Help with buying a new PC

[graphics28]

I have a Dell 1600c right now and it's always locking up and I can't even watch any video online. Not sure if I have enough memory or it's just junk.
But I really need one that I can run all my design programs, photoshop, illus, indesign, go live....
should I get an HP, Dell or ??? and what extras should I get??
sorry, I'm just starting out doing this on my own,,
thanks for any help!

[jimking]

http://www.apple.com/macpro/ :D

[graphics28]

wow, what's that cost?

[Patrick Shannon]

$2500. Quite a machine, but too powerful and pricey (despite it being cheaper than similarily configured alternatives) for my blood.

Pertaining to your problem with your current computer there, you could do what I and most PC owners do on a frequent basis....reformat the computer and reinstall everything. (groan) Make sure to back up your files first if you do.

[jimking]

I'm wondering if you can load PC software on these new Macs? Aren't they supposed to be a dual platform machine?

[graphics28]

How do I reformat, then reinstall? sorry, very new to this side of computers.

[Patrick Shannon]

I'm wondering if you can load PC software on these new Macs? Aren't they supposed to be a dual platform machine?

Yes, two ways....one would be Bootcamp that lets you dual-boot into Windows natively. the second way is something like Parallels which lets you run Windows inside OS X ala Virtual PC. I believe VMWare announced their intentions for virtualization software for Mac in the future as well.

[Patrick Shannon]

How do I reformat, then reinstall? sorry, very new to this side of computers.

Typically computers like Dell come with a restore CD of some sort that you run in order to restore the operating system exactly like it was when it came off the shelf enabling you to start fresh. It's a pain in the ass and you have to reinstall all your computer programs, but that would at least fix your video problem and your computer crashing (for the time being until the cycle repeats ^_~).

Like I said before, it completely wipes your computer clean so BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP ALL YOUR IMPORTANT/WANTED FILES!

I don't know what Dell does, but if you're lucky, I hope they included some plain/clean installation of Windows....but I doubt it. Good god, I hate how these computer companies insist on putting every bit of junk in the world preinstalled (and you can't always get rid of it all). I have a hilarious screenshot somewhere of my TabletPC's desktop straight from it's restore CD, and half the icon tray in the lower right is filled with crap.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), my work is an MSDN member/partner and I was able to get a clean copy of Windows XP Tablet Edition that worked with my serial number.

[graphics28]

thanks for all the info, :)
what company do you think is better? Hp, dell, Gateway????

[Navian]

I heard through the grapevine, that dual booting the Mac (capable ones) with Windows, will render problems with windows made software (i.e. windows adobe cs2), something to do with hardware conflicts and software programming.

How does software liscensing work with this? I mean technically it is still a Mac, even if you dual booted the software. Its the base hardware that makes it what it is.

[cmont]

I have an HP at work and an HP laptop at home. Both beat the pants off the desktop that I built at home.

note to self, stop building computers.

[Navian]

I have an HP at work and an HP laptop at home. Both beat the pants off the desktop that I built at home.

note to self, stop building computers.

no, dont stop building computers, you can always build a computer far cheaper, and faster (with the right configurations) than a manufactured version.

[Jriddim]

http://www.apple.com/macpro/ :D



ARARARAgahghagyaahgahgahaghgahagHgahGHAGA drool drool

[Patrick Shannon]

I heard through the grapevine, that dual booting the Mac (capable ones) with Windows, will render problems with windows made software (i.e. windows adobe cs2), something to do with hardware conflicts and software programming.

How does software liscensing work with this? I mean technically it is still a Mac, even if you dual booted the software. Its the base hardware that makes it what it is.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was FUD spread by anti-Apple message board geeks...at least in terms of running software. There's really nothing magical/special about running Windows on the Mac (in Bootcamp anyway), it's a fully native version of Windows no different than on a PC with most of it's hardware working. All Bootcamp really does is partition the hard drive (Windows rests on it's own partition and very well has to) and burns a driver CD. The firmware to older Intel Macs also required an upgrade, but this was seperate from Bootcamp (IIRC). I've run Adobe CS and Flash on it just fine, and even Visual Studio Pro runs fine under Parallels.

HOWEVER, at the moment you could run into some issues with anything hardware specific with the audio. I've read to the effect that you can't use the audio line-in to record yet, or something like that (haven't tried myself). Since Bootcamp is still beta, I would assume drivers for that are still to come.


I have an HP at work and an HP laptop at home. Both beat the pants off the desktop that I built at home.

note to self, stop building computers.

Navian is correct, you can build very good computers for a considerably lower cost than what your Dells/HPs/Gatways/Apples sell them for. Of course, as much as gamers would like to argue this, only a small fraction of computer users are tech-saavy enough to know how to build their own. Thus, that is why Dells and Apples and whatnot does good business and continue to be necessary. But if you can build your own, that is often a more efficient route (and not having to put up with what Dell/Toshiba/Gateway thinks you need to have installed on your computer when formatting it.)

[cmont]

scratches out previous note to self...
new note to self: make more money so you can build better computers at home

[Patrick Shannon]

Hehe, now that issue effects 100% of the self-builders out there ;)

[jimking]

Patrick, do you think it's possible to move Bootcamp from the partitioned hard drive to a seperate drive, either external or internal?

[Navian]

Here is something that caught my eye. A friend of mine sent this to me today:

If you've got a newer Intel laptop you may want to look into this...

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/dell_fire.html

By the way, this also applies to Apple/Intel models...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41783769@N00/

It would seem that Intel model laptops in general get a bit too warm for certain models of lithium polymer batteries, causing the batteries to expand, come under pressure inside the unit, then explode violently destroying the laptop and setting fire to whatever is nearby. (Lithium polymer batteries explode when punctured and exposed to air, hot or not.) If you have an Intel model laptop it would be a good idea to verify that your model and/or battery is not at risk.

I can't seem to find any evidence of exploding AMD laptops yet.

Good thing I still have my AMD laptop. I can just see it, your sitting there and the battery explodes, now you have a very hot liquidizing lithium polymer battery and its contents pouring out on your lap.. Ouch..

[Patrick Shannon]

Patrick, do you think it's possible to move Bootcamp from the partitioned hard drive to a seperate drive, either external or internal?

Currently as far as I know, it's not possible at this time. Last I looked up on the issue, no one on the Windows on Mac messageboard was able to do it. I hope that has been/will be worked around in the future. I think it'd be an ideal situation, personally.


Here is something that caught my eye. A friend of mine sent this to me today:

Ouch indeed. Exploding/leaking batteries is an issue that Apple, Dell and HP have had to deal with lately. I've seen that story about the Dell laptop before, would have liked to watch that in person myself ;) (from a far distance)

[Rocketpig]

I heard through the grapevine, that dual booting the Mac (capable ones) with Windows, will render problems with windows made software (i.e. windows adobe cs2), something to do with hardware conflicts and software programming.

How does software liscensing work with this? I mean technically it is still a Mac, even if you dual booted the software. Its the base hardware that makes it what it is.

Not true at all in my experience. I have had no problems with Windows software under Windows on my MacBook.

The software license is tied to the OS, not the hardware. If you have an install of Windows and a copy of CS2 for Windows, you are free to install that copy of CS2 on one Windows computer.

[popejoydesign]

I have a Compaq laptop I use very sparingly. I don't design on it, but I do email and attend my online courses on it.
At my day job I have a HP that I design ads on all day long, that works okay, but I am not doing strenuous work. I also have a G5 iMac at home and just ordered my Macbook Pro yesterday. So besides what my work gives me, I am phasing out PC's.

[jimking]

[QUOTE=Patrick Shannon]Currently as far as I know, it's not possible at this time. Last I looked up on the issue, no one on the Windows on Mac messageboard was able to do it. I hope that has been/will be worked around in the future. I think it'd be an ideal situation, personally.


Perhaps through disk utility's "restore" function?

[Patrick Shannon]

Perhaps through disk utility's "restore" function?

Don't believe it's as simple as that. I think it has something to do with Windows inability to boot from (or install to) Firewire/USB drives.