Community poll forum: If you use a desktop, who is the manufacturer?

You know we aren't going to keep a pc for a lifetime so why do companies only give you 90 days for help?

I bought an eMachines pc & will look from now on for
a pc company who offers help for as long as you have the machine. You know a pc is usually only kept for
a couple of years & then we need a new one so why do
companies do this?

I guess some customers really pay them for help.

Any comments?

Started as a Wintel guy. Apple users were obnoxious SOB's. Set out to prove anything they could do, I could do. Well...after I shelled out for a used clamshell laptop I saw the light. Everything I want to do, from basic apps to networking is just easier. Yeah it costs more, but my family likes the new me no more swearing, ranting, raving. Bill Gates is not the antiChrist, and Steve Jobs ain't the second coming, but let's get serious, when you have the combination of proprietary hardware and a proprietary OS you end up with a better experience.

Really, when you factor in the system that you get, Apple is not more expensive. Maybe when compared to "budget" PCs offered by the uber-PC manufacturers. But really, my new 17" iMac G5 with the SuperDrive for less than $1500 is THE bargain of the computer industry! The performance, the bundled software, the gorgeous LCD display, the way it performs, simply amazed by what I've got!

I agree with you. The way the system works is sweet. Upon realizing that it was time to replace my PC and doing the research, I could no longer avoid the fact that Apple was the name of the game for me. Everything just works, my time is spent working on and enjoying my projects. Working on my projects and not half my time on the computer so that I can perform my tasks! Really, up until about 3 months ago when deciding upon going with Apple I was a die-hard PC fan... Now, every day I'm happier that I chose Apple. Better than expected!

I'm on my 2nd Gateway with XP & an LCD Screen, a 200GB HD and a Pent. 4 Chip! I LOVE it!!
My 1st Gateway is almost 7 years old...Wind 98, Upgraded, still going strong and networked to the xp Machine! It's held up like a champ though some harrowing experiences! Original HD was 6.4 GB's...I upgraded it to 40GB's, added 2 RW Drives and Ram!
I'm firmly SOLD on the quality components!

pryan

Admittedly, I bought a Dell for two reasons: I got a decent price on package deal: desktop, monitor, laserjet, speakers, subwoofer, and Dell's a trusted name. That was 5 years ago and while it's treated me well, I'm in the market for a new one. Not sure which brand I'll go with, but I would definitely consider another Dell. Any suggestions out there?

My Gateway ''PERFORMANCE 500'' with a 21 inch monitor shipped on 8/11/1999. It has a 500MHz Intel Pentium III and runs Windows XP Pro SP2. It is as purchased except for a memory upgrade. I have been very pleased with the performance until recently. Communicating with camera memory cards and my iPod are slow using the USB 1.1 ports. I plan to upgrade to USB 2.0. Then maybe I'll get another 6 years out of this puppy.

I built this PC (Soyo Dragon Platinum KT333 mb)three years ago and recently upgraded the memory to 1 GB and changed the processor from a XP1800+ to XP2400+ and a ATI X800 video card; my monitor is a Viewsonic VP912B and have two 80 GB Western Digital hard drives (one boots to XP pro and the other boots to Windows ME)

I've gone through a Compaq, a Medion, two custom machines (back in the dark ages where there wasn't as big of a market for computers as there is today) a Gateway and two eMachines. While I like the Gateway and the Medion, eMachines is my personal favorite of them all. When Gateway bought eMachines, I was worried about the quality, but I worried needlessly, as the Gateway desktop I use occasionally is a very nice machine. For the money, eMachines is the best buy out there that actually can be a decent machine. Best Buy sells the lowest end machines for around $300, and they need minimal work to be a very nice machine. I'm using a T2792 from 2004, and I've had minimal problems, and none with the 3300+ machine purchased a few months ago.

I will never use another HP/Compaq computer unless it is the business grade, as the quality of them is so poor with consumer grade products. And, since I'd be paying extra for the business grade computer, why not just save the money and get a eMachines?

Dell, oh, how I loathe Dell. I don't know how they can market such underpowered machines to the public, I can't use an overpriced, underpowered machine, and that carries over to the higher grade systems that they do carry. It just doesn't seem right to support a company that sells such crappy machines to the general (non geeky) public.

Okay, yeah. I'm a bit of an eMachines fangirl, but who doesn't love high quality products that are inexpensive enough to replace a machine every year?
-Katt

Dell

The price and the guarantee

I got a Dell because it was the brand I used at work before I retired. I had always had a Compaq at home before that. We also used a Gateway at work before Dell. I was very inpressed with Dell and have been very happy with them.

Had it for 6 months. Works great. I love it.

my first choice would be a Sony VAIO, because it lastes you a long time and is very reliable and cool looking. Sony is totally original with there products. the design and look is so cool you will want to put it in the middle of the room and have everyone look at it. not like the corny look that HP or eMachine have.

I've owned Dell and Gateway in the past, and both were o.k. machines, but when it came time to upgrade the old machines weren't worth the investment and none of the new machines, of any manufacturer, had exactly what I wanted---if I could have played mix-n-match with components to add what I liked and delete what I didn't need the price became prohibitive. Solution? I built my own machine with everthing I wanted and nothing I didn't need, and for alot less than buying a 'custom' built. Fortunately, I am very mechanically adept, but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to build a decent, trustworthy system--as high-end as you like-- provided you play by the rules and follow directions. There are some great step-by-step books out there to guide you, (one of the better ones I've found is "Building the Perfect PC", by Robert Bruce Thompson & Barbara Fritchman Thompson) and the satisfaction and pride you get from building your own system---plus the savings--is well worth the effort. As for manufacturer Vs. manufacturer, it's kinda like Ford vs. Chevy or Ferrari vs. Porsche---everybody has their brand loyalties for one reason or another, none of which is particularly right or wrong.