New computer!

[jackmayo]

I would stick with windows 7 as windows 8 is not designed for office work and takes a while to get used to.

 

I guessing that you don't need a big hard drive or RAM so pretty much any model now will be fine. Post any ones that stick out to you and we can have a look.

[jamesd]

Thanks for all the help guys!

Dell seems like a pretty good call then, i'll stick with what i know! havn't used windows 7 or 8 so i don't know which is better, but judging by most comments it seems 7 is easier to use.

 

These are the computers that i've been looking at but i don't really know what the differences are. Can anyone shed any light on them?

 

Dell Business PC, Desktop & Computer Workstations | Dell UK

[jamesd]

Just got a new Dell precision , fantastic bit of kit would recommend it .

TS

 

What made you go for the precision model over the others and which precision model have you got? there seems to be 3 different ones for each model! which is confusing!

[jackmayo]

http://http://www.dell.com/uk/business/p/vostro-270/pd?oc=sbd2724&model_id=vostro-270#secondaryContent

 

Seems to be good specs for the price and runs on win 7

[TreeswingerPerth]

What made you go for the precision model over the others and which precision model have you got? there seems to be 3 different ones for each model! which is confusing!

 

Hi there, I went for the t1650 workstation , reason being Dell recon they are good for long service life in extreme conditions ( freezing in my workshop at night ) fact is the precision model is designed to run 24/7 for years and they are fast with big storage too . My son is into computers and he recommended it to me , he's repairing some for business people that are years old .

Just my opinion ! By the way it's Windows 7 and easy to work with .

CheersTS : thumbup:

[TGB]

If it just paperwork handling and you're not going to be playing games or rendering graphic/constructing video, then a basic PC, laptop or notebook will suit your needs.

 

If you know in advance what software you'll be running, this will simplify the choice of hardware. Most computers now come with more than enough storage memory and computational memory for accounting and small business use. Just make sure you keep a backup of your important stuff. Either on another mass storage device or cloud based through something like 'Google Docs' or 'Dropbox'. Each method has its advantages & disadvantages.

 

Most wrong with Dell. Plenty of bang for bucks, good website and run pretty quiet. Whatever you choose, make sure it has enough ports of the type you personally need. If you can afford it, get a Mac, as this may see you past multiple software update with some ease. However, if you go the PC way, upgrading the internals when needed, will be a lot easier and cheaper.

 

Given the age of your present machine, it is unlikely that a newer motherboard will fit in your case. But it might be worth asking, because maybe you only really need an updated CPU and some more RAM to keep in there with your business needs. Getting an all singing, all dancing shiny computer would be nice. But don't go for something like a 660, when you're just planning on doing a spot of coppicing.

 

If you'll only ever need it in one place, a PC will do fine. If you've ever found a need in the last 12yrs. when mobility would've come in handy, then get a notebook or similar.

 

 

Sent by Arbtalk Mobile App

[jackmayo]

Just make sure you keep a backup of your important stuff. Either on another mass storage device or cloud based through something like 'Google Docs' or 'Dropbox'. Each method has its advantages & disadvantages.

 

Yea that is important as my hhd crashed and we lost everything on it but luckily we had a external hard drive that had all photos on and I use Google docs for all of my documents.

 

You can get a 1tb drive for £50 and you can set it up to backup everything on your computer periodically which is well worth it and saves a lot of worry!

[WorcsWuss]

I bought a Sony Vaio laptop around a year ago, [predecessor to this - SVE1711R1E | VAIO E Series Laptop | Technical Specifications | SVE1711R1EB.CEK | SVE1711R1E | Sony , nearly identical spec but I got a 6gb memory, slightly better graphics card & a few other bits and bobs.

I love it, I'm very careful to look after it, no crap gets loaded onto it, I use Avast AV, it's always shut down and safely tucked away into it's bag when not being used.... It's got a BluRay player and a nice big screen, great for watching films in bed [not those sort of films...] it's a brilliant machine, never had a problem with it and would recommend one without hesitation. We get through A LOT of laptops in our house but this one is a keeper...

[Christopher Schroeter]

Back ups are definitely a must! My old Dell had the glorious blue screen of death recently so I took it down to the local computer shop. He ran his diagnostic and sucked through his teeth. Hundred and ten quid mate, and there's no guarantee I'll be able to save any of your data!

My mate's brother is a computer geek and I had him take a look. Within 5 minutes he had saved all my data, fixed the problem, installed a second drive that was massive and reinstalled all the office and everything! 50 quid! He reckons because my drive was full it had started deleting the oldest files, and the oldest files are operating system or something. So now everything is backed up....TWICE!

[KnotSure]

Cloud storage is good because a lot of people keep their backups in the same location and if there is a fire or similar then you lose both. I suppose you could keep a external hd in a secondary location to avoid that, although would be hassle.

 

I'd go for an Apple mac if I wanted a desktop but maybe it would be surplus to your requirements for basic business use. With a desktop you do still get more for your money than a laptop but only just. I think desktops will soon become obselete with the ease of access to cloud storage and cheap external harddrives.