Tell me about it, M$ is well known for the demands they place on OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and Vista is just one additional example in a long line of monopoly market abuse (but that's a whole 'nother thread). My personal feeling is, that while the parts question may seemingly be important at first, having an OS that doesn't do any actual computing for you would ultimately negate any benefit advantage from any particular hardware, in effect making the entire discussion moot. In this situation, I'm not sure what if anything can be done outside of going to a smaller vendor that still has XP inventory, but that would negate any bonuses or savings from the large volume seller. It's a tough choice to say the least.
either way it does seem the listed price from OP isn't "great" given u can use coupons etc and get a much better deal as others have said, its stupid to get a quad core unless u have something to make use of it (that is, programs that are designed/built to use hyperthreading) kinda pointless if it doesn't as its only going to use one core... personally i still vote for winxp over vista but if ur more worried abt appearances and cbb tweaking, go ahead and use vista (given that xp isn't reallysold nemore)
I'll be quite honest... for vista... it's the little things they did that made it an enjoyable os for at times... for example, the clock, if u click on it in vista, u can have up to 3 different regional clocks... and that was a little detail that i absolutely enjoyed having... however, those little details just doesn't compare to the resource hogging or the painful patching i had to do to get programs to run on vista...
he has 4gb ram listed ther..... it can easily run vista smoothly, whether he gets the quad or dual core -.- and most programs do work with vista (not sure about teh 64bit version)... havent encountered any program that needs patching yet... An average user probably wont notice any of the bugs unless it is shown to them in person...
i was going to point out the same two things.... but i forget when but i remember having a debate over the same thing with another idiot and he just wouldnt listen >__< and with the XP option i say just reformat the HDD on arrival and install a fresh copy of XP on it.... or at least a version of ubuntu or fedora....
Thanks for all your posts. I just want to be clear that I am not a tech person AT ALL so I can't build my own computer from scrap and save like ya'll. I simply searched around online and put together this spec based on the typical needs plus the life of the system (which I hope would last me the next 5 years) Tech keep changing all the time and as I read, programmers are rewriting their applications to take advantage of the multiple cores; thus, the reason that I just selected the quad over dual core. I also know about Vista problems but MS is fading out XP and services are down to nominal. For someone like myself who is a complete computer idiot, I might need MS services sometimes down the line, who knows. I made the post to get your comment to ensure that I am putting together something that's up-to-date and at least worth its price to certain extend. Since I'll be purchasing this system through HP, I already expect to pay a bit more. The question is how much more. If I am paying $1200 when ya'll tell me the sys is only worth $600, then I need to rethink about getting it. After all, I am not a tech expert and I don't know all the market prices which ya'll probably know on top of your head or something. For me, it may takes a while doing more research on individual parts and all; if I know them ... lol Anyway, thanks ... AOES .. thanks for the coupon .. didn't look it up ... Questions: for the networking card .. which should i pick? 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN card & USB external modem or 802.11 a/b/g/n Wireless LAN card Both are the same price. Thanks again ya'll for your help.
the coupon itself is not from the HP site, i found it on some random internet deals webpage... they're usually sent via email to previous customers... and those guys just put them on the webpage for all to use so if u need to use the coupon, just follow the link plus the coupon code i posted up there^... also, about the wifi card... the second one is better cuz it has a larger range in frequency, however it's not necessary as most routers are b/g compliant newayz... so if u prefer having a 56k modem for emergencies, go for that... else get the better wifi card...
the computer won't last you 5 years thats for sure.. you'll be upgrading it in around 1-2 years of use unless you want a shitty computer that won't run anything in the next few years lol coupon is easily found on some deal sites.. i don't see whats the point of getting a integrated wireless if it is a desktop.
eh... comes in use if ur computer's in ur room and the router is in ur parents' room or out in the den...
Frankly, if time is not a pressing issue, get one of those "For Dummies" books on computers. No, I'm not calling you names, but referring to a famous series of guide books that guarantee to be able to teach "even a dummy" how to do something like a seasoned pro. Many of them deal with different aspects of computers (which was its first area of expertise), and eventually they even went into other things (like piano playing). Just look for one that explains all the different parts of a computer and why you need it. You can recognize them a mile away by their distinctive yellow and black covers: A little bit of education can then carry you much further in your considerations as to what is a smarter choice of computer for you; and regardless of which, good luck!
Thanks ya'll for your help. I will hold out for a bit longer and see if any better deal next month from HP. If ya'll learn of discount, please let me know. Thanks again. Ralphrepo .. I bought and read those Dummies books way back but they aren't helpful.
^thanksgiving and christmas are just around the corner so there should be tons of black-friday sales. Holding out might prove to be smart
Really? That's unfortunate; if you don't mind me asking, what did you find lacking? I know a lot of non techie people who would swear by them. Or perhaps, if you've already gone beyond and surpassed the level in those books (which are by default, as basic as you can get), then if that's your case, a general guide book on PC hardware may be more suited to your level of understanding. Another thing is, if you ever get the chance, look through a Magazine called MAXIMUM PC; lots of tips on all things PC for beginner to guru alike. Either way, PC's is always a learning experience, because there's always something new every few months. What was considered cutting edge last year may already be obsolete this year. Hence, it's always good to read up on the technology if you want or need to stay informed. I agree, some of those sales cut so close to the margin, it's almost like they're giving stuff away, LOL...
black friday.. don't even bother going there.. rather just go on dell to buy a desktop that is on sale instead of this -unsure
yes we are all bashing you on this..... Black Friday prices are ridiculous... and hell if you wait I definitely would!
