Best computer

[redfred]

Ok im moving into a new place this week and will have the need to get myself hooked up with broadband and all that but sadly ive not much of an idea about computers.

Basically what I need it to do is be fast, broadband compatible and be able to download songs and burn onto cd's and of course surf the net

Ive not a great deal of space so I think a tft screen wd be necessary, ive heard about Dell, ive got a currys and pc world etc near to me so any advice on this wd be great, plus would need to sort myself out with broadband so any recommendations of the best provider would be helpful.

cheers in advance

[Evo]

Basically what I need it to do is be fast, broadband compatible and be able to download songs and burn onto cd's and of course surf the net


Any modern computer will do that without problems. The main consideration when it comes to how much you spend is games - modern games still require quite a high-spec PC.


ive heard about Dell, ive got a currys and pc world etc near to me so any advice on this wd be great,


Avoid all of them. You'll get a better PC from a specialist - personally I think Mesh are pretty good.

As for broadband, if you search on this forum, you'll find several threads discussing providers. I've used Pipex for the last three years and think they're very good.

[redfred]

wont be using games at all, thanks for the info

[Evo]

Then may I suggest an Apple Mac :)

[You Can Call Me Al]

Concur with Evo, Mesh are sound. Watford Electronics (aka Savastore) also do some very nice machines at competitive prices. For broadband I use Telewest (cable) and have now got a 2Mb (blisteringly quick) connection for the same money as a 1Mb one. Happy hunting.

Al

[Engineer]

If you want the best build your own :-

Asus A8V Deluxe motherboard
Athlon 3500+ winchester processor
Sapphire 9800 pro graphics card
512MB Kingston Hyper X memory
Maxtor DiamondMax+9 250GB HDD
LG4120B DVD writer
Creative LS audigy soundcard


:ok:

[Toxteth O'Grady]

...........but not to that spec. :yuk:

[E-Liam]

Come now Toxteth, you can't leave it open ended..

The next thing to do is for you to list your recommended spec, and then the both of you basically argue the toss for and against each other's list. That way get to see arguments for and against.. :ok: :)

Seconds out.. round one. :ouch:

On a more topical note, I've used NTL for a few years now, and (I know there will be some dissent here..) but I've had no problem with them. :ok:

Cheers

Liam

[Fire 'n' Forget]

Yeah i am with NTL never had a problem, although Demon are now doing BB for £19.99 a month with UNLIMITED download unlike some.

As for PC go to savastore.co.uk and they have an online parts configurator so you can spec your own PC and then they build it and Quality control check it for only £30. Had mine for 12 months now and no probs.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

:) Just teasin' really. Simple retort to a simplistic statement.

What the OP should have done is asked what is the best I can get for a max budget of.......?

It would then be possible to give realistic options on this thread.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, I suspect Engines was trying to propose a mid to high end spec aimed at the OP's intended use, but he didn't say that. For a money no object, "if you want the best" machine it's not even close.

I suspect that's not what the OP's after either so I'm not gonna waste time listing a better spec machine than Engineer posted.

But if anybody want to list some high end kit they can add to the following:

Pair of WD 74G Raptors in Raid

SLI pair of 6800 Ultras

:}

[Binoculars]

Come on guys, fair go. the poster has admitted he knows not much about computers, and we finish up with a willy waving contest telling him to build his own.

Redfred as Evo said first up, any modern computer will do everything you want and more, especially if you have no requirement for games. That means the most basic entry level computer will do what you want many times over. So forget the specs, either settle for a Dell or similar (and I've never had any problems with them) or find somebody local to set you up with an entry level computer if you want the personal touch and after sales service.

I speak as somebody not many rungs up the ladder from you in terms of computer knowledge, and I feel that is often a good thing. The genuine experts often get so carried away with what their favourite systems can do they forget they are talking to somebody who just wants the cheapest reliable system they can find.

The internet provider is a separate matter entirely. Nothing to do with what computer you buy. Good luck!

[stickyb]

I really would not touch Mesh with a barge pole. I bought one from them before Christmas, and the support was diabolical.
In the end I decided to return it as it was not up to the described spec on their website.

Fortunately I had paid the whole amount on a Mastercard, so they were able to get the money back for me. (One significant difference between Mastercard and Visa is that with Visa you have to return the goods, with Mastercard you only have to make the faulty goods available for collection by the original supplier)

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Best bang for your buck at the moment is undoubtedly JAL

:cool:

TOG

[Dop]

Get a Mac. If you get an iMac, the entire computer is behind the TFT screen in a package two inches thick. It comes with a good software package which covers music, pictures, video etc so you may not need to buy extra software.

And the really good thing is that you don't need to worry about viruses.

[Helen49]

I agree, don't touch Mesh. Up to the point of sale brilliant. Once they have your money, they don't care. Service becomes none existent. Take an age, if ever, to answer the phone, don't call back, infact don't do anything to impress the customer. They don't understand the meaning of customer car.

[Flypro]

This is terrible, I'm on the point of forking out £1000+ on a computer, the best UK spec I have found appears to be MESH (Elite M550 PCX), and you lot are rubbishing the company.
Please tell me more, and reccomend a better manufacturer!
I've got a great Dell laptop, but they don't figure in the magazine ratings when it comes to Desktops.
How about Evesham or Carrerra - they both offer high spec machines?:confused:

[Frank Furillo]

Just to add to this...... I have a Dell Dimension Desktop 2350, i bought this two years ago, it cost £699.99 (don't they always) and came with as standard.... 17 inch TFT monitor, Network card, 256mb Ram (since upgraded to 1gb at around £40) 60 Gig hard drive, Pentium 4, 2.5Ghz processer, Dual DVD and CDRW drive and XP Professional. I have had no problems with it my broadband is through NTL 1.5gb. Its fast enough for me and gives me no problems.
FF

Just to add Dell do a home system very close to what Mesh are offering their's is £875 inc, Mesh £1099.

[drauk]

He hasn't got much space, he wants to surf (safely presumably), download music, burn CDs and doesn't know much about computers. He doesn't want to play games at all. He hasn't listed a budget, from which a reasonable inference might be that money isn't the top priority but as with most people he does care how much things cost.

On the basis of that I'm interested to know if anyone WHO HAS TRIED ONE would not recommend a 17" iMac?

His requirements sound like an advert for iMac for heaven's sake!

[redsnail]

drauk,
The Mac mini (http://www.apple.com/uk/macmini/) could be worth a look too if he wanted to customise the screen and keyboard.
(But I have to agree with you about the G5 iMac)