Need New Computer

[frozenberg25]

Do you also have a lcd or led screen that you use for watching? If that's the case you can utilize a aio and mirror your tablet/aio to that screen. It's a pretty cool thing. Email me if you need help.

 

[srpearson]

Thank you all for answering my questions. The DW and I went out to look at Chrome books today and she didn't want to change to Google Office software. So then we looked at the Microsoft Surface 2. The size was right and it has Microsoft Office, which is what the DW wants. More money (lot more money), but it will probably be the way we will go.

Scott

 

[yolo]

I bought an all in one HP 23" computer over a year ago for home.  I took it on the road last summer for 6 months and it got used all the time whereas the 17" laptop never got used.  The AIO has Windows 8.1 which took a little getting used to but I love the machine.  I am always buying repair parts for my wife's tower computer, the the AIO has never hiccuped.

 

[eliallen]

  I am always buying repair parts for my wife's tower computer, the the AIO has never hiccuped.

Tell her to quit kicking it so much.

 

[Fastfwd]

Thank you all for answering my questions. The DW and I went out to look at Chrome books today and she didn't want to change to Google Office software. So then we looked at the Microsoft Surface 2. The size was right and it has Microsoft Office, which is what the DW wants. More money (lot more money), but it will probably be the way we will go.

Scott

I'm an Apple person myself and the ipad/macbook also have Office. But if you want to go with Microsoft I suggest you wait just a little bit for a much cheaper used surface 2 or to get the surface 3.
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/products/surface-pro-3

 

[Bob Buchanan]

I am always buying repair parts for my wife's tower computer, the the AIO has never hiccuped.

"Always" buying repair parts . . . 

  I hope readers don't gather from that if they buy a tower it will always need new parts and if they buy an AIO, they won't have that problem. Manufacturers put cheaper parts in cheaper models - that's how they are able to sell to the lower end of the market. Also, some vendors seem to put junk in all their models. That's one reason I never buy HP or Dell. OTOH, company's like Toshiba seem to always put machines together properly.

I have 2 full size towers that I built about 8-10 years ago and one low profile that I purchased a year or so ago. None have ever had a component die (and vs. a 6 month trek, I've full timed for 18years). The only time I take the cases off is if I upgrade storage or other component. I don't use the two towers anymore and will be giving them to good will - and imagine they will run just fine for many years.

Oh, and keep that tower going -- because when/if the screen on the AIO goes south, you may have to use it for a week or so during the AIO repair. 

 

[eliallen]

What parts are you all ways replacing?

 

[Fastfwd]

Most computers are built from the same parts. Probably the weakest link are the power supply. Even Macs use CPUs, hard drives and LCDs from the same manufacturers.

Hard drives can fail after 1 day or 15 years. No way to know which will fail when.

Things I have had the most trouble with are power supplies for desktops and the laptop bricks. I do think that Apple power supplies are more reliable; never had any go bad yet. I have a mac mini that has been running 24x7 nonstop since 2006. Power supply is still good and hard drive too. I have had multiple USB drives go bad too but those are cheap and replacable by design.

Without a hard drive and with an easily replacable power supply you have a smartphone/macbook air. No moving parts and the charger is a 10$ part non-OEM or 20$ OEM. My very first iPod still works perfectly and I expect the same from my current laptop.

 

[SeilerBird]

Things I have had the most trouble with are power supplies for desktops and the laptop bricks. I do think that Apple power supplies are more reliable; never had any go bad yet. I have a mac mini that has been running 24x7 nonstop since 2006. Power supply is still good and hard drive too. I have had multiple USB drives go bad too but those are cheap and replacable by design.

Just about any electronic device will last a lot longer when it is turned on and left on. Turning something off and on frequently is a lot harder on the electronics.

 

[Molaker]

Just about any electronic device will last a lot longer when it is turned on and left on. Turning something off and on frequently is a lot harder on the electronics.

True in most cases.  Where you run into problems is in design and maintenance.  In general, heat is the killing factor.  Lots of el cheapo components are poorly designed to handle the heat and fail early.  Likewise, dirty fans and cooling fins cannot dissipate heat as well as designed and can cause a damaging temperature rise.  Moral: Buy good stuff and keep it clean.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Just about any electronic device will last a lot longer when it is turned on and left on. Turning something off and on frequently is a lot harder on the electronics.

It's more important, IMO, to restart each AM because of the software. Most all will have some degree of initializing routines - beginning the OS. My SW goes through routine on startup that re-computes account balances and checks for corrupted data and such. I recommend in OLH help they restart hardware and my software at least every few days.

Read somewhere that if someone uses their computer 3 or 4 hours per day, turning it off  when not in use would save around 200 dollars per year in energy savings. I do remote desktop back to my desktop when I am out and about so leave it running at least all day, but do turn off the monitor.