Sunday, September 1, 2013

My First Dell

Norma's computer is in need or replacement. It is an old IBM desktop with Windows XP on it. Microsoft's recent announcement that support on XP will soon end spurred me to action. Her demands on a computer are not high, limited to checking her email once or twice a week and monthly banking. She does not like laptops. She cannot figure out a touchpad and says it is too small.

So began my search for a suitable desktop. I have always has good success with reconditioned computers from tiger Direct so I pulled up their website. The selection was great and I found one.

Dell Optiplex GX620 Desktop PC - Intel Pentium 4 3.20GHz, 2GB DDR2, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, (Refubished)

It has a Pentium 4 processor with a decent size hard drive. It comes with only 2 GB of RAM but I can add more for not very much money. It has Windows 7 but in the 32 bit version which will be fine for her. The $160 plus $25 shipping price was certainly acceptable. It will be here of Friday.

I have always shied away from Dell for some reason or other but others seem to like them. In fact, my Blogging friend Rick is looking at one now and he is a retired network guy whose opinions and advice I have grown to trust. I am sure Norma will be happy with it and when Norma is happy.....


12 comments:

  1. I've also bought several used Dell's over the years. They all worked great for what we needed them for, and being just a bit of a techie who needs at least something close to the latest and greatest I've ended up turfing them before their lifespan was over.
    So, with all the success we've had with Dell, of course I went out and bought a brand new XP laptop one year. That machine caused me no end of grief as the video card burned itself off of the motherboard. I ended up dismantling the unit last fall and baking the board in the oven for a few minutes and it's worked great ever since. Isn't the internet (and YouTube) great, as that's where I heard about the unconventional fix.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great price! I'm still using our 6 year old 17" HP laptop with Windows Vista. The thing has been on all of our travels with us and it just keeps on ticking. Hoepfully it will tick for a few more years yet because it suits us just fine. Ruth is using a little 10" Acer netbook.

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nothing wrong with Dell. We used them when I was at Boeing and we use them at my new company. They are very well built and they will work for a long time.

    Personally I would have opted for at least a Core 2 Duo over a Pentium 4 but for $160 you can't complain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeez Don. it wasn't that long ago that a P4 was the cutting edge!

      Delete
    2. I think it was a while ago Croft. I just checked and the Pentium 4 came out in 2000. They released the last one in 2005 so it's 8 years old at least.

      That said there are still a ton of them around. We still have at least 2 or 3 at work still running.

      Delete
  4. My old Dell is still going (14 years) but it's now in Cuba! I took it down a few years ago as it had been sitting in my closet in case I ever needed a back up! It was nothing to me but our friends that have it are soooooo happy. If the internet ever becomes widely available there they at least will be more comfortable on the computer. Their son is at the University of Matanzas studying computers.

    We're looking at getting me an Apple and Rocket an Ipad. Just wait till they get this HP - the son will probably receive it for his graduation present.

    Doubtful this computer will make it there for our trip in October.

    ReplyDelete
  5. With cloud service, I think our next will be a netbook. Takes up less space. I like big screen as we watch movies and YouTube. Things change.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've had a couple of netbooks and found them to usually be just too under powered to really be much good.

      Delete
    2. I like my Asus netbook for what I need it for which id packing around Mexican villages in search of WIFI. It is light and the battery lasts forever.

      Delete
    3. Just got an Asus tablet - really a nice device (an FT700T). Amazing screen quality! Learning about Astroid OS.

      Delete
    4. Our son has an Android Tablet. Very easy to get around.

      Delete
  6. Our house if full of Dell Computers, Croft. I'm typing on my Dell Desktop right now, Paulette has a Dell Desktop and laptop. I've found all of our Dell computers to be reliable and well built. You only have to please one person - Norma!!

    ReplyDelete