December 30, 2007

Computer: Help wanted!

I'm writing this post on my old computer which was delivered to me five years ago(!). This might be a laughable fact to you but this ol' machine has served me well up to this point. I have been able to do all that I wanted to do with it - surfing the net, blogging, being my jukebox (with tons of music in it), showing me movies, e-mailing, being my typewriter, storing my images, working PhotoShop etc - but now it's full and slow and just plain old. I'm beginning to fear that it'll collapse one day, very soon, with a great amount of stuff in it that I haven't backed up. Sure I have an external memory of 250 GB but it contains mostly my movies that has pretty much filled that memory bank up....

...so it's finally time to invest in a new computer.

Being a very "non-tech" guy this is not a totally positive situation to be in. A number of questions arises as well as apprehensions. What is there to think about and what pits are there to fall into. I mean, maybe I won't keep this one for as long as the other but I would hate to make a stupid buy. So basically I have two questions that I'd like some help with:

1. What should I get? What numbers should i look for in the descriptions?
- I want to get as much as possible for the least amount of money possible. Strange isn't it? Seriously. I do. However, having made it this far with a five year old machine it's pretty clear I don't need a super-duper top-of-the-line computer. But it has to be much faster to work with and it has to have a much bigger memory. As far as I understand it there are three major things to watch for 1. The processor 2. The hard disc memory capacity 3. The internal memory. Am I right or are there, in your mind, much more to watch for in the ordinary computer? Are there any common traps to watch out for.

2. What should I think about when it comes to switching from the old to the new? Any tips?
- Should I move free programs like for instance FireFox from one computer to the other or should I download anew? Pros and cons?

If you have any good advice for me and some spare time I'd love to hear from you. Cheers!

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UPDATE:

Feng (promising blog by the way!) recommends me to go here for guidance and that I download all programs anew ;) to the new computer. Feng also point out that Vista is crap so I should stay with XP. Your pieces of advice are appreciated, Feng.

Mod*Mom loves the Hewlett Packard Touchsmart PC - hmm, looks great of course and it's probably worth every penny but I wasn't planning on paying 1.600 USD. I think, without having checked too much, that I can get a pretty good computer (excluding screen etc) for less than 1.000 USD and that's more like what I'm planning. So, Mod*Mom, thank you very much for the tip but I think I'll wait until next time.

mc fox said: "I think you better shave! That will solve at least some of your pc-problems. Mine slowed up alot while being badly shaved." I guess mc fox means I should get rid of useless rubbish in the computer releasing some power that way. It would probably work, as it is completely stuffed, but it is time to get a new one anyway - but thanks mc fox!

Anonymous thinks I should get "an OLPC for 100 bucks and sell your old PC on eBay (for more)." A creative suggestion! However, would I get more?! I'm not sure. ;D

Signature CDM says: "There are always discounts on Mac minis, such as these: http://lowendmac.com/deals/best-mac-mini-prices.html. I have one, and it works great. If you max it out with memory (http://macsales.com is recommended place for purchasing and information on how to) then it can run both Windows and Mac OS X. Hook it up to your TV and it works as an entertainment center as well with Front Row and accompanying remote for all your music and video needs."
Thanks for letting me know, CDM. I should of course have said that this time it'll be a PC - once more... Maybe next time ;)

Roar of Norway says his philosophy when it comes to buying computers is to spend as little money as possible on a machine that meets your current requirements - this enables you to save money for repairs or replacement if you're unlucky and have an accident. This sounds very sound, doesn't it? He also says that to reformat is very important. I guess he's right - I've heard it before but I never have done it ;) For him something like a laptop with 15 inch screen and 160 GB hard drive and extra external memory would do it. I have also thought about getting a laptop but I don't really have the use for the portability right now. However I would probably bring it with me on occasion and it would crave much less space - so I haven't written a laptop off completely... Thanks for your insight Roar!

To be continued with your advice!


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