help! we need a new PC!

[BigTillyMint]

I want to buy a new PC as our old one (8+yrs) is no longer working, and we are surviving on DH's work lap-top.

I need one that will write DVD's so I can download any digital film we take onto a DVD, and that will meet our modest needs. We do not currently store film on computer, and use the lap-top for word, i-tunes and internet access (mainly MN)

What do you think of this one?

TIA!

We do store photo's on it, but have the old PC hard-drive as an external hard-drive.

If you have an existing PC that has a working screen why not consider getting a Mac Mini?

For music, film and photos they make great machines.

store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_mac/family/mac_mini

The money and trouble you'd save by not having to deal with anti-virus things would also be a great help.

Ooh, that sounds interesting - I will look at the link, thanks. I wasn't thinking of getting a mac - would it cause any problems with storing / sharing data and pics, etc with standard computers?

I just fancied getting a more modern looking PC as well!

Sharing pictures will be fine, as to "data" well it depends on what it is.

The iMacs look modern and genuinely lovely, but they are more expensive than the one you link to above.

I got a machine of Mesh (as did DW), and they've worked out nicely so far (

Having looked at the link earlier in the thread it might work out cheaper as well...

Thanks!

The problem is that we are not computer-savvy - we just need a machine that you turn on and it works! I have no idea about tweaking the spec

"The problem is that we are not computer-savvy - we just need a machine that you turn on and it works!"

That to me is the best thing about Macs, they do just work (well usually, and certainly more often than a Windows PC does).

However you pay a price for that. Gaming on Macs is, to be frank, rubbish and they don't make cheap Macs.

One question about your requirement to "write DVDs". do you mean take a file for the internet and convert into a format that you can play on a normal DVD player? this is not a simple task. if you mean save the file into a format like DIVX which some (but not all) DVD players can play, then easier.

Macs or PCs are both able to do the second easily, i would say macs are better at doing the first (out of the box) as they come with iDVD which does that for you. for PCs you would need to purchase something else to do it for you.

I would second BadgersPaws suggestion to look at Macs - i am a long term PC user (IT Consultant) but for home use i use a Mac and would always recommend for home use to at least consider a Mac.

Downsides as BadgersPaws said - less games available (but you can always install windows as well using Boot Camp).

Upsides - well designed for doing home things (Audio, Video, Mail, Internet etc).

The Virus thing is a bit of a red herring with macs - Yes they are not affected with virius's but most of that is due to the smaller market share they have. Virus writers target the mass market (i.e. PCs). OSX (which is the mac operating system) is quite secure but exploits have been found and virus's written, but in the wild they (thankfully) are not found! i would recommend Macs because of their other advantages/benefits, not that they are secure from virus's if you know what i mean.

"The Virus thing is a bit of a red herring with macs"

The "security through obscurity" thing is certainly the red herring.

Windows has it's roots as a single user system where that user can do anything.

Mac OS X has it's roots as a multi user system where each user has strict limits and you never log in as the user that can do anything.

OS X is just fundamentally more secure.

Microsoft have made huge leaps in security over the last few years (even Vista despite being a general dog of a system made some radical moves in the right direction, 7 is better still) and they're catching up but they're still not as secure "out of the box" as a Mac.

The bottom line is if you buy a Mac you do not need anti-virus software or any other third party security component.

If you buy a PC you must get anti-virus and malware scanners and worry about keeping them up to date and the effect they're having on your machine (hands up if your PC has ever run slow because the anti-virus software is taking up all the processing power).

So from that point of view I would certainly recommend Macs from the point of them being more secure systems.

badgerspaws

yes, what you say is correct, but still in the blackhat contests, OSX is still broken into relatively quickly.

Also the recommendation from Apple now suggests that you should run anti-virus software on macs. here. risk is small but still there. there have been exploits in Macs (with Apple remote desktop), these gave bad people admin privileges.

this is getting off-topic , i think as i said before, Macs are great anyway, the anti-virus position should not be a major factor in a purchasing decision as so many other things make them the ideal home user computer.

"yes, what you say is correct, but still in the blackhat contests, OSX is still broken into relatively quickly."

The last hack that I heard of still required someone to have local access to the machine in order to agree to something. In the end if a user agrees to something then the machine is going to be vulnerable.

"Also the recommendation from Apple now suggests that you should run anti-virus software on macs."

It seems to say that you should do it if you notice odd things happening rather than as something to keep running to stop odd things running as you would do with a PC.

So the scenario they seem to be suggesting is that someone has allowed some bad software to run on their machine and odd things are happening.

Compare that to Windows where there are so many backdoors and security loopholes where you constantly have to have something running to stop bad things getting through.

"the anti-virus position should not be a major factor in a purchasing decision"

I think that it should and I think that it's one of the big reasons why casual home users should look into Macs.

Macs do have a number of serious downsides but the advantages of better security should be highlighted.

Thanks!

I think I understand what you're saying
I am not planning to do anything fancy with DVD's, just be able to download digital film we have taken of the DC onto a DVD, which looks very straightforward using the software that comes with the camera. If you have a DVD writer, of course!

I have googled the macs, but sadly I don't think DH will be willing to part with that much dosh.

Another question. Does the PC have to have WiFi to connect wirelessly to the internet, or is it for something else?

"I have googled the macs, but sadly I don't think DH will be willing to part with that much dosh."

Well a Mac Mini seems to be cheaper than the machine you posted a link to....

But yes as a rule they aren't cheap, Apple don't make bargain "entry-level machines".

"Does the PC have to have WiFi to connect wirelessly to the internet, or is it for something else"

WiFi is the wireless way of connecting to the internet, presuming that you have a wireless router/broadband box.

You can also connect to routers using cables (Ethernet).

That PC you posted a link to has both a wireless (WiFi 802.11b/g/n) and a wired (Ethernet RJ-45 port) adapter.

If you know you're not going to use wireless connectivity then you might be able to save a few pounds by skipping it, however it's so common now days that it can be more trouble and more expensive to find a computer without it.

Oh, thanks. I thought it was that. We have wireless currently, so I don't want to go back to cables!

I wouldn't touch a Packard Bell PC myself and I would steer well clear of PC World.

A £650 PC seems a bit OTT for your requirements. I think this would be more than adequate. I could probably find cheaper if I looked and if you don't need a new screen then that would save even more.

Thanks Cruel - that looks good (and we collect clubcard points!

What don't you like about Packard Bell and PC World?

Packard Bell have a cheap and nasty reputation and PC World have a reputation for poor customer service. PC World used to push over priced warranties pretty heavily. I'm guessing they still do. As somebody whose pretty technical, I get the impression that they aren't that clued up, they just know the buzz words.

OK!

So how do you rate Dell?

And would having an AMD Athlon processor be an adverse choice?

Dell aren't too bad. Everywhere I've worked for the last decade mainly uses Dell kit and it rarely seems to go wrong. Their customer service is probably no worse than most and better than some.

AMD Athlons are decent processors. I'm not sure how Athlons compare with Intel's Core2 processors, but you aren't looking for a high end gaming/video editing rig, so an Athlon would be fine.

Dell aren't too bad. Everywhere I've worked for the last decade mainly uses Dell kit and it rarely seems to go wrong. Their customer service is probably no worse than most and better than some.

AMD Athlons are decent processors. I'm not sure how Athlons compare with Intel's Core2 processors, but you aren't looking for a high end gaming/video editing rig, so an Athlon would be fine.

Hmm....I've had some issues with Dell as their build quality can be a bit suspect from time to time.

But I guess you can say that about anyone.

I've bought several mahcines from Crystal Technology (small company based in Billingshurst) and haven't had a problem with them.

Their website is fairly straightforward, but if you're not that 'techy' it might be worth calling them and telling them what you need the pc to do?

They may do data transfer services....if not, it's a doddle to do. If you have a mate in IT, they can do that for you :-)