If I was going to buy a laptop...

[Mothering by Heart]

what would I need to know?

Basically I do our bills, GCM, some surfing, email, taxes, watch Lost :mrgreen makes charts, etc.

What should I look for and what are the price ranges?

[Punkie]

Get a mac :shifty That's all you need to know ;) :lol

[AmyDoll]

:giggle Dude, your getting a Dell :rockon Just kidding. You should be able to build a decent computer for under a grand. Oh, and totally get a built in wireless card those netgear things sticking out are MEGA annoying. (and I kept breaking mine until dh got fed-up and brought me home a new laptop)
If you want to watch TV on your computer - make sure you have a decent video card and a good processor.

[Mothering by Heart]

Can't I just buy one off the shelf at Costco that has what I want :shifty

AFA as wireless goes, does it have to be? I don't want to be paying for any extra services.

Can you tell I know nothing about computers?

[KitKat]

OK, get one that has wireless, then get a router. You hook up the router to your desktop and you become a network. So, you get the wireless and you don't pay extra for services, it runs off of your desk tops internet.


If you go to wal-mart, you can get a good computer for about $700. If all you are looking for is internet, then you don't need to worry too much about specific programs. Just make sure you have good memory, etc. I got an hp vista at wal-mart for about $750, and it is all new and cool and stuff. :mrgreen

[abbiroads]

okay, great question and good replys BUT
what constitutes good memory, a good video card, etc.

we will be buying a laptop for dh for school. (online class stuff)

[Mothering by Heart]

OK, get one that has wireless, then get a router. You hook up the router to your desktop and you become a network. So, you get the wireless and you don't pay extra for services, it runs off of your desk tops internet.




By desktop you mean just a regular computer, right? :O We will be keeping this one for the kids so that could work... :think

I am hoping to spend $1000 or less. Can I get something for that price that will do what I want? Although I am sitting here with my 5 year old dell and I can watch tv on it just fine.

[KitKat]

OK, on mine, and it works well for me, I have...

1.6 Ghz processor

958 GB RAM

Now, I have no clue what those mean, but hey, it works fine and is fast.

By desktop you mean just a regular computer, right? We will be keeping this one for the kids so that could work...

I am hoping to spend $1000 or less. Can I get something for that price that will do what I want? Although I am sitting here with my 5 year old dell and I can watch tv on it just fine.


Yes, desktop, a regular computer that sits on a desk. ;)

Well, you figure we spent $750 for the laptop and I KNOW it was under $200 for the router. (I can't remember exactly how much for that as we bought it over 2 years ago.)

So, yes, you can get something good for your needs for under $1000 easily.

[Mothering by Heart]

Another dumb question from me:

With the router, do you need to be in the same room, general vicinity? I am embarrassing myself with these questions :blush

[KitKat]

Another dumb question from me:

With the router, do you need to be in the same room, general vicinity? I am embarrassing myself with these questions :blush


I can sit outside in our backyard and still get signal. At my mom's, we can get signal for our neighbors (WITH their permission) but it is weak. You can't drive down to wal-mart, but you aren't stuck in a specific room either. I can use mine all through my house. I am in my living room now (desktop sits in the kitchen) and I can even go out by my pool.

[Mothering by Heart]

:cool thanks

[abbiroads]

we shared internet with our next door neighbors (in an apartment building) and it worked great

[emmalouise]

I second punkie - get a mac! The cheapest Macbook is $1099 and it is a better computer, with a better operating system, than anything offered by windows/dell etc.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=A4791B5D&nclm=MacBook

No viruses!!

[Mothering by Heart]

I looked at the Mac notebook. The one in my price range only has a 13 inch monitor :/ Spoiled, I know, but isn't that pretty small?

[KitKat]

I looked at the Mac notebook. The one in my price range only has a 13 inch monitor :/ Spoiled, I know, but isn't that pretty small?




The ONLY reason I haven't gotten a Mac is because of the price. I don't need all the things they do, and though I like the idea of having the better stuff. I just can't afford it.

[Punkie]

If you are looking at a desktop, KitKat, then they have some more affordable options :) Its absolutely worth it though - everything works together straight from the box - no installing new hardware, no annoying installations for programs, no spyware, no viruses, no blue screen of death ;)

[Sarai]

OK, I'm going to embarass myself with some questions, too. Punkie et al, thanks in advance for taking pity on a poor computer-illiterate soul like me. :shifty

About the Macs- do they use a similar "office"software (word processing, spreadsheets, etc)? I'm SO used to MS everything, KWIM? Is it fairly easy to switch over (can you tell I don't like change LOL)?

What's the average cost for a desktop Mac- can I get one for under $1000?

Are there any disadvantages to getting a Mac (anything you just can't do)?

Thanks! :O

[Mothering by Heart]

The least expensive Mac desktop is $999.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=C1211F78&nclm=iMac

[Punkie]

You can get MSOffice for Mac or there is free software that runs the same way. I use OpenOffice :)

[mom2threePKs]

I'm a PC user here merely because of $. The MAC commercials with MAC and PC personified by the young tech cutie and the buttoned up IBM exec are reason enough to declare MAC the winner of all things electronic. LOVE THOSE!!!!!

I got my laptop from the Dell outlet. It does everything that I need it to do and I think I paid about $800 on the outlet for it. I can't remember all the specs though. Sorry. I do know I have a 15 inch screen and that I specifically got one with MS office.

Magan