Buying a Computer - Comments Page 2

Bob, I wish you had mentioned the issues of heat and noise. Today's powerful computers produce more heat and that has to be exhausted somehow. I have a computer that came with a fan so loud that it sounded like a hair dryer was running inside. After complaining, the maker substituted a somewhat quieter fan. I have since upgraded the heat sink and fan and it is worlds quieter. Generally quieter computers are not an accident. They are built by design and sometimes it is worth weighing the cost benefits of less noise. Thanks for the great information.

A well balanced piece of advice aimed at a specific user. What i would say is that based on my "older" father's experience, he very quickly discovered the wonders of computers that lies beyond the daily menial task of writing me emails and trying to find his way around the internet. The thing is if you use the internet you see that there is a massive and exciting world of multimedia, and I humbly suggest, based on one click comparisons, that if you go for a Mac as opposed to a PC, you get the complete set of iLife software included which cuts out a huge learning and research curve for organising and playing with photos, movies, music blah blah blah.

I would also say that looking at my brother's Windows/PC experience, he has bought two cheaper PCs for every Mac I have owned. He is a bit of a geek, so sure he gets good use out of them, he has them dancing almost, and he does get good deals, but he has spent more on his computers than I have.

Can you tell the differents between a Dell solo processor and a Duo processor, Not sure what would be the best for me.

EDITOR'S NOTE: How fast can you type? If you're not using game or graphics editing software that demands lots of horsepower, then don't pay extra for a hot PC.

I would like to second the request for a good laptop review, or laptop PC comparison (maybe a link to someone who has done this already?!!). I use only laptops at work and have for the last 4 years. They are great. At home I use a PC and find it has obsolesced quickly, so am considering a replacement and possibly a laptop instead of a PC. Your suggestions and evaluation of this idea will be most appreciated. Thanks.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Using a laptop instead of a desktop is great for people who are very mobile. But laptops tend to have a much higher price/performance ratio. You can buy a lot more horsepower for your dollar with a desktop. And I've never found a laptop keyboard that I found comfortable for typing. I like my Sony VAIO but only use it when travelling.

Along with Microsoft Office and Open Office for PC, and iWork for Mac, you should have mentioned the Mac-
equivalent to OpenOffice....... which is NeoOffice,
free to download.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Good catch. See also http://askbobrankin.com/office_format_converters.html

i love my computer. it is so fast. i love the people at dell, thank you for the great machine.but the computer is fugly.

(If you want an easy way to get the great prices and services on computers, go to www.dell.com/dellchat). Only works if your inside the US though.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Why... do they offer lower prices if you start a chat session?

what brand or kind of printer can i use on a sony laptop computer?

EDITOR'S NOTE: It doesn't matter what type or brand or printer. They all plug in to your computer the same way.