I"m in the market for a new computer

[brettbrettr]

But I don't know a thing about computers. Hoping some of you could point me in the right direction. I'm really just looking for something for basic stuff incl email, web,
4 tabling, poker tracker, music. That's it. Thanks in advance....

[NLSoldier]

are you looking for a laptop or desktop?

[Evan]

i bought an eMachines form tigerdirect.com in September that I use for basically what you're describing. I got a 17" LCD from the same site and I added a Dell 2001fp later. When I got the Dell I bought an ATI Radeon 7K video card. The whole setup has cost about $1400 give or take, it works great for what i need.

[brettbrettr]

I'm thinking desktop. I'd like to have at least 40gb harddrive. I"ve got about 10gb of music now, and more to come, plus the PT database gets big etc.

[Evan]

I got an 80 gb hard drive in mine.

[BusterStacks]

for the love of god do not get an eMachines.

[Evan]

I heard the same thing. It works fine for me, that's all i know.

[sublime]

It works fine for me, that's all i know

ditto

[KanigawaCards7]

I will sell you mine for 5k

[BusterStacks]

We used to sell them at my work and they would often get returned. That's all im sayin.

[Senor Choppy]

The computer itself isn't all that important, anything you buy new will be more than fast enough to do what you need it to do. The key to multi-tabling is a Dell 2001fp.

[Mano]

If you regularlly check techbargains (http://www.techbargains.com/) you should come across some good deals.

[Blarg]

Not only is it not a key, it's completely irrelevant.

I'm playing 8 tables at once on two CRT's. An LCD is nice, but it's totally over the top when people say it's an essential, as if poker cannot be played over a CRT. That's quite a few steps beyond silly.

[Senor Choppy]

Anyone that values their eyesight would be wise to choose an LCD over a CRT.

I've used both, and scrapping the 2 CRTs I had in favor of 2 Dell 2001fps was the best $1500 I've ever spent.

[Blarg]

Most of the problems monitors give your eyes are due to glare, which affects CRT's and LCD's equally. The only difference is whether the screen is flat or not, as rounded screens catch more light and reflect more glare.

Glare can be cut down significantly for any monitor user by correct placement of lighting and of the computer desk itself, by eliminating reflective objects on the physical desk holding the monitor, and even by shielding the monitor face with guards the way a visor shields a face from the sun. Conversely, one who does not take these factors into account will be risking damaging his eyesight or experiencing early fatigue in looking at any screen, whether an LCD or not.

As to radiation, most of the radiation danger in CRT's comes from the back of the monitor. If worried about what comes out the front, you can buy leaded and polarizing filters for CRT's to eliminate 99% of it and more, for somewhere around $50 and up depending on the vendor and whether you find a sale or not. I've used these on monitors for years now, along with careful placement of lighting, and despite decades of extremely heavy computer use, still have very good eyesight.

None of this is to denigate your satisfaction with your purchase of LCD's. More power to you if you both like and can afford an LCD or multiple LCD's. However, it is possible to get along quite well much more cheaply, without a hint of the suffering so many purchasers of expensive equipment insist is inherent in using anything else. For those people not able to afford LCD's, or looking to put together a system to enable them to comfortably four-table poker without busting a modest budget, a CRT is a perfectly good alternative, and a very cost-effective one.

That said, I'd reiterate than when buying any monitor, -- especially LCD's, which can have dead and flawed pixel problems, it's always best to eyeball it in person, something one can't really do over the internet. Different displays render color differently, have more and less contrast, and are more and less sharp. Some are also kind of noisy, and some CRT's bulge a lot, a little, or are flat screens. Sometimes a good alternative is to eye it in a store and buy it in another store, or online. Your own judgment is the best guide to whether you'll be happy with a monitor. Then you just have to supplement your purchase with a little common sense regarding lighting.

[astroglide]

at this point i would say that not-completely-correctable geometry/convergence issues (crts) are a bigger threat than dead pixels (lcds). i order them fairly frequently and it never happens to me anymore, but places like dell will overnight a replacement to you and pick up your existing one if it has a single dead pixel.

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
Your own judgment is the best guide to whether you'll be happy with a monitor. Then you just have to supplement your purchase with a little common sense regarding lighting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blarg is there anything you do not know? LOL, you are walking library. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Lawrence Ng]

Hi Brett,

If you are not all that familiar with computers, I would suggest you buy a Dell machine. Most systems nowadays will easily handle your requirements to play poker, email, surf for less than $1000.

However, if you are going to be 4-tabling and running poker tracker at the same time, you will need a dual monitor set up. My suggestion is to go with 2 19 inch CRT monitors, or if you have the money and don't mind splurging a bit more get a 2 LCDs. This should be an extra $600 - $1000 or so.

Don't skimp out on choosing a good monitor as you will be staring at the thing day and night.

I've worked with Dell for a good few years. They have wonderful, reliable, solid brand name machines that rarely give any problems. But when they do, the customer service is very good. It's well worth every dime.

Stay away from e-machines, compaq and other cheap brands.

Good hunting

Lawrence

[brettbrettr]

Thanks for the input everyone. Does anyone have any experience with Dell's refurbinshed models? I was trolling around their site yesterday and found a p4, 512 ram, 80 gb hd machine for $520. This seems like a great deal, and so long as it comes with the same warranties as a newmachine would, makes sense to me!

Thoughts?

[Blarg]

That's not all that great. I just got a new Athlon XP 3200 with Windows XP Home with Service Pack 2, with 512 RAM, a 160 gig hard disk, a CD-RW and a DVD-RW for $500 brand new a Frys Electronics. There are bargains around that are similar to or better than what you're talking about that are brand new, so I see no particular reason to go with used. Every Sunday I see ads in the paper for all kinds of bargains. Places like edealinfo.com, fatwallet.com, and other online bargain sites can clue you in to good savings, too.

And for Dell in particular, I've seen their new machines sell for around that price with a good coupon.