Help with picking out a cheap computer
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Topic: Help with picking out a cheap computer
Posted By: usafpilot07
Subject: Help with picking out a cheap computer
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 9:05pm
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So, I need some quick advice from the group here. My mom is looking for a cheap computer that we can set up for my little sister, and I know little to nothing about what brands to look for/avoid. I'll probably go to Walmart if possible, but BestBuy or the Internet are an option too. Basically, all my sister needs to be able to do on it is play Minecraft, watch YouTube videos, flash games, etc. obviously, Microsoft office/works would be needed too. Beyond that, we just want the cheapest possible one without buying a knockoff that is liable to melt down in a week. Any suggestions? Thaks in advance forthe advice, btw ------------- Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo |
Replies:
Posted By: stratoaxe
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 9:10pm
My experience with Minecraft is that it's more demanding than people give it credit for  There's a pretty good variety of low priced lappies out there. I love my Asus, even though it's a higher end laptop I've heard their quality is good across the board. ------------- 
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Posted By: agentwhale007
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 9:20pm
| Walmart sells referbs online now, some for less than $100. |
Posted By: Reb Cpl
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 9:20pm
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Lenovos have been making a heck of a comeback lately, one of the schools that I used to work with made a big purchase of them because they were 'cheaper' - but they're really good little machines. Acers are also at the bottom end of the food chain, but will work as long as they're kept up properly.
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Posted By: Lightningbolt
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 9:28pm
| Sunday paper ads |
Posted By: usafpilot07
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 9:45pm
I'll keep both of these in mind, thanks guys.
Is anyone still playing minecraft? I've got a load of free time right now, and I'd love to plink around on a shared server again.
If I was in a different area/bigger city I'd look into that, but I don't want a computer from the paper in this town. ------------- Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo |
Reb Cpl wrote:Posted By: RoboCop
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 10:06pm
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Minecraft draws so much energy. My macbook pro begins to overheat playing that even on a flat hard surface. I have to keep a fan on the computer to make sure I don't lag. I have no advice on cheap computers. Newegg?
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Posted By: Rofl_Mao
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 10:08pm
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Stay away from Acer and Gateway. And probably Dell. Anything else should be pretty ship-shape! As for sites, check TigerDirect or Newegg. |
Posted By: usafpilot07
Date Posted: 05 September 2012 at 10:34pm
Well, we're definitely thinking desktop. Sister is only 10, I think my mom wants to keep the computer somewhere easily monitored. You bring up a good question though. Should any standard desktop be able to run these types of programs? I don't even know what to look for HD/RAM/ghz/cooling/etc wise. ------------- Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 2:05am
| http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc" rel="nofollow - http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc |
Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 5:57am
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I don't know why people have such an un-founded hatred of Dell. I've had two dell machines in the past decade. One lasted me 8 years without any problems (and maintained the ability to play just about any game or work with any piece of software I threw at it) and the other I've had for 2 years and haven't had a single problem with it. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: Reb Cpl
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 7:31am
I've seen more ancient dells running than any other make. We're talking some almost a decade old running on 256mb and they're still ticking. My wife and I both run Dell laptops and have no problem with them. Dells are no different than any other machine. Take care of them, they'll last as long as you need them to. ------------- ? |
Posted By: FreeEnterprise
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 7:59am
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Yeah, I like my old Dell vostro 1700, had it for YEARS, and never had a problem. In fact, my super old Sony SR100 is still working fine... And it is 13 years old which is ancient in computer time. I've only had to replace the hard drive in that one. It was one of the first computers that came with a rewriteable dvd ram drive. And I got it for $699. (a few weeks later they raised the price to $999) Around here we have microcenter, and their refurbished are some of the cheapest deals I've found. Plus they ship to where ever you are. http://microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294967292+519" rel="nofollow - http://microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294967292+519
I get all my cheap pc laptops there. If you don't mind a refurbished, the prices are typically way lower than wal-mart, or best buy or Sams... You can get way more ram/hd/speed with a refurbished than buying new, and they look brand new. ------------- They tremble at my name... 
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 8:21am
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Microcenter makes my wallet hurt. Not because it's expensive (because it's not!) but rather because every time I go in there for one thing, I walk out with 20. Seriously, you go in for a thumb-drive and you walk out with a new power supply, vid card, MoBo, etc. the deals are just too damned good! ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: Lightningbolt
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 8:31am
| My fifteen year old compaq just bailed |
Posted By: RoboCop
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 8:59am
| I think the main thing about dells is that you see them all over campuses and they are so old that they are just outdated and extremely slow compared to the current market. |
Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 12:14pm
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My experience with Dell is the older ones are good quality, but the quality has declined in recent years. I am on my 2nd Lenovo and love them. Or, you could wait for a desktop to come up on Woot. ------------- 
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Posted By: usafpilot07
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 2:14pm
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So, in order to fully undo the work I had done up to this point, my mother has decided that a laptop would be better. Should I look for the general asked things? What about making sure the cooling will be enough? ------------- Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo |
Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 2:18pm
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any modern laptop should have sufficient cooling. Get a lenovo. -------------
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Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 06 September 2012 at 11:58pm
| Also, rather than forum hearsay, why not look up actual quality ratings and return rates of manufacturers? |
Posted By: Lightningbolt
Date Posted: 07 September 2012 at 7:33am
| Best buy has several units for around three hundred. Get a chill pad if cooling is an issue. |
Posted By: StormyKnight
Date Posted: 07 September 2012 at 9:29am
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Wish I could contribute more than, "Stay away from Apple". I haven't purchased a desktop system since '97. Ever since, I've built my own. Good luck finding a good deal. ------------- 
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Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 07 September 2012 at 8:17pm
| Don't stay away from Apple because of another persons personal preferences. Everyone has different wants and needs, figure out your own. |
Posted By: stratoaxe
Date Posted: 07 September 2012 at 9:47pm
Having grown up on Dell, here's my take. Dell's are fantastic specialty machines. If you need a dozen or so PC's to start up a business you can't go wrong. They routinely offer special financing, discounts, etc ec. But for an everyday rig there are better, cheaper options out there. Alot of the lesser known brands have come a long way in the sub-$400 laptop market and really eliminated the need for finance-powered giants like Dell. Also, I don't know if it's still this way or not, but every Dell I've owned was absolutely sick with bloatware. I think the bloatware was really one of the nails in the coffin for Dell's repuation. As far as Apple, I don't know anyone who owns one that complains about it. They're awesome computers but they're too expensive for anyone looking to get the most hardware for the cheapest price. Going to back to my own personal experience with computers, the two best I've owned were my HP and my Asus. My mom's Macbook Pro is beginning to grow on me though, and so is the muscle fatigue from toting around this heavy Asus. I think that's going to be my next avenue. -------------
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Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 08 September 2012 at 10:30am
He said he needed a cheap computer. He won't find that in an Apple. -------------
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Posted By: evillepaintball
Date Posted: 10 September 2012 at 2:09pm
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Nevermind. For the second time in 2 days, my Lenovo laptop has overheated and shut off due to KSP. -------------
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