Desktops forum: What Computer Brand is best?

Hi Bob, can you tell me your criteria for recommending the HP Athlon 64? Is HP still making good pc products, in general?

your recommendation proves your point about no right answer. I remember a couple of years ago when you warned people off from HP due to many issues with their desktops. A friend of mine bought several systems from them about that time and indeed had problems with all of them. I just bought a 3.06 P4 from them and so far am extremely happy both with the machine and the little customer support I have needed. I think in the end it matters most what your experience is with a particular brand that counts.

Maybe this will help you. I work for BestBuy and was talking to the Sony rep and i jokingly asked which pc was better, Sony's or HP's. To my amazement he said HP lol.

I agree with S.G. Haninger ... It is not so much that I am concerned with the hardware. To a great extent the competition is stiff enough that there is no huge difference in the quality of the hardware (among the big names). Unless you are buying a system that you are going to push to the edge I wouldn't get carried away with worrying about the hardware. Buying a PC is kind of like buying a car. All most people need to know is if it is 4, 6 or 8 cylinders. Most people don't need to get concerned about horse power or torque. Check the PCs out ... Compare hard drive sizes, CPU speed, RAM, and misc other additives such as CD, DVD, CD-RW ... Weigh these items against price.
BUT A big problem I've come accross as a support person are the user's whose systems have crashed and all the sellers have provided are "Restore" disks. The disks will restore the system to "factory issue" and good bye to anything you've added to your system since then. Added to this if (actually when) you want to re-do your system -hopefully a year or two downstream- with a Restore disk all you can do is return it to what the factory thought was good enough. With the OS etc. on their own CDs you can set the PC up how you want. I recomend users Partition their hard drives and put all their data on D:\. This way, when the OS crashes, the C:\ drive can be reformatted and then the OS re-installed. After this the user logs onto the system and there all their data is ... waiting for them on D:\

Sorry I got a little distracted ... In short, if you can get the OS and what ever other applications on CD's of their own and NOT on a Restore disk this greatly expands your options for resolving problems that crop up.

Hi S.G....I have found that 'custom' builds implies that you likely are fixed to them for support too as their combinations, while they may be 'standard' obligate one to either document all the components for the next service need or go the simple route and use the same builder as your service provider. Either route is fine, I just suggest one limits one's service opportunities. Most other service providers would, in my past experience, be more reluctant to service another custom built system. Are you saying that is an incorrect assumption now-a-days?

I like custom built computers, but I like the new Sony's (the black ones with liquid cooling and Dual-Layer DVD Burning)... it is a bit pricey though...

i TOTALLY agree with u.

Dell is the best and they have great customer support

you must have "DEEP" pockets!! It looks nice on paper, But; why buy it before it has some kind of track record? I have Also been looking for my 1st desktop. The thing that scares me is, "NOBODY" has any support Anymore! Do you know anything about "SYSTEMAX"?

but some sony (if not all) systems are squashed into a purpose built case and are not easily upgraded in the near future. youre stuck with what youve got with sony.
no interchangable parts

I have been a user of IBM PC compatibles since about the fifth grade. All of the makers you listed make IBM PC compatibles. I am now 27 and I maintain these machines as well as Mac's at work. I also do the obligatory side work expected a of a friendly computer geek. I have made a lot of money cleaning up viruses and spyware from Windoze. Often, I go back to the same machine and clean it up all over again. The previous poster is very diplomatic in his suggestion that you get a Mac. Please allow me to underscore:

FOR GOD'S SAKE GET AN eMAC WHILE YOU CAN!!!!!

If you want a computer that just works, get one before they sell out. The are in short supply and high demand. At this point in time, a PC compatible will be reduced to a paper-weight within a few days of connecting to the internet without first being secured by a geek such as myself. Not only will the machine become so slow that you can hardly use it, you will find that you can't go to any search engines and any credit card or school registration info that is fed into the machine will be relayed to Russian criminals. I'm not making this up, I have seen it many times. Take this as fair warning from an expert source.

Although any of these with the right hardware are good, I think the best computer is the one you build yourself. You get to choose the best hardware and software you really need and nothing you don't. I have been there with the "branded" computers and I have had enough of all the lacky support, cheap hardware and software bundles that are only intros or demos. I have had an especially hard time with a brand that you didn't mention, (My Moms machine) which is a good thing. It all depends on preference and what you need your computer to do. If I had to choose an in store computer, I'd choose the Dell. Support is above average and I think the brand is more reliable than most. HP and Compaq are now one and the same and I've heard the support horror stories about them.
I'm an "Intel" person so my opinion would be bias in their direction. If it's all "Intel" then you got a gem! Good luck!

As someone else pointed out, the brand doesn't really matter. Probably any of the name brands might be Good Enough. The hard part is deciding what you want to use the computer for. That will determine what performance and features you need. And then you can start shopping for the best value that meets your needs. A geek friend might help with that, if you can find one that won't go wild and try to push you to buy a lot more machine than you really need.

I've worked at three places that have bought all-Dell. I have one here at home that's been on essentially 24/7 for three and a half years (I run SETI@Home.) I can highly recommend Dell.

That said, they are a little pricey, though not outrageous.

Also, for my own machines I can generally diagnose and fix them myself, so frankly I've never had a chance to try Dell's tech support. It sounds like tech support might be an issue for you if you have a problem with the machine.

A couple of years ago my mother and I wanted to buy a computer for my grandmother. She lived in a small town in another state, so on-site support was important to us. At that time, we found a Compaq at Best Buy that was the best bang-for-the-buck. About three months after we got it she started getting a Blue Screen. Compaq tech support blew us off. But Best Buy lived up to their promise and actually did send a guy on a three-hour round trip and he fixed the problem immediately (replaced the memory.) The machine has been running fine since.

Actually buying the machine was an exercise in patience, though. We picked the machine we wanted in fifteen minutes. Their procedures to gather the parts and ring us up took over an hour before we were finally out the door.

Drake

I have everything I want & need in my computer. I highly reccommend that you order yours from Siplified Computers in Champaign Illinois. They are experts at building custom-made computers for both home & buisnesses. They have all the top name brands to choose from & they will set you up with exactly what you need, plus lots of extra goodies, to give you the best performing machine you could ever ask for at a real decent affordable price.
I'm sure glad I took my friends advice & got mine built there. Yes, they DO service what they sell too, should you need it later. Usually they do the work same day that you bring it in for servicing.

Hi, I have been using computers since 1982, and have built many of my own systems until several years ago. I found everything I wanted advertised by HP for a price I couldn't resist. I loved the machine and its capabilities. Only problem was MS ME. HP support was great. Last Sept. (2003) I purchased another machine from HP, running XP Pro, and have never had a single problem with it. I am currently running 46 applications, and programs. (machines run 24/7) I use it for banking, stock market, email, gathering data from the web etc. Just about constant use by my wife and I. Good luck to you, in your choice.