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Where to purchase a computer
A friend of mine wants to know: Where's the best place to shop for a computer if you don't know very much about computers? Where can one find a sales person with the patience to explain what's needed and how to set one up and get it running? What about online service etc..
Before shopping: Is there a magazine like "Consumer Reports" that will point one in the right direction? Any tips will be appreciated. |
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A bigger question should be what does she want to do. If all she wants to do is e-mail and search the web, a tablet might be a better choice. Computers are better for gaming and spread sheets. We have both and use the tablet much more. If she is getting on the web don't forget to figure in your internet connection.
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Good advise
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Agree with the previous poster -- have your friend look at using a tablet before committing to a new computer.
For some hands-on experience, go to any Best Buy. I've found you can play with several different models, and for the most part the sales people are helpful with your questions. You can also read some good reviews on CNET.com |
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"What would the perfect computer do for you?"
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The Villages Computer Club recommends "Refresh Computers". They sell refurbished ones that might meet your needs.
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Malware Problems
I just read in "Consumer Reports" magazine (June 2013 issue) that "58.2 million online users experienced a malware infection that affected their computer's features or performance." And the cost to fix it was $3.9 billion.
I think it's a good reason to look for a quality computer with lots of built in protections. Am I wrong about that? I just got some information from a friend that laptops can be as secure and reliable as a desktop computer. If that's true, it sounds like a better choice and I would think about getting one too. |
buy apple from apple store at the Florida mall. A mac is the best there is. any time u have a problem u take it to the store and they will help you
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Give MMD a try. That is where I go for my PCs. They will be able to help you.
MMD is on 27/441. A couple of blocks south of 466 on the north side (left hand side). 109 S. US Hwy 27/441 Lady Lake, Fl 32159 (352) 750-3707 Z |
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:agree: :BigApplause: |
HP ENVY TouchSmart 15t-j100 Quad Edition Notebook PC
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Hmmm! I never noticed it when I drove by. Have they been there a long time? I hope it's a big store with lots of choices. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll be sure to check it out. |
Needed a new desk top about 3 weeks ago and checked out all the local stores. I first looked at articles in Consumers as to what they recommended and picked the HP Envy23. The best prices were on the internet and I ordered mine form Best Buy which actually came from a different company and with free shipping. Not being very computer savy I called a Village resident that has been doing computer work for 35 years and had used once before. He removed the hard drive from my old computer, and downloaded it into the new one. He then set up everything and I couldn't be happier, I didn't have to lift a finger. I have everything in the new computer and didn't lose a thing. His price was extremely reasonable.
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I would choose a laptop over an iPad, especially if you're going to be doing online trading, etc., which might involve spending a lot of time in front of a (small) screen. At the very least, a Surface with a keyboard that isn't just touch screen.
We love our iPads for traveling, but they will never replace our laptops in terms of ease of use vis-a-vis the keyboard and size of screen. I am constantly having to enlarge the screen on the ipad in order to click on things, as the clickable buttons are so small and I am constantly "fat-fingering" them. The keyboard on the iPad is very small, and no, I haven't gotten used to it in two years. For everyday use--paying bills, esp.--I find a laptop much easier to work with and type on. We don't use Macs, but I have heard that they are more secure than Windows because most hackers don't bother with them, as Windows gives them more return for their effort. That could be old info, however. |
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I went to Best Buy last night and again this morning just to look around. (Haven't been to MMD yet.) I forgot to bring my notes and ended up looking at Dell instead of HP. Anyway, it seemed as though Dell was one of the best ones they had at $879.99
Dell Core i5-4200U Processor Laptop Screen size: 17.3" 8GB DDR3 Hard Drive 750 GB Touch screen Intel Turbo Best Technology 1600X900 HD+ Backlit Keyboard Intel Wireless Windows 8 I don't remember seeing any HP computers. Next time I go I'll see if they have any. There are so many computers it gets confusing. And I spent a lot of time trying to get them to work. Friday night it took me about an hour just to figure out how to do a few simple things. This morning I practiced a for about another hour and learned a little more. Ugh! One thing I noticed is that the colors on the screen are not as crisp as I think they should be. For example, I went to this website (www.talkofthevillages.com) and the green borders seemed dull or washed out. Afterward, someone told me that the color needs to be adjusted. Geez, if that's the case, why don't they do it? Another thing: I went to Yahoo and didn't see any place to click on for a stock market update. Why would that be different from what I normally get? Apps: I don't understand the purpose or how it works. They seem to make a big deal of it (it seems like it's one of the main features) but I don't know why I would need it. :) When it's wireless, I understand you could use it in a library without needing to subscribe to online service. If so, do they all come with a regular electrical cord to plug in? When I looked at the back of a Dell computer, it had a different type of cord. I would have asked someone but they (sales clerks) all looked like they were busy and I didn't want to bother them from the important things they might have been doing. :) I was there for over an hour and no one asked me if I needed any help. Maybe they mistakenly thought I knew what I was doing. At one point there were three of them talking among themselves, in back of me, but I don't know what that was about. |
If you take your laptop to the library to use, you will either have to take your laptop power source (cord) with you, or just run the laptop off of the battery. Every laptop you purchase comes with a power cord.
I have had Dells and HPs before--a few of each! I worked from home and away on the computer, so I've had quite a few in the last 20 years. The HPs had the best screens, but every HP I ever had but one (which was a huge laptop which was basically a tower crammed into a laptop) broke and had to be sent back, and broke and broke and broke until when the warranty was up and it broke again, I gave up and bought another laptop. Mostly what broke were the mechanical aspects of the laptop, like the power button and other functions at the top of the bottom part of the laptop. After the third time with this, I switched to Dells. The only things I didn't like about the Dells are that they are heavy and run hot. Since I really do use my laptop "on my lap," this was a problem even with the buffer pad my husband bought for me. The Dell's battery lasted less than 2 hours. The HP batteries gave up the ghost soon after the one-year warranty gave out. I am now using a solid state hard drive Toshiba, Toshiba Portege Z935-ST4N01 Ultrabook which is light as a feather, runs very cool, and has the longest battery life of any laptop I've ever owned. Solid states usually don't have a built-in DVD player, but you can get an external player for $35 (not the $59 they show you on the Toshiba site I gave you). They have a card reader for your camera's card, and a lighted keyboard. I think the screen resolution is great. You won't find a 17" screen, though. But picking it up and carrying it from lanai to living room to kitchen to front porch is a piece of cake As far as the Yahoo problem you mentioned, that is probably because the settings in the Yahoo you saw on the laptop in the store were different than the settings for the Yahoo you are used to using at home. I hope that answers some of your questions. |
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Thanks, it's good to know that they have all those courses. Not sure I'll have a windows 8 laptop in time, or even if I will get one. There are so many choices, I'm still undecided. But that's okay, I'm not in a hurry.
I looked at a Mac 13" last night, just out of curiosity, and it was interesting but not very easy to operate without experience. I don't think it's for me but at least I got an idea of what it's like. I met some people in the store who were very enthusiastic about it and they gave me some information. There was a sales guy who helped too. I'm learning a lot. Thanks for all the information about apps etc.. |
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