I'm starting to explore possibilities for a new desktop in the near future. I need a 3.0GHZ Intel processor, 6 or 8 GB of RAM, a 500 GB HD, a decent video card and sound card. I own a 6 year old Dell 4600 Dimension so I just checked out Dell and saw a possibility, a Inspiron 560. It looks kind of plasticy though. Does anyone have one? I am considering jumping ship and getting an iMac when their new Lion OS comes out in mid- Summer, but I'm torn between staying with what I know or learning the iMac. The iMac looks good. Does anyone know where to get current reliable reviews of different brands? Thanks for any output anyone might have from their experience.
I eventually had a desktop custom built. Luckily I know someone who does this for a living. The advantage is that if anything goes wrong or I just want to upgrade any hardware I just take it to him.
Don't waste your money on an iMac. They're not worth the price. If you really want to jump ship, try Linux.
Thanks for the response. I want to just order a computer from a good company like Dell and have it custom built. I am not limiting myself to Dell though, so that's why I am asking for some input.
Thanks for the response. I am not bent on jumping ship, but looking at Apple is a possibility. A friend loaned me his spare iMac to look it over, and construction wise I think they are well made. From what I was able to gather from playing with the OS, it's pretty straight forward to use. As for the price, you're right there. It's a little expensive. A similar set up in a Dell is about $500 cheaper. The only thing is that Dell has horrendous tech support, and Apple has a store (center) not too far from me where I can take the computer if telephone support can't fix a problem. But, I am still looking.
I'm quite enjoying my Gateway, actually. I have no idea of their tech support, as I know my way around hardware and most software. I've heard it isn't spectacular, but I'm afraid these days most tech support is kind of crappy.
The worst part of at least Dell support is the fact that it's from India. Most of the time the hardest part of a conversation is understanding them through the heavy accent.
Gateway offers a lot of bang for the buck. Since Acer bought Gateway they have been very aggressive in the high-end market with their FX series. I have been using Gateway FX models for the past 2+ years and have been happy with their performance and reliability. I can not say anything about Gateway customer service because I have never had reason to use it. Just a note: Because of the recent problem with the Sandy Bridge boards, if you can delay your purchase for a month or so you will have a greater selection. It seems the retailers I am familiar with have few very PC's in stock, waiting for the new Sandy Bridge models to reappear. FWIW: For several years Dell had a very bad reputation for customer service (Google: "Dell sucks"). There are many videos on youtube documenting the horrendous problems people faced when dealing with Dell customer service on the phone. They may have improved in the past couple of years but i do not know. Personally, because of their history of poor customer service, I would buy a Dell only if I had no other choice.
Reading your post, I wonder why a Pentium processor unless you are using that moniker to include all Intel CPUs. That aside, if you are unable or unwilling (as I) to build your own, I believe you will get the most for your money buying a "white box" desktop from one of the highly rated builders on Ebay. Scanning the listings from those vendors, you will see a large selection of base units, most with an extensive array of configuration options and a full warranty. It's certainly worth checking out. You should also consider a unit with an AMD quad or six-core processor; they are very fast. Good luck in your search !
Maybe it's just Dell notebook support, but on the two occasions I had to contact a technician, they were located in the Philippines. I had no language problems. I may regret saying this, but in all of the years taking care of family members Dell computers, I've never had a problem with Dell tech support. Just don't get me started on my experience with HP notebook support.........
You are truly blessed. I don't think I would have trouble understanding a Philippino either. Could this be a new location for Dell Support? I haven't had to call them in 5 years, so I don't know. I did have one occasion when my monitor developed a dead pixel, and the tech guy was really good and easy to understand. The other times I would be greeted with "hello my name is Brian how may I help you", followed by unintelligible jabbering.
That reminds me of British Telecom support, it can be very good & they have helped me several times. Some of their support staff (in India) can have as much difficulty in understanding my own accent. I find that NATO's phonetic alphabet can be useful. Especially in explaining specific hardware/software issues.
Too bad we can't get phone support in out native country any more. Then we could understand each other better.
I think it's called outsourcing. I'd rather BT outsource to India than south of Watford though, Being a Northerner I have difficulties understanding Estuary English.
twl, if you haven't called tech support in "5 years", I'd say a Dell is a good choice. A lot of people I know have Dell's, and they don't have any problems.
I'd say you're right unless you do have a problem. When I took delivery on my present Dell it had a problem, and I was on the phone with tech support for 10 hours before an American tech guy jumped in and I finally told him I wanted a replacement. About a year later I had to get them to replace the monitor when it developed a white line across the screen. Since then the set up has been great. Over the last 4 years I did order my Son and Daughter Dell's and although they take abuse they are fine. Before I plop down all that money for a new setup, I want to be sure I get the best I can get with good support in case. Dell is a good contender. Thanks for responding.
Take a look here...a lot of people are very happy with them + top notch customer service. http://www.digitalstormonline.com/
