What do I look for when buying a desk top computer?
486057
go with dell or HP prices are a little cheaper at HP get more stuff on the PC. But by all means you are definitely a Media person so Aim for larger Hard drives and Pentium M. it is made for media experience\nand when buy comp. make sure you customize it take out everything you don't need (prices will change dramatically) and only put in what your going to use. (ie. DVD burner x read and write speed you need to get the job done) if you can try to get your hands on a program called Alcohol 120% you will be amaze at it functions.
460137
Be careful with EMachines, Gateway, Dell and the likes.\nTry ordering from a local computer manufacturer if possible. \n\nAs for specifications...\n\nProcessor: at least a pentium 4 at least 1.5 to 2 ghz\nMemory: Windows XP needs 256 mb. 512 to be safe.\nNO INTEGRATED SOUND OR VIDEO. These two things use the computer's memory. Disable it if its available.\nGraphics card with a chip by either nVidia or ATI with at least 32 meg of memory (if you want to be really cheap)\nSoundblaster sound card (even a "value" model will do better than internal sound.)\n\nDon't spend too much. An okay deskop computer should cost you under $1000 these days, but don't try to get the cheapest thing or you'll be in trouble.
678571
Dell.com without a doubt. I've heard experts from Geek Squad say this every time they do an interview on the radio, plus I have one myself, and many of my friends do too. If you call you can specify what you need and don't need so you don't pay for anything you already have, such as a good mouse or keyboard, or even monitor if you have a new one. A lot of times they run free shipping which will save you  almost $100. I would check the website daily for a week or so to get an idea what a good price is as they change often, but with research you can get a great computer at a great price.
376883
Well, on the over all market are my pics.\n\nDell - Great value all around. Wonderfull desktops. The Optiplex series has been a consistantly good system. Their laptops are pretty good too.\n\nApple - Well there's just no competition for these guys, just one small problem. $$$$$$$ Way to much! AND NO, I DON'T WANT A FREE IPOD WITH MY PURCHASE!\n\nToshiba - I've got old ones, and I have a brand new Satilite M55. There like my Toyota, I'll never get rid of em'. Toshiba, from my personal experience makes some of the best performing, if not, the longest lasting lap tops I've ever worked with. If you buy a new Satalite, you may find your self no longer using your desktop. \n\nHP - Decent desent desktops. (Personal experience). Good Laptops, from what I hear. The older HP's that were on socket 370 were fantastic. Mine is 6 years old and still runs great. Their new line of PDA's though, those are realy nice. I own one, and it's replaced almost all the tasks I use to use my laptop for. All the minor ones at lease.\n\nThe best home PC however would have to be the ones you build your self. They can be painfull to work with at times, but once you get one put together that works, it's a realy neat feeling to have it and use and to be able to stick it to everyone else who gets ripped of by Dell! (just kidding)
435276
If your home/office use is nothing more than surfing the internet and using office applications, then more or less any pc made within the last 4/5 years will be able to do that. You do not need to spend large amounts of money unless you plan to do photo/video editing, gaming, multimedia tasks, or lots of things at once.\nIf you need to carry the computer about, a laptop is recommended.\nA good basic spec is a desktop processor of 2.5ghz or more, or a mobile processor of 1.5ghz or more. 256mb RAM is a good idea, and a hard drive of 40gb is probably the minimum.\nOther components can be whatever you like
1042206
Honestly you will probally end up spending more to repair your laptop then you would spend on the desk top. I would compare. Go to Best Buy(they can quote you for free), and find out how much it would be to fix the old one. (even though just an estimate). Then figure it out from there. Also take in to consideration what you use the comp for. Do you use it more away from home than you do at home?
234366
The best way to find out that info is to go to accessories, system tools, system information, then + sign next to components then click on display. You'll get what you want and much more.
813914
Built my first computer,about as hard as a snap together model I used to build when I was little. Biggest worry, static electricity.\nSure, there are some cheap computers out there. But once you get what you want added on, you'll be surprised at how high that price will go. Not only that but upgrading certain things will be impossible or just a downright pain in the butt. \nIf you're looking for the minimum, just buy one. If you're looking to for something a little nicer with some goodies and may want to upgrade or add on as you go, build it yourself.\nAlso, if you have the time, check some of the deal websites out there, they can make things MUCH cheaper with rebates and sales for certain items. An example...you might find a hard drive you want for $80, but catch the deal and you might get a $40-$60 rebate. slickdeals.net is a favorite of mine.
562976
no sure and Microsoft, they have everything, if not there try looking it up and then going with the model number and going to ebay because you would be amazed to know what you can find there.
23675
" What is the best brand for computers? HP? VAIO? ALIENWARE? DELL? "\n\nThe Best you can get is an Alienware PC. They are the most powerfull (4 GB RAM, Duel Core Prossesors, Duel 7800 GTX Videocards, Terrabyte Storage), and most reliable, but they are also the most expensive (5,000)\n\nIf You are on a budget Then I reccomend an eMachines.\nThey are really cheap but they are well build and have good hardware. Same with Gateway, you can buy a really nice gateway Pentium D, 300GB, 2GB DDR2 RAM, all that for around 800-900 Dollars.\n\nIf you want something that is really reliable and well known with the best free technical support you could go with  HP. The HP website offers free technical support where you can actually chat with a real technichian, most website offer self help. HP has very good computer at the average price range.\n\nVAIO computers are good, but expensive (VAIO = SONY)\nYou are basicly paying for the name just like Alienware. They have really strong PC's, if you want a  really strong PC, then  this would be Right Next to Alienware.\n\nMe, I Custom Build my PC's. You can get the parts cheap from eBay, or NewEgg. You have control of what your PC will be like. For this you buy a case, a motherboard, RAM, harddrive, CD ROM, and more additional stuff, This will cost you much less than buying a new computer. You can can custom build a computer with the same exact things as what you could find in an alienware for alot cheaper.\n\nHope you found this helpfull
867501
Dell Inspiron or Toshiba lapotops are a good buy. But as someone rightly said; its a mix of your budget and computing needs.
1043322
stuff you'll need\n\nmotherboard\ncpu\ngraphics card\nram\nhard drive\ndvd rom drive\npower supply\ncomputer case\nmonitor\nkeyboard\nmouse\nspeakers\n\nhttp://newegg.com is the most popular store among people who build computers.  they are inexpensive and get your order processed quickly.
728262
Let us know what the closest main city is for help.  I find local computer places are much better than the big box stores.  Especially price-wise.  Look in your yellow pages for a store that services computers and sells re-furbished ones.  They're the ones that will use the parts they have on hand instead of trying to sell you special order stuff, or a whole new computer for that matter.
786835
The hardware is pretty much the same as a desktop, just smaller versions of it. \n\nWhen buying a laptop (notebook) computer, you want to look for a few important details.\n\n    * Warranty\n      Laptop computers tend to contain be very proprietary hardware. Items such as the screen, keyboard, power supply, and video card tend not to be easily replaced if they fail. In addition, they are subject to more abuse than a desktop and at greater risk of component failure. Therefore, it's very important to get a long (3 year or longer) warranty with any new laptop purchase. If something should go wrong with the laptop during the warranty period, the manufacturer will most likely repair or replace it (unless damage is caused due to negligence).\n    * Buy from Reputable Manufacturers\n      A 3+ year warranty isn't going to do much good if the maker is out of business 6 months after you purchase the laptop. Thus, it's important to purchase a laptop from a known manufacturer who will be in business next year and the year after. Reasonably safe bets include buying from Dell, Gateway, Lenovo (IBM), Toshiba, HP/Compaq, Fujitsu, and Sony. That said, I personally avoid Sony and HP/Compaq. In my experience (granted, this is experience from around 2002-2003), Sony support is poor and can take several days, more likely weeks, to repair a system sent back to them. In addition, they have in the past limited their warranty to 90 days if you do not register the notebook with them. HP/Compaq (Compaq more specifically in my experience) has declined to support their products - even relatively new products. For example, if you want to upgrade the operating system of the laptop, they have, in the past, taken the attitude of "it didn't ship with it, we won't help you with it. Also, in the summer of 2006 when I last spoke to support from HP for their printers, I was very disappointed in the level of knowledge demonstrated.\n    * RAM\n      Today, RAM is crucial to system performance, but many computer makers will actually sell systems with what most technicians would consider too little RAM. For a balance of price and performance, any computer running Windows XP, not just a notebook, should have 512 MB RAM. More if you intend to do video editing, play high-end games, or run with many applications open. The upgrade from "base" memory is often a $50-$100 upgrade, but usually well worth it. Keep in mind, Windows Vista likely requires 1 GB of RAM (1024 MB) to run smoothly.\n\nAnd remember, even the worst rated products will work flawlessly for some people and the best rated products will fail on occasion. When buying you want to buy with the best odds of having a good experience.
773483
Laptop or Desktop, it solely depends on your choice. Laptops have great flaunt value and mobility, whereas Desktops do not need to depend on batteries. I will give you the list of the components you should be getting and their prices. I think this configuration is good .Check it below:                                          \n        \nCPU           AMD 939 pin Athlon 64 3200 Rs. 7500\nMotherboard         MSI K8NGM2 Rs.6500\nRAM                       512MB DDR 400 Hynix    Rs.3500\nMonitor                   17" Samsung DF793  Rs.6500                                                                                                                                                                                                    \nKeyboard               Logitech                                            Rs.300\nHDD                      120 GB SATA Western Digital Rs.2650         \nMouse                    Logitech Optical                               Rs.300\nCabinet                  Any                                                     Rs.500\nPower Supply       Antec 350 W                                     Rs.2000\nOptical Drive        Lite-On /Sony DVD-Writer               Rs.2750\nSpeakers             Creative Inspire 2.1                           Rs.2400\n\nTotal                                                                                  Rs.34900\n\nGraphics Card     XFX Geforce 6600 or 7600 GT     Rs.12000
742499
I would look for something with at least a gigabite of ram. and a 120 gig hard drive.\nthat would be a great laptop.
798478
laptop computers can be a rather tricky buy at times, I would suggest that you look out for the cheapest and yet latest desktop on the market, the best way to do this is on what they call warehouse sale markets some of them are online. these warehouse owners have a service where they sell laptop computers to normal customers like you and me, however with very reduced prices due to the fact that they do not have as much costs as normal shops do, such as rent and a employees etc. as you know most online shops have rather competitive prices sometimes cutting the laptop price to a half. one such website for laptop computers is : \n\nhttp://umgarticles.atspace.com/laptop-computer.htm\n\nIf you like my answer please consider voting for me!!! thank you