Shopping for a new computer

[Bades]

There is nothing magical about PCs and Macs, or their components. They run the same hardware brands

I'd have to disagree. Apple uses much more premium parts than most other PC makers. The actual aluminum shell is of much higher quality than most cheap plastic laptops, and their batteries are far superior.

To get back to the point - if you aren't very computer savvy, your Windows machine will probably get viruses, your internet will slow down to a crawl because the average user doesn't know what Malware is and doesn't know how to remove it. The average user probably has 25+ applications in their start up which will also slow down their computer immensely. So if you don't know how to take care of all these issues, it's inevitable you'll have problems with your PC.

My case is this: Macs simply work. I had a MBP for 5 years, rarely ever had a problem. I think the thing froze up maybe once a year, and that just required a restart. And with Apple stores and Apple Care, if you do ever have a problem, take it to the store and they'll fix or replace super fast, no questions.

I got my parents to buy a Mac because I always had to "fix" their PC and it was getting annoying! HA.

Plus macs make everything easy. Time Machine is by far the easiest way I've ever seen to back up a computer. It's almost stupid proof. I don't live in the same city as my parents anymore and when my mom can't get something to work like the printer, we get on iChat and I can take control of her computer and see what's going on and fix it...that alone is amazing!

[siggy_freud]

I'd have to disagree. Apple uses much more premium parts than most other PC makers. The actual aluminum shell is of much higher quality than most cheap plastic laptops, and their batteries are far superior.

The majority of the internals are the same off-the-shelf parts from Intel, NVidia, etc. I don't disagree on the case, and even directly mentioned they have a quality shell. But they're simply not worth the extra money on hardware alone. I'd still much prefer to build one myself and get 30% more 'computer' for the same money.

The Mac vs. PC debate really can't be decided based on hardware, because either can literally be exactly the same. The differences come down to two things; the operating system, and upgradeability. Personally, I have no issues with Windows, and am accustomed to it. That said, there are a ton of people that like the simplicity of Mac's OS. If you're an Iphone fan, chances are you'll like the Mac. If you're more of an Android flavor, you'll like Windows. Unless you're a hardcore Android fan, in which case you'd prefer Linux .

[Copper]

Dell or Fujitsu will be a nice option for you. All of the virtues you would get in less price.

[elessar78]

If you like Macs get a Mac Mini. I have one and I run high end graphic design programs on it, surf the web, play online multiplayer games on it and stream soccer games from around the world on it on a regular basis. Works perfectly for me. Some of the stuff above is more reliant on the speed of your internet connection than the power of your machine (like gaming and streaming).

Mac mini - Buy Mac mini Computers - Apple Store (U.S.)

I think $600 for a baseline model is a pretty good price. Buy a refurbished one and save even more.

You will need to buy a monitor/display, keyboard, and mouse but those are relatively inexpensive. You don't need to buy these in the apple brand, I have a Dell and Acer monitor, for example. I would pay the money for their Magic Mouse (best thing ever).

I'm not one of those Mac fanboys either. I neither love nor hate their products, but just have it for industry compatibilities sake. We own a PC for my wife.

Friends and family come over to my computer desk and ask "What's that thing?" It's my computer and it measures 6"x6"x2" and they still have towers.

[bjl584]

To update on this:

I think I found a computer. I spoke to my friend who works in the IT field, and he steered me in the right direction so far as what brand to buy, what specs to look for, and what price to pay. I found a really nice PC on Newegg for $699. It's a tower, keyboard, and mouse only. I already have a monitor, and I can always upgrade later if I want. It has Windows 7 installed on it, which is fine, besause I've used Windows 8 and really don't care for it. My work computer has Windows 7 on it, so I am more familiar with that OS anyway. I will probably be ordering it this week.

Thanks to everyone for contributing info to this thread.

[DinoSaur]

Hi,

I'm another one to jump into the "I'm a Mac" camp.

I have 3 at home, with one recently bought for me in the office.

I grew up a gamer, and still do from time to time, which the Mac isn't the best with but is getting better year after year. I think they've finally worked out people like Macs and they also like gaming, so they should do something about it.

If you wanted a PC, go AlienWare, even just at a basic level. They are extremely capable machines and can do all the "usual" stuff you'd need as well.

[~bs]

no macs. bang for the buck, they tend to be a lot more expensive.

I'd stick with the mid-upper end parts. High- bleeding edge parts are going to cost you a lot more and provide marginal benefits. My last PC lasted 7 years. After the thing finally died, I bought another custom PC. The power supply had died, so I suppose I could have just replaced it, but didn't make sense to throw more money into an obsolete computer.

[siggy_freud]

If you wanted a PC, go AlienWare, even just at a basic level. They are extremely capable machines and can do all the "usual" stuff you'd need as well.

Good to see the OP found a solution that will work for them. Alienware makes good stuff, but also tends to be overpriced for what you can build yourself. You pay a lot for the look of the case, and all the cool lighting.

[bjl584]

Good to see the OP found a solution that will work for them. Alienware makes good stuff, but also tends to be overpriced for what you can build yourself. You pay a lot for the look of the case, and all the cool lighting.

I got an ASUS. Intel i7, 16GB Ram, 2 TB HD. One year warranty on parts and labor. $699 with free shipping.

[seen]

I got an ASUS. Intel i7, 16GB Ram, 2 TB HD. One year warranty on parts and labor. $699 with free shipping.

Can you list the full specs of everything that's included? What graphic card did you get?

[elessar78]

no macs. bang for the buck, they tend to be a lot more expensive.

I'd stick with the mid-upper end parts. High- bleeding edge parts are going to cost you a lot more and provide marginal benefits. My last PC lasted 7 years. After the thing finally died, I bought another custom PC. The power supply had died, so I suppose I could have just replaced it, but didn't make sense to throw more money into an obsolete computer.

I'm not sure where this reputation that Macs don't give you bang for the buck. In a decade in my profession, surrounded by Macs, I can't think one machine that has faced significant downtime for maintenance, viruses, etc. They run strong and can support the latest software for the better part of a decade.

As I outlined, I think I discovered the most bang for buck if you're going the Mac route. Personally, for 90% of what normal people do, computing power is overkill. Most people aren't rendering high def video or graphics or breaking passwords or running high end simulation software.

[bjl584]

Can you list the full specs of everything that's included? What graphic card did you get?

Intel HD Graphics 4000

[maryadavies]

I've had good experience in custom building pcs or having my brother do it (he trained to do that). My advice if you go that route is:

1. Check on deals on windows. And I don't mean go looking for a torrent. You want that legal. MIND, this can be the most expensive thing with a new windows pc; MS likes to charge a arm and a leg for Windows, no lie.
2. Figure out on how much pc you need. Intel now a days is the gamer's processor; if you don't play games, go with AMD. To do this, ask yourself what you're going to run on it and check the system requirements.
3. Make sure you look for deals on parts/case. Newegg, Tiger Direct, and Fry's are all good places to look, as well as your local electronics store. Coupons also rock if you got 'em. ^^
4. When buying motherboard, make sure it has plenty of expansion slots. If you like to tinker you may want to add more stuff eventually; so keep that in mind.

I hope that helps.

[~bs]

I'm not sure where this reputation that Macs don't give you bang for the buck. In a decade in my profession, surrounded by Macs, I can't think one machine that has faced significant downtime for maintenance, viruses, etc. They run strong and can support the latest software for the better part of a decade.

As I outlined, I think I discovered the most bang for buck if you're going the Mac route. Personally, for 90% of what normal people do, computing power is overkill. Most people aren't rendering high def video or graphics or breaking passwords or running high end simulation software.

Hows about this, simply compare spec sheets on a $2000 mac vs PC, hence the "more expensive" mentioned in my post.

Nowhere did I say that they weren't good computers. Just "more expensive".

If, like you say people are using it for surfing internet or other low intensity tasks, then neither a mac or custom PC is the best choice IMO. They should simply buy a lower end off the shelf PC at half the price of a mac or custom pc.

[seen]

Intel HD Graphics 4000

Here’s a rough placement of the integrated graphics on that chip:

Intel HD Graphics 4000 Review - Performance

It placed 183rd. It not a perfect indicator since it’s just a 3dmark score, but it should give you a rough idea of where the performance of those graphics sit.

You said before that you don’t mind paying a little more if necessary to buy something that will last a while, and I understand that. But then, you would get more useful opinions from a gaming site than what you originally posted here for, which was cost savings. Short of picking up an SSD, you bought yourself a monster setup, but without a decent graphics card, from a gamer’s perspective what you have there is somewhat of a Lamborghini with the engine of a civic.

An i7 with 16gb RAM is, without question, complete overkill for movie streaming. An i5 with 4gb ram will accomplish the same results for much cheaper. On the other hand games are more intensive on the GPU (HD graphics 4000) than on the CPU (i7 whatever speed you have). The i7 might have more gaming potential, but given the setup you chose it will fall behind very quickly.

After AMD bought ATI (NVidia’s rival graphics competitor) in 2006 they’ve been working on hybrid CPU + GPU = APU processors which is still a form of integrated graphics but has come a long way. The top AMD A10 Trinity (2nd generation piledriver) APU can be found on newegg for $129. The cheapest i7 (not sure which one you bought) starts at $289 with the integrated HD 4000 graphics you mentioned. Here is a visual comparison of the two on youtube, WITHOUT a separate graphics card.

AMD Trinity vs Intel Ivy Bridge - Dirt ShowdowN - YouTube

For the casual gamer, an APU is usually enough, and if it isn’t you have the option to crossfire (pair with another cheap$50 video card for a performance boost). With the i7 you really do need to forego the HD 4000 graphics and add a separate graphics card to take better advantage of the build otherwise it’s going to go to waste. 4-5 yrs down the road you might be able to Keep the i7 you have now, but the extra $160 or more that you paid for it will go that much further spending it then rather than now.