Windows desktop recommendations

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markfaix
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Windows desktop recommendations

Post by markfaix »

I am in the market for a Windows desktop for our small business, to replace our dying desktop. I've been out of the market for awhile, and I haven't found many online reviews for business-oriented desktops for low=medium power users like me. My uses will be Quickbooks, Quicken, Excel, internet, casual photo processing, and infrequent viewing of moving ultrasound pictures for a few consulting clients.

Priorities: Reliability. Fast wakeup time. Limited or preferably no bloatware.

Any recommendations on manufacturers and specs? thanks in advance.
mhalley
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by mhalley »

dell and Lenovo usually get good reviews.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2385217,00.asp


Their recommendations are priced from 600 to 2800, a wide range, depending on what you will need to do with it, you will need to decide how much ram, what size hard drive, etc. As for bloatware, you can run pcdecrapifier on it. Note that these are I5 processor and above, you might be able to get by with an I3. Probably would want at least 8mb of ram tho.

http://pcdecrapifier.com/


Mike
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soaring
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by soaring »

Lenovo. ThinkPad model is specifically for small business.
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TheGreyingDuke
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by TheGreyingDuke »

soaring wrote:Lenovo. ThinkPad model is specifically for small business.
OP asked for desktop, ThinkPads are notebooks (but I second the reccomendation)
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." H.G. Wells
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OAG
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by OAG »

May want to try the Dell refurbished site. Pretty inexpensive route and they come with the same new product warranties.
OAG=Old Army Guy. Retired CW4 USA (US Army) in 1979 21 years of service @ 38.
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frugaltype
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by frugaltype »

TheGreyingDuke wrote:
soaring wrote:Lenovo. ThinkPad model is specifically for small business.
OP asked for desktop, ThinkPads are notebooks (but I second the reccomendation)
I can't imagine ever buying a desktop again, vs. a laptop. I rarely even see desktops in businesses nowadays vs laptops. I am very happy with my ThinkPad. Portability, weight, laptops have it all over desktops. My experience with HP laptops is that the hardware fails early.

I've found it easy to get rid of bloatware by spending some time in Add and Remove Programs or whatever it's called on the newer systems.
ieee488
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by ieee488 »

markfaix wrote:I am in the market for a Windows desktop for our small business, to replace our dying desktop. I've been out of the market for awhile, and I haven't found many online reviews for business-oriented desktops for low=medium power users like me. My uses will be Quickbooks, Quicken, Excel, internet, casual photo processing, and infrequent viewing of moving ultrasound pictures for a few consulting clients.

Priorities: Reliability. Fast wakeup time. Limited or preferably no bloatware.

Any recommendations on manufacturers and specs? thanks in advance.
Get the fastest cpu and most ram that you can afford.
SSD for quick bootup.

Dell Optiplex or Precision PCs
Lenovo ThinkCentre PCs
HP Advanced or Elite PCs
Dell Optiplex 3020 (Win7 Pro), Dell Precision M6300 (Ubuntu Linux 12.04), Dell Precision M6300 (Win7 Pro), Dell Latitude D531 (Vista)
Topic Author
markfaix
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by markfaix »

frugaltype wrote:
TheGreyingDuke wrote:
soaring wrote:Lenovo. ThinkPad model is specifically for small business.
OP asked for desktop, ThinkPads are notebooks (but I second the reccomendation)
I can't imagine ever buying a desktop again, vs. a laptop. I rarely even see desktops in businesses nowadays vs laptops. I am very happy with my ThinkPad. Portability, weight, laptops have it all over desktops. My experience with HP laptops is that the hardware fails early.

I've found it easy to get rid of bloatware by spending some time in Add and Remove Programs or whatever it's called on the newer systems.

I agree that laptops have a big advantage in portability. But I work from home and from a workplace that has hundreds of desktops. I rarely travel for work, and my phone does all that I need when I'm on the road. So no real need for a desktop on this end, although it would make choosing a lot simpler.

Are laptop and desktop prices that close for what you get?
Ricola
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by Ricola »

You may want to look at Costco and Costco online. They have a Dell XPS i7 4th generation desktop for $699. Costco also warranties for 2 years. Also a Dell 660 i5 3rd gen for $499, and Dell 660 i3 for $399.
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frugaltype
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by frugaltype »

markfaix wrote:
I agree that laptops have a big advantage in portability. But I work from home and from a workplace that has hundreds of desktops. I rarely travel for work, and my phone does all that I need when I'm on the road. So no real need for a desktop on this end, although it would make choosing a lot simpler.

Are laptop and desktop prices that close for what you get?
I bought my ThinkPads used from ebay for about $200 apiece. Two are backups (paranoia lives.) I am still using the first one after several(?) years. I buy from sellers with lots of sales of laptops and practically perfect feedback ratings (>=98%.)
obgraham
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by obgraham »

Another vote for Costco. Competitive prices, desktops in both upper and lower price ranges. And no-questions-asked 90 day return policy.

I too prefer to work mostly on a desktop. You get more computer for less money.
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yatesd
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by yatesd »

Be aware that Intel has (3) tiers for their desktop processors. i3, i5, and i7. I would lean toward i5 or i7 if possible. Processor numbers that start with (3) are 3rd generation and (4) are 4th generation (latest and greatest). Of course there are many other considerations. 4GB of memory should be absolute minimum and more is better...

http://dealnews.com/c48/Computers/Desktops/

http://slickdeals.net/deals/computers/
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soaring
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by soaring »

Look at Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop. They are designed for small business as is the ThinkPad. No bloatware that I remember when purchasing my thinkpad and believe ThinkCentre to be the same. Very stable.

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/desktops/thinkcentre/
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Toons
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Re: Windows desktop recommendations

Post by Toons »

Get new desktop,monitor, printer for around 400 at Wally World :happy
Why spend more?

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng ... nstraint=0
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
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