06 Apr 07
Originally posted by cmsMasterOne thing I don't like about HP comps: They load it down with GIGABYTES of junk you will never use like casino crap or instant AOL, and dozens of shopping network scumware. You can never get rid of all of it, it hangs around like a bad dream. I had an HP, never again.
Dell's sorta crappy, building your own is probably ideal, but aside from that HP may be where to go.
I have a dell PC, it has much less of that crap loaded in, it still has some but not 1/10 the crap that the HP's have. I got a gateway notebook and it also has some crap but again, not as much as the HP.
On the laptop, the gateway, I got it at best buy, which I personally get shivers of disgust every time I go into that cacophanic multi level noise that goes on in there like we are supposed to think we are at a happening or some other BS, but anyway, I got the Gateway notebook and there was one interesting thing, an insurance policy that protects you against damage like if a tank runs over it they replace it, about 300 bucks for three years. I think that's a good idea, especially with two wrestling 18 yo boy twins whose favorite activity is accidently busting the walls, I fear for the life of my 'top so I got the policy. Considering just how easy it is to break those LCD screens, it gives me some peace of mind. I think they have similar policies for the whole line of PC's and 'tops. Of course a PC doesn't have quite the potential to get a baseball bat right up the LCD as a laptop so that is not quite the consideration as a notebook(once I dropped a PDA on the floor at Lucent, goodby PDA, screen took on an interesting multicolored pattern though, looked nice but it was a bit on the dead side, so I have been paranoid about portables with screens). I liked the Sony PC's but they tend to be more bucks than Dell. Dell has sales that come and go so if you check them out, see if there is an instant sale, which if you have the bucks and you want to fly with it, better take them up on it right away, a couple of days later, the sale is over and oops, its back up a couple hundred bucks. So waiting a week or two can reveal a new sale that didn't show up a week earlier. Thats with Dell, don't know the sale policy of the others. Then again you have to consider the product support team, are they lazy, do they answer your call in some decent amount of time. I found people who say Dell has fallen down on the support side but personally, every time I called support they were there and most of the time fixed the problem, one time giving me a new DVD burner because the old one crapped out, even though it was technically out of warrenty. That was a couple of years ago so maybe they are not so responsive now, have not had much trouble since then, more trouble clearing frigging trojans and such, which is not the fault of ANY manufacturer. So check out Dell and see what sales they have. Most of the boxes now come with all the goodies, DVD 2 layer burner, firewire ports, usb-2, gigs of memory, big asss HD, etc., and I think there will not be a whole lot of performance differance between most of the big brands. Stay away from unknown brands though, you can get burned. Also stay away from the very bottom of the line of ANYONE, the crap at the bottom of the heap will have maybe a cd READER, 256 megs of ram, small HD, etc., and it looks like a great deal at 300 bucks but don't be fooled, you won't like it when you check out under the hood after you get it home. So look around and good luck.
06 Apr 07
Originally posted by sonhouseAmerica must be different to here, i got none of that crap, just game playing specs for €400 cheaper than Dell, over the counter.
One thing I don't like about HP comps: They load it down with GIGABYTES of junk you will never use like casino crap or instant AOL, and dozens of shopping network scumware. You can never get rid of all of it, it hangs around like a bad dream. I had an HP, never again.
I have a dell PC, it has much less of that crap loaded in, it still has some but not 1/10 ...[text shortened]... en you check out under the hood after you get it home. So look around and good luck.
06 Apr 07
Originally posted by huckleberryhoundAmerican companies are frothing at the mouth evility incarnate when it comes to built in scumware, they get big bucks for that crap. And who loves viruses and trojans more than Norton, eh?
America must be different to here, i got none of that crap, just game playing specs for €400 cheaper than Dell, over the counter.
06 Apr 07
Originally posted by sonhouseNorton is pissing me off right now. I bought their new 360 online, and i keep getting "error5" when i try to live update. I did everything they said in the fault finder, then had to wait a week till the live update option came up again.....lo and behold, i got error5 again. I then went onto their support chat site, had to wait over an hour as i watched others cue jump me in the "you are x in the cue", then some guy tells me to do exactly what i did the first time except delete the common files too.
American companies are frothing at the mouth evility incarnate when it comes to built in scumware, they get big bucks for that crap. And who loves viruses and trojans more than Norton, eh?
I have to wait another week before i get to type swearwords at them 😛
06 Apr 07
If your local pc shop geek has been there for an eon he's the guy to see.
Gateway came to NZ saturated the market with cheap deals and three year warranties then pulled out of the country dumping Wang with the warranties.. which they couldn't keep up with.
The choice starts with what you want it for.
06 Apr 07
Originally posted by rbmorrisThey lie about the waiting time for deliveries too.
Dell customer service is crap. If you buy a Dell, you'd better pray you don't have any problems.
The good thing about buying from an over the counter PC shop is that you know where to take it back to and you can see a face, and not have to deal with an electronic reply machine. I got a 5 year warranty and they'll even cover any upgrades as long as you buy from them....works for me.
06 Apr 07
1 edit
Originally posted by SmookiePOops, i made a big booboo, it was Packard Bell 1508 i bought, i just remembered 😕
An hp is on the expensive side, but I've had two now, and haven't been dissappointed at all. Dell has good Tech support, but two hard drives have been corrupt in my experience.