<p>Now that all of the laptop discussion is over, I need some advice on desktops. My parents (who got their first computer in their 70’s) need to buy a new one. After two years, the emachines model bit the dust. They don’t want anything too fancy: surf the net, keep financial records, make cards, email, etc. Money is not an issue, but I don’t think they need to spend too much to meet their needs. Maybe a big monitor for easier viewing. Does anybody have any suggestions?</p>
<p>Dell and a flat-panel 17" monitor. Get the in-home repair option and you won’t have to do this again for quite a while. I’d add photo software and a color printer, but that’s because I recently discovered the joys of carrying a small digital camera everywhere.</p>
<p>The whole package should still be less than $1000.</p>
<p><a href=“Computers, Monitors & Technology Solutions | Dell USA”>Computers, Monitors & Technology Solutions | Dell USA;
<p>If you plan on buying a computer, particularly a DELL, you should check
out a website, <a href=“http://www.slickdeals.net%5B/url%5D”>www.slickdeals.net</a>, which often posts discount codes for purchases (not just Dell computers, many other things). </p>
<p>The site is sort of hit or miss. Everyday they post new discounts. I’ve noticed a pattern for when Dell coupons appear: usually around every three months, around the time of Dell’s fiscal quarter, so they can make their sales numbers.</p>
<p>Advice for desktops? Buy the cheapest you can find. With the exception of a few parts in Dell machines (like the power supply and motherboard) everything in these boxes is made by someone else. The parts are completely generic. </p>
<p>Personally, I would not pay much for extra warranty coverage on a cheap desktop. If parts go bad, they go out in the first few weeks. Down the road, if things fail, the repair costs will almost always be cheaper than you spent on the warranty. Even with Dells, the MB and PS just don’t fail much. And remember, after three years or so, if a part goes, you’d be better off junking the failed machine and buying a new one.</p>
<p>Did the 2 year old computer really bite the dust, or is it just bogged down with worms, viruses, and spyware that make it seem un-useable? It’s to the point now that you need constant attention to keep a Windows machine running with a Firewall, virus checker, spyware removers, etc. And who wants to re-install the OS to clear up the problems every 10 months.</p>
<p>So far Apple has avoided these problems because it doesn’t run Windows. The thing turns on and works - pretty easy. If you are familiar with iTunes or iPod, their computers are that simple. The Mac OS is based on Unix which has been around in commercial use longer than MicroSoft has been in business. Something Apple offers is a $500 little computer box that re-uses your existing monitor, keyboard, etc - or you can buy new ones. USB devices of all kinds work w/ Apple (you don’t need to buy from them) which you can add with a USB hub. Apples cost more than equivalent Windows machines, but so far averts the frustrations of ownership.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.apple.com/macmini/[/url]”>http://www.apple.com/macmini/</a></p>
<p>Kensington hub:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0178096[/url]”>http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0178096</a></p>
<p>The 19" Acer LCD monior is economcal and is very good:</p>
<p><a href=“TigerDirect Sunset”>TigerDirect Sunset;
<p>They have all of those protective features, and a good surge protector. I’ve seen sluggish computers clogged up with ads and other junk. But this problem is that the processor will not power on, even though all of the other peripherals are working.</p>
<p>The same thing happened to my daughter’s emachines desktop after about two years. It would not power on. We took it to a reputable computer repair shop where they were unable to start it with an alternate power source. After $80 for the first hour, the technician said that something appeared to be wrong with the motherboard (whatever that is) and that it probably could not be fixed. In any case, it might not be worth it for a $500 computer.</p>
<p>I suspect that my parents’ computer will receive the same diagnosis. We have had about 5 different desktops over the years, and this has never happened before. Now, it seems to be happening twice with the same brand (maybe even the same model…Best Buy sale). Thanks, emachines! I just really hate to see my folks try something new at their age and have too many problems. Maybe in-home service would be a great idea for them.</p>
<p>My 80 year-old dad is on his sixth computer. He currently has a Dell and has been very pleased with it. Over the years, he’s had IBMs and HPs, but the Dell seems to be the most reliable.</p>
<p>You can also join ebates (free to join)…and get a discount from DELL in addition to using coupon codes… Thats what I did when I bought mine several years ago.</p>
<p>I’m with newmassdad and dmd77, get a cheap desktop and an excellent flat-panel monitor (and spring for a good printer: most are also copier machines these days, which is a nifty convenience). Get them a big thumbdrive or removable spare drive and have someone teach them how to back their entire harddrive up every week or so. Make sure they install AdAware and Spybot (both free) and have a good anti-virus program like Symantec running with automatic signature updates. (Then make sure they either don’t use MS Outlook or Internet Explorer, or know the cautions about protecting themselves from viral attachments.) And be aware that while in-home (on-site) repair service is convenient, it is also often extremely expensive.</p>
<p>fwiw,</p>
<p>Motherboards are almost never the problem, but bad technicians are. The end result is the same, though.</p>
<p>For some reason, the parts that go bad, in order:</p>
<ul>
<li> Hard drives</li>
<li> cd and dvd drives</li>
<li> power supplies</li>
<li> cpu cooling fans (but they make a racket to tell you!)</li>
<li> memory</li>
</ul>
<p>Motherboards and CPUs don’t fail often. The parts that do, except for memory, all have moving parts, so guess what…</p>
<p>motherboards have no moving parts, nor do cpus so they seldom belly up.</p>
<p>By far the most frequent problem, though, is a trashed windows registry. I’m doing a repair install on my D’s computer as we speak. For reasons I don’t understand, few techs know how to repair windows itself, even though it’s not hard, just a lot of waiting.</p>
<p>Good luck. With hardware prices dropping all the time, frequent new computers are a good idea, unless you have lots of spare time.</p>
<p>Note also that occasionally the problem is as simple as a loosely connected / disconnected board inside the box. Sometimes “reseating” the cards inside and making sure they’re all slid in all the way and snapped into place appropriately is all it takes.</p>
<p>It’s so difficult to know who to trust. Sort of like taking your car in for inspection and they tell you that it needs some unexpected repair. We had a bad experience with a Best Buy upgrade years ago (the tech was inept, took off and nobody could undo whatever he did, so they had to give us a new computer). Therefore, we tried a more professional private company that has been in business for many years…but you never REALLY know. We value our two trusted auto mechanics over the years; now if we could only find a good “computer mechanic”! </p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice. We will certainly give all of your ideas thorough consideration. Maybe it will be a simple fix, as mootmom suggests. We can only hope!</p>
<p>My husband and son are my computer mechanics. They’ve replaced my mother board at least once. In fact, they’ve replaced everything in my computer case at least once. I still occasionally have taken my computer to CompUSA to have them fix it, because they are reliable, cheap, and easier than persuading DH and DS that my problem is real. (It’s also a little like going to the doctor and being told “you’ve got that flu that’s going around”–“you’ve got that computer virus that’s going around”–they’ve seen it and they know how to get rid of it.)</p>
<p>Many computer problems can be fixed by running virus software multiple times, and reinstalling the OS twice. Don’t ask me why twice works better than once.</p>
<p>In my experience, the power supply goes early and often. Replacing it is a bear, although I did it by myself at least once.</p>
<p>I’m with those who say to buy cheap, backup often and easily. (I have an entire second external drive, so do the kids. My DH uses three computers and just keeps them synchronized.)</p>
<p>I recommended Dell and the in-home service because with those in their 70’s, convenience often outweighs cost.</p>
<p>I’m with you on your recommendations, dmd, especially for the projected users of this computer. But several others have offered very good advice, including what’s likiely to break down. </p>
<p>Having a second harddrive --whether internal or external-- and using it as a true backup, is a really good idea. Having a plan or schedule for doing it is something that few experienced users have, however. So your husband’s approach makes sense for many active users: redundancy. Just copy or mirror your data directories to a second or third drive on a regular basis.</p>
<p>This computer probably doesn’t need fabulous sound or anything like that. But I would always recommend that people add RAM to whatever the basic configuration might be.</p>
<p>Then make sure they follow Mootmom’s advice about spyware, virus protection, and the like, and practice “safe communications” in other ways including how to avoid phishing and the like.</p>