[upstatedoc]

Didn't post this in computing because it's all gamers. So after 7 years our Dell has died and I am looking for a replacement. Ideally I'd like a desk top and its main duties will be email, kids games (Nick.com stuff), surfing the web (no porn), no heavy gaming. We have a bestbuy and Sams Club that seem like the cheapest prices but we also have several independent computer shops. I'm not into "building my own" as I'm not that handy. Suggestions are welcome as well as wise-ass remarks.

[johanness]

No porn... PFFFFT

Any Apple product'l do u fine

[Bakeme521]

I bought my desktop off ebay used. Its a dell thats about a year old, but the previous owner built it custom. I bought dual acer LED monitors for a total 125 bucks for both also on ebay. Total invested I have just under 600 dollars. The computer has 16gb of ram, 2 500gb hard drives, 2.8ghz quad core processor, and a really good graphics card that I can't remember the name of, but it can run up to 4 monitors.

Yes, you are buying used, but I was patient and I got exactly what I wanted.

But, as the above poster stated, you can't go wrong with an Apple desktop.

[P1]

I have had great luck either buying Dell refurbished or from the Dell auction. Stick with the business line (OptiPlex and Latitude) and you cannot go wrong since they have 3-year on-site NBD warranties.

If you want a desktop, check out a refurb Dell OptiPlex 790 for example. Right now you can get them for around $500 and there are coupons for the refurb site all over the place.

[upstatedoc]

How does this sound?


27-inch iMac
16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
Apple Magic Mouse
Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Accessory Kit
3.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 1 GB GDDR5
Software
Pages, Numbers, Keynote
iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand
OS X

[NemesisX]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

How does this sound?


27-inch iMac
16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
Apple Magic Mouse
Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Accessory Kit
3.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 1 GB GDDR5
Software
Pages, Numbers, Keynote
iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand
OS X

For how much, though?

I'm not into building my own computers either, but I have several friends who are crazy about it and they built a system for me that's about 40-50% of what it would cost had I purchased retail.

For $1000 you can assemble a computer that's vastly more powerful than anything on the market right now, but $1000 retail will get you a relatively mediocre computer.

Anyways it's worth looking into even though you mentioned that you're not into building your own computers. And obviously for just email and surfing the web you're not going to need a crazy fast computer. The point is you can always get better performance at a given price by building your own computer, no matter what your price range.

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

How does this sound?


27-inch iMac
16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
Apple Magic Mouse
Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Accessory Kit
3.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 1 GB GDDR5
Software
Pages, Numbers, Keynote
iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand
OS X

You won't be disappointed.

[qba335i]

I would pay extra for SSD drive.

[b1aze]

Originally Posted by qba335i

I would pay extra for SSD drive.

Thiiiiss. Not only is it incredibly fast, but it will be super stable for the life of the computer.

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

How does this sound?


27-inch iMac
16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
Apple Magic Mouse
Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Accessory Kit
3.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 1 GB GDDR5
Software
Pages, Numbers, Keynote
iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand
OS X

Sounds way too expensive for what you're looking for. These specs are ridiculously over kill.
Why are you getting a 1GB nvidia gpu when you said you won't be gaming?

If you want something simple, just get a Toshiba desktop or Dell desktop, they're reliable. Only a few % of people have bad luck.

Unless you definitely want a Mac, then i'll say get the entry level iMac. which is $1299. (Looks like you were going for the $1799 one)

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by Whostheboss

Unless you definitely want a Mac, then i'll say get the entry level iMac. which is $1299.

^^this and a set of Klipsch speakers w/sub, sold!

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

^^this and a set of Klipsch speakers w/sub, sold!

[Templar]

Building a PC is easy, and you don't need to be "handy." If you just don't feel like it, a cheap Dell or HP should be fine, since you don't use it for anything anyway.

But, if you're into throwing away money, get yourself a Mac.

[Inspired]

Just picked up a HP i3, 1tb, 8gb ram desktop for my mom this week for $300.

[ASBSECU E93]

get a mac book pro or air - build your own dock set-up so you are portable with external hard drive back up.

[johanness]

Originally Posted by Templar

Building a PC is easy, and you don't need to be "handy." If you just don't feel like it, a cheap Dell or HP should be fine, since you don't use it for anything anyway.

But, if you're into throwing away money, get yourself a Mac.

Here we go...

[Templar]

Originally Posted by johanness

Here we go...

Problem? The OP doesn't use the computer for anything intense, so most of the stuff in that iMac is a complete waste of money.

The PC I built (over a year ago) slams that ~$2000 iMac into the ground. It was the first one I ever built. I watched a couple of videos online and figured it out. I plugged it in and it started up with no issues. If I can do it, then I'd say most people can. It's not hard.

Almost $2000 and it doesn't even have a SSD? What a joke...

Even if he was building a PC with those specs, I would tell him he's wasting money. You don't need 16GB of RAM for web surfing and Nickelodeon games.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by Templar

Problem? The OP doesn't use the computer for anything intense, so most of the stuff in that iMac is a complete waste of money.

The PC I built (over a year ago) slams that ~$2000 iMac into the ground. It was the first one I ever built. I watched a couple of videos online and figured it out. I plugged it in and it started up with no issues. If I can do it, then I'd say most people can. It's not hard.

Almost $2000 and it doesn't even have a SSD? What a joke...

Even if he was building a PC with those specs, I would tell him he's wasting money. You don't need 16GB of RAM for web surfing and Nickelodeon games.

I agree with this ten fold. I get people who get Macs for school work, because they are very versatile for stuff like that, but a basic home computer for almost $2k? Absolutely pointless. It offers nothing more then you will basically get out off a Dell. However, Mac people are Mac people and are usually set in stone that its the most superior computer in the world.

They are using it for basic things, so buy a basic computer. Why spend the extra money for no added gains?

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by Templar

Problem? The OP doesn't use the computer for anything intense, so most of the stuff in that iMac is a complete waste of money.

The PC I built (over a year ago) slams that ~$2000 iMac into the ground. It was the first one I ever built. I watched a couple of videos online and figured it out. I plugged it in and it started up with no issues. If I can do it, then I'd say most people can. It's not hard.

Almost $2000 and it doesn't even have a SSD? What a joke...

Even if he was building a PC with those specs, I would tell him he's wasting money. You don't need 16GB of RAM for web surfing and Nickelodeon games.

I agree with you on this. But the principle i buy on is that while i don't need that stuff for what i'm doing now, in 6 years i'm not sure those specs aren't just what i might need. In the mean time, i can enjoy the piece of mind that i'm not going to purchase another computer for at least 7 or 8 years. As well as knowing that i can use that computer for just about anything i may get into over those 8 years.

Replacing PCs i purchased in 2005, I purchased 2 cheap PCs in 2009 (enter what every brand name you want) for my office. All that was required of them is to run MS office and light intent use. I had to replace 1 in 2011 and the other in 2012. The one i purchased in 2011 was just replaced again. All the while my 2005 mac is still carrying on like a champ, free of problems and viruses.

Granted, the reasons i had to replace those PCs would have likely been eliminated if i specified and built inexpensive PCs rather than buy cheap prebuilt ones. Or i could have purchased macs with specs i didn't need and not had to replace any of them or continually update and fight virus issues. The cost of the PCs purchased since 2005 is more than the cost of a mac at the time.

Not a mac fan boy, rather just speaking on personal experience. I'm sure there are PCs that i could have purchased in 2005 that would still be running fine, but for the layman, it's difficult to see what the difference between a $600 pc and an $1800 pc. But there is still the issue of virus protection to deal with. For that reason alone, i would buy a mac over PC for my kids to use regularly.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by Billup

I agree with this ten fold. I get people who get Macs for school work, because they are very versatile for stuff like that, but a basic home computer for almost $2k? Absolutely pointless. It offers nothing more then you will basically get out off a Dell. However, Mac people are Mac people and are usually set in stone that its the most superior computer in the world.

They are using it for basic things, so buy a basic computer. Why spend the extra money for no added gains?

I love my Apple stuff (my iPad, my iPhone, my Apple TV), I just don't see the logic behind buying a $2k computer for websurfing and e-mail.

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

I agree with you on this. But the principle i buy on is that while i don't need that stuff for what i'm doing now, in 6 years i'm not sure those specs aren't just what i might need. In the mean time, i can enjoy the piece of mind that i'm not going to purchase another computer for at least 7 or 8 years. As well as knowing that i can use that computer for just about anything i may get into over those 8 years.

Replacing PCs i purchased in 2005, I purchased 2 cheap PCs in 2009 (enter what every brand name you want) for my office. All that was required of them is to run MS office and light intent use. I had to replace 1 in 2011 and the other in 2012. The one i purchased in 2011 was just replaced again. All the while my 2005 mac is still carrying on like a champ, free of problems and viruses.

Granted, the reasons i had to replace those PCs would have likely been eliminated if i specified and built inexpensive PCs rather than buy cheap prebuilt ones. Or i could have purchased macs with specs i didn't need and not had to replace any of them or continually update and fight virus issues. The cost of the PCs purchased since 2005 is more than the cost of a mac at the time.

Not a mac fan boy, rather just speaking on personal experience. I'm sure there are PCs that i could have purchased in 2005 that would still be running fine, but for the layman, it's difficult to see what the difference between a $600 pc and an $1800 pc. But there is still the issue of virus protection to deal with. For that reason alone, i would buy a mac over PC for my kids to use regularly.

If you build one, you can easily upgrade as needed. I am all for prepping for the future, which is why I built my PC to last a while, but there's a difference between "future proofing" and just going way overboard. If all you ever do is web surf and check e-mail, I can't think of a time you will EVER need 16GB of RAM. 8 GB would be the max, to include some future proofing.

The only "issue" I ever had with my PC was when I attempted to overclock the processor. I was fidgeting with the numbers and couldn't get them to the right, stable numbers to run efficiently. All I had to do was set them back to default values. Voila...

Viruses are almost always user error, so I'm not going to go down that route...

[upstatedoc]

I'm loving the spirited conversation.

I went with the entry level iMac. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to other desk tops we've had in the past.

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

I'm loving the spirited conversation.

I went with the entry level iMac. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to other desk tops we've had in the past.

Good choice!
you won't regret it!