Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

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Leesbro63
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Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Leesbro63 »

My 2010 Dell computer works great and has never needed any repairs. That being said, I like new technology and my experience has been that it's a huge PITA if you wait for a hard drive crash to replace your machine. I would like to get a new computer with solid state hard drive. But I'm afraid of Windows 8 yet am not sure it makes sense to buy a new car with an old engine (Win 7). I DO NOT want to go through the whole MAC learning curve and want to stay with a PC.

Any thoughts?
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tetractys
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by tetractys »

Maybe check your hard drive? If it's not showing any problems it probably isn't in any special danger of crashing--4 years of wear is not much for a desktop, a laptop maybe. And your backing up right? In that case swapping a hard drive is really minor anyway--sorry about your past experience. And further, likely you could put in that solid state drive your itching about anyway at any time. -- Tet
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Doom&Gloom »

Leesbro63 wrote:My 2010 Dell computer works great and has never needed any repairs. That being said, I like new technology and my experience has been that it's a huge PITA if you wait for a hard drive crash to replace your machine. I would like to get a new computer with solid state hard drive. But I'm afraid of Windows 8 yet am not sure it makes sense to buy a new car with an old engine (Win 7). I DO NOT want to go through the whole MAC learning curve and want to stay with a PC.

Any thoughts?
I'm not sure what the "right" answer is, but I'll offer my 2c. I'm in a similar position, but my PC is probably older than yours. I've periodically toyed with the idea of buying a new PC for a few years now, but quickly dismissed the urge. If I had replaced my PC when the urge first hit, it would already be noticeably dated. New PCs are continually becoming more powerful, smaller, and cheaper.

It really is no harder to replace a PC after the hard-drive fails than it is to replace one while it is still functioning--IF you keep your files backed up. It's a bit of a PITA regardless. I back up all of my files to an external hard drive at least weekly, and every few months I back them up to flash drives which I keep in a safe-deposit box.

Meanwhile, my old PC keeps chugging along and doing everything I want it to at an acceptable speed and without problems. I have saved the expense of a new PC so far, and the eventual replacement will be better and cheaper.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by brad.clarkston »

Wait until Sept. / Oct. when the computer sales start for the Christmas lead up.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by potatoman »

You could download vmware and install win 8 as a virutal machine. That would give you the opportunity to take it for a test drive and customize it to your liking before you commit to a full format on a new SSD.

As for SSDs, I made the swap in my pc a while ago to a Samsung 840. I'm quite pleased with the performance; the response is snappy and my full boot time is <25 seconds. I've also put an Intel 530 in another pc and that one is slightly slower but also very solid (it was about $50 cheaper at the time). Both have 5 year warranties. I believe the standard warranty for drives is 3 years.

Since you're on the edge, I'd back up everything you've got, buy an SSD and delay your pc purchase for another year - and you could still play with win 8 on the ssd.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by abuss368 »

I hear what you said but the Apple "learning curve" is not that large and I found it to be quite simple. I also have relatives in their 70's that purchased their first Mac's and found the learning curve much easier than Windows 8. They are so happy with Apple that they all mentioned they will never go back to Windows.

I too was a long time Windows user but those days are now behind me. We are replacing all devices in our home with Apple over the past couple of years and for the future. We will never go back to Windows.
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bish0p
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by bish0p »

How about clone your current hard drive onto a new SSD? Then use your old hard drive as a mirror backup, and the SSD is the main drive.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by OAG »

New Intel CPU coming some time this year - impact will be somewhat lower prices on current models. As already mentioned Holiday sales will start (probably soon). Rumor is that Windows 9 will be out in 2015 too. Now if you continue to wait for these events (and the next new ones that are sure to follow) you may never get a new one. My best Computer is a Dell XPS Desktop (circa 1987) that I put in an Intel SSD earlier this year. It runs Window 8.1 Update 1 as wall as my 1 year old Dell XPS notebook and my almost new Microsoft Surface Pro 2. Unless you are a avid gamer or graphic artist almost any current $500 to $600 notebook should be fine (I admit that Dell XPS line is probably over-kill for most, myself included).
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Leesbro63 »

OAG wrote:New Intel CPU coming some time this year - impact will be somewhat lower prices on current models. As already mentioned Holiday sales will start (probably soon). Rumor is that Windows 9 will be out in 2015 too. Now if you continue to wait for these events (and the next new ones that are sure to follow) you may never get a new one. My best Computer is a Dell XPS Desktop (circa 1987) that I put in an Intel SSD earlier this year. It runs Window 8.1 Update 1 as wall as my 1 year old Dell XPS notebook and my almost new Microsoft Surface Pro 2. Unless you are a avid gamer or graphic artist almost any current $500 to $600 notebook should be fine (I admit that Dell XPS line is probably over-kill for most, myself included).
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Stonebr »

abuss368 wrote:I hear what you said but the Apple "learning curve" is not that large and I found it to be quite simple. I also have relatives in their 70's that purchased their first Mac's and found the learning curve much easier than Windows 8. They are so happy with Apple that they all mentioned they will never go back to Windows.

I too was a long time Windows user but those days are now behind me. We are replacing all devices in our home with Apple over the past couple of years and for the future. We will never go back to Windows.
+1

To me, Windows is beneath contempt and in the rearview mirror. Same with those old fashioned hard drives. Flash. :happy
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by abuss368 »

Stonebr wrote:
abuss368 wrote:I hear what you said but the Apple "learning curve" is not that large and I found it to be quite simple. I also have relatives in their 70's that purchased their first Mac's and found the learning curve much easier than Windows 8. They are so happy with Apple that they all mentioned they will never go back to Windows.

I too was a long time Windows user but those days are now behind me. We are replacing all devices in our home with Apple over the past couple of years and for the future. We will never go back to Windows.
+1

To me, Windows is beneath contempt and in the rearview mirror. Same with those old fashioned hard drives. Flash. :happy
Windows in the read view mirror? I could not have said it better myself!

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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by mptfan »

One word... Chromebook.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by bloom2708 »

Windows 8.1 is essentially Windows 7 with a second "touch friendly" area.

They have added back the Start button, made menus more clear and easier to navigate. Yes, there is a little learning curve, but do you remember going from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95? The world was going to explode.

It is fast, starts quickly, has improvements over Windows 7. Most people have never tried it. They just hear the "noise" about how hard Windows 8 is. Get a touch enabled "convertible" and it can be your PC and your tablet. This is a Dell XPS 15. Flip screen, small, light. There is probably a new version that is even better.

Go to your local Best Buy, hit the Microsoft Store inside and try a few out. The Surface 3 is really cool. I'd like one of those.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by bhsince87 »

About a month ago, I upgraded my Dell circa 2009 running XP to a new HP running Win 8.1. I made the change with some trepidation, but I pulled the trigger when I came across a great refurb deal. Got a near state of the art I7, with 32 G Ram, 4G Nvidea card, 1t drive, etc., for $800. The same PC with Win 7 was selling for $1k refurb, 1.5 k new.

My fears of Win 8 were, well, stupid. It's probably the smoothest transition I've ever made. Took me maybe a half hour to figure it out. Of course, I've been running WIN 7 on another PC for a couple years. And I've used iphones and several flavors of android phones and tablets. If you understand how those tile based menus systems work, you should have no problem with WIN 8.

Although I did struggle for a week trying to get it to play with my old printer, before I gave up a bought a new printer. But now I'm very happy I did that too, for various reasons.
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segfault
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by segfault »

You can upgrade your existing machine to SSD. SSDs are not 100% reliable and you will still need a backup. That said, you should also see a tremendous speed boost from the SSD.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Leesbro63 »

bhsince87 wrote: Although I did struggle for a week trying to get it to play with my old printer, before I gave up a bought a new printer. But now I'm very happy I did that too, for various reasons.
THIS. Exactly what I want to avoid. Compatibility issues.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by kramer »

I return to the USA once each year and this is the time I make my laptop purchases. I have a 2 year old Windows 7 laptop (that only cost $350) and was thinking about upgrading this month.

I decided to wait until I could get one that is fundamentally better.

Here is what I plan to get next year:
* HD screen
* Touch screen
* At least 256 GB solid state drive
* Windows 8.1+

I just wasn't willing to pay what this costs at the moment but I figure it will be cheaper, faster, better next year.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by bhsince87 »

Leesbro63 wrote:
bhsince87 wrote: Although I did struggle for a week trying to get it to play with my old printer, before I gave up a bought a new printer. But now I'm very happy I did that too, for various reasons.
THIS. Exactly what I want to avoid. Compatibility issues.
That's a valid concern. But I almost consider that a "pay me now or pay me later" kind of thing, so choose your poison.

It has worked fine with about 10-12 other devices. The only two that appear hopeless for me so far are the printer and a monitor calibrator.

They're both around 10 years old, so I don't feel too bad about losing them. And a friend who runs linux has offered to buy both. I think he's just doing that to taunt me..... :(
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. William Penn
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Puakinekine »

I am starting to think that my fears of Windows 8 (now 8.1?) have been vastly overrated. I just made a leap and bought a Windows phone (Nokia Lumia Icon --great phone!) and am more then pleased with the live tile interface and am now understanding what Windows was trying to do. But, if you don't want a touch screen (and I am still very much on the fence about why one would want a touchscreen on a laptop) with 8.1 it is easy enough to get a 7 style desktop back.

Right now I would really like a Surface 3 for travel, but as a good Boglehead I will restrain myself until my Nexus 7 with external keyboard breaks down or slows down. Also, as a good Boglehead, I might advice you to keep backed up and keep your eyes open until you see a machine that seems to fill your needs rather then just getting something new because you are afraid of a HD crash.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by ddoubleu »

I'd just replace the current hard drive with an SSD and install Windows 8.1. If you're scared of the Metro UI, then get Start8 for $5 (http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/). It'll bring back the Windows 7 look and feel. That's what I did and I will never go back to Windows 7.

An important feature that Windows 8 has that Windows 7 doesn't is support for UEFI and secure boot.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by oxothuk »

For me, the biggest issue with a new Windows computer is "moving in". By this I mean all the work of transferring my files from my backup, installing software, and getting it setup the way I like it. It's a lot of work and for that reason I don't upgrade very often unless I have a major hardware malfunction. Even then I will go to great lengths to repair the malfunction rather than face the work of setting up a new computer.

Most people think of hard disk crashes as killers for a computer, but I have survived more hard disk crashes than our last VP has survived heart attacks. If it happens to you, google 'ddrescue'

But if there is one thing Mac does better than anyone else, it has to be Time Machine. If the hard drive on your Mac crashes, you just replace it, restore from Time Machine, voila' - you are right back where you were. If you want to replace your Mac with a new one, once again you can use Time Machine to quickly get it set up like your old one.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Toons »

mptfan wrote:One word... Chromebook.
Or" Chromebox",best seller @Amazon :happy


http://www.amazon.com/Asus-CHROMEBOX-M0 ... +chromebox
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Leesbro63
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Leesbro63 »

I like to have an operational "the old computer" side by side for a while after install a new one.
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One word

Post by davebarnes »

Macbook
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Ged
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Ged »

Leesbro63 wrote:My 2010 Dell computer works great and has never needed any repairs. That being said, I like new technology and my experience has been that it's a huge PITA if you wait for a hard drive crash to replace your machine. I would like to get a new computer with solid state hard drive. But I'm afraid of Windows 8 yet am not sure it makes sense to buy a new car with an old engine (Win 7). I DO NOT want to go through the whole MAC learning curve and want to stay with a PC.

Any thoughts?
I was a big Mac person all the way back to the Mac Plus. I even ran a Macintosh BBS. A real Mac evangelist. What was I thinking. Eventually I got tired of Apple for a number of reasons - lousy compatibility with the hardware I wanted to use, lack of software, lack of choice, lousy access to the hardware, poor performance etc etc and one day decided that it wasn't worth the premium price. Dumping Apple was one of the best decisions I ever made.

A 2010 PC with Windows 7 is perfectly ok for any home use unless you have an old video card and are looking to play the most recent games. If you are worried about the hard drive it really isn't that big a deal to put in a new one - the internet is overflowing with tutorials on how to do this. Are SSDs worth it? For laptops yes. Not so sure about in desktops because of the storage limits and questions about longevity.

I have no intention whatsoever of messing with Win 8. Ever. Life is too short. Win 9 or bust.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by inbox788 »

What do you do on the desktop? Do you have an ipad or tablet? I use an ipad more than a desktop these days. This means less wear and tear on the old desktop, so it should last longer.

Which do you use most (for nonvoice)?

Cell phone
Tablet
Laptop
Desktop

Some people have settled on phone/laptop, while others need tablet/desktop. Does either fit your usage patterns?
WarpSpeed
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by WarpSpeed »

There are two reasons it makes sense to buy a new computer:

1. Your current computer no longer meets your needs, but a new one will. (You define your needs).
2. Your computing experience will improve enough that you believe the money was well-spent.

Both of these are very subjective, and it takes some experience to know how to recognize the right time to get a new machine. But... don't ever hold off a purchase just because you think "something better" will be available soon. There's always going to be something better available in 6 months (or less).

You didn't provide much in the way of details as to what your needs are or why you want a new computer. It doesn't sound like the machine is showing any signs of failing. Sounds like you're just feeling "the itch" for something better. And there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I think a new machine would *dramatically* improve your experience, especially since you don't currently have an SSD.

Don't worry about Windows 8. If you're on Windows 7 that transition is easy, especially now that Windows 8.1 is out. Windows 8 is fast, stable, and compatible.

Do you need a laptop or a desktop? A tablet or a convertible? Identify your usage pattern, pick an appropriate form factor, and then buy a high-quality machine (don't skimp). You're probably going to use this device (possibly daily) for the next 3-5 years.

I personally think the new Surface 3 Pro is the most interesting device available today. It's a fully-capable Windows PC. The new design looks very functional and portable. You can get the docking station if you want to connect a full-size monitor and keyboard. You can use it as a tablet. It looks like it should work pretty well as a laptop replacement (although a dedicated clamshell laptop is probably still better if you really use it on your lap most of the time). I don't have one, yet, but will probably be getting one for my wife in the next three weeks. I'm going to have to wait a bit longer myself, since my current laptop is functioning just fine and I couldn't yet satisfy either of my two criteria just yet. But my wife's laptop is a 5 year old, big, heavy HP machine with a battery that only lasts 10 minutes. It's time for her to get a new machine, and I'll be taking her to look at the Surface 3 Pro this weekend.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Leesbro63 »

I am the original poster. I need a desktop. Currently have a 2010 Dell XPS and have a comfort level with DELL products. OK, you've convinced me that WIN8 will be OK. My needs are actually minor...I NEVER game or even watch anything more than a YOUTUBE video. Lots of web surfing, EXCEL, QUICKEN and WORD. I scan everything. That's about it. I am on here on and off all day, almost every day. I NEVER shut it down.I also have an IPhone and IPad for mobile and armchair surfing.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by acegolfer »

Leesbro63 wrote:I am the original poster. I need a desktop. Currently have a 2010 Dell XPS and have a comfort level with DELL products. OK, you've convinced me that WIN8 will be OK. My needs are actually minor...I NEVER game or even watch anything more than a YOUTUBE video. Lots of web surfing, EXCEL, QUICKEN and WORD. I scan everything. That's about it. I am on here on and off all day, almost every day. I NEVER shut it down.I also have an IPhone and IPad for mobile and armchair surfing.
If you find a cheap WIN8 desktop with SSD, let me know. I'm in a similar shoe as you. My home desktop (which also serves as media server) recently died and I brought home my personal desktop from work.

I was avoiding WIN8 because of too high price (>$300). It seems PC makers realized the demand has decreased and started producing less. There are less PC deals in slickdeals nowadays than 3-4 years ago. Check out http://slickdeals.net/forums/forumdispl ... duid=0&f=9

OTOH, if you can do all your desktop works in a browser, then I strongly recommend a chromebox, which is more efficient than WIN8. For MS office, you can use Google docs and you can access all the gdoc files from mobile devices without transferring the files.

This is from a person who uses windows, chromeos, ios, android everyday.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Toons »

Leesbro63 wrote:I am the original poster. I need a desktop. Currently have a 2010 Dell XPS and have a comfort level with DELL products. OK, you've convinced me that WIN8 will be OK. My needs are actually minor...I NEVER game or even watch anything more than a YOUTUBE video. Lots of web surfing, EXCEL, QUICKEN and WORD. I scan everything. That's about it. I am on here on and off all day, almost every day. I NEVER shut it down.I also have an IPhone and IPad for mobile and armchair surfing.
Very similar to what I do with my computer as it is stays attached to my HDTV ,the computer stays on all the time,and I use quicken ,,stream etc.That being said some people shy away from Wal_Mart when it comes to buying a computer,but for a few gigs of Ram and a decent processor,I have had great success . Don't discount Walmart. :happy Not affiliated

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng ... nstraint=0
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by richard »

Leesbro63 wrote:I am the original poster. I need a desktop. Currently have a 2010 Dell XPS and have a comfort level with DELL products. OK, you've convinced me that WIN8 will be OK. My needs are actually minor...I NEVER game or even watch anything more than a YOUTUBE video. Lots of web surfing, EXCEL, QUICKEN and WORD. I scan everything. That's about it. I am on here on and off all day, almost every day. I NEVER shut it down.I also have an IPhone and IPad for mobile and armchair surfing.
Why do you need a desktop? You can web surf on just about any modern computing device - tablets, computers, chromebooks, etc. The learning curve should be trivial.

None of these require very much computing power. If your concern is a disk crash, back up regularly. Even if that's not a concern, you should back up regularly.

Depending on what you're doing with Excel and Word, Google Docs might be a perfectly adequate substitute. Cloud storage can eliminate the concern about hard drive crashes. Google Docs has replaced Word for me, but I still prefer Excel for some things. Mint might work in lieu of Quicken. There are likely other substitutes.
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Leesbro63
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Leesbro63 »

I do back up to multiple sources daily. This is not a problem. I'm comfortable with my desktop set up. I LIKE sitting at my desk, reaching to my left to scan, then putting the document where it belongs after editing it etc. This works for me. I just want an upgrade/modernization of what I already have.
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kenyan
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by kenyan »

Just bought a computer last month; previous one was about as old as yours. The previous computer was having hardware/crashing issues that I had encountered before and fixed by replacing some components. Since I didn't feel it was worth my time to further diagnose/troubleshoot a computer that had perhaps one more year of life in it from a gaming perspective (and would cost money to keep alive for another year), I bit the bullet and got a new one, even going for Windows 8.1. So far, no issues with 8.1, though I had UEFI/BIOS compatibility problems with the video card I installed.

That said, I wouldn't have replaced the computer if I'd had the choice. If yours is working fine, and meets your needs, I don't see the need to replace it. Back up your critical data on another hard drive or in the cloud, and save yourself the money.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by bloom2708 »

Another factor to consider. A desktop running 24/7 uses a lot of electricity. I have a Kill-O-Watt and was shocked at how much electricity a middle powered desktop uses. I had a Windows Home Server running 24/7 to share media. That thing used ~$20 of electricity/month.

A laptop that you allow to "sleep" after say 20 minutes of inactivity will use a fraction of the electricity.

Plus you can sit in the kitchen, on your deck, in your bark-o-lounger. Unchained from your desk. If you get an i5 laptop it will be plenty powerful for daily use.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by JupiterJones »

abuss368 wrote:I hear what you said but the Apple "learning curve" is not that large and I found it to be quite simple.
Yup.

There are good reasons why one might stick with Windows instead of switching to a Mac. I would not consider the learning curve to be one of them.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by midareff »

Windows 8 is simple.... I bought a Win8 computer about a year ago. Download and install Start8 http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ and it boots direct to the desktop, restores the start button and options menu just like XP and Win 7 . $4.99. Perfect.
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archbish99
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by archbish99 »

bloom2708 wrote:Another factor to consider. A desktop running 24/7 uses a lot of electricity. I have a Kill-O-Watt and was shocked at how much electricity a middle powered desktop uses. I had a Windows Home Server running 24/7 to share media. That thing used ~$20 of electricity/month.

A laptop that you allow to "sleep" after say 20 minutes of inactivity will use a fraction of the electricity.

Plus you can sit in the kitchen, on your deck, in your bark-o-lounger. Unchained from your desk. If you get an i5 laptop it will be plenty powerful for daily use.
False dichotomy. Desktops sleep too, and use very little power doing so. Yes, most desktops consume more power while they're on, but much of that goes to power larger (or for me, multiple) displays. CPUs have gotten much more efficient even on desktops. Yes, there's certainly a mobility trade-off -- for some things, I want to be on the couch, and for some I want two widescreen monitors with an external mouse. That's why I have both.

Or you can get a docking station, so the laptop gets the giant displays when at your desk, but that adds up.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Working2notWork »

Leesbro63 wrote:My 2010 Dell computer works great and has never needed any repairs. That being said, I like new technology and my experience has been that it's a huge PITA if you wait for a hard drive crash to replace your machine. I would like to get a new computer with solid state hard drive. But I'm afraid of Windows 8 yet am not sure it makes sense to buy a new car with an old engine (Win 7). I DO NOT want to go through the whole MAC learning curve and want to stay with a PC.

Any thoughts?
Maybe think about getting a Google account, then setting up your current computer to back itself up using Google Drive. This would allow you to keep your desktop and possibly pick up a cheaper laptop for surfing the net, etc. Your new laptop can also sync with Google Drive, backing up both computers as well as being able to share items with both machines.
Working2notWork
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Re: One word

Post by Working2notWork »

davebarnes wrote:Macbook
OP said he didn't want to do that. He wants to stick with PC.
Working2notWork
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Working2notWork »

Leesbro63 wrote:I am the original poster. I need a desktop. Currently have a 2010 Dell XPS and have a comfort level with DELL products. OK, you've convinced me that WIN8 will be OK. My needs are actually minor...I NEVER game or even watch anything more than a YOUTUBE video. Lots of web surfing, EXCEL, QUICKEN and WORD. I scan everything. That's about it. I am on here on and off all day, almost every day. I NEVER shut it down.I also have an IPhone and IPad for mobile and armchair surfing.
Chromebook might work given your reliance on MS products. You would have to switch over to Google products for Excel, Word, Quicken if you went with a Chromebook. Get the cheapest one you can find as you're not doing anything CPU intensive.
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archbish99
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by archbish99 »

midareff wrote:Windows 8 is simple.... I bought a Win8 computer about a year ago. Download and install Start8 http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ and it boots direct to the desktop, restores the start button and options menu just like XP and Win 7 . $4.99. Perfect.
Or, for free, Windows 8.1 gives you the option to boot to Desktop rather than the Start screen, among a number of improvements targeted at non-touch users. My #1 recommendation would be that if you have or purchase a PC with Windows 8, take the free update to 8.1 ASAP.
I'm not a financial advisor, I just play one on the Internet.
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Ged
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Ged »

Leesbro63 wrote:I do back up to multiple sources daily. This is not a problem. I'm comfortable with my desktop set up. I LIKE sitting at my desk, reaching to my left to scan, then putting the document where it belongs after editing it etc. This works for me. I just want an upgrade/modernization of what I already have.
What specifically do you feel a want/need to upgrade? I know you have said you are concerned about your hard drive, but surely any 2010 vintage XPS will support adding a new hard drive fairly easily.

Other things I've done include adding memory, getting a bigger monitor, and so on.

Some of the new monitors are looking pretty spiffy. Take a look at the LG 34UM95 for example. This might make more difference than a new PC to a lot of folks.
Last edited by Ged on Wed Jun 25, 2014 4:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Leesbro63
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Leesbro63 »

Ged wrote:
Leesbro63 wrote:I do back up to multiple sources daily. This is not a problem. I'm comfortable with my desktop set up. I LIKE sitting at my desk, reaching to my left to scan, then putting the document where it belongs after editing it etc. This works for me. I just want an upgrade/modernization of what I already have.
What specifically do you feel a want/need to upgrade? I know you have said you are concerned about your hard drive, but surely any 2010 vintage XPS will support adding a new hard drive fairly easily.
Just seems like time for a new box. Solid state hard drive, latest software (now that you guys convinced me that WIN8 is OK) and the ability to keep my old computer running during the transition. I guess it's not very Bogleheadlike, but for me it's a toy.
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Ged
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by Ged »

Leesbro63 wrote: Just seems like time for a new box. Solid state hard drive, latest software (now that you guys convinced me that WIN8 is OK) and the ability to keep my old computer running during the transition. I guess it's not very Bogleheadlike, but for me it's a toy.
Oh ok, that's cool. I get that sort of urge too, but it's generally when I feel a desire to upgrade my desktop because a new hardware generation is out. I'm running a 6 core EE CPU, and am hoping next year there will be nice 8-10 core Broadwell CPUs to upgrade to along with DDR4 memory. When that happens I'll upgrade.

Buying a new box for a new hard drive or OS isn't something I would normally do. The toy factor for me comes with having a faster machine. It's just as, if not more un-Bogleheadlike as your desire to upgrade.

You know what itches. Go get a new XPS that scratches it.
nhrdls
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by nhrdls »

archbish99 wrote:
midareff wrote:Windows 8 is simple.... I bought a Win8 computer about a year ago. Download and install Start8 http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ and it boots direct to the desktop, restores the start button and options menu just like XP and Win 7 . $4.99. Perfect.
Or, for free, Windows 8.1 gives you the option to boot to Desktop rather than the Start screen, among a number of improvements targeted at non-touch users. My #1 recommendation would be that if you have or purchase a PC with Windows 8, take the free update to 8.1 ASAP.
Never used Windows 8 hence this question. Do these methods ask you for the password first? If not, what about security?
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by ddoubleu »

nhrdls wrote:Never used Windows 8 hence this question. Do these methods ask you for the password first? If not, what about security?
Windows 8 will want you to use your Windows Live! account (or something like that) so that your settings can travel with you whenever you log into a Windows 8 machine with that same account. You can use a local account, which is what i do (I'm just not a fan of storing settings, etc. in the cloud).

If it does not require a password, you can configure Windows 8.x to use one. In fact, I've configured my machine to also require CTRL+ALT+DEL for login.
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archbish99
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by archbish99 »

Yes, Windows still has accounts. Microsoft Account by preference, for integrated OneDrive and settings sync features, Store access, etc. but you can opt to just give your MSA to the apps that need it rather than signing on to the entire PC with it.

If you use an MSA, it will have a password. You can choose to enter that every time you sign in / unlock, or you can use one of the easier sign-in methods (PIN or picture password) to simplify that. If you use a local account, you can also choose not to have a password on it. If there's only one account and it has no password, the PC skips the login screen and logs in immediately.

When people say "boot to Desktop," what they really mean is what shows up after you enter your password/PIN and the machine unlocks. Might be the desktop (default for desktop/laptop), might be the Start screen (default for Win8.0 and tablets), but you can configure whichever you prefer.
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patrick
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by patrick »

bloom2708 wrote:Another factor to consider. A desktop running 24/7 uses a lot of electricity. I have a Kill-O-Watt and was shocked at how much electricity a middle powered desktop uses. I had a Windows Home Server running 24/7 to share media. That thing used ~$20 of electricity/month.

A laptop that you allow to "sleep" after say 20 minutes of inactivity will use a fraction of the electricity.

Plus you can sit in the kitchen, on your deck, in your bark-o-lounger. Unchained from your desk. If you get an i5 laptop it will be plenty powerful for daily use.
If you are concerned over electricity use, getting a newer desktop may help quite a bit. Here are the power uses I have measured on my computers at idle:

111 watts - Desktop from 2006
52 watts - Desktop from 2013 (it would be lower if I hadn't installed a dedicated graphics card, which isn't needed for most uses)
13 watts - Laptop from 2012

But even with the 2006 desktop, it would be hard to get to $20 a month unless it's actually used heavily most of the day, or you live somewhere that has extremely high electricity rates.
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by bhsince87 »

patrick wrote:
If you are concerned over electricity use, getting a newer desktop may help quite a bit. Here are the power uses I have measured on my computers at idle:

111 watts - Desktop from 2006
52 watts - Desktop from 2013 (it would be lower if I hadn't installed a dedicated graphics card, which isn't needed for most uses)
13 watts - Laptop from 2012

But even with the 2006 desktop, it would be hard to get to $20 a month unless it's actually used heavily most of the day, or you live somewhere that has extremely high electricity rates.
Agree with this 100%. I'm an electrical engineer who works in the industry, and there have been HUGE strides in power efficiency in the past 5-10 years. Actually, probably more so than in computational speed. Not only do the processors consume much less power, but they also require fewer fans to suck the excess heat out of the box. So that saves power too, but as an added benefit, it also makes for a much quieter box. I can't even tell if my new PC is on our off by listening. And I have a regular disk drive in it too.
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. William Penn
acegolfer
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Re: Buy A New Windows Computer Now?

Post by acegolfer »

patrick wrote:
If you are concerned over electricity use, getting a newer desktop may help quite a bit. Here are the power uses I have measured on my computers at idle:

111 watts - Desktop from 2006
52 watts - Desktop from 2013 (it would be lower if I hadn't installed a dedicated graphics card, which isn't needed for most uses)
13 watts - Laptop from 2012
Nice observation.

Here's another reason why Chromebox may be better for OP.

ASUS Chromebox power consumption (source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7850/asus ... x-review/2)

6.8W idle
10.65W when Youtube 1080P HD playback
14.28W when powering external USB 3.0 drive.
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