New computer

[Ramhusker]

I went and bought a new computer yesterday from Office Max. A Dell Inspiron I5 8gb, 1Tb with Windows 8.1. When they brought it out, it had labels on it stating it was loaded with Windows 10. Salesman said he doesn't know what is going on with Dell but their computers are coming with a different security tape on the boxes. I assume they are going back in the boxes and loading Windows 10 before they ship them out. Got it home, unpackaged, hooked up and started setup. In the middle of setup, it crashed and came back up asking for a microsoft password. Of course, I had no such password. Called Dell and was told it was a glitch they have not figured out a fix for yet and they would have to send me a new hard drive. Of course, I said, HELL NO and packed that puppy up and carried it back. I had the store order me another one with the promise I'd bring that one right back too if it didn't work. Hope I'm not laying too much trust with Dell. They have always been a quality product in my home. I hope that is not changing.

 

[ChrisW]

I went and bought a new computer yesterday from Office Max. A Dell Inspiron I5 8gb, 1Tb with Windows 8.1. When they brought it out, it had labels on it stating it was loaded with Windows 10. Salesman said he doesn't know what is going on with Dell but their computers are coming with a different security tape on the boxes. I assume they are going back in the boxes and loading Windows 10 before they ship them out. Got it home, unpackaged, hooked up and started setup. In the middle of setup, it crashed and came back up asking for a microsoft password. Of course, I had no such password. Called Dell and was told it was a glitch they have not figured out a fix for yet and they would have to send me a new hard drive. Of course, I said, HELL NO and packed that puppy up and carried it back. I had the store order me another one with the promise I'd bring that one right back too if it didn't work. Hope I'm not laying too much trust with Dell. They have always been a quality product in my home. I hope that is not changing.

For this reason, and the nature of Dell, HP overpricing their PC's, I started building my own. It's pretty damn straight forward and you save a couple hundred bucks by buying the hardware yourself.

HP was my manufacturer of choice before I started building my own. The only problem I had with them is their call center is in India.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

Can't stand Dell
But you know
These Smith-Corona are rather stable

 

[Angry Ram]

Never liked Dell. I don't think HP is overpriced at all, and am currently using one. I've had good experiences with Toshiba too.

 

[Ramhusker]

For this reason, and the nature of Dell, HP overpricing their PC's, I started building my own. It's pretty damn straight forward and you save a couple hundred bucks by buying the hardware yourself.

HP was my manufacturer of choice before I started building my own. The only problem I had with them is their call center is in India.

Yeah, priced a build and it came out the same as the price of this Dell on sale. My son was going to build me a new one but once I crunched the numbers the Dell made more sense or so I thought.

 

[ChrisW]

Yeah, priced a build and it came out the same as the price of this Dell on sale. My son was going to build me a new one but once I crunched the numbers the Dell made more sense or so I thought.

You really have to buy from multiple sources to save the money. Processors should always be bought from Microcenter if you have one within driving distance. They are always about $100 cheaper there than anywhere else. They also offer CPU/MOBO bundles that are pretty awesome. If you went with AMD, they often offer a free mobo with the Processor.

 

[Prime Time]

Use a Dell Dimension E310 for on-line things like this site. The other computer, an HP, is strictly for music recording work. The Dell is a piece of crap but you get what you pay for. I got away from Windows and now use Linux Mint hoping it would improve things but it hasn't. It's still slow and annoying.

 

[ChrisW]

I got away from Windows and now use Linux Mint

I'd be using this if it wasn't for gaming. It just isn't quite there yet on Linux. And the new DirectX is going to make it fall farther behind. I really don't have a use for dual-booting either.

 

[LetsGoRams]

Can't stand Dell
But you know
These Smith-Corona are rather stable

View attachment 9919

No computer viruses on that bad boy!!

 

[Yamahopper]

Can't stand Dell
But you know
These Smith-Corona are rather stable

View attachment 9919

But you still need electric. Off the grid is the future.

 

[yrba1]

What's your maximum budget for a computer as well as its primary usage? Do you already have a monitor, stereo, keyboard, and mouse in place? Many factors to consider if you plan on building your own. Being meticulous about choosing whether to buy a premade or custom build is the right step.

 

[-X-]

I went and bought a new computer yesterday from Office Max. A Dell Inspiron I5 8gb, 1Tb with Windows 8.1. When they brought it out, it had labels on it stating it was loaded with Windows 10. Salesman said he doesn't know what is going on with Dell but their computers are coming with a different security tape on the boxes. I assume they are going back in the boxes and loading Windows 10 before they ship them out. Got it home, unpackaged, hooked up and started setup. In the middle of setup, it crashed and came back up asking for a microsoft password. Of course, I had no such password. Called Dell and was told it was a glitch they have not figured out a fix for yet and they would have to send me a new hard drive. Of course, I said, HELL NO and packed that puppy up and carried it back. I had the store order me another one with the promise I'd bring that one right back too if it didn't work. Hope I'm not laying too much trust with Dell. They have always been a quality product in my home. I hope that is not changing.

Build your own online. I'm not a fan of Dell anyway, but you're always at the mercy of what they offer as opposed to getting what you want/need when you build and order online. Takes a little longer, but in the long run it's worth it.