AKICILJ: New computer

[carbonel]

I want a new Windows desktop computer, and I'm looking for recommendations. I'd like to spend under $1,000, and it doesn't need to be the whizziest thing ever. I don't do video games or high-end photo/graphic editing. But I'd like something that's a step up from what I have now -- a work-provided Dell from at least five years ago.

I don't know whether I want Window 7 Home Premium or Professional version -- recommendations solicited there as well.

This will be my work computer as well as my personal computer, and the applications I use most are Word, Excel, Eudora (yes, still), and Outlook.

This is going to be a leapfrog in a couple of directions, since I'll be going from XP to Windows 7 (skipping Vista) and from Office 2003 to Office 2010 (skipping Office 2007). I don't really need a new monitor, though if one were bundled in, it might be nice to have two monitors if I could make room for it -- I do a lot of side-by-side document stuff.

I'd like at least 1 terabyte of storage, but I have no idea what sort of RAM I should be looking at, or what other parameters I should have in mind. And this may be trivial, but I currently have four USB slots plus a four-slot expander that uses up one of those slots, but I still keep running out of slots, so lots of USB slots are a plus.

Recommendations and advice appreciated.

Comments

[brooksmoses]

I have a Dell laptop running Windows 7 Professional, and it has 2GB of RAM, which seems to be plenty for running Office and so forth without bother. 4GB is probably better, but probably not necessary.

When I was getting the OS for this computer, the recommendation that I got was that Windows 7 Professional was much preferable to Home Premium, but I've forgotten why. (IIRC, part of the reason was that it contains a compatibility mode for old applications. I don't think I needed that for Eudora, though, but it has occasionally come in handy for other things.)

[guppiecat]

Scale RAM to number of browser tabs you use. I'm astonished at how much RAM Firefox can eat.

I recommend just buying a machine from Dell Outlet. It'll be 20-30% cheaper than a regular Dell, so you should be able to find something in your price range.

[carbonel]

I tend to use IE rather than Firefox, but I usually have 10 to 12 browser tabs open. I didn't realize that used up RAM.

[guppiecat]

I'd say to aim at 4Gb of RAM. It's almost always cheaper to buy it up front than add it later, and the more you have, the faster and smoother everything will be.

[arkessian.livejournal.com]

Windows 7 Home Premium vs. Professional: You only need Professional if you want to either (1) backup to a networked drive (which it doesn't sound as if you do) or (2) run very old programmes in XP compatibility mode because they won't run in Windows 7. But you can check all your current programmes and peripherals for Windows 7 compatibility somewhere on the Microsoft windows 7 site, and I'd be surprised if you needed the XP compatibility mode. So I suggest you go for Home Premium; you can always upgrade very easily to Pro (new licence key acquired online for an upgrade fee) if it ever proves necessary.

RAM: Minimum 2GB and 4GB would be better, especially to make Office comfortable.

Office 2010: You'll find the "ribbon" which replaces menus a bit of a shock at first, but should get used to it. Ideally stick with Office 2010 32-bit even though your Hardware/OS should be 64-bit to take advantage of 4Gig RAM. 432-bit Office is compatible with most add-ins, whereas 64-bit lags behind.

Monitors: If you go for something sensibly large, you can actually do a lot of side-by-side work on a single monitor. Mine is (I think) a 28" widescreen Ultrasharp from Dell and I can get two documents side-by-side on it very comfortably. I think you'll like the Windows 7 "Snap" facility -- drag a window to the far side of the screen and it expands to exactly fill half the screen on that side...

Can't help you with suppliers -- I know who I'd recommend in the UK and my new box should be arriving from them any time soon :)

[aedifica]

If you don't mind that all my computer recommendations are Dell (I support them at work, I have them at home--they're what I know) I'd be happy to make specific recommendations. I like helping people choose computers, I get the fun of shopping for them without having to pay for them. :-)

My more general suggestions: Since this will be your work computer, you might look into Dell's Optiplex line for businesses. I see a lot of the Optiplex 780 at work and it seems to be a good model. It has 8 USB ports if I remember correctly--two in front, the rest in back.

If it doesn't make it all get too expensive, you might want to make sure your new hard drive is 7200rpm rather than 5400rpm, especially if you'll be moving large amounts of files around. I was surprised how much difference that can make to a computer's speed.

Other hard drive note: you may still have a hard time finding a computer that comes with a 1TB hard drive. If so, you might get an external hard drive, or a second internal hard drive, or replace the original hard drive.

If you end up with two monitors, you'll want to make sure your computer's video card has two outputs. Most new monitors can handle VGA or DVI input equally well; your old monitor may also be able to, or it may be VGA only. ...if I start telling you how to check your old monitor, is that overwhelming you with detail, or underestimating your knowledge level? I don't want to do either.

If budget were more of a concern, I'd suggest Dell's outlet at http://www.dell.com/outlet . They've recently updated the website to make it hard to find what you're looking for, but if one perseveres one can still find good stuff. (My new laptop from there should arrive next week...)

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I can't comment on the PC hardware, but a generic recommendation, sort of echoing Josh: more RAM is better than highest-end CPU clock speed. 4G is fine. (Most likely, 4x1G RAM is cheaper than 4G or even 2x2G, so watch how many many memory slots your computer has.)

As to HD: Internal 1T drives are comparatively cheap these days. Reliable 2Ts are coming down in price. (And the reliable part is important. Read reviews online.) I would still highly recommend an external, for back-up and extra space.

Still, my major recommendation: Unless you find a killer deal, wait until after Boxing Day.

[thomasyan.livejournal.com]

My gut feeling is that $1k should get you plenty of computer, and quite possibly also a monitor, and given that your current computer is 5+ years old, you'll be pleased with the replacement.

I'd think you would want at least 4GB of RAM.

If 32-bit versus 64-bit is an option, 64-bit might be a good idea for future compatibility.

Do you want to be able to hook up your new desktop to a TV? That might impose some constraints, but if that's not something you expect to do immediately, I wouldn't worry about it.

[sraun]

I'll echo the 'get 4 gig of RAM' and 'Dell Outlet' suggestions. 32-bit Windows only uses 2.92 gig of it - you'll need 64-bit for the rest.