in-between.