Community poll forum: Who do you trust for your computer-buying decisions?

Yes, multiple choice is not always "pure" in its choice. Although I chose "sales rep in a store" for my response, it is not just any rep or any store. It is one guy who has been very helpful over 7 or 8 years. I use reviews in knowledgeable forums (such as this) for research; then, go to my sales rep for "final decision/ confirmation".

DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY
DELL ALL THE WAY

Ok, so dells are cheap, but the recent ones have loads of problems - well, i certainly wudnt trust my music collection with em!

the only dell i have is the one next door which is an old GX1 - yeh its old, but its a workhorse, but its reliable.


i just think they dont build computers to last anymore - 500 computer + 2 years + fail = u buying another (probably dearer) computer

HP/Compaq has never let us down. NEVER. Not before their merger and not after. Dell does suck, so does Gateway. HP/Compaq and Sony are the ones that are worth their pennies. Trust me. We own HP and HP/Compaq desktops, laptops, printers, scanners, PSC all-in-ones, handhelds, photo copier/printers, etc. Over the last 10 years, none of them have failed. I'm not the only one who finds HP/Compaq reliable and efficient...it's rarer to find issues with their products than without. Consider this: over 60% of computer related issues/problems/conflicts are caused by user error and ignorance.

and thier computers are overly priced cause your paying for the name. i paid $800 and built my own computer. my friend paid 1200 for his on dell. had to get several things replaced.

mine has a
dvrw, AMD 64bit spu at 1200mb chache and 1mhz fsb, 1gb ram, 200gb hard drive, a decent video card, gigabit ethernet, flat pannel monitor. and other goodies.

his came with 60gb hard drive 512mb ram a dvd player and some other things. all because it is dell and pentium based aswell. hey paid for labor/dells name and extra warrenty.

me all i paid was parts, and flat shipping rate.

the thing is with Dell is that they are becoming elcheapo. they arnt what they used to be

My friends all have built thier own computers - desktops - and have really nice cases, AMD or Pentium processors in the 1.0 Ghz - 2.9 Ghz range, 2 GB Ram, etc. and they pay $100-$400 less for theirs. It's an awesome way to go, as well as getting to learn about your own machine.

I use several vehicles for help with buying decisions. I read industry reviews & talk with co-workers but mostly I depend on a "techie" friend of mine.

He runs his own PC repair service but he will also do some product research for me to help determine best "bang for the buck". With his technical background, he often knows of small little bugs in things that don't seem to make it into the review columns in the trade papers.

I'm shopping for a computer right now, and of course I started out with Cnet. I'm glad I did, because the CPU I've decided on is made by an outfit I've never heard of before (Velocity), and wouldn't have, if I hadn't checked Cnet's desktop reviews.

I also printed up Cnet's guides to buying a desktop and a monitor, and the full-length review of this CPU that I like. All together, a good education.

I've checked the websites of some of the big office stores and did comparisons of what they had, and also checked Velocity's own website. I still have to look at a couple of other geeksites just to feel sure, but I've probably already made up my mind about the whole system.

I bought my first computer on the advice of staff at one of the office stores, and the more I learned about computers (and what mine lacked), the more I regretted having done it that way.

buying form a computer specialist can be wonderful, like purchasing best fastest parts and putting them into one computer. how ever they can order the parts that you paid, then put a generic one in. Also you dont know how long they will be in buisness to offer support.

thing is you can also pay for the labor, unless you know him really well.....or your smart enugh to build your own

I read reviews, I go to hardware sites, read up on the particular boards I am interested in. I go to more then one reviews on a product and to places like Tom Hardware and sharky's and always to the manufacturer's site. I go to the manufacturer's site more or less to get spec's. Some times they will have a compatibility list as to which products will work with their equipment.

Rick

http://www.rickswebfactory.com/

for years i have been using cnet for a refrence, spcialy when i wasnt really good at computers, id look at their tests and performances and such. as they really helped me buy my 2nd computer.

i dont meen to sound like a suck up but. Cnet is one of the best reasourses to get info on that certain computer. as the retailer/manufacturer is only out to get your money and would rather die then give you the down side of thier product.

does Cnet sell stock?

Oh yes! Trust them knowledgeable sales reps and you'll get a real chhheeeeaaaap deal...so cheap that you won't mind spending the extra money for the repairs - I mean, "upgrades" that you'll have to bring it in to have done.

befor i bought my 2nd computer i waited, did some reasurch on many things, like ram, rams speed and hrts, aswell as CPU's and thier chace's and bus speeds. i look at all this to make my purchase.

just because its 3.0 ghz or what ever dont meen you get the bang of 3.0 ghz

if it dont have detaild specs on all its parts, dont buy it, or ask the salse rep. by law they are suposed to show you all information in thier posetion of it. just like a car salesman.

dont blindly go to a store like best buy and pick one that looks good or the salse guy said it was good, cause theyer out to get you to buy it even if its not good.

not only are the outragiously over priced. last i heard they wer ownd By Communists, and im not joking


*reposted, i pressed wrong button