PC recommendations

bluenose1940

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Hello folks, I think that it is time for me to replace my computer. It is a few years old now and it needs to go.

Just wondering if anyone can recommend anything to me. I'm looking to spend about £500.00 or so and I use it mainly for word processing/spreadsheets and
accounts along with surfing the internet and watching on-line videos, I am not involved in gaming at all.

Many thanks.
 
If I'n buying new, and I don't always, I always buy Dell. Others will pooh pooh this BUT Dell's warranty is great. You buy online from Dell UK, and if anything goes wrong ring em up. They then connect to your computer over the net and if they cannot fix it they will pick it up, repair it and then bring it back. Try that with PCWorld.



https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/supportservicesforhome/cp/supportservicesforhome


"If we can't resolve the issue over the phone, a technician can meet you at home, work, or school." From that page above.


https://www.dell.com/en-uk


Hope that helps. Other options are available.


Oh yeah, be careful of the cheapies they sometimes come with Linux. Fine if your ofay with Linux but a royal PITA if your not. Also avoid, like the plague, anything that has Android OS such as Chrome book etc. Also the vast majority of laptops, and desktops for that matter, don't have DVD/Blueray players these days. Despite that fact that an awful lot of software still comdes on a DVD as do films etc, the computer manufacturers, in their infinite wisdom NOT, deem that we don't need DVD players anymore. My cynicsm says it so that they can make their devices cheaper but charge us more.
 
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Thanks pete.i.

I have Dell at the moment which I bought second-hand quite some time ago.

I will go onto their site and have a look see what they have on offer.

Any thoughts on all-in-one's?

Thanks again.

EDIT: All of the pc's only seem to have Windows 10 Home on them, no offers with the pro version.
 
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Not a lot of reasons to spend the extra on Windows pro versions in my opinion. If you are networking it used to be easier to network with pro but with Windows 10 it doesn't seem to be any different. I have both versions and whilst I haven't looked that hard I cannot see any difference in Windows 10 Pro or Home to be honest, at least for what I do on a computer which tends to be, more or less, the same things as you.


Not quite sure what you mean by "all in ones." If you are talking about the all in one desktops I am not a fan but as I occasionally repair computers I find the all in one desktops much more difficult access wise.



If you mean the tablet type laptops which still come with a keyboard but use an on screen keyboard when you detach the screen. I hate on screen keyboards with a vengeance and the tablet part of those laptops tends to mean the screen is relatively small in comparison to a standard laptop. they also tend to be touchscreen which I don't like either and they are significantly more expensive.


I will admit that when I buy new I tend to go for Dell because of their warranty. I haven't had much success in the past when I have bought from PCWorld or Curries. I don't find the sales assistants particularly well clued up especially if I have to return anything for a fault. I'm also finding that the cheaper end of the computer market, these days, are not very well made. Stuff made in China, which is 90% of electronic devices, tend to have clunky keyboards and flimsy cases. I do like Toshiba stuff. Still made in China but feels much better built but then you do pay for that.
 
Looking at the US Dell site, most systems seem to be available with the Pro version of Windows for an additional $60. The main reason to have the Pro version is to be able to join a domain. Home users very rarely have any use for a domain, it's almost always used only in a corporate environment. The core OS is the same for Home as it is for Pro, the Pro version just has some additional features.

I don't care for the all in one units because they tend to use proprietary parts in them which makes them more difficult/expensive to repair.

If you really can't live without a DVD player, you could always buy an external unit that connects via USB. I personally don't find much use for a DVD player these days since very few software companies ship software on CDs or DVDs anymore and they are too slow with too little storage space to use for backups. That leaves watching a movie but most people uses streaming services to watch movies on their PC.

I see a decent system within your budget on the US Dell site, I assume they sell the same system in the UK, the Inspiron 3671. (It actually comes with a DVD drive).
 
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The 3671 isn't on the UK site. Dell UK do a 3000 series i3 and i5 but all with Win 10 Home. We are UK LOL. We are way behind the times over here and a lot of our stuff still does come on DVD, I just bought the entire series of Vikings, for instance, 69 episodes all on DVDs. But there are other places to buy for the OP. I don't think he will be getting involved with domains or any thing like that so Home will be adequate. And as I said my love affair with Dell is mostly for their warranty.
 
Thank you chaps for your very kind and useful input. As always it is very much appreciated.
You have now convinced me that I really don't need the pro version of 10.
The all-in-ones that I am taking about is where there is just a monitor and a keyboard, not sure that I am that keen on them now. i was just thinking about the space issue.

I would prefer to have a DVD included as I have quite a number of snooker coaching DVD's that I watch but, as strollin has mentioned, I could always use an external jobby.

I will do a bit more research today if I can. Thanks again for the help.
 
That one looks to be pretty similar to the 3671 from the US site. I would go with the configuration that has the i5 processor. It comes with a 1TB HDD, 8GB RAM and has a DVD drive. You could absolutely add an SSD to it. Dell does offer that option but it seems an expensive option to me so you're probably better off adding an SSD yourself.
 
Sorry I thought you wanted a laptop. Anyway that does seem a bit expensive for what it is. I would wait till after Christmas when the prices should come down a bit. Mind you Brexit or Trump might get in the way of price reductions.
 
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