brand of computer

earyllek

hey, what kind of computer do you people prefer. right now, i have no computer and i have to do everything at school or in the library which isnt always open. IM thinkin i might get a dell, but i'd like to get a few different opions. 🙂

LordShryku

I'd say that if you have the savvy (which doesn't take much nowadays), and are going to be using your computer for some more intensive things, you should consider building your own. A lot of these preconfigured machines can afford to sell their machines off so cheap because they spend 12 cents on a generic motherboard/chipset/whatever and slap those in there.

bpat1434

I agree. Build your own, I did, and it still rocks many of the dells of today even though I built it 3 years go. I payed 2 grand for it, but it's lasted me three years.

But, then again, every system has its draw-backs. If you're going to be using Linux, build your box. Most companies will make you PAY to NOT have the MS OS put on there. Stupid contracts. Plus, you'll find it a bit more rewarding. And if crap goes wrong, you dont' have to send it away for some indian to look at it and go: "uh, I don't know. Is it plugged in?". Bad tech-support experiences with Dell. Although my laptop is a Dell, I'd say stay away from them.

If you're looking for stability and long-term for the money, get a mac. I know of more than 2 handfuls of people that have had a mac for over 7 years, and they haven't had 1 problem, except that Tiger won't run on it!! LoL. But they are the best from what I can tell. That's my next computer: a mac. I'm done with this MS bull, and gettin away from it.

But those are my two cents.

If you ask me for a penny for your thoughts, and I toss in my two cents, do I get to keep my other penny?

~Brett

pohopo

I have had good experience with Dell. My office had all Dells and they worked great with very few problems. IMHO, to build a machine with the same reliability would cost you more.

Now if you want a super gaming system to play the latest and greatest video games I would recommend you build it yourself.

goldbug

Originally posted by bpat1434
But, then again, every system has its draw-backs. If you're going to be using Linux, build your box.

Another reason to build your own box if you're looking into linux: often times big-name manufacturers use weird chipsets in their hardware that is incompatible with linux, despite sharing components and name with other compatible hardware. So if you spec your own hardware, you can be sure it's as compatible as you need it.

For example: a Dell box I bought a while ago had a "Sound Blaster Live" card in it. While it was as Soundblaster Live... it was a special Dell version, and the normal SBLive linux drivers wouldn't work. (Luckily the onboard sound worked just fine). Just something to keep in mind.

Drakla

If you're completely non build savvy then Dell are actually a pretty good company - and it's remarkable how many people who you think could build their on computer without blinking (i.e. they're head animator on major game projects) are terrified of plugging a PCI card into a motherboard.

Good thing about building your own is that you can put together a computer for Processing, and forgo 3/4 of the budget on an ATI Blackhole Singularity 955 grahics card that supports features that won't be included until Direct X 15.9

I still look on the computer I build over a year ago with a £300 grant at a BeAst! And it's running a Voodoo Banshee (£8 PCI at the time) but the processor / MB / RAm are blinding

Weedpacket

Originally posted by LordShryku
A lot of these preconfigured machines can afford to sell their machines off so cheap because they spend 12 cents on a generic motherboard/chipset/whatever and slap those in there.

I don't build myself but my preferred computer dealer operates on a Chinese Restaurant model, and between myself and the staff we pick and choose components that they then slap together. I tend to budget $5000 for the whole shebang, end up spending half that, and the machine lasts me something like eight to ten years before I start wishing it had more grunt.

dalecosp

Someday, I'm gonna build "my next box" out of 2x4's, plywood, and the motherboard from every 486-class computer in the junk room....

At least, I want to try that.

Currently, all my computers, except my laptop, are "whiteboxes" (or maybe really "blackboxes", since most of them are black, but Blackbox is also a window manager, and why confuse people any more than I already do? 😃)

You can get parts (superior to Dell's) for the same price, or slightly less, then what you will pay Dell for them. However, if you want {$OS_NAME_I_CURRENTLY_DO_NOT_WISH_TO_MENTION), you'll end up paying more for your machine. Not to mention that most of the rest of the applications you want to run will cost you, as well....