…one of the most stressful and frustrating things that you can do in life. I have been looking for several hours at different features, different prices, and different brands, trying to make a choice that I won’t regret. What I have found out, other than realizing that I don’t really want to buy one, is that there is absolutely no solid consensus on which brand/model is better, and why. Even consumer reports finds that the difference isn’t significant between the top brands (with of course, the exception being Apple).
While I would love to get an Apple, I simply cannot afford it, and I sit here scratching my head, wondering which PC would be the best for me. I have had HP in the past, and only started to hate it once it started getting slower and slower. That was a result of time, I know, but the damn thing still works, and it was purchased in 1998. So I guess that is saying something personally for HP. BUT, James has a Dell, and loves it. No complaints. Other people want to piss on Dell, so there is no consensus as to which of the two is better. And then you have to consider that there is Gateway, eMachines, IBM, etc, out there, that may or may not be any better; again, can’t seem to find a consensus.
Overall, buying a new PC, something that I thought I would really look forward to, as my slow ass laptop leaves me more frustrated with every click of that iTunes icon, has turned out to be a solid example of frustration. Major frustration. I am going up to Best Buy to see if I can make any progress with a Geek Squad person, but I am sure that they are just going to try and up-sale me on a system that I don’t need.
Are there any computer experts out there that have a definitive word as to which computer would make for the best purchase? I don’t do any gaming with my PC, and I use it mostly for photo editing, mp3s, and the internet. I also tend to watch videos, but that is usually late at night, if you know what I mean. I don’t need anything super powered, but I want something that will run pretty fast, and do it every time. I want a machine that won’t break the day after the service plan expires, and I want one that will actually run the fucking “standard” Windows Vista. Do you have any answers to quiet my frustrated mind?
An appropriate response will not include any of the following:
“dude, just buy an apple.”
“I hate _______.”
“I have never had a problem with mine, but I haven’t really heard anything else either”.
“have you checked consumer reports?”
“get a ____, I work there!”
Alright, there it is. Let me know what you think. It should also be said that I have a Toshiba laptop which has been a gem of a computer, but they don’t seem to do much in the way of desktops, which is what this whole quest is centered on finding. I just hope that I can find something that will make me happy, and not take my wallet through the ringer in the process.
HELP!
BIG ASS UPDATE: So, um, should I just say FUCK IT, and go with a Mac Mini? I mean shit, it is only $50 more than the HP I am looking at. Seriously. Who thinks that is the best idea?
I use my laptop at home but at work I have a Dell and haven’t had any problems with it. It’s been pretty reliable.
A little off topic, can you imagine having to say, “I’m part of the Geek Squad,” when people ask what it is you do?
My Compaq works awesome…that’s all I have to say about that…
There is no best brand…it’s about whatever is best for what suits your needs…
I’ve had a couple of Dells over the years, and have found them to be generally reliable. There have been very few problems with them, and the one or two that have required assistance Dell were handled quickly and efficiently . . . once I actually talked to someone after being on hold for an hour. Dell has a well-deserved reputation for having shoddy customer service, so that’s something to consider.
Rather than just provide you with the “I love mine, but haven’t heard anything about anyone else” excuse, I can point you to a friend of mine’s horror story about HP here. At least Dell has never actually lost my computer.
My preference for my next computer would be to buy a MacBook Pro, but I can certainly understand the price concerns. Macs aren’t cheap, obviously, though as you’ve noted, the Mac Mini can be pretty affordable.
Finally, just a word about Best Buy. Through the years that I’ve been buying electronics at Best Buy, I’ve always been very pleased with their salespeople. I’ve rarely felt pressured to buy something “extra” or something “bigger and better” for a product there. Part of that’s probably because their salespeople don’t work on commission, IIRC. I’ve also usually found their suggestions to be worthwhile. YMMV, though.
Good luck finding something to play your porn music on!
Ugh, stupid HTML. I put DEL tags around the porn thing so that I could cleverly acknowledge your “video needs” in my post. Now it just looks like all you do is listen to the actual music from pornos. Bow chikka bow wow!
thanks for the advice you guys! I ended up going to best buy (I have always liked them too Joel) and after talking with the geek squad guy that James recommended (J used to work there), I ended up getting an Acer, which has everything the HP does; but not the price. I also got the 3 yrs service and that spyware thing too. I really feel like I got the right thing, and I have 14 days to be sure.
whew. I am glad that is over! (I hope anyways)…
I heard Acers cause cancer.
Dude, it doesn’t matter what you buy, it’s just a badge on a box you’re paying for anyways as they are the same on the inside just with bigger hard drive and more RAM
I found this out when I built my own PC a few years back, cut the price in half, and tech support was easy to reach
Dell has a well-deserved reputation for having shoddy customer service, so that’s something to consider.
We use only Dell computers at work and I have never had a problem with their customer service. We have per-device support contracts, but granted most of them are “gold” support.
I think the Mac Mini idea was a great one, too bad I’m reading this so late. I’ve lusted after macs for a while, I just can’t bring myself to make the plunge.
Congrats on your purchase! I’m sure it will work out great, and I’m sorry I was no help earlier.
Damnit, that first line was supposed to be a quote from Joel’s post.
I know you’ve already bought it! But I just wanted to say that I would have went with Dell. I’ve had my Dell for five years now and it still runs pretty damn well.
I’ve never had any performance issues with it. It is getting a little slow but nothing major has ever happened to it.