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So we have 3 laptops here that are knackered and are wanting a new platform. I think desktop would be the best option as we really dont need the mobility of a laptop.
Now we only really use the computer for storage of photos and documents. Also for getting on the net, shopping, printing.
So I would like some advice on what to look at. Brands, sizing, retailers etc.etc.
Thanks in advance all info appreciated.
Thinking anything new entry level these days would suit your needs Matt. A lot of it just comes down 2 personal choice when it comes 2 brands and sizing, I personally would stay away from major retailers like Harvey Norman etc and buy from a dedicated computer shop.
Run a SSD, Solid State Drive for your main drive and a 1TB minimum for storage, a lot of people run external drives for backing up everything but I still prefer my old pc with a removable drive bay.
Do you know how much in GB you have in photo's and documents already?
Im sure Nic would be able to lead you in the right direction
hey mate,
Ok so whats your budget? Personally I never recommend buying an entry level PC, they are cheap but nasty and you will get no longer than a couple of years out of them im sure you can relate to the frustration of using cheap parts and being more of a hassle in the long run.
If you have your heart set on a laptop (i know you havent but im just going through your options) you should be able to pick up a mid-high end laptop with good punch but shitty battery life(is the higher powered processors chew the power quicker) from JBHIFI for less than $900. Typically it will be last seasons model but for someone with your needs that shouldnt be a problem. Dont get caught up in the looks of them either, look at the specs before you take note of what it looks like. You will want to look for something with an Intel i7 processor or an AMD A Series processor (both should have higher mHz somewhere above 2.5), Minimum 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD. A PC like that should last you up to about 5 years if you treat it nicely. I know Todd said SSD but you will sacrifice too much data sotrage so that would be a waste.
Now as for a desktop.
You can buy Pre-packaged desktops but no matter who you buy from you will pay extra for the assembly. Steer clear of any major retailer when it comes to desktops. These Guys i have found to be one of the more competitive online retailers, i have been buying from them for years so they are not a fly by nighter operation that will be impossible to follow up on warranties. They sell only gaming PCS(which just means they are in the higher end) and will do everything you need, a decent one should cost you $1299. i dont know how cluey you are with computers, as an alternative you can assemble your own one(i can tell you what to buy) which will be MUCH better than a pre assembled one for about $1000(or less if you wanna skimp on certain things). If you dont feel capable of doing that swing me some $ and ill assemble it for you and send it onto you. I can even sort you out with the software you would need to get yourself started.
anyway, thats alot to read so take your time, go through it all and let me know what you think.
cheers
Nic
Mat, I bought a Dell Optiplex desktop with a Core 2 Quad (just to indicate its age) probably 7 - 8 years ago and it's still running faultlessly here. Also have 2 other Dell monitors that have never had an issue.
I liked the idea that Dell sell directly so no in between retailer markup.
OK maybe I should not of recommended an entry level but was under the impression that Matt won't be using it much so entry level would be sufficient for his needsQuote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
I only mentioned SSD as he was talking desktop where additional storage is not as limited as a lap top :)Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
And I never know what I'm talking about hence why I mentioned the you :)
they are the retailer, they markup the parts... there is no difference between them and joe blow computer store that assemble the PC they make from parts... dell just put their logo on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by jff45
buy better it will last longer simple!Quote:
Originally Posted by NissanGQ4.2
well at least you know that! hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by NissanGQ4.2
My old laptop, a 2007 model used for hours daily all it’s life is still going strong, now as my wife’s machine & happily running modern software. The one before that lasted for 7 years I’m hoping my 2014 model will be just as good.Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
I’m not suggesting that Macs are for all, but agree that buying something as high specced as you can afford will last longer & remain updatable for longer.
FYI, macs are under spec'd, the only reason they run well is because the OS is very light weight. it is also the reason they phase them out easily, because they just increase the demands and minimum requirements of the newer software and boom its superceeded, no longer supported and makes you have to go buy a new PCQuote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
HP and others also markup the parts don't they? Then they sell to Harvey Norman, Good Guys, etc who markup the whole thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
Dell gets built in Asia with their labor costs while Joe Blow computer shop has to earn the wage level here..
I see a difference..
sure here is your difference:Quote:
Originally Posted by jff45
Dell PC LINK the price(incase the link doesnt work) is $1099 but thats missing an SSD as they dont offer that option, the retail for a HDD like that is about $100, also consider that the RAM, PSU and storage HDD is the cheapest that Dell can purchase at the time. There are big differences between cheap RAM and expensive ram even though they may both be 4GB they are totally different(incase you didnt know). Total cost is around $1199 with inferior parts.
ALSO this is an overseas company so you are not supporting local business and chasing warranties with Dell is a PITA i know because i do it for a living in a high school and deal with HP and dell daily.
Joe Blow PC LINK better quality parts, Australian company, $1299 same warranty as Dell offer and much better after sales service.
i think the difference speaks for itself there.
I have been in the I.T industry for 13 years now as a I.T technician. I repair all brands, makes and models of PC's including self built PC's. I work for a company that is the warranty and service providers for all the major brands so I get to see what happens behind the scenes. I am factory trained in DELL, HP, Acer, Asus as well as factory trained in printers.
If you want a brand name PC then look no further than a DELL. You order what you want on line and it gets delivered to your door. If you want one made up then go to a dealer that specializes in gaming PC's and get them to assemble one for you.
Buy the most up spec unit you can afford at the time and remember this unit is for you not every one else. Why get something that you wont use because someone else told you that you should have it. I see people with entry level units that have had no issues for over 5 years. I.T equipment has a shelf life of 3 - 4 years after that they are dinosaurs. they age in dog years.
Once you know what you want in a PC then the next most important aspect when choosing one is the warranty. Dont buy a extended warranty unless it is the manufactures warranty. DELL are the only ones that will come to you within 24 hours of you making a call and fix it for you in front of you weather you are at home or at work. NO OTHER manufacturer will do this. HP is not worth the hassell and their warranty is SHIT. ACER warranty is even worse.
Hope this helps you out mate.
i agree with that, but its only within 24 hours of getting them to accept that the fault is hardware related and not a problem at your end. getting them to agree with your diagnosis is the hard part...Quote:
Originally Posted by blocko05
I agree totally mate. That's what happens when you talk to someone in India who works off a spread sheet of questions and is not qualified to listen and make a decision them self. I am sure my life is shortened every time I speak to someone from there. (this happens a lot in my job)Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
I don’t really understand your point. The 2007 MBP still runs current software & has specs which still equals many of today’s entry level machines.
My current MBP (which is actually late 2013) has the following specs:
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...id=61823&stc=1 & also has a 500GB SSD drive. I wouldn’t have called that ‘under spec’d’ & I’m not sure what you mean about the OS being light weight. It certainly has it’s differences to Windows, but I would have said it was just as capable & if (?) it needs less resources to run it, then surely that can only be a good thing?
Macbook Pro Retina 15".. beautiful machine, my BIL has one. Let me know when you find it under-spec'd and I'll PM you my address :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
Ok sorry guys, you've got me, they arent under spec'd. What i meant to say they are underspec'd for the price you pay...Quote:
Originally Posted by jff45
so going off the specs of what you have there cuppa, you have what would be the most expensive macbook pro? thats $3499 on the macbook website. now for $1500 less than that you can get an asus(and plenty of other comparable brands im sure i just picked asus first) with exactly the same hardware, if you really wanted to you could even install Mac OS on it.... so tell me is there really justification for the $1500 price increase?
if you dont believe me take a look here at a comparison between the last zenbook model and the last MBP(was the most recent one i found) and for price MBP here and zenbook here
for the price you pay for a macbook pro you should be getting something similar to what alienware computers offer take the 15 R2 thats $2499 and absolutely dumps all over either of the fore mentioned PC...
i hope its clear enough for you from what ive said above that Mac PCs are underspec'd due to their price... having that apple logo really just doesnt justify the huge price difference and it frustrates me that people just dont seem to get that.
you can send me your address now john, although i dont know why i want it lol
EDIT: sorry cuppa i missed your other question about the operating system. being lightweight i didnt mean it was a bad thing, i actually mean the operating system, while fully functioning, is not very resource hungry when compared to windows. its not that mac have better batteries its just that the operating system puts far less strain on the CPU, which puts far less drain on the battery.
DONT GET ME WRONG MATE, im not a mac hater, I am just a massive believer in getting what you pay for, and i just dont see it with mac.
Perhaps the quality of the retina display has something to do with the price?
My BIL is in dental prosthetics and tells me he hasn't found a better screen for reproducing natural teeth colouring and shades..
They also seem to be preferred by professional photographers as well.
what are you basing that off? i work for/with a professional photographer who has owned his photographic business for 15 years, having bought the company off my off man who he worked for for 10 years, its not just some bloke with a camera its a small business see here if you dont believe me. he uses all windows based PCs and individually colour balances the monitors with a spyder pro II device.Quote:
Originally Posted by jff45
so what you are saying though is a dentist told you it was better for showing teeth? thats a terrible thing to assume something is better from... basing your opinion of something from someone who is completely unqualified to give you any basis other than a personal opinion is silly! the only real reason the retina screen is sharper is because it has a higher resolution (being that it goes to 1440 rather than 1080...)
there are plenty of laptops with comparable screens, just like the asus and alienware PC that i mentioned above see a comparison here
oh and your saying that a monitor where the only difference is that the monitor is a bit sharper justifies a $1500 increase in price? LOL:1087::smileyvault-cute-bi
mate, if you want help reinstalling the OS's on the laptops you already have that will make them run better with a clean install. PM if you want help and maybe we can do a quick skype session.Quote:
Originally Posted by nissannewby
Rust-nailed it in one sentence!Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
Way overpriced for what you get. And there is no future-proof whatsoever, in terms of a desktop unit. For the price of a current range of iMacs for instance, you could build or get your self built a latest specced PC, and still have $ left over to splash out on other stuff.... OR $ left over to buy upgrades in the future. Whether that may be a CPU or a video card or larger hard drive etc...
Apple stuff is good. But in my opinion, it's one case of "You don't get what you pay for."
thank god! i was beginning to think i was the only non-apple fanboy on here lol!Quote:
Originally Posted by Hodge
haha I'm not a so called non-fanboi. I don't mind "some" things they have. One of them, is simplicity, or user friendliness if you want to call it that. Although this may seem like a huge positive to some people, you have to look a a more larger picture.... There are cons.Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
But the major reason I don't like Apples computer range, way overpriced and way too restrictive IMO.
My original career was IT. Building PC and audio systems into audio and video studios, including implementing many Apple iMacs and Mac Pros.
I got fed up with people splashing out big dollars on the Apple stuff, then realized it's way too restrictive from a software spectrum, and on countless occasions I had to go back weeks later and convert the setup to a PC or Linux based system. I still mess with PC's, its' remained as my hobby, building and OC-ing, pushing them till they sweat lol.
Anyways, this shit won't help the OP.
My 3 cents worth... I reckon, You'll be wasting $$$ buying Apple when right now out there there was laptops and PCs that will blow the highest specced Mac available out of the water, at a fraction of the cost. If you're not too PC savvy, go the Dell way... Good value and good warranty service if things go sour.
I'll just leave that there.
sorry thats not what i meant haha, i meant that everyone else is an apply fan boy, not that i specifically dislike apple lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Hodge
It should be noted that I specifically did not recommend that anyone else buy a Mac. I have no reason to get into a Mac vs PC debate.
Bottom line is “yes” I have paid more for my Macs than I would have for PC’s, & have done that since my last PC (a 486 & Windows 98) because I find using the Mac way more pleasant & they do all I ask of them. Like I said “not for everyone” though. I have tried a few later versions of Windows (I think the last was Windows 7 Professional on a work provided laptop my wife had) & hated it, although I’ll readily admit that much of that had to do with unfamiliarity. So yes I’ve paid more but with it I get the ease of familiarity & what for me is a much more user friendly experience, plus reliability & longevity. I know I could get more for less, but am stuck in my ways. :) Maybe it’s a bit like folk who pay extra for an ST or a Ti over a DX? All horses for courses stuff. This is my third computer/third laptop/third mac since that 486 - each one has cost $3k (never paid the price on the Mac site).
Of course things do go wrong. I was in the UK in mid 2012. My laptop (bought new in Australia via ebay in 2007) had it’s main logic board give up the ghost & the screen image became unintelligible psychedelia. I took it to an Apple shop thinking “well out of warranty - probably too expensive to get repaired’. They checked it out, confirmed the main logic board had karked it & said “The bad news is that replacement will cost 700 pounds (approx $1500)”, but in the next breath added “but it is a ‘known fault’ with that model so we’ll replace it cost free”. Now I reckon that was pretty damn good on the other side of the world on a machine well out of warranty & bought at a discounted price off eBay! And as I’ve said my wife still uses it daily.
Increasingly over the years I have become irritated by Apple’s moves to tie all their products together. I put up with not having the continuity that many Apple owners because I don’t need it. I won’t pay the ridiculous amounts they want for an iPhone for example, ‘cos I only use a phone as a phone...... you know ...... that old fashioned thing to make calls with. So I only have a cheaper android on an Aldi pay as you go plan & rarely if ever use any apps on it. Only got it because the touch screen made text messages easier to type.
Recently I downloaded the latest version of OS X (El Capitan - dumb name eh?) & found that it didn’t play well with my 3rd party VPN client & crashed & would not reboot. I suspect this is because the OS looks for a network in the early stages of booting up, rather than booting up & then asking what network I want to join. I have since reverted back to the fully functional previous OS from a back up.
So.............. I am gradually thinking less of Apple if I’m to be honest ................. but not enough to yet force me to swap to another OS or brand of computer.
So, Matt. What they are saying is buy a desk top/laptop, mid range for between $600-$1200.
" plus reliability & longevity" - come on cuppa, did you not read what i said above? they are identical hardware... what makes you think they are more reliable or have better longevity?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
"Maybe it’s a bit like folk who pay extra for an ST or a Ti over a DX?" - its not the same thing... you noticably get different 'hardware' in the different models of are you saying the DX comes out with central locking and leather seats? haha...
but in the next breath added “but it is a ‘known fault’ with that model so we’ll replace it cost free” - most companies with known faults will repair their product free of charge... similar to the nissan airbag recall... sorry to burst your bubble but its not an exclusive trait...
oh, and john... im still waiting for your address in a message mate haha
thanks kat, thats what ive been trying to say since my original post haha, but the apple peeps got us off track and im always up for a debate hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by katwoman
I’m not disputing anything you’ve said Rusty, just making the point that I’m happy with my choice.
Any & all choices are made for many reasons ...... reasons which would see others make different choices & still be happy.
I was interested in what you said about being able to use the Mac OS on non Mac machines “if you really wanted too”. I’m not someone who generally pays more for stuff than I need to provided I can see value for money & so would be interested in an equivalent machine to run the OS I’m happy & familiar with just so long as it didn’t involve a huge learning curve to make it work ......... when the time comes for my next upgrade. What is involved?
I’ll take back what I said above, I will dispute one thing , hmmm in light of your last post since I started typing this .... make that two. ;)
Comparing air bag recall to the service I received is a bit of a stretch. I may be wrong but would be very surprised if any/many other computer manufacturers would have given that service.
As to who got us off track - I’d say if a post had to be picked it would have been #8, but as I’m not into pointing fingers I’ll acknowledge that my response to you only served to push us further off track. :) It’s all good, I’ve quite enjoyed our little exchange of views & am quite happy to acknowledge your greater knowledge of ‘under the hood’ computer stuff than I possess.
EDIT: Just read this - doesn’t sound easy. http://www.howtogeek.com/178031/why-...l-os-x-on-pcs/ & I also read of something called Virtualbox which allows you to run OS X under Windows - don’t think I’d like that - seems it negates the advantage of a low resource using OS if you have to run it under a more resource hungry OS.
ill answer your other questions later i dont have time for a full response now, but ok another example... i logged a job with google for my nexus 4 mobile phone 20 months after i purchased it brand new, that it wouldnt turn on... and they sent me a BRAND NEW ONE, like i mean completely brand new... with another 2 years warranty on it, they even sent me a label to put on a box to send the old one back to them so it cost me nothing! its not a competition but come on, you had to take it into apple all i had to do was make a phone call hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
nope nope nope nope nope, just wait for me to get back to you. ill let you know soonQuote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
Happy to send you my address if you have one of those under spec'ed MacBook Pros with 15" retina you'd like to send me.
How dare those guys at Apple sell so much overpriced rubbish and become the richest company in the world doing it.
Can you imagine what that represents in the number of idiots in the world?
Fortunately, there are dedicated people on 4WD forums trying to put an end to it!
I can also send you the address of the Dell manufacturing company in China if you wish. You know, the ones who just assemble PCs like you do and stick their logo on it.. :)
Seriously though, I don't think you add value to what you do by simply bagging all the others that anyone mentions..
Not as easy as 123 I just brought a laptop and after receiving it it didnt have many features.
good .news was my old lappy come good. sold new one to my son
Pretty sure this is Rusty's Forte. imo lol
Matt left this thread after post #7 and bought an Iphone running windows 10 instead *LMAO*
please dont be offended by me disagreeing with your opinion mate, im not bagging you or anyone else out, im just disagreeing with your opinion and backing it up with fact and not just hearsay.Quote:
Originally Posted by jff45
FYI, apple is not the ritchest company in the world, actually doesnt even come close ranking #12, i guess you could say that they are the seconds largest electronic goods seller in the world coming second only to GE which ranks #9 in the works here is my evidence.
why would i want the address of dell? i havent been an advocate for them through all of this? lol
TBH I AM dedicated to helping people put an end to ill-conceived ideas, everyone is entitled to their opinion, infact i welcome counter opinions! just dont get upset when someone presents a stronger case.
btw, you said "Let me know when you find it under-spec'd and I'll PM you my address"... not when i find an underspec'd one... i really do find them under specc'd for what you pay for, but dont worry about the address mate, its all just fun and i was calling you out on some poor word choices by you =D
like i said dont be offended at the end of the day this is just a discussion and were all here to have a good time.
i thought so too but this has been a really good discussion.Quote:
Originally Posted by NissanGQ4.2
You are all keeping me entertained. Maybe you should come pick up your coils and and give me another apple laptop with windows on it *LMAO*Quote:
Originally Posted by rusty_nail
lol yeah christ mate, i really gotta get up there hey! hey thats not what cuppa wants tho! he wants a PC running mac! not the way i made it for you hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by NissanGQ4.2
Time for my laymans look at Apple.. Lol...
I think both putting "i" infront of every product, and locking people in to a continuity of software (apple device only works with apple devices) has contributed to the consumer affinity and therefore $$$ more than superior software.
tappin from tassie
Ok. Sorry for the delay I have been busy with my sisters wedding.
I have sifted through the debate :p.
Budget will be what has been presented by kat. $600-$1200. Im happy to pay a little more for a better product. As I said in the first place we really arent in the high usage category for a pc. Just storage for photos and documents. Using the net and also iTunes. I have a ps4 so it satisfies my gaming needs.
I would be happy to have a go at assembling one myself.
Nic I will jump on that website and have a look but may need your assistance in piecing something together.
good stuff mate, building a PC is no harder than what you do for a living, they are just different parts to what you're used to lol. well get you there bud.