computer experts. i need your guidance and help

[HBARleatherneck]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/eMachines-750-GB-ET1331G-05w/13352323

i currently have a laptop that is fried and wont turn on. so i am posting from another computer. i dont need a laptop. never did. and i dont want another one.

i have never played a computer game (other than solataire). i dont work on a computer. its only function is buying and selling stuff on craigslist. checking the arfcom, co-ar15, hdforums sites. the news, and weather, and learning online. and youtube type videos.

so, is this computer going to work for that? i dont want to spend much, because i never use most of the functions, or know how to use them. i upload photos from the camera. i have an lcd monitor, so i dont want to buy a package with that. thanks for the help.

or if you are really feeling generous. you could let me know what you recommend on the lower price range scale from tigerdirect or someplace similar. as far as a case, cpu, etc. i know i could put one together, but too many choices make me angry. and you wouldnt like me when I am angry.(bill bixby) i would like to build the computer, but cant spend 1000 doing it. if i could build one for under $500, that would be great. if not, how about the one from walmart?

[PsyKo]

that should be more than enough for anything you would want to do.

[Elhuero]

in a nutshell, yes that computer will do all that.

but if it were me, and my goal was to buy a basic desktop for internet and photos, I'd buy a dell from their website.

avoid emachines and wal mart.

[Hoosier]

What El Heuro said. Avoid walmart and emachines.

H.

[HBARleatherneck]

im checking dell now. thanks. i know walmart is the devil. but, what about emachines? bad quality, or customer service? i have only owned 1 computer to date and it is 7 1/2 year old compaq presario. my wifes work computer is a 3 year old hp laptop. so i dont know much about good or bad computers. plus in the country our internet isnt the fastest anyway

[BushMasterBoy]

Have you tried Ebay? There is a member by the user name "dell_financial_ services" and it is actually the Dell Corporation selling used, refurbished laptops and desktops. I have bought a few computers from here and saved a ton of money. Hope this helps!

[twitchyfinger]

I have bought my last two computers (still have both) refurbished from the Dell outlet store. Some really good deals! On the dell website type in REFURBISHED in the search box that will get you to the outlet store.

[theGinsue]

in a nutshell, yes that computer will do all that.

but if it were me, and my goal was to buy a basic desktop for internet and photos, I'd buy a dell from their website.

avoid emachines and wal mart.


My personal opinions - for what they are worth is:
eMachines: Hate 'em. But..... my best friend (a well respected I.T. guy) has had a few eMachines PC's over the last 10 years and doesn't mind them one bit.
Dell: I'd buy an eMachines PC before buying a Dell. They've sent all of their tech support overseas (like everyone else), they've been cutting corners on manufacturing over the last few years to increase their profit margin. At work, if it isn't a Cisco or Sun Server or Workstation, the rest of what we have are Dell servers/workstations (hundreds of them). I personally think their total shit.

For PC's, I prefer HP.

ETA: I guess I need to be clear in my statement above. Yes, Dell does make a much better PC than eMachines. I don't contest that, but Dell expects you to believe that there never has been and never will be a better made PC. If we were to believe their pitch, their machines are made of gold and with just a pinch of pixie dust they could fly on their own.

I have multiple hardware problems with Dell all of the time (something that doesn't happen with my other equipment even 25% of the time it does with Dell - all for the same workload, etc.). To top it all off, their customer service is shit poor. The two most recent problems we've had with them from a sales/ordering perspective is
(1) They sent us the wrong DVD+R drive for one of their workstations (after swearing that this was the right part for this device). When I tried to install it and found that it really wasn't the right part I spent 3 days on the phone with various people until I finally got someone who would actually look at the specs and agree that I received the wrong part and send out the right one.
(2) We needed several external 3.5" floppy disk drives (yeah, I know, but it's for a gov't app). We ordered the proper part and a week later opened the box to find these off-brand Chinese-made multi-media external devices (various ports for SD cards, etc. - including 3.5" floppy disks). Due to the nature of my work environment, these devices were totally illegal (in fact, the floppy drives we needed required special exemptions). When we contacted Dell about what they sent us they told us that it was okay, they gave us a better product for the same price. They were unhappy when we told them we didn't want this trash and to send us what we ordered.

Nope. I do not like Dell one little bit and would buy an eMachines device before spending my personal money on a Dell - at least with the eMachines PC I would know I was getting a lesser product and wouldn't be paying a Dell-level markup.

[BadShot]

Dell over e-machines,ANY DAY EVERY DAY..That's my professional opinion, but I am only talking from 16 years of experience as a Sr. geek in an organization with more than 15,000 servers and workstations/laptops.. 90% of which are Dell. Dollar for Dollar they are the best systems available on the consumer market, especially for the light use you are talking about. Then again you might consider a Netbook of some sort if all you're looking for is web access.

but then again I'll pimp the laptops I've got for sale too .. 2 Dell D620's. Yeah they are a few years old, but they are less expensive than what you're going to pay new and have new batteries :)

[Byte Stryke]

for general Purpose...DELL
http://www.dfsdirectsales.com/
avoid the ebay ass-rape
Plethora of machines to choose from in various configurations

[Byte Stryke]

and if you need a NEW one I recommend Powerspec from micro-center
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0324107

[ChadAmberg]

Dell over e-machines,ANY DAY EVERY DAY..That's my professional opinion, but I am only talking from 16 years of experience as a Sr. geek in an organization with more than 15,000 servers and workstations/laptops.. 90% of which are Dell. Dollar for Dollar they are the best systems available on the consumer market, especially for the light use you are talking about. Then again you might consider a Netbook of some sort if all you're looking for is web access.

but then again I'll pimp the laptops I've got for sale too .. 2 Dell D620's. Yeah they are a few years old, but they are less expensive than what you're going to pay new and have new batteries :)

Lets go with 29 (WTF am I that old?) years experience, as an engineer with a company with hundreds of thousands of servers/workstations, including about 1/3rd of the total internet traffic.

Yeah, I'd generally go for Dell over e-machines. Even consider HP at the same level as Dell (they seem to piss off people rather equally). But for the stated load you're going to put on a computer, any would do, even the e-machines.

If you're looking at price point, woot.com has the same exact system only refurbished for about 100 bucks cheaper. http://www.woot.com/ If you've never used woot before, every day a different sale, and only until they sell out.

Finally, consider that used Dell 620 laptop. They're business class machines, and last a lot longer than consumer versions, I've got a d600 here on my desk that I use and it just works great. Hook up an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and you'll never know you were on a laptop.

[gnihcraes]

Dell.

Just recently purchased two Dell Vostro for my kids, whole package deal and they are working well. Bought for $400 each.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/business/desktops/vostro-230mt/pd.aspx?refid=vostro-230mt&s=bsd&cs=04&~ck=mn&dgc=IR&cid=dellhp&lid=delldeals (http://www.dell.com/us/en/business/desktops/vostro-230mt/pd.aspx?refid=vostro-230mt&s=bsd&cs=04&%7Eck=mn&dgc=IR&cid=dellhp&lid=delldeals)

[HBARleatherneck]

i think Jerrymrc is getting me set up, with a desktop.

i think BadShots laptops are a good deal, but i have had problems with batteries and cords. i just want a desk top, plus my wife got us a monitor last year with the credit card points its 22 inch. plus my oldest son starts school this year and he can use the desktop.

thanks for the help.