MPower

One of my computers at my office is on its last legs. I havent bought a complete system in forever, as I usually just build/rebuild my own frankenstein systems. But now I am lazy and dont feel like building my own. So, anyone have any advice on brands to get or stay away from?

JustJess

MAC! No viruses! Easy to use! Everything looks pretty on a Mac!

Is that logical enough?

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Frosstbyte

HP used to be the absolute devil (I'll never buy another based on the horror of my last one) but they've gotten quite a bit better in recent years.

Dell is a consistent favorite for balancing price, service and customizability.

If you like how they look and are ok with having to re-purchase applications, Macs are certainly also a very solid choice.

If you have the money and want the most disgusting, bleeding edge, beautiful machine you can wrap your brain (and wallet) around, check out Falcon Northwest at www.falcon-nw.com.

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snicka

Always build your own. The government makes the companies put extra components in prebuilt systems that upload a list of all mp3s on your computer to the RIAA. This is why Macs went to the Intel architecture, more cost effective to make the components for one hardware platform. Or at least this is what the voices tell me.

Dilbert1234567

if you want a solid system with great support, IBM (now lenovo)

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MPower

Thanks for the info. No Macs. The last thing I bought from them was an Apple II back in '82 so I could play Wizardry.

Chimera

I have been pleased with HP as of late (last seven years), and would recommend them as a midline computer. They Key with HP is to get a unit with no integration on the motherboard....and upgrade yourself as needed.

Jinn

Amen. Dell is the winner for me; I've had three hardware failures on Dell machines, and warranty service had me a brand new one in 2 days, each time. Plus, the Tech Support people I talked to were actually able to SKIP steps in their scripts and listen to what I'd done, not make me do the same shit twice.

Even better, they install the least amount of garbage on their OS images (HPs is ridiculous -- I last counted 26 of HPs wonderful "applications" pre-installed).

Just my 2 cp.

Oh, and never under any circumstances buy an eMachines.

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Redjake

I would say Dell or HP. Stay away from Gateway. Bottom line, if I had to choose, I'd go with Dell. INSANE combo packages.

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Smackre

Ive recently had alot of good luck with the acers we bought for the office. They seem to hold up and i havent had a problem with any of them. They seem to be priced reasonably also.

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Willravel

So far, I've had the best PC experiences with Sony desktops. While you would be better off with a Mac, Sony is a nice second place.

Avoid Dell, eMachines, and HP. Gateway has some good systems.

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desal75

I've had a couple of HP's and have never had problems with them. For a reliable but bargain priced pc check out eMachine also.

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filtherton

Apparently, from all the different opinions in this thread, you'd be best off if you taped a poster with different brand names written on it to your wall and threw a dart.

amonkie

LOL at Flitherton

I have had a problemfree Sony for almost 5 years - I now have a mac laptop, and use Dell at work. Any of those three get my thumbs up.

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Lasereth

It doesn't matter. Seriously, just pick one. All of the "bad stories" from people about certain brands are freak accidents that aren't the norm. I'd go with whichever has the best deal on a combo monitor at the moment.

Dilbert1234567

i can attest to working with IBM/Lenovo techs for the past 2 years at my college, and they are great.

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kofspades

Agree 100%. Brand does not matter. Wipe the OS and start fresh.

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MechCow

I have worked with hundreds of dells and they are mostly extremely good value. It depends on the model though, they rush designs out the door and some have problems.

Don't pick based on brand, pick based on requirements. Write down everything you desire in a computer and match it to a deal.

HP makes awesome computers but they are generally overpriced.

Of course I'm assuming you want a desktop, laptops are a completely different ball game. Tell us some of your requirements.

aeturnum

I agree with mechcow, what matters is what you're looking for. That being said, Dell is probably the first place for you to look. They're cheap and work pretty well.

wolf

I build my own, which I love because there is 0 preloaded crap. I would be willing to build one for you if you want to negotiate a price. I build them for others to their specifications. I have worked for IBM for the last 5 years and I would say they are really good. I would never buy a different laptop than IBM/Lenovo. Next I would go with Dell. Sony builds a great machine, but the prices are outrageous... you might as well go with Alienware for that price.

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Willy

Buy whichever one gets you the best package for the price. Watch for sales and such. They are all the same, cheapest possible components stuck in a box with a bunch of proprietary crap software clogging up windows.

If you want a good computer you have to build it yourself. If you don't want to do that then just shop based on price cause they're all the same and you will find people who have had good and bad experiences with every company. A lot of people are recommending Dell here, but I have had nothing but trouble with mine. They do have nice cases though.

Tyrell

I've had a poor experience with Gateway customer service, so I recommend avoiding Gateway. When my step-father was working as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard, he opined that HP personal computers were pieces of junk.