Buying New Desktop for Home Use

[Fishfreak]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a desktop for home use. Primarily for office work and entertainment. None of the heavy duty graphic applications required.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what to buy .... or what NOT to buy?

The NOT to buy I have in my list is Packard Bell/NEC.

What do you guys think of Acer, Dell, HP and Compaq (I have had bad experience with Compaq aftersales before they got acquired - not sure if its worse now since the acquisition and integration was a huge mess)

Thanks

[Vinoth]

I have used ACER before. Not bad. Used for 2 years and no problem. So i cant comment on the customer service.

Why dont u DIY?

[Fishfreak]

No good with DIY. My wife will prefer getting something nicely done up already and with decent aftersales service. I thought Acer is not too bad too.

Anything from anyone else?

[FuEl]

DELL?

[Vinoth]

Sometimes DIY customer service will be bad too unless you have good relationship with the shop.

HP customer service for servers is very good.

[harmony]

... HP

[tineng]

DELL best value for $$$$$

[moxa]

Hi Bro reefer,

HP and Compaq desktop comes from same family. So it should be alright. upz for HP desktop too.

Acer should be consider in your options.

of course I prefer DIY as been done that since many years back.

few things you may wan to keep in mind when you started getting your PC

- Get a boradband apply first. This is for the huge updates you need for your system

- start windows updated immediately especially the critical and security (after that tune it to automatic). Some say XP service 2 should not updates currently. But SP 1 is a must.

- Antivirus updates immediately regularly check is autoupdates.

- popup blocker.

- do keep in mind freeware "have a price" ????? might cause more hidden application install like .... on-line shopping, casino....

cheers

Moxa

[BFG]

1st thing to do is to install anti-virus & firewall. Then you surf for updates of your OS. Had read up about an article saying it takes at least 20 minute ++ for a new pc to be compromised once it enter the internet.

Anyway, anyone currently using AlphaShield? Saw it at Comex 2004. I want to know whether it lives up to what it claim to be. But pricewise is a little steep. www.alphashield.com

[Fishfreak]

Hey, thanks for the good advices and recommendations. Looks like those brands are generally OK. So it comes down to value now. LCS anyone?

[blacknails]

Hey man I've been looking thru sites of the various brands of PCs you mentioned and Acer seriously gives you the best specs for the least amount of money. For e.g. a comp with the specs of a good Acer comp that costs $2000++ actually costs $3000+++ when you buy it from Dell. So I believe that Acer gives you the best value.

Oh and having to download Spybot, Adaware etc in your new comp is important too... To prevent spyware and other bugs. Yup.. Good luck in your shopping, man... I praying my dad will get me a new comp too

[Clownfish]

dun recommend compaq n acer desktops... bad experiences from my friends who hav them over the years... hope they realli hav improved...

if i din rem wrongly, HP was rated best in providing customer support...

dell is gd when it comes to self custmisable....

for value, self DIY is the best value for money

or u wan, can go sim lim, pick all the parts u wan to buy in 1 shop which generally offers best value, then ask the shop help u assemble, shld be rdy in 1 hr..., the parts bought shld hav individual warranty, those w/o, ur receipt comes in handy, the shop shld be most willing to change for u if still within the warranty period

[surfedelic]

Get an Apple G5 .... real fast ... some more no virus problem

If not ... then Hp should be the next choice at least for me .. after sales service is really good ... I think yours is an exception case but one thing when your laptop is without warranty then good luck .. the service damn expensive ... eg,.the cost to replace a hard disk can cost you 2 hard disk cost bought from SL. But you can get an extended support deal......

I have used HP all my life ... because I used to be from Hp so can get 12 %discount

If you got friend working in Apple lacki better ... 50 % I think ..

[moron_clown]

d*ll SUCKS big time...they run like they're ancient 486s,customer service sucks,and they will never pay u the $300 rebate they promised .if u work for dell and thinks i'm bullshitting,i'll be happy to receive ur pm.

[iewnehz]

d*ll SUCKS big time...they run like they're ancient 486s,customer service sucks,and they will never pay u the $300 rebate they promised .if u work for dell and thinks i'm bullshitting,i'll be happy to receive ur pm.

YAH.AGREED

[Fishfreak]

I've dropped Dell and Compaq from my shortlist. Just browsing their online catalogues, it is clear these two are expensive. I've had bad experience with Compaq in the past and a couple of friends who used Dell at work gave them the thumbs down as well. HP's expensive too, but its likely to be a good product. Now leaning on Acer .... anyone with experience with the RC550 (~$2600) or the T310-30P5MR (~$2000)?

[surfedelic]

Beware of Acer' support...it sucks like nobody's biz.. my colleague bang table still cannot change the laptop one to one even though there was a problem and he bought it less than 7 days.

But I heard the product not bad- interms of feature and cost.

For me - if you are going for laptop - get a renowned vendor becasue the parts are more proprietary and if getting a desktop - any reasonable vendor should be fine - parts are interchangeable.

I also agree that HPQ support is ex but you are paying for a peace of mind.... nothing is free in this world.. with other brand I am not so sure even though you are willing to pay..

just my 2 cents.

[yus75]

im using dell now.....so far so gd....my motherboard got "shortcircuit" i guess once..n got it replace for free......HP my gf hardisk crash n gotto BUY the reinstallation cd as her hp reinstallation built in the hardisk

[BFG]

http://forums.natriumtech.com/

Local forum.