Computers And Internet

If you are buying you're first computer try all of them first.
I've been using windows since I could talk so I'm really good at reinstalling it every six months. It seems to have a half life where by its performance deterioates no matter how well it is looked after. Only solution is to back up all files and reinstall windows.
Recently I got fed up of this and I'm going windows free now.
To be honest I've only stuck with windows because I grew up with it. I've never found it worth having since windows 95 though. It got too complicated then and was prone to problems. This seems to have got worse and worse since.
I've ordered a 2nd hand mac which I'm waiting to be delivered and the pc's are going onto linux.
I'll keep you posted as to which I prefer, but I will say I'm not going back to windows because it throws tantrums like a little child and never does as it's asked. If linux and mac are no better it'll be a typewriter for me next, but I don't believe they can be nearly as bad.

Ciaran,

Useful comments! You're right - I shouldn't have used the word "immunity." Mac OS certainly is safer than Windows though - partly through its innate security (which I don't claim to understand, not being a pro, but I'm assured it Just Is secure) and partly because more people are interested in creating malware for Windows.

No-one is immune though.

Hi Stu,

Yep, the general way Mac OS is structured these days does make it more secure than XP.
Now Vista also has this kind of security as one of it's new features, and ironically thats the 'User Account Control' I mentioned everyone is cracking up about and saying its irritating!

I guess a large part of it comes down to how you use it. Its possible to be perfectly secure on a Windows machine if you know what you're doing, trouble is a lot of casual users don't have that level of knowledge, nor should they be expected to in the day to day course of operating a computer for standard tasks. Sure, ignorance is no excuse to not try, but a lot of these concepts are too convoluted for people to follow when they just want to use the damn thing and be done with it.

Don't think its a situation thats going to improve anytime soon sadly

Ciarán

Hi all

Thanks for the responses, I have grown up with windows as well so i would like to stick with that, A friend has recently got a new PC with vista and it was so slow i couldn't believe it so i would like to stay with xp if i can.
Sounds like a laptop will do then, Toshiba or dell wasn't it? what about the Internet connection? has anyone had any bad experiences with any company?

I'm with Tiscali which for the price I think is about the best value. £12.99 for 500k broadband + phone, free weekend calls. You still have to pay BT line rental though.

Peter.N.

Hi Dean.

Tiscali too. Seems reliable and good value. I did opt about a month ago to go for their rental package as well and not much has happened over that -- maybe they are bogged down with the demand.

Mike.

Strange how every new version of Windows was sold on its increased stability over the previous one, and each one introduced new stability problems of its own.

I'm also with Tiscali - no complaints and cheaper than most.

I have a Dell for when my missus insists I don't lock myself away in my den. With a 17" screen its almost heavy enough to be a desktop, screen's a bit "sparkly" but other than that no complaints and it does come with full instructions for replacing components.

Derek

Well thanks for the info gents, you have definitely given me somewhere to start at least, will let you know how it goes after Xmas, I'm hoping to get something in the sales but i will have to see.

Glad it was of some help dean.
If you need a hand looking at particular machines or whatever when the time comes, just post back.

Ciarán

Indeed Mike!
You know I actually have so much to do these days, that I actually yearn to get home for some 'leisure' time fixing my XMs.

Can't complain really, it pays the bills, just with doing IT as my main job, then having all the homers and business repairs as my sideline, it soon mounts up. A lot of days I'm leaving home at maybe 6am and not getting home until 11pm. Then up till about 2am-ish sorting out jobs and stuff for work, then a few hours sleep and it all starts again.
Luckily I can grab a few moments throughout the day to check email and come on here for a while, even if I largely talk about all the stuff I need to do to the cars but never seem to get the time to actually do it!

Ciarán

My computer was supplied through my work. There was a tax break involved and it seemed a good deal at the time so I bought it. Over the years I've had a few probs with it and last Xmas it was getting very erratic, doing all sorts of strange things. Very annoying. I decided to rebuild it with a new Mother board, processor and some peripherals. Yes it really was that bad! I installed Xp which was a legal copy that came with the machine. When I came to activate it MS said the machine was not the same one that I had originally and they wouldn't activate, I would have to buy a new copy of XP and licence! Talk about judge and jury!
There was no way I was buying a second copy of a legal program just to boost the coffers of a bulldozing juggernaut hell bent on bullying little users into submission. I bought a little utility called XP Activation from a computer fair and use that now if I do a re install. If anyone has similar problems pm me for details. I don't see why people should have to pay twice for a (not inexpensive) piece of software that is fraught with problems anyway.

What MS told you there is a nonsense. Having purchased a licensed copy of Windows, you own that licence and are entitled to transfer it to another computer, so long as it is not used on both old and new machines in tandem.

The activation thing is a very common problem, I often get it with customer's machines when I've had to change failed motherboards etc. If the automated process fails then a phonecall to MS normally sorts it out. It seems the person you got speaking to has been uninformed or doesn't understand the terms of their company's own licensing schemes!

To avoid problems like this, when I have to completely rebuild a machine from scratch, I use my own corporate Windows key which doesn't require activation. The customer still has their own licence key, they're still licensed to own and use the product if anyone asks, even if the key installed on the machine differs from the one stuck on the side of the case.

Its a right PITA, and Vista has made it worse.

Ciarán

Quite - that's the main reason I switched to the Mac! XP is OK but there's no way I was going to allow Vista on a machine of mine. That's assuming I could afford hardware that could run the bloated thing!

New laptops of acceptable brand (I recommend HP/Compaq or Dell, maybe Tosh or Sony for laptops if you can afford) with Vista spec are quite capable these days at around the £400 mark.

Very difficult to repair laptops compared to desktops (I just say no these days) so second hand is not really good unless you really know your hardware.

I tried Ubuntu Feisty and Mandriva Free 2008 on a 700Mhz laptop recently, not that great really, and Mandriva requires 1Ghz minimum, although it didnt have much RAM. Just for browsing and word processing Ubuntu seems fine if a bit clunky and slightly annoying if you know real unix. Doesn't sound like you need all the Windows specificstuff like MSN that kids insist on having so linux might be a good option for you if you're up to gambling with 2nd hand hardware.

hth

I dont mind spending £400 on a machine so long as its good, my dad has also just got a acer PC which has vista, and although he has broadband it is painfully slow too, is this slowness caused by vista or the PC? it set him back about 4-500 quid, but dont ask me what spec it is, as Ive said i dont know much about this sort of thing

I just bought a Dell 'Vostro 200' for just over £300.00 which looks to me as good a value as you can get. I still have my original 'XP' discs from my last dell, which my son has installed for me (I'm not that good) I am now in the process of transfering the files from my old one and everything seems to work OK and its certainly very fast compared to my old one.

The spec as I remember it is:

220GB hard disk

2 GIG dual core processor

2GB Ram

It only has one VGA socket for the moniter but about eight USB inputs. It also apparantly has a card reader.

Peter.N.