New PC Config

[Alastor]

So I bricked (mostly) my last PC. I need to at least completely re-install the entire OS, which I may or may not do if someone can show me a reason to bother doing so.

In any case, I was hoping you all might have some input on what I got to replace the machine. Bear in mind the machine I am replacing was bought in 2003 and it's now 2009. I've never had any significant problems with it until now and this is solely the result of me being an idiot and not running virus protection on the machine.

So here's what I got:

*Dell Inspiron 530.
*Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Model e7400.
*Vista Home Premium.
*4GB Ram.
*500GB Hard Drive.
*Integrated Video Card of some type or another.
*No speakers (booo! - but I still have my old ones which work fine. No woofer though).
*19" Flat Screen LCD monitor (I currently have a 14 inch tube)
*4 Yr warranty on all parts and software including tech support and advanced trouble-shooting which includes remote sessions with technicians in case I do something else stupid.
*MS Office home and student (Word, Excell, Power Point and something called One Note).

Total cost: $988.48 total.

The warranty is three years longer than the standard warranty, and if something breaks and they can't fix it over the phone they send a tech to my house within a day or two with the parts and software in hand to make it function. I also get the remote sessions if I want them where I can just say, "This is what's wrong, log into my PC and fix it while I go play vids. Peace."

On top of that though, I also got a 1 TB external Hard Drive (Western Digital), 1 year of Norton 360 anti-virus protection, and a laser printer for $338

All told that's about 1400 bucks for a completely new system. Every part of this system is an upgrade to my old one and frankly, had I not been a dipshit my old system would still be running fantastically. I think this is a pretty solid and simple system for me that will do what I want it to do for a long time.

I don't play games on my PC, that's why I have a PS3 after all. The only thing I use this computer for is school (teaching and classes I take), building web communities and general Internet surfing.

What do you guys think of this system versus the cost? Did I do okay shopping for myself?

[AiRsTrIkE]

Needs moar RAM

[Diesel]

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studioxps-435mt?c=us&cs=19&l=en&ref=dthp&s=dhs

Option 3, the $1099.00 one. Enough RAM to satisfy a blue whale, and a hard drive almost as massive as my penis, too. Should last you forever and a half.

Also, fuck speakers, man. Get a cheap headset at Wal-Mart. The sound quality is 500% better, even on cheap jack headsets. With a headset, you can actually hear bass effectively. They also have a microphone, generally, should you ever wish to use VOIP. I have speakers and a headset, but I haven't even turned on the speakers in months.

Fuck Norton too, it's a pile of shit. A pile of shit that continuously reminds you every 15 days that it is a pile of shit. "Hi, Norton is a pile of shit, should we make it even more shitty by updating it? (A) Yes! (B) Remind me tomorrow. (B) Remind me in 15 days. Get AVG.

[Alastor]

Needs moar RAM

For what? It's far more RAM than I currently have and my PC does fine. I don't play games on my PC. What do I need more RAM for?

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studioxps-435mt?c=us&cs=19&l=en&ref=dthp&s=dhs

Option 3, the $1099.00 one. Enough RAM to satisfy a blue whale, and a hard drive almost as massive as my penis, too. Should last you forever and a half.

But that's $1099 without any of the upgrades like the 4 year super-warranty from Hell where if anything breaks they come out to my house the next day, replace the part, install it, configure everything for me, drop to their knees and suck me off an then leave me hot coffee on their way out the door.

It also doesn't include the backup hard drive or the anti-virus or the printer.

Also, fuck speakers, man. Get a cheap headset at Wal-Mart. The sound quality is 500% better, even on cheap jack headsets. With a headset, you can actually hear bass effectively. They also have a microphone, generally, should you ever wish to use VOIP. I have speakers and a headset, but I haven't even turned on the speakers in months.

I hate headsets and even when I do use them, I use them for talking to people (bluetooth) rather than listening to music. Sides, I have good speakers and getting a significant upgrade to them wouldn't cost me much. I have my eyes on some Sony speakers that would totally rock the Casbah for around 40 bucks.

I just need to find a decent woofer. I had a really nice one once but it was way old and found its way to recycle land.

Fuck Norton too, it's a pile of shit. A pile of shit that continuously reminds you every 15 days that it is a pile of shit. "Hi, Norton is a pile of shit, should we make it even more shitty by updating it? (A) Yes! (B) Remind me tomorrow. (B) Remind me in 15 days. Get AVG.

You make a valid point on the Norton. It's not very co-operative. I already paid for it though since this was what the tech support guys told me was the best protection out there. Upon doing more research on it, they were right. It's incredibly effective software - but it's not entirely user friendly.

I think next time I'll go with MacAffee, but I already have the Norton on the way.

It is what it is.

So, while I appreciate the input on what systems you guys think I should buy, what do you think about the one I did buy?

[Diesel]

Ah, I failed to realize you had already purchased it. Well, I imagine it will work for you. I would have gone with more beef, less fluff, but that's me. I'm a realist.

[AiRsTrIkE]

For what? It's far more RAM than I currently have and my PC does fine. I don't play games on my PC. What do I need more RAM for?

Well, as a general rule, every comuter always needs more RAM.


I think next time I'll go with MacAffee

NO! McAffe is a pile of garbage. My start-up time seemed to have dropped significantly since installing it, and it feels it's a good idea to scan every other day (which I guess it is). Screw it. All antivirus programs suck.

[Alastor]

Ah, I failed to realize you had already purchased it. Well, I imagine it will work for you. I would have gone with more beef, less fluff, but that's me. I'm a realist.

And also a gamer. I'm not, at least not on my PC. To be honest, I'm not much of a gamer on my PS3 either. I have two video games, Mercs 2 and MGS4, and frankly I'm not all that impressed with the next-gen games so far. MGS4 was a huge let-down because it was a bunch of stupid crap in the middle of the game...

The button mashing at the end along with some of the "you haven't ever done this anywhere else in the game but you must now be an expert at it on the hardest difficulty in order to get your prize - which by the way you can't ever use if you ever want another reward" stuff really chaps my hide in most games.

This is exactly why I stopped playing Final Fantasy too.

Plus there wasn't much in the way of a "riddle" here for the player. The game pretty much flat out told us what to do and when - and in many cases exactly how as well.

And then the death scene at the end... Please... It took over an hour for Big Boss to die despite saying he was going to die at least four times and looking dead at least five. By the time he finally died I was shouting, "Die you son of a bitch!" and when he finally croaked, I cheered.

And then the completely mandatory twenty minute long credits...

I was always a huge MGS fan, but they've cured me of that this time.

There's just nothing that I'm dying to play on the next-gens. It's not that there aren't any games. They have a lot of games... It's just that they all suck.

Seriously. These games suck. The game designers in the major companies have lost the core of what made games become main-stream in the first place. These games suck.

[AiRsTrIkE]

And also a gamer. I'm not, at least not on my PC. To be honest, I'm not much of a gamer on my PS3 either. I have two video games, Mercs 2 and MGS4, and frankly I'm not all that impressed with the next-gen games so far. MGS4 was a huge let-down because it was a bunch of stupid crap in the middle of the game...

You picked 2 of, disputably, the worst games on the PS3.

[Chunky Monkey]

norton360 is a huge piece of shit. As with anything norton makes it will fuck your computer up if you ever try to remove it. You would have been better off with avast or something else thats free.

[Alastor]

norton360 is a huge piece of shit. As with anything norton makes it will fuck your computer up if you ever try to remove it. You would have been better off with avast or something else thats free.

Too bad, so sad. I got Norton. I don't care if it fucks the PC up, because if it does Dell has to replace it or come out to my house to fix it.