Help! Need to buy a PC today advice needed. Dead desktop

[ajm]

As a rule, never buy a laptop if a desktop will do. Heat is a problem, the keyboards are always garbage, sound is always garbage. Parts availability often becomes an issue after only a year or two. (Yes, I have lots of laptops lying around which are ancient and still working... I'm speaking generally.)

The only positives are the fact you can take it with you if you need to travel and it takes up a little bit less space when not in use (you're still likely going to need all the clumsy stuff like router/ printer / decent keyboard / mouse lying around anyway.)

Windows 8/8.1 has possibly the worst usability of any version I've used (which takes us back to Windows/386) - it's a monumentally stupid "design" which relies on you knowing that all the important controls are not on the screen but hidden off the side of it; underneath that it's basically Windows 7 which is basically an ironed out Vista and is actually pretty solid... installing the aforementioned Classic Shell ( http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ ) would be a very good early step and makes most things work like you'd expect.

I would also recommend creating a "local" user account rather than a Microsoft account when you first set it up... Microsoft have an impressive track record of untrustworthiness and I'd personally feel more comfortable limiting their access to my data (at least not handing it to them on a plate.)

 

[The History Man]

thanks for the above. sick of fighting with this desk top. missed my laptop reservation now. so the search continues. it seems similar spect desk and laps are about the same price? spent hours on this now and need some clarity.

or am i asking too much. New means windows 8? Have been reading about shell to make it more user friendly. I f*cking hate technology when it stops working. wasted the day.

 

[lumos2000]

I can put office on mine if you want, ive got a copy for 5 pcs but my wife needs it

 

[ajm]

New PC does effectively mean Windows 8 unless you order a "business" model which mostly come with Windows 7 by default. You'd probably end up paying a bit more that way, though often the warranty is better.

As said, it's not a complete disaster if you get Windows 8 as there are ways to make it more or less like what you had, it's just annoying having to work around something that's been deliberately and pointlessly broken to suit someone else's agenda...

 

[The History Man]

Thanks again.

Finally settled on HP pavilion i5 8gb 1tb 15.6" in black. £400 pc world.

kill me now pick it up in morning then ugrade to 8.1 apparently if i want it to look like 7.

 

[ajm]

I would _very_ strongly recommend you DON'T "upgrade" to Windows 8.1, not yet anyway.

Firstly it simply won't do what you want (make your PC work roughly like the old one did) no matter who says it will and for another, on several occasions I've seen 8.1 break things that worked with 8... you'll have enough bother to be going on with already.

On top of that, it's a huge and slow download which gives you basically nothing worthwhile for your bandwidth, time and bother. Leave it for later, use a local account when you set up, install Classic Shell and you'll be back in business with only relatively minor irritation!

 

[Neil]

Thanks again.

Finally settled on HP pavilion i5 8gb 1tb 15.6" in black. £400 pc world.

kill me now pick it up in morning then ugrade to 8.1 apparently if i want it to look like 7.

Sounds like the i5 I'd heard of 8G RAM 1TB hard drive, £399, call it £400? (it's ringing all sorts of bells since watching episode 5 of series 2 of Phoenix Nights (Max "haggling" with "Fanny" about the price for a hit)).

 

[The History Man]

smiling now.

 

[The History Man]

I would _very_ strongly recommend you DON'T "upgrade" to Windows 8.1, not yet anyway.

Firstly it simply won't do what you want (make your PC work roughly like the old one did) no matter who says it will and for another, on several occasions I've seen 8.1 break things that worked with 8... you'll have enough bother to be going on with already.

On top of that, it's a huge and slow download which gives you basically nothing worthwhile for your bandwidth, time and bother. Leave it for later, use a local account when you set up, install Classic Shell and you'll be back in business with only relatively minor irritation!

Ok. Will it run my old hp 2410 behemoth printer scanner fax baby belling?

 

[lumos2000]

just updated to 8.1, cant see any difference yet apart from a windows button where the starts button used to be on 7