Which?:Laptop or desktop?

DrewDad if you are not a very aware computer user and you are running any version of windows you better had a friend or family member who is at hand!

My poor wife had spend hours after hours on the phone supporting her brother windows systems and it is her own fail as she is the one who gave him his first window system to replace his typewritter in the first place.

Placing a boot linus disk in and following it setup instructions is beyond you then windows is not a good OS for you either.

OK, back to more mundane matters for a bit, guys ....

I have been checking out second hand computer options in my area. (the traders now know me by name. ) And I've been doing a bit of bargaining, too.
Anyway, here's the best I can come up with: an 18 month old Dell computer (2 GB RAM), full-sized Dell screen (same size as the new one in the shops - big) & Dell keyboard for (the reduced price) of $550 Oz (not US!) dollars. I can have $100 off with a slightly smaller IBM screen (monitor?) & /or less RAM (I hope I'm using understandable terminology here! Doing my best - for a Luddite)!

So what do you think?

Yeah, I rather agree with that, Roger. Warranty schmarranty!! (Particularly with "pre-loved" goods!)

The option (above) has a certain appeal, because the trader is a mere 5 minute walk from my home!

Oh & there's quite deal of software included in the deal! (Some of which I don't want/need!)

Sounds like the same specs (more or less) as my ACER, and should be more than adequate. I don't care what kind of dollars they are using, that sounds like quite a few, but maybe computers are just lower priced in the US.

That really depends on what I was going to use it for. Mobility is really the only advantage for a laptop, but it's a big one. Desktop advantages are that they are generally cheaper and that you can more easily fix and upgrade things, both of which might be appealing if keeping the costs down is important.

Also worth noting is that laptops tend to break more quickly, which is one reason I tend to avoid used laptops. With desktops, you can replace the fan or a hard drive (the parts most likely to break) easily and cheaply, and they can last a lot longer than with laptops.

With laptops a couple of years makes them long in the tooth and I'd be more concerned with getting a lemon.

I'm absolutely certain they're cheaper in the US, Roger.

Having looked around, I couldn't get a better deal than close to $1200 (Oz $) for the most basic, brand new computer. (Except, perhaps in a super duper sale of last year's models.) Oz dollar used to be roughly 1/2 US dollars. I'm not sure what the deal is now.

Thanks, Robert.
That pretty much confirms what others here have said. As I haven't used laptops much at all I was wondering if there were any advantages (apart from mobility) that I wasn't aware of. And as my little terrace house is tiny (like, really tiny !) every bit of saved space is a plus! But desktop it will be.

Regarding use: A2K, lots of news & information sites, emails (& mayebe even YouTube <gasp!> when I move onto broadband - soon, soon! ) Not games, or anything like that.
The computer I've been using for years now is ancient. I may be able to donate it to a museum!

On a related issue (to the computer I'm considering buying), any feedback on Mozilla would be most appreciated. How does it compare (performance-wise) with IE, which I've used for years & have found very frustrating at times. Mozilla (& other software) is already installed on this computer, though Isee that it can be downloaded for free.:

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ie.html?utm_id=Q108&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&gclid=CIDk_pyQopoCFZcwpAodgXQ-8w

Broadband!!! Yay!!!

Not immediately, BubbaLouie, but soon, soon!! Yes!!

I rarely (if ever) use IE.

Just converted $550 Oz dollars to US dollars. Almost exactly $4oo.

I like Mozilla.

But mebbe also download Google Chrome (also free) and compare?

Mind you, I can talk....I only have pedal broadband.

Pedal broadband? Tell me more!

Oh, please. Your hatred of Microsoft is getting the better of you. Microsoft bashing is a popular pastime among computer users, but the fact is they make a decent product.

What are you using, Deb?

Opera.


But thanks (I think) to Craven, I was able to download, for free, their paid for version, sans ads (they had some sort of birthday special or something).

Mozilla is, I think, more likely than Opera to have trouble-free browsing, as I think more sites are happy with it (I think most sites still optimize for IE).

You can try all of them right now. They are all way faster than IE on dial-up.


Give them a spin!!

Chrome (Google's browser) is different and takes a bit of learning.

All use tabbed browsing, unlike all but the latest versions of IE, so that takes a bit of getting used to.


I WAY prefer it...and Opera lets me come back to the same tabs if I want when I re-open it.

Thanks, Deb. I will be investigating all this stuff soon (NOT on this computer, though. I think it's dying.)

Any thoughts about the price of the little number I'm thinking of buying? Being Australian & all .... I suspect that computeres are more expensive in Oz.

Oh...remember to keep IE as your default browser, at least while you are experimenting.

The different browsers generally ask you if you want to make them the default...and it might be a little confusing if you didn't like a browsewr, and it didn't default back if you uninstalled it.