Looking for a new computer...advice please.

Hay hay hay

Well-known Member

I am looking for some practical computer advice from you experienced users.
I will never be a computer savvy person. I just want it to work. I am like the guy that drives a car to work
everyday, but knows very little about the internal workings of the car.

I am probably going to be buying a new computer (old one making bad noises) but I would like to know, ?what will get
me improved speed and ease of operation??

Current computer is an 8 year old Compac laptop running Windows Vista, hooked up to a DSL line about 6 miles to the
station. (Maybe the DSL line speed will always be my limiting factor?) DSL speed test is download 6.11 upload .65

My usage will only be; surfing the web, streaming videos and some live events (which generally streams fine now)
plus Quick Books, Excel, Word (all light usage) plus storage of family photos.
NO gaming or heavy photo editing.
I would really like a simple OS like XP or Vista. Is 7 still available and being supported?

Current computer is a Pentium R dual Core CPU T3200 @2 GHz with 3 GM ram.

I am looking at a similar size 15? laptop with:

16GB, 1Tb HD, windows pro10, touchscreen, Intel core i7-2GB, graphics -1080p

Question: will this be a noticeable improvement or will the performance be about the same given my limited usage and
DSL line? Is there much speed difference between i5 and i7? Is the touch screen a good option and easy to use?

My old computer handles my usage, so there is no point in going through the hassle of a new system if the upgrade is
not a noticeable improvement in speed and easier to use. This assumes my old pc does not die!

I look forward to your experienced input. Many thanks
 
(quoted from post at 15:57:40 02/28/17)
I am looking for some practical computer advice from you experienced users.
I will never be a computer savvy person. I just want it to work. I am like the guy that drives a car to work
everyday, but knows very little about the internal workings of the car.

I am probably going to be buying a new computer (old one making bad noises) but I would like to know, ?what will get
me improved speed and ease of operation??

Current computer is an 8 year old Compac laptop running Windows Vista, hooked up to a DSL line about 6 miles to the
station. (Maybe the DSL line speed will always be my limiting factor?) DSL speed test is download 6.11 upload .65

My usage will only be; surfing the web, streaming videos and some live events (which generally streams fine now)
plus Quick Books, Excel, Word (all light usage) plus storage of family photos.
NO gaming or heavy photo editing.
I would really like a simple OS like XP or Vista. Is 7 still available and being supported?

Current computer is a Pentium R dual Core CPU T3200 @2 GHz with 3 GM ram.

I am looking at a similar size 15? laptop with:

16GB, 1Tb HD, windows pro10, touchscreen, Intel core i7-2GB, graphics -1080p

Question: will this be a noticeable improvement or will the performance be about the same given my limited usage and
DSL line? Is there much speed difference between i5 and i7? Is the touch screen a good option and easy to use?

My old computer handles my usage, so there is no point in going through the hassle of a new system if the upgrade is
not a noticeable improvement in speed and easier to use. This assumes my old pc does not die!

I look forward to your experienced input. Many thanks
If you have a local computer store then let them show you a machine that fits your budget and has the performance needed. otherwise buy a Dell online as the prices are competitive.
 
I have bought 2 refurbished computers. Less than $225 and I bought an extended at home warranty for just a little more.
 
When on the internet, your DSL is the limiter & even the world's best super computer won't fix that.
 
I think Chuck has an idea. I go to Best Buy and tell them what I want to do and how much I want to spend. So far it has worked. Also, my
local computer repair guy has reconditioned ones reasonable, and takes trades.
 
Fastest I5 has a speed-test score around 3900. The slowest I7 has a score around 5500. Fastest I7 over 8000. Your old I5 scores around 1000.

Keep in mind that MS Word might not work anymore. Depends which version.
 

The new i7 will boot faster, run a new bigger version of software faster, shut down faster, load programs faster..

but pulling data over the internet.. you will only notice a bit of improvement with a 6 meg connection... The old dual core was great at 3 megs, but only fair at 6 megs...And Vista was not the best tcp/ip stack. And if you had updated it to a newer more modern software system, it would have really slowed down.


However.. a new computer will also run the ipv6 stack, and that in some cases can cause problems with speed as the ipv6 conversion routers and servers out on the internet, can slow it down slower than running ipv4. I have had to turn of ipv6 for some sites to respond correctly, but that problem is getting to be less and less as the bugs are worked out. This will also depend on how your local provider handles ipv6 also.
 
Thanks, I am impressed. Haven't got a clue what you said, but I am impressed. Wow.
Sorry for my lack of knowledge. Thanks anyway.
 
My computer requirements are pretty minimal. Within reason, specifications aren't my top priority. I bought a laptop with windows 10 and a 15 inch touchscreen. It has a nice bright picture, and I really like the touchscreen part. It's kind of like my smart phone on steroids. I may get to like this computer thing yet.
I talked with several sales people before buying- some were anxious to sell me the latest greatest techno-wonder. I bought my machine in a big box store from a young fellow who ASKED ME what I wanted a computer to do for me. We discussed price, features, availability of internet service, and possible future requirements. Like a good machinery salesman, this young fellow demonstrated several machines, and explained how each would fit into my operation. Six months in, I'm happy with the unit I chose.

If I can give you a bit of advice- don't get overwhelmed by specifications. Certain tasks require certain capabilities, but even very modest units have amazing abilities. Investigate units that are easy to use, have good displays, and are just plain comfortable to use. unc
 
I use PC desk top computers the majority of the time. These have been Microsoft driven products until now. The next computer I own will NOT have anything to do with Microsoft or it's programs!!!!! Then the hardware will not be Dell made either. My latest computer is a Dell that the sound card has not worked right form day one. I have to run the external speakers on the front port made for ear phones.

SO I will be looking long and hard at Apple or staying PC but running a none Microsoft related operating system.
 
Your spec choice is a good start. HP Eletebook series, Dell, Asus (not Acer) Toshiba. are all solid. Lenovo to be avoided. I am working just now in a HP Elete Book I7 with 16gb. Nice feel and has been solid as a stone. Jim
 
I believe it has already ended.

My backup Dell/Vista computer no longer updates and has not done so for 5 or 6 months.

I can force Security Essentials to update but it no longer does so automatically.

Dean
 
HHH, You're needs compare to mine. Have been running a Dell with Vista, 10 years old and getting tricky. I did not want W10 no way so fortunately my son bought and set up a "refurbish Dell latitude 6420 i5 W Pro7; I'm very happy with it.
 
You may be looking for a computer like one of these. You aren't a power user, you don't need a lot of extras. There will be a learning curve but it won't be straight up and there are forums similar to this to answer questions and teach you things about the OS if you want to learn more. What's better is that the cost is low enough that if you hate it you aren't out $500. These will have most of what you need and more can be added for free.
Linux desktop computers
 
If I was buying a new computer, I'd look pretty hard at a apple. I've had a bunch of Microsoft machines, but I am pretty tired of all the problems. A couple family members have apple, and have zero problems.
 

I can tell you that if you're a non-techie like me that was comfortable with Vista and XP, you're going to hate Windows 10. It simply sux swamp water. And the second you start trying to disable programs that you'll never use, (the whole system is based on shopping as far as I can see), things start going haywire. Maybe a tech guy could fix the garbage and make it work like I want, but I can't find any of my techie friends that can do it.

I'd strongly look at a Linux system or Apple. Linux is similar to a Windows type system, Apple is pretty different from what I've seen. Linux is low cost, Apple is relatively expensive. If you have local computer store that's actually into building computers and not a Best Buy/Walmart type of retailer, they can probably set you up with a good used and reprogrammed machine for not a lot of money.
 
Your stated usage is modest .. not requiring a top performing machine .. unless you just want one. Your PC specs that you list would be for a PC at the high end of the range.

I would suggest that any PC from the vendors that others have listed but with a current version of the Intel i3, i5 or i7 computer chip would be plenty for your needs.

I'd at least want 4 GB of memory and 500 GB of hard drive space. You may consider a much faster SSD based storage instead of the hard drive. Much faster but at a higher cost for an equivalent amount of storage.

I recently purchased a nice Asus F555LA-AB31 15.6-Inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Core i3-5010U Processor,4 GB RAM,500 GB Hard Drive, Windows 10 on Amazon for just under $400. A very fine & capable PC. The improvement over our old laptop, which is about the same vintage as your PC, was phenomenal.

Since you are non-techie user, I would steer clear of a Linux based PC.

An Apple would work fine, but at a significant higher cost.

I have 4 PC's all running Windows 10 and its look and feel is very similar to Windows 7 .. I wouldn't fear it. It works well.

Lastly, do be sure to checkout that your current software is available to run on whatever new computer you acquire. A part of this consideration is how to get those programs and your data from your old to your new computer.

The Best Buy 'Geek Squad' may be helpful for you in all of this.

Good Luck!
 
If your laptop is making bad noises it's probably the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) giving out. Back up your files ASAP to save them before the HDD quits completely. It's very common to replace a failing HDD by copying its contents onto a replacement HDD. If you only have one computer it may be best to bring your old machine to a computer shop shop and have them do it. I'll guess it would cost $25 to $50 for labor and another $30 to $50 for a new HDD depending on what size you want.

Before you have the work done, ask what it would cost to upgrade the Operating System (OS) to a newer version like Windows 7 or Windows 10. My guess is you would be money ahead to replace the whole computer instead of upgrading the OS and the HDD, but you don't know until you ask. I use Windows 7, but I kept an old Windows XP single core Pentium desktop for surfing the web. It's still in daily use with no problems almost three years after Microsoft stopped supporting XP back in April 2014.

Your DLS is probably a bottleneck for your old computer now, so an upgraded computer won't be any improvement. Your computer requirements are pretty light except for streaming, and a $30 to $50 Roku stick or similar can do that much better. Computer prices will continue to drop. If Vista works for you now, stay with that and upgrade your computer later.
 
The learning curve to switch to Linux will be easier than to move to Windows 10 and the computer will be faster and easier to maintain.
 
My grown kids got tired of trying to play "tech support" for my very old desktop computer with window xp. A couple of years ago they bought me Acer "15" model notebook and hookup to HDMI cord to my lite bulb type Samsung 65" TV. Now I can see that. got me a wireless keyboard and mouse that I have on little wooden TV tray/stand right beside my chair. so's I can set in my recliner type in my Google question. I can also just talk a question and it hears me. Now I find out, that the Google gmail I can also call someone and listen right off the TV speaker or the Headset (Kids bought me another new headset becuase I had to take the first set to work as I was blasting everyone out using the computer exernal speakers). The new computer came with Windows 10 witch after a little getting used too isn't to bad (they call the icons and file system management something different now and that was a little comfusing). What kinda amazes me that there just isn't any support for new Operating Systems. I tried the local Senior Center and the Library and the reponse was No One has taught them about windows 10 yet either. Mostly I watch youtube machine shop and farming videos once in awhile I might TRY to download some cell phone/camera pictures but no video editing or uploading. I try not to stress out the world by me asking a lot new technology questions (when I ask it seem to just annoy everyone) so google been my friend. All I can say is get the good stuff and expect to be baffled and perplexed for a while, but you will figure it out and then think to yourself "COOL". bjr
 
Many bash Windows 10 but I have never had an issue. Just download Classic Shell and 10 will look like and operate just like XP/7. I don't believe Windows 7 machines are sold new anymore.
 
I have a Dell was on sale at Best Buy for $600 called my computer guy from BB to make sure he said it was a good choice,he set it up with Windows 10.Its been great so far with Zero problems.
 
I've heard lots of good things about Windows 10. My only gripe is that I no more than start getting familiar with a system when they go and change things!

I do NOT like too much automation in my system!! So when a computer (or phone) tries to download updates all the time, changes the icons on the screen to what IT thinks I want, and adds new programs (excuse me....APPS!!) that I should now start using - no, that's where I draw the line!

There's a lot of neat stuff out there, but I also remember an incident from my youth. Was walking through the house one day when I heard my Mom griping about what was on TV and how [b:2f09e88889]"[i:2f09e88889]That shouldn't be allowed[/i:2f09e88889]!"[/b:2f09e88889] I turned to see what she was griping at. About a year later same thing happened. Only this time what she was griping about was worse than before. This time, however, she was no longer griping about what she did a year before, but simply accepted it as [b:2f09e88889]"[i:2f09e88889]that's the way things are[/i:2f09e88889]"[/b:2f09e88889].

That stuck with me, and I've seen many, many times this same thing in society. Something that is not tolerated becomes SO prevalent that we finally stop complaining and reluctantly accept it. Maybe it's because I remember that lesson, but I have a difficult time letting life get crammed down my throat. Taking away my freedom to make choices and decisions by making everything easy and automated is, in my opinion, cramming stuff down my throat. ...Plus, I don't play well with others! :lol:
 
(quoted from post at 17:57:40 02/28/17)
(old one making bad noises)

My usage will only be; surfing the web, streaming videos and some live events (which generally streams fine now)
plus Quick Books, Excel, Word (all light usage) plus storage of family photos.
NO gaming or heavy photo editing.
I would really like a simple OS like XP or Vista. Is 7 still available and being supported?


I am looking at a similar size 15? laptop with:

16GB, 1Tb HD, windows pro10, touchscreen, Intel core i7-2GB, graphics -1080p

Question: will this be a noticeable improvement or will the performance be about the same given my limited usage and
DSL line? Is there much speed difference between i5 and i7? Is the touch screen a good option and easy to use?

My old computer handles my usage, so there is no point in going through the hassle of a new system

Noises? Is it all the time or just when you click on something?
If all all the time it could be the cooling fan, which you may be able to find a replacement. If it's when the hard drive is accessing, BACK UP docs, photos, bookmarks, etc NOW. You should have been doing that already.

The only way to run Quick Books and Office on Linux is through the online subscriptions and your browser. There are alternatives (especially for Word) but they're not quite the same. If you try Linux I suggest Mint Linux. It comes with drivers and software the other versions have to add.

For you use you don't need 16GB of ram, that much is for video editing or graphic design. 4 GB or 8 GB will do great. You don't really need an I7, my Lenovo IdeaPad has an AMD A6 with 4 GB of ram and does streaming and Office with no problem.

Some have mentioned an SSD (Solid State Drive). They are faster than the conventional spinning drive and are not subject to shock (dropped or hit). But they are more expensive. SSD's require "Trim" in the OS, which Win 10 does quite well.

Touch screen is really handy if you have a convertible laptop (goes for clam shell laptop to tablet modes). Otherwise it's not necessary.

Many laptops have eliminated the optical drive (CD/DVD) in which software is either installed by downloading to a USB flash drive or an external USB CD/DVD drive. Some laptops ( MacBook) have eliminated the regular USB 2 and 3 ports and have gone a USB-C port which means expensive USB -C devices or a dongle hanging off the side of you sleek laptop (not a good design). USB-C is really fast but should not be the only USB port on the computer.

Dell Outlet has good prices on warrantied computers. The Dell XPS series are really nice. ACER, HP Spectre, Asus, and Lenovo make good reliable units. Don't forget to look at the new Microsoft Surface also.

If you have a TV with a HDMI port and use the Chrome browser you can "Cast" your videos/photos/music to your TV with a ChromeCast ($35).
 
I am guessing that you are a handy kind of guy. If so you should consider building a computer. While at first glance it sounds very intimidating it's actually easy and fun.

I built my first one about 10 years ago (using it to type this message) and now I build them for our shop and at times friends as well. I have built close to 30 machines now and have had good results with all of them

The advantages are many but you can get better hardware components and you choose what software to load on it. The store bought machines have so much junk software on them it's ridiculous. You can also get whatever operating system you want. Windows 7 pro can be had on Ebay for less than $50.00.

I bought a Dell laptop about a year ago with windows 10 on it and I hate it. The machine has the fastest processor and memory of any at our shop and it is by far the slowest machine.

If you consider building I get all my hardware from Newegg.
New Egg site
 
What you are proposing to move up to will be much faster and smoother than your old computer. Plus you won't have an orphaned operating system. That being said, I switched (mostly) to Linux several years back and love it. It will do anything you've mentioned doing but you'd need someone to set it up for you. Once it's set you'll have fewer problems but you still need someone Linux savvy, but most of us have someone helping us with Windows, truth be known. If I hadn't worked in IT I know I'd need help. Now I just know where to look to get answers, nobody knows it all.

Your connection speed shouldn't be a big factor in your use case but if your router is as old as your computer you would be served better to upgrade when you upgrade your computer, especially if you're on wireless.
 
(quoted from post at 15:57:40 02/28/17)
I am looking for some practical computer advice from you experienced users.
I will never be a computer savvy person. I just want it to work. I am like the guy that drives a car to work
everyday, but knows very little about the internal workings of the car.

I am probably going to be buying a new computer (old one making bad noises) but I would like to know, ?what will get
me improved speed and ease of operation??

Current computer is an 8 year old Compac laptop running Windows Vista, hooked up to a DSL line about 6 miles to the
station. (Maybe the DSL line speed will always be my limiting factor?) DSL speed test is download 6.11 upload .65

My usage will only be; surfing the web, streaming videos and some live events (which generally streams fine now)
plus Quick Books, Excel, Word (all light usage) plus storage of family photos.
NO gaming or heavy photo editing.
I would really like a simple OS like XP or Vista. Is 7 still available and being supported?

Current computer is a Pentium R dual Core CPU T3200 @2 GHz with 3 GM ram.

I am looking at a similar size 15? laptop with:

16GB, 1Tb HD, windows pro10, touchscreen, Intel core i7-2GB, graphics -1080p

Question: will this be a noticeable improvement or will the performance be about the same given my limited usage and
DSL line? Is there much speed difference between i5 and i7? Is the touch screen a good option and easy to use?

My old computer handles my usage, so there is no point in going through the hassle of a new system if the upgrade is
not a noticeable improvement in speed and easier to use. This assumes my old pc does not die!

I look forward to your experienced input. Many thanks

Been running HP Laptops for years with no issues. Toshiba has treated me good as well. Dell units have never lasted for me or my brother.
 
(quoted from post at 17:55:37 03/02/17) you should consider building a computer. While at first glance it sounds very intimidating it's actually easy and fun.

He stated his current unit is a laptop. I assume (may be wrong) that he was looking at another laptop. Home built laptops aren't impossible but are very limited. If he were to build his own he could even build a Mac clone to satisfy the Mac CULT.
 

Find a way to get Win 7.

10 is another turd from MS. You have no control over when it will download 'updates', so if you are connected to the net, it will decide when it wants to hog the connection and do it's thing.

I bought a 10 netbook last year, it downloaded so much 'droppings' from MS that it burned thru 2.5 gigs of data! In 3 days!

And you can't turn it off; mine was turning itself on at night and burning my money!

Miserable POC.
 
(quoted from post at 14:01:41 03/03/17)
Find a way to get Win 7.

10 is another turd from MS. You have no control over when it will download 'updates', so if you are connected to the net, it will decide when it wants to hog the connection and do it's thing.

I bought a 10 netbook last year, it downloaded so much 'droppings' from MS that it burned thru 2.5 gigs of data! In 3 days!

And you can't turn it off; mine was turning itself on at night and burning my money!

Miserable POC.
Buy a PC with no OS installed and buy a copy of win7 online as they are still available. its not hard to install an OS such as win 7.
 
(quoted from post at 15:20:02 03/03/17)
(quoted from post at 14:01:41 03/03/17)
Find a way to get Win 7.

10 is another turd from MS. You have no control over when it will download 'updates', so if you are connected to the net, it will decide when it wants to hog the connection and do it's thing.

I bought a 10 netbook last year, it downloaded so much 'droppings' from MS that it burned thru 2.5 gigs of data! In 3 days!

And you can't turn it off; mine was turning itself on at night and burning my money!

Miserable POC.
Buy a PC with no OS installed and buy a copy of win7 online as they are still available. its not hard to install an OS such as win 7.
or ask a teenager in the neighbor hood to load it for you.
 
My Apple desktop has been with me since about 2005. Apple is different than most using MS as it contains it's operating system, so told me by local Apple repair service business owner.

If you record your Apple, you get continuous updates free, some installed automatically and some you have to restart your machine. The search engine is Safari and the computer operating system is OSX stands for Operating System #10 which has several updates. My current update is El Capitan and works fine.

One thing I really like is that Apple has an online service where you can obtain helps, some free. My latest usage was "Ad Blocker". Downloads free from their www site. If you go to a site that tells you to turn off your ad blocker ( not that many) just go get your question answered, or do your browsing elsewhere....news is abundant.

A second thing I like is the Safari system will allow you to delete your history for the past hour, for the last 2 days, or completely. If you surf some sites of questionable integrity you can go to your drop down window, upper left, click on Safari, click on Clear History, click on your choice of time line, and all the crap (cookies) that may have been sent to your computer vanish! That really helps to keep your speed up and annoyances down.

Ram is in Gb. Built in Wifi so you can select and communicate with a wireless Wifi or use an ethernet cable directly to your Modem if you are on Satellite like me. I use Exede and Dish (2 separate systems), both very reliable signal sources and reasonably priced. You buy how much BW you want and that plus the annoyance is why I block ads.....they eat up BW. If you run out you can buy a little extra for the month...on Excede an extra GB is $10. I have the 10G day night plan. 10G during the day (peak hours) and free after midnight till 5 am. So if you have a "book" you want to download, do it then.

Mine was around $1k at the time. I think they are a lot cheaper now. Comes with a 21" diagonal monitor and there is no tower. The computer is in the rear of the frame holding the monitor....you don't know it's there. Keyboard and Mouse are battery operated so you can run your system with 2 cables: Power and ethernet source.
 
Another neat thing, told to me by the repair guy was that you don't buy any of the security systems that are sold to protect against unwanted attacks. Since the OS is internal to the computer, not www based, it is easier to protect and Apple sends you the protection free with the updates I mentioned above. That plus your Clear History I mentioned keeps things squeaky clean....for me anyway.
 
(quoted from post at 14:35:46 03/05/17) Another neat thing, told to me by the repair guy was that you don't buy any of the security systems that are sold to protect against unwanted attacks. Since the OS is internal to the computer, not www based, it is easier to protect and Apple sends you the protection free with the updates I mentioned above. That plus your Clear History I mentioned keeps things squeaky clean....for me anyway.

I read years ago that Apple used a business software, UNIX??, as the model for their OS. That was written to have a high level of security.

Gates and his evil minions didn't consider security; they envisioned an isolated computer with no connections outside the room. So no reason for security.

Gates was so dim that when he wrote his autobiography in the mid '90s, he made no reference to the internet! He added a chapter real quick in the next bunch printed...
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top