Tom,

Thanks for this informative info. I have bookmarked that url, and look
it over tomorrow.

Much appreciated.

Corinne

wrote:

I was a head tech for a retail company that built their own machines.
I still build my own (because I want specific stuff in my machines) but
for the average user (personal and business) you simply cannot beat
the dell machines. In my current job (IT educational) all be buy
for the schools are Dell workstations and servers. I absolutely LOVE
the stuff with their warranties. I am not a big fan of their printer
line
(all lexmark crap that I dont like) but the workstations are excellent.

I know some people blame their Dell computer for all sorts of ****. But
honestly I have seem all sorts of different makes and models of
machines
over the years and they are all prone to problems with the operating
system
screwing up the machine (make it slower, etc) Todays enemy is spyware,
adware etc.
Its can slow down that machine to a crawl if you have enough crap on
there.

When looking at the quality of a computer, you have to ask yourself how
many
times has the drives blown, monitor crapped out, etc. (Power supplies
are questionable because their life span depends on the cleanliness
of the users work area. Dust and smoke kills fan on power supplies
and CPU's.)

I would recommend going to sites like www.techbargains.com and
search for Dell. You can find great deals on Dell stuff.

I would make sure to at least get a 2Ghz processor, 1 gig of ram,
DVD-RW, 3 1/2 Floppy (lots of machines dont come with them)
a nice 17" flat panel monitor. And at least a 32meg video card.
More if you have the funds available. The warranties can be
upped to if you got the cash.

Tom




Corinne wrote:

Please don't blast me for asking this question here. I have posted here
before and received excellent advice, so I am back.

I am in the market for a new computer. I am interested in Dell. When
searching the Dell sites, I see lots of complaints about service, etc.

Do any of you use a Dell computer, and can anyone recommend a model
for someone who uses the computer basically for email, newsgroups,
searching the web, playing solitaire, and making greeting cards?

I am totally lost, and as you can see, I am not too computer savvy.
I just know the basics, and my computer man, in this small town,
just retired due to ill health.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Corinne