Computer for the wife

[PTjvs]

At home, my wife & I run a 2 computer set up. I have the relatively pimp machine, and my wife has the older (4 years old or so?) computer. Cable internet w/wireless router. Last night my wife finally got fed up with the speed of the old machine, and it's time to buy her a new one. I don't need anything high end here; my wife's computer activities consist of word processing, instant messaging, low end gaming, web browsing & messing around with digital photography. The features I would like in a new machine include:

CD Burner
Floppy drive
Decent HD size (160+ GB)
512+ MB RAM

We are perfectly content to cannibalize components from the old machine. However, this will likely only include perephials, the RAM in the old machine is all 128 sticks & I don't think anything else is worth taking. I will need to get new speakers, but obviously I can just pick these up wherever. I need MS Office as well, but I think I can scrounge up a shady copy.

Am I best off just buying a low end machine from Dell, or am I missing another good option here?

jvs

[kenberman]

if you feel like building a computer, that is an ok option. you won't save much money compared to buying a cheap Dell, however. I would just spend a couple hundred on a dell, and sell the old one on craigslist (depending where you live).

check out the small business outrageous deals on Dell.

[Johnny Richter]

Wait around for a week or two and watch this site, you'll get a good enough coupon to make buying a dell worth it to you. Hell you might get a deal on a really good one and want to keep that one for yourself and give your wife the "pimped" one.

Techbargains

[ghostface]

I would save my money and not get the disk drives.

[wonderwes]

Just get a new dell with a celeron processor for like $300. That 2400 model is going for cheap. If you already got a monitor then you'll save more. Check for the coupon codes.

[dcasper70]

Here's a good machine for her:

[MyMindIsGoing]

LOL best post so far in Computer Technical Help!

[geo8o2]

lol, hilarious