All you selfless, magnanimous types - help me find a computer please!

Checkmite

Skepticifimisticalationist
Checkmite
Joined
Jun 7, 2002
Messages
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Location
Gulf Coast
Problem: my lodge needs/wants a new computer. I've been placed on a committee whose job it is to find one. We've been granted a non-negotiable budget of exactly $1000, which must include ALL expenses - tax, shipping, any third-party software we absolutely need to buy - EVERYTHING. Use every cent you feel comfortable with, but not a penny over the limit. Prices "after mail-in rebate" which are initially over the limit before said rebate is mailed are at this point considered NOT ACCEPTABLE.

The computer is to be used solely for word processing and data file storage (i.e., documents, spreadsheet/database). It must be internet compatible, but it will only be online for extremely short periods (i.e., long enough to transfer specific data or send something by email), so virus protection is not a priority, and we will not be subscribing to any services. It will not be used to store or play music files, or for playing games. A notebook is highly, superly, ultra-ly, mega-preferred.

Guidelines:

  • Windows XP of course
  • Microsoft Word and Access, and some type of cheap spreadsheet program compatible with them. An address book, and a basic calendar. No other office applications needed or wanted if there's absolutely any choice in the matter.
  • Must be easy to upgrade to Vista when necessary
  • We're thinking around 60GB on the hard disk should be plenty for what we need.
  • 1GB of memory is desirable; 512MB fine if necessary to stay within budget.
  • DVD/CD-RW highly desirable; CD-RW only is also fine if necessary.
  • No IMAX-theater compatible graphics cards. Keep it minimum-practical.
  • Widescreen monitor is "acceptable", but not necessary.
  • Bluetooth is not wanted if it can be avoided to cut cost.
  • We've already got an All-In-One printer/office thingy so no GREAT DEALS! necessary. No peripherals like docks or USB mice will be bought. No cases, mats, or "bike chains".
  • Extraneous cool gizmos like Wireless LAN, built-in webcams, speciality "finishes", and the like can and should be sacrificed wherever possible to save cost.
  • We've decided that XP's built-in system restore/backup application is fine, so no Norton Ghost or like products, please.
  • If there's any money left in the kitty, some sort of service/repair plan would be just famous.
  • That said, some sort of independent data protection/backup/deletion stuff would be tasty, but ONLY after all above requirements are met comfortably.


I've done much looking, but I keep going either over-budget or so close to budget that my Murphy Buffer tells me I'm missing something important. To those of you who like helping people with problems like these - any suggestions?
 
You can get a basic Dell notebook with 512MB, XP Home and Word for $613 plus shipping and taxes, and Access 2003 from Newegg.com for $199.99. That leaves you a bit of room to upgrade memory or whatever.

You should be able to find similar deals elsewhere. You can get a basic HP notebook with roughly the same specs for $670 plus $70 shipping, with a $100 rebate (it's $670 before the rebate).
 
We just bought two Compaq lap tops in the same price range from Fry's (I think we paid about $550 for each of them. They have both performed very reliably since they were purchased about four months ago.

They came pretty much completely loaded with the standard acutrment of stuff including 512MB and 80 gigs and a dvd/cd writer burner.

I have now had enough experience with emachines (I am involved with most of the computers my extended family has bought over the years) to recommend against them. At first we were happy with them but I got to thinking about it and of the five machines that we had, all of them had suffered one kind of failure or another and some of them had more than one. In all the other machines that I have had in my jobs and at home and that my family members have had the number of hardware failures has been almost negligible. Machines got replaced because they became obsolete.

My dad just bought a moderately loaded HP desk machine for around $500 at Fry's. I liked that machine.
 
There's a big problem with notebooks: They break; when they break you can't fix them yourself; and having them repaired is expensive and takes forever. (And often they get sent back still broken.)
 
Joshua Korosi said:
  • Windows XP of course
  • Microsoft Word and Access, and some type of cheap spreadsheet program compatible with them. An address book, and a basic calendar. No other office applications needed or wanted if there's absolutely any choice in the matter.
Click to expand...

i can't help with the rest as I have no idea how much PCs cost on your side of the pond, but have you considered using Open Office unseated of MS products? As it's free and will do everything which the software you asked for will do, you should make some savings.
 
A fully loaded business PC under a grand is not hard to find these days. It's the gaming and multi-media PCs that have buldging video cards, surround sound, graphics, neon lightshows, and tons of memory that start to get expensive. The last business laptop I purchased was $849.00 and that included Office XP Pro, a DVD burner, and a little more memory than you are looking for. The last business PC I got was under $600.00 and half of that went for the flat 19" monitor. All HP products.

You shouldn't have a problem.
 
Review your a1410e series PC

Scroll down to see your customized pc order below.
price $1,067.98 *
instant savings − $100.00
mail-in rebate − $100.00

price after rebate $867.98

Estimated factory ship date:
January 17, 2007
Monitors, accessories, and add-ons are in stock and ship immediately.

Operating System Genuine Windows XP Professional
Processor AMD Sempron(TM) 3200+ (1.8GHz / 128KB L2 cache)
Memory 1GB DDR2-533MHz SDRAM (2x512)
Hard Drive 80GB 7200 rpm Ultra DMA Hard Drive
Primary CD/DVD Drive LightScribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Front Productivity Ports 2 USB, front audio ports
Graphics Card Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE
Sound Card Integrated 5.1 Capable Sound w/ front audio ports
Keyboard and Mouse HP Keyboard, HP Scroller Mouse
Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Office Basic Edition
Security Software Norton Internet Security(TM) 2007 - 15 Months
Monitors HP 17-inch flat CRT monitor
HP Extended Service Plans 2-year HP House Call Extended Service Plan

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/cto/computer_customize_components.do#
 
We don't trust eMachines - too many of us have individually had problems with them. And we've heard enough stories about Dell's non-English-speaking tech support to make us nervous about them. Is Gateway cool?

Microsoft Office Basic is not sufficient; it has Word, and Excel which is nice, but no Access. The reason we need Word and Access on the new computer is because all of our letterhead templates are Word .docs (and those of us who will be using it are most familiar with that program), and our entire membership/dues/budget database is on Access 2000, with all the forms and report formats we need. We also have those programs on our personal computers (well, some of us have Access XP, which causes a few compatibility quirks). Even if I had the tenacity to do any cross-application exporting (which to be frank I don't), I really, really, really do not feel like building a whole new database, building whole new entry forms, and whole new report formats, when we've got plenty. For a similar reason, Open Office is not acceptable. We want industry-standard software, to make service as easy as possible; we also don't want to have to spend weeks learning new features of programs we're not familiar with. Blurbs like "intuitive" and "user-friendly" have let me down in the past. I prefer to stick to most-comfortable territory.

I'm certainly aware that I can find what I'm looking for within my budget; I just want to know where to go to get it. I'm running out of ideas, and I'm not up on the "right places to go". Links?

Arkan - although that is a desktop, which is OK if necessary, the Microsoft Office and Internet Security dealies need to go. I'd do the fixing myself, but your link doesn't work right.
 
PixyMisa said:
There's a big problem with notebooks: They break; when they break you can't fix them yourself; and having them repaired is expensive and takes forever. (And often they get sent back still broken.)
Click to expand...
:confused: Notebooks don't break significantly more than desktops. Although I am wondering why a notebook is required....

Would you guys consider a "generic" PC from eBay? Personally I hate eBay but have known people to get good deals online and be happy w/their purchase.

PS any particular reason your lodge is so adamant that is HAS to be EXACTLY $1000 or less? ie if you get them a good system and it's $1050 and can't get it elsewhere, what's the big deal? What you all need new moose hats or something? ;)
 
Can I make a radical suggestion?

Ask your members if anyone has an old machine you can have free.

I take it we are talking about a Masonic Lodge here?
Let's say 100 members. All with families and friends.
I bet there are at least six perfectly good, totally unused Pentium machines sitting in garages among that lot.
 
Joshua Korosi said:
...so virus protection is not a priority, and we will not be subscribing to any services.
Click to expand...
It's still a priority. Viruses can be transferred in e-mails and through web surfing no matter that you may only be connected for short periods.

Fortunately, there are AV products like AVG that you can get for free. Even if you have to pay for AV, it's quite cheap. In the UK, basic AV packages retail for £25 - £30 pa
 
PixyMisa said:
That's true; they're just much harder (and more expensive) to fix.
Click to expand...
True 'nuff.


Soapy Sam said:
Can I make a radical suggestion?

Ask your members if anyone has an old machine you can have free.

I take it we are talking about a Masonic Lodge here?
Let's say 100 members. All with families and friends.
I bet there are at least six perfectly good, totally unused Pentium machines sitting in garages among that lot.
Click to expand...
I was thinking that too but sounds like they want to have their cake and eat it too, ie want a nice machine but don't want to pay for it.

But frankly it sounds like that is by far the best way to go and would be good enough for some basic word processing, a basic database, print some banners etc.

Similarly, I also bet you can find an older copy of MS Office somewhere (I'd bet a month's pay even Office 97 would be more than enough, easily) for pennies on the buck.
 
It's not that we "want a nice computer but don't want to pay for it"; it's that we want the nicest computer we can get for $1000 - you'll note that the list of what we don't want/need is longer than the list of stuff we do. The reason the budget is $1000 is because that's what we decided we are comfortably willing to spend (we're not rich, durnit); and the reason we want a new computer, with new stuff on it (as opposed to something used and donated), is so that everything is as legally above-board as possible vis-a-vis software, etc, and we get things like warranties that can come in handy.
 
It looks like you can buy Access cheaper seperately than you can buy it bundled, since you don't need Excel.

So I suggest you look for the best computer you can get for $800 which comes bundled with Works Suite (not just Works; Works Suite comes with a full version of Word; Works doesn't) and order Access separately.

Check out pricegrabber.com for pricing on Access. It looks like it normally costs about $200, but there are some cheaper deals around.
 
Just make sure if you go for one of the cheap deals on Access that you are getting a full version (retail or OEM) and not an upgrade.
 
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