Community poll forum: How old is your current main computer?

Have just transferred data from old set-up (Dell Dimension 4300-Windows 2000 Professional) to new Dell Dimension E520 w/Vista OS. Used a 2 GB Flash Disk to grab and transfer everything. The Windows Easy Transfer program did work; however, I couldn't locate the transfer at first and ended up downloading it twice. Even tho' Dell provides a start-up guide, it leaves a lot to the imagination and trial and error, I found. Basically, my gut said to go w/Mac operating system, but was afraid of having a real hassle when trying to convert data/documents even tho' advertising would make it sound like a no-brainer--just can't afford to lose any of my stuff. Can't imagine MAC OS could be any less friendly/intuitive than switching over from old Windows OS. Am still waiting for all-in-one printer software from Hewlett-Packard so that I can finish the set-up for new printer. Would think that this software would've been available since there has been plenty of time to prepare for Vista. But their tech support has gotten me set-up for fundamentals until I receive the software. I suppose as I go along, I will forget the pain (just like childbirth) of switching to a new operating system and go for it again sometime, hopefully, in the distant future.

bought it back around 2002 it's a compaq presario 7120us, came with P4 1.5 Ghz and 64 Meg of 800Mhz rambus memory and a nivida geforce 2 mx 400. over time its been upgraded to P4 2.8Ghz and 1Gig of rambus and a ATI all in wonder x800 pro. oh it also came with winMe, that was replace with win98 after 1 week and later to winxp pro. Runs great and since i never plan to upgrade to vista should do me for many more years.

I have no idea. I couldn't find the Master Boot discs. It has no form of registration attached. I would guess approximately 3 years old. It's on Windows XP SP2 and has a Pentium R4 CPU 1.8GHz, 1.8GHz, 512MG of RAM. I would like to let you know that I just finished casting my vote for CNET.com in the Webby Awards, and say thanks for the priviledge of browsing your site. I haven't much of an education in computers, but after using some of the software I was introduced to. and studing what, and how, the programs work, I've advanced quite a bit. Computer technology can be a challenging field, and I've become quite fascinated with it. I've researched several form of education being offered, but most are merely focused on the individual applications of one individual program. That could easily be done by reading the FAQ sections, viewing any offered tutorials and/or manuals. When logging in I noticed that CNET offers some form of computer education. I'll try to remember to view your section, or maybe someone could compose a curriculum, and email it to me. That is, hodgie63@rogers.com . Well, off to play poker, and once again, thanks your help, and support. Yours truly, Roger Desroches , my slow season at work is coming up, and I'll try to dedicate more time to a constructive hobby, rather than laying on a beach and getting drunk.

I have a Fujitsu E8010 laptop (love it!) which replaced my old Toshiba 1805-S274, although I still have it and let my wife, who doesn't give a lick for computers, use it to place her Avon orders and keep trying to get my son to replace the original desktop computer, which is an NEC 350 MHz with only 384MB ram but he doesn't like to change until it quits and the durn thing just keeps right on going with windoze 98SE and all - it has a floppy drive, 3 hard drives, SCSI, USB 2.0, cable, and runs a color laser printer and a Heidelberg scanner albeit a little slowly I think but it always does. The biggest problem was with a stupid HP Photosmart P1100 printer which could never get it straight which interface to use (USB or parallel). At one time it also had a Syquest drive and a Zip disk in it as well (both SCSI with the scanner). Can't seem to use the scanner with the laptop very well since it is SCSI and the cables are inadequate (I bought the PCMCIA SCSI card but doesn't work right)
Still miss the Amiga and the many loveable features it had (like being able to assign a letter to a drive and knowing what it was going to come up as and also the ability to actually read a directory without a 30 minute delay and also to determine time so much better than any PC when copying files (only a PC could say that, after copying a file, that the remaining time is longer than it was when it started copying. Oh, well, such is progress..............

I use a 5yr old gateway desktop as the main pc. Its been upgraded from 256mb of ram to a gig, new dual layer dvd burner, and original HD died at just over 3yrs. of age. Also have a small 64mb graphics card insalled as well. it works quite well. keep it blown out once and a while and turn it off when not in use so as not to burn out another HD.
It is also on its 2nd version of windows xp, first was service pack 1, that got corrupted by there very own updates so I called Microsoft and complained and they sent out a free copy of Xp svc. pack 2 to use. Ill never use the updates again unless I need them. I do use the monthly virus theing they put out. Other than that use a free version of Avast anti-virus and a couple free spyware and off we go.

I have a Toshiba Satellite 1800-700 (P III 850, 384 RAM, with a network PCMCIA)
I don't trust new laptops in the market.

I like it with XP/SP2, but when I try Office 2007 it was dead, i'll downgrade to office 2003

I have 2 computers. The new one it;s for all the tsks in the web and that others that require multimedia capacity. The old is a DX486 100 MHz with DOS and Windows 3.11 That I use for my literary writings and for to play old games from before 1997. I have an HD Maxtor of 1 Gb without 1 bad sector after 16 years of continuous service. The windows 3.11 never give me troubles ("Windows Explorer has a problem and needs to close" etc). The new Sony's cdrom functions as well as the 3 1/4 and 5 1/2 floppies.
I understand that people who needs the more speed they can get for the job change often the computer, or people that works in graphic design or something like that, but change for only change...
If your computer do well what you must do, but have trouble with one item, change the item, not the computer. And if you have problems with a program, try another program, because possibly the guilty it isn't your comp.

My Rig:
Abit NF7-S v2 - 2ChDDR400,FSB400,1394,USB2.0,SATA,AGP3.0,nForce2-400
XP 3200+
2x 521MB DDR400
400GB HDD SATA - 320/80 - Pri/Sec
DVD/CDRW/LS120
R9700Pro-128M/256b/AGP8x
XP-Pro-SP2

I fortunately had the fore-thought to make sure my rig had room to grow when I selected the mobo. Kind of maxxed out now, but it will still handle whatever games throw at it for years to come on it's own, maybe I'll get a new video card.

The family PC has reinvented itself again - no parts from the original '98 Presario left in it - though this will probably be the final iteration.
P3-700
Some VIA based Mobo
512MB PC133
GeForce4-MX440
40GB HDD - 20/20
DVD/CDRW/USB Audio
XP-Pro-SP2

Recently re-assembled the Presario+ a few parts for extra oompf, still able to hack XP and Office '03
Cel-433
Via/SiS based mobo
3dFx Banshee-16MB
256MB PC100
12GB HDD
XP-Pro-SP2

I have pentium four from the time when it was a new born baby... My board in of AMD ATHLON, mY GOD, it have given me lots of prOblems and I'm fed up of my computer's slOw speed, however I have 80 GB RAM, 256 RAM and 2.0 mhz ProcessOr..

HP Pavilion a1130n upgraded ati radeon x700 and three megs memory

My computer is a HP Pavillion 522n. While it only has 60 gb hard drive and only runs at 1.8 mhz, it suits my purpose for home use right now.

While I would love to update to a 230 gb computer with DVD ram, and run Windows Vista - I don't have money to spend on that when other things need care more urgently. (I have to keep a car running.)

My computer has been previously infected with trojans, viruses, and worms, spy-ware and other software effecting problems. I run good anti-virus software. I have had my computer professionally serviced when the DVD rom drive started having problems.

It is better for the environment for me not to throw away the desktop unless there is no other choice.

(Printers - I have been through 3 since I got this computer. They don't last as long.)

Femalegtrst

I have a Dell Dimension 4550. Got it late in 2002. The DVD drive was replaced last year after 4 yrs. of struggling with it not recognizing discs I put in it; something was off alignment - if I pushed on one corner of the drive door it often would work. Dell's techs tried repeatedly to mess with software over the years, until finally I insisted and tech agreed to send out a serviceman. I should have insisted on that in 2003, not 2006! My lazy fault.

Dell's techs are often hard to understand (Indian), and often wanted to charge me for help - $99, so I found a local CompUSA store employee who advises me on issues for free. Plus another fellow on Dell's customer Forums that should be running Dell's tech education classes. 90% of the time the problem is software, tho, and I've learned to skip Dell and go to one guy at MSoft whose email address I saved. He usually has the right answers.

That's what would be nice with an Apple - almost all your problems could be dealt with at one place, instead of bouncing between providers like a shuttlecock. And they speak understandable English.

yeah, I have a laptop and the ONLY thing I DONT like about them is the stock charger when I bought mine it kept breaking because they made it so narrow, so i would recomend a USB charger. I have a dual-core COMPAQ V4000 paid 2Gs 2 or 3 years ago for it so its a tiny but slower than some of my freinds, but theres are brand new and my G-card is stock (so I need a tune up ROFL) but other than that COMPAQ makes a kick but laptop.

I have an old IBM Aptiva that is about 14 years old, and still works!

I think this thing is 5 or 6 years old now. Sadly what was great then is too slow now, 1.8 ghz with 512 ram doesn't even run the new years AV anymore. Don't want to buy new, but it's looking like it's time.