How to Future-proof my PC purchase

[RootDKJ]

So you're basically saying you have a computer case and power supply that are 10 years old.

Yes. Motherboard, video card, audio card, power supply, ram and case are all original. Original hard drive went a long time ago, and now there's a 200GB IDE Seagate that holds the OS and programs. I added a SCSI card about 8 years ago and run 3 300GB hard disks off that, as well as a 40GB DLT drive for backups.

 

[RISkier]

My take is that for most of us computers have become disposable commodities. Trying to future proof is fruitless. In general (and I'm just using rough estimates) you can probably buy 3 or 4 relatively low end computers for the price you'd pay for one computer with cutting edge technology. In a year there will be low cost computers that will outperform that cutting edge computer you purchased today. My thought is buy cheap, throw away when it no longer does what you need it to do. Then buy cheap again. For a lot of reasons I don't really like that model, but with computer technology I think it works. For your needs it sounds like you'd need to load up on RAM and hard drive space, but that's pretty cheap. The exception to this would be for folks for whom processor speed/graphics speed are really at a premium. These would generally be folks processing huge databases, doing extensive video editing, etc. I'm a statistician and at work I occasionally estimate models that will take 24+ hours on a pretty up to date computer. But that's rare. Most of the time my fingers can't keep pace with the computer and I'm the slowest link in the chain. For 99% of what most of us do with a computer a relative cheapo will work great. And when it doesn't there will be another cheapo available that'll probably be faster than the state of the art computer you buy today. Computers have become "expendables."

 

[riverc0il]

We still have a 666 Mhz cpu with very little memory running Win2k in our house. Not ideal but not worth upgrading for a computer that is just used for the innernets.

I dual boot Linux and WinXP. Whenever I boot up WinXP, I am always amazed at how much of a dog that system is compared to my Linux boot on the same computer. Here is a chicken or the egg question: Does Microsoft push technology or does technology push Microsoft in regards to creating new operating systems that can barely meet current entry level computer tech?

If I were you, regardless of equipment, I would wait for Win7 so you don't get stuck with Vista. I love how business computers can still "downgrade" for an extra $100. My S/O worked for a tech firm recently at which many apps still could not run on Vista for a variety of reasons.

Load up on the memory no matter what you do. Base level computers never have enough.

 

[ckofer]

My dad is still using my old G3 desktop that I bought in 98.

I use a g4 cube at my office still. If I was buying a new computer I'd just decide on a spending cap of about $1500 and figure the features accordingly.

 

[billski]

So you're basically saying you have a computer case and power supply that are 10 years old.

me too. My box has windows 2000, office xp, 833mhz pentium, 648mb memory, and i i watch video, edit photos, tunnel to work, backup 50gb data across 4 pcs, do ant 1200 iTunes songs mail with about 10,000 meesaages and run about 10 other apps.
And I have a power supply.
And a cord too .

 

[mondeo]

I use a g4 cube at my office still. If I was buying a new computer I'd just decide on a spending cap of about $1500 and figure the features accordingly.

$1K can get you a fairly high end system. 2.8GHz triple core (possibly quad, if you're lucky,) 4GB DDR3 1600, dual 750GB for RAID 1 and 32GB SSD for a boot sector, 600W power supply with modular cables, high end motherboard, upper end of mainstream video card. Throw in a 24" monitor, and you're way above what 95% of the population would ever use for less than $1500.

You'd have to build the machine yourself, but $1500 is overkill unless you're a heavy video editor or hardcore gamer.

 

[Geoff]

You'd have to build the machine yourself, but $1500 is overkill unless you're a heavy video editor or hardcore gamer.

I don't see that "build the machine yourself" quite describes the process. I think the word you're looking for is "assemble".

I've been using laptops exclusively since 1993 other than one cheap IBM PC I bought when I took 18 months off in 1998-2000 to have internet connectivity. That's the only computer I've ever bought in my life. All the others came through work. I don't quite understand why anyone would ever want a desktop machine. If I ever needed MIPS, I could push the work to one of the big machines at the office.

 

[mondeo]

I don't see that "build the machine yourself" quite describes the process. I think the word you're looking for is "assemble".

I've been using laptops exclusively since 1993 other than one cheap IBM PC I bought when I took 18 months off in 1998-2000 to have internet connectivity. That's the only computer I've ever bought in my life. All the others came through work. I don't quite understand why anyone would ever want a desktop machine. If I ever needed MIPS, I could push the work to one of the big machines at the office.

v., built (bĭlt), build·ing, builds. v.tr.

1. To form by combining materials or parts; construct

Assembling is simply a specific type of building. The reason I use the term build is because everyone does. They're homebuilt PCs, not homeassembled PCs. I do agree that it's a fairly simple process, which I think is the point you're getting at.

Why have a desktop? If you don't care about mobility, they're cheaper than laptops. Bigger screen. Full keyboard. Much easier to upgrade, meaning a longer useful life. Gaming. Heavy computing if you don't have access to good enough stuff at work.

Most people, it's only gaming or media editing that justifies the extra power of a desktop, or the mobility isn't worth the extra $100-200. I use my laptop probably 90% of the time. But gaming and engineering work calls for the desktop. It's expensive to put 8GB of RAM into a laptop, and impossible to do 16GB.

 

[Geoff]

I do agree that it's a fairly simple process, which I think is the point you're getting at.

I'm old. I've built computers based on AMD 2900 bit slice technology using a wire wrap gun. I kind of cringe when somebody says they're "building" a PC. In my universe, that means you did the circuit design and all the timing analysis, not ordered some piece parts over the web and assembled them.

 

[ckofer]

RISkier nailed it. Basically you get to a certain price point were the jewelry gets expensive.

 

[riverc0il]

I don't quite understand why anyone would ever want a desktop machine.

There are lots of reasons why someone would not want a lap top. Personally, I like a bigger screen and hate typing and using the dongle thingy on a lap top. We are going to get a lap top to replace our 2k computer once we have the funds, but we are still going to have a keyboard and mouse plugged in via USB at a desk. You have to pay so much more premium for bigger displays on a lap top whereas once you have a good LCD monitor, you can recycle that through at least one computer upgrade, if not two, and you can get a good size for a reasonable price, unlike lap tops (though 15" is finally getting reasonable, but that is still pretty small, IMO). If you don't plan on taking the computer with you, there is no reason to have a lap top if it is just going to sit on a desk. Special functions might require PCI cards though these new all in one mother boards are awesome. Gamers of course need really good video and it is cheaper to get that on a desktop than a laptop. With the Smart Phone getting big, lap tops are not needed for mobility for basic functions if you have a Smart Phone. Etc, etc, etc.

I see it the exact opposite. I see so little use for a lap top outside the business environment (where I dream I could have one as they make note taking and information finding so much easier when you are away from your desk). Students are another group I can see benefiting from lapt tops. But the average person? I just can't see the need for mobility when most people just leave their computers stationary.

 

[drjeff]

I see it the exact opposite. I see so little use for a lap top outside the business environment (where I dream I could have one as they make note taking and information finding so much easier when you are away from your desk). Students are another group I can see benefiting from lapt tops. But the average person? I just can't see the need for mobility when most people just leave their computers stationary.

I used to think that until my wife and I got our first laptop and installed wifi at our house. With kids especially it makes surfing much easier as I can be in whatever room the kids are in, heck even in the backyard by their playscape and be online. Uber convience thing for me and my wife, yup. Needed, nope, but really nice to have. Now at home we have 2 laptops and a desk top system. Granted the laptops often go to/from work with us, but their are many days where they just sit at home and allow us BOTH simultaneously to surf away(and occasionally actually do some work related stuff ;rolleyes:

 

[billski]

If I were you, regardless of equipment, I would wait for Win7 so you don't get stuck with Vista. I love how business computers can still "downgrade" for an extra $100.

Good advice, I eyed that option too. However, I pulled the trigger and got a machine with Vista 32bit and a fast processor and lots of memory and disk. I'll go for 7 at some later time after you guys get the initial childbirth bugs shaken out of it.

I'm at a point that I hit the rails on old Nellie. I don't even have enough disk space left to run virus scans or backups, and even when I clear it, the continual updates suck up disk and ever give it back. I've maxed out expansion slots and have no time or patience to migrate and consolidate them on an old horse. The lethargic performance was the last straw. I've been looking to do this for the last 2 years, but my hands were tied.

 

[SkiDork]

when is Win7 scheduled to be released?

 

[billski]

I don't quite understand why anyone would ever want a desktop machine. If I ever needed MIPS, I could push the work to one of the big machines at the office.

Steve did a good job pointing out some important differences. It sounds like you're looking at it strictly from a persona productivity basis.

I've been buying PC's since 85 and laptops since 90. My first laptop cost $2500 from my own pocket. I'm an early adopter of technology and oft times you simply can't get it all in one place. Like the first disks in my PC were 5" then 3/5" then we went to zip, then cd and so on. Over the years, my data have been stored on all these media. In the bad old days, even networking was prohibitively expensive, so sneakernet was the way to go. I needed over the years to interchange across all these media, not just for myself but my clients as well.

Then there's SCSI. Not too often you see SCSI on laptops.

Then there's physical data security. Even with encryption, do I want to take a chance that all the family jewels leave the nest? I've accumulated hundreds of thousands of files over various personal and professional projects that are extremely important and valuable. No need to cart them around.

What about dual head video? Two monitors are better than one. Very difficult to do on a laptop.

I use a laptop in the office of my employer, on a docking station, and an identical docking station at home. It suits most of my mobile needs. But the employer has it so locked down, I can't even print to my local LAN.

When it was only me, life was simple. Over the years, with 5 people in the house, the network has become fairly complex, including print servers, wireless and the need to backup data on all these PCs. You think I could get my kids to do that? fuggitaboutit! Tell them it's their loss? Not gonna happen in the nuclear family. It will come back to me. So backups become critical.

I never use the monitor on the laptop unless I'm traveling. I've downsized laptops over the years and now I'm one step shy of the smallest, because I'm almost always docking somewhere.

I have indexing programs on my PC that lets me retrieve the 100's of K files of all sorts regarding my research projects. My research extends to Global mapping and GIS, so things get complicated.

While I recognize that more and more components are becomming standard in a notebook, there still is a price premium, expandability is limited and expensive, and many options I still maintain are not easily adapatable to notebooks.

You are also lucky enough to have a MIPS machine at the ready!

 

[mondeo]

I used to think that until my wife and I got our first laptop and installed wifi at our house. With kids especially it makes surfing much easier as I can be in whatever room the kids are in, heck even in the backyard by their playscape and be online. Uber convience thing for me and my wife, yup. Needed, nope, but really nice to have. Now at home we have 2 laptops and a desk top system. Granted the laptops often go to/from work with us, but their are many days where they just sit at home and allow us BOTH simultaneously to surf away(and occasionally actually do some work related stuff ;rolleyes:

I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't use my laptop while watching TV. :razz:

when is Win7 scheduled to be released?

Sometime next year.

 

[SkiDork]

oh, a poster had suggested to wait until that could be purchased with the PC. Thats one hell of a wait!!!

 

[dmc]

Then there's physical data security. Even with encryption, do I want to take a chance that all the family jewels leave the nest? I've accumulated hundreds of thousands of files over various personal and professional projects that are extremely important and valuable. No need to cart them around.

You'd be safe with strong encryption like AES(128 or 256) or 3DEs on you unstructured data...

As long as you don't/can't compromise the encryption key

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I love having a laptop..and my screen is 15.4 inches which is plenty big..the keyboard is fine and I got used to have no mouse..