Need new home computer

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fishdrzig
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:46 pm

Need new home computer

Post by fishdrzig » Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:13 am

I need to buy a new home computer for my wife. She runs the latest Quickbooks for the office and I would like to backup and run OD on it. Starting with this and building, what computer would you recommend so I can get started looking? I thought asking here first couldn't hurt. Thanks

fishdrzig
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:46 pm

Re: Need new home computer

Post by fishdrzig » Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:19 am

I forgot to ask, does Windows 7 work with OD, I have been running XP for everything

faverymi
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:51 pm

Re: Need new home computer

Post by faverymi » Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:52 pm

Im about to order computers from dell.

Jordan said that OD runs better on windows 7.

I got the same optiplex SFF with dual screens that I got for the office for the house. Little extra RAM and hard drive helps.

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drfredc
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:01 pm

Re: Need new home computer

Post by drfredc » Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:01 pm

Being a geek of sorts, I always start any computer hardware search at pricewatch.com.

The bigger geek shops can do a custom order for most any box with WIndows 7 and have it show up fully assembled (or ready for you to assemble) at your door in a week or so. Typically, they are very cost competitive compared to retail outlets. Beware, you can lose yourself in details if you're not careful.

If you want to skip the world of the geekdom, just go to TigerDirect.com and pick out something to fit your needs.

IMHO, If you're going to the hassle of having a desktop, I'd bump things up a notch to a mid-level gamer (higher end graphics card, more memory, better cooling, faster quad processor, cooler running MB with bells, bigger power supply). Midlevel Gamers will outlive most average computers in terms of speed and utility thru the years. If you wish, it can always migrate into a multimedia center for the house, if you're into that sort of thing.

Works for laptops too. Typically, these days, I'm into gaming (refurb) laptops and custom gaming desktops. If you're looking for smaller footprint than a desktop -- look into one of the small form factor boxes like those from Shuttle at pricewatch. Sweet boxes -- easy to assemble. Picked up a 22' refurb 3D gaming monitor in January (IZ3D.com)-- fun... Wish CEREC worked in 3D -- that would be real cool.

Seems everything tends to want more speed and graphics over the years. Today's mid level gamers will be good to great business machines for quite sometime in the future without hardware upgrades.

Also, in WA's goofed up business property tax system, if my office computer's are all "scrap" gamer boxes from home, I don't have to pay much on them, which adds up when you have 10 workstations at the office. Meanwhile, the new gamers at the house aren't subject to personal property tax.

I consider all my home computers as backup computers for the office. Typically, in about 3 to 4 years, I move them into the office, where yesterday's midlevel gaming power is just fine with most any business use. And the home gets a new (tax deductible backup unit for the office) gamer to replace it.

And yes, I've had emergency crashes that required bringing in home boxes to keep the office running -- twice it was the server. They used to sit on the floor and run all the time, with a tendency to suck up fir balls that clog their cooling... I've taken the lastest 'server' off the floor as a Intel Quad Shuttle small form factor box with water cooling that sits on the front desk. It's a low energy screamer -- with no problems.

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