Buying new computer, need advice.

[Lawless]

Just get a Maxtor at Costco (160Gig or larger) and get it installed in a boutique.
This will save you precious time...and headache!
Your system has to be able to drive such a disk though.
Get it installed as the master and once you have transferred all you datas, get the small drive reformatted to clean it. Don't wait for your small drive to tell you it's sick, there should be at least ten to fifteen percent free at all time on your drive (what I have been told after a crash!!)

 

[FaceMaster]

Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[Doctor Evil]

Thanks for the amazing response!!!

I am looking to get a desk top replacement as well as getting a lap top for the near future. I will be using these computers to search for info on a project that I am doing as well as for some digital photography and movie editing in the future. If there is anyone out there that is using a Mac as well as a PC, can you tell me is there any advantage to buying a Mac lap top? Will it be too dificult to switch back and forth from Mac to PC? What aout MDG has anyone had bad/good experiences with them?

 

[donbusch]

Originally posted by HornyBoy007
...Dell offers some customization but when it comes to the OS the only choice you have is to choose betwen Widos XP home edition or professional edition.

A friend of mine claims that you can get a DELL w/o the OS by buying through the phone instead of through the website. The DELL sales rep might give some line about the system not allowing him/her to make such a change but if you make it clear that the sale is contingent on you not having to buy the OS, the sales rep will usually relent. Not sure if it will work but no harm trying.

Originally posted by FaceMaster
... My 20GB hard drive is getting full and I'm seriously thinking about adding a second hard drive ...

A second hard drive is a good option but depending on your budget and needs, other options might include buying an external hard drive to minimise any installation hassles or simply getting a cd or cd/dvd burner if you don't already have one. The cd burner comes in handy especially if the space on your hard drive is being taken up by MP3s or small files and you're not really using up the space at a fast rate. Plus you can also back up your data and make audio cds.

 

[Lawless]

Any serious alternative to WindowXP??? Why would you buy a computer from Dell, Toshiba, HP or IBM without an OS.
Linus...???? For the home user..??????????????????

 

[donbusch]

Originally posted by Lawless
Any serious alternative to WindowXP??? Why would you buy a computer from Dell, Toshiba, HP or IBM without an OS.
Linus...???? For the home user..??????????????????

Apart from the the non Windows users, there are some who errr, don't believe in paying for software

 

[HornyBoy007]

Lawless,

Linux is really a nice OS (and serious one, many armies around the world are using it, it is also used in the Boeing 777 internal video system...), I have 3 boxes running Linux at home. It is not a hacker's OS and any grandmother could also use a linux computer (though she might need her grandson to install the system ). In terms of security, reliability and performance Linux is definetely better. It has also a GUI (KDE) which is better than windows ( at least in my opinion) and most importantly, I never got a system crash with Linux, I just love this OS.

 

[LDS]

Unless you really understand computers, or plan on putting the time into learning, the only real options are Windows and Mac. Linux has the potential to be more secure and give better performance but only if you spend the time making it so. Out of the box that is not the case. People buy computers without the OS/other software because:

1) They don't like having to pay ridiculous prices to get that OS/software

or

2) They already own that OS/software and don't want to spend money on it again.