Computer Question

[cheerios]

So this is really off topic, but I'm getting a new computer. I have an e-machine that has not been grand over the years that I had it. I want to branch out into something that's reliable and good for entertainment purposes. I like to do research before I make a big purchase, so any input would be helpful.

Thanks

[Zathras]

Well, I guess the first question you have to ask yourself is what you're going to be using it for. If it's just browsing the 'Net and email, you probably don't need a terribly powerful computer. If you want to watch very high-resolution HD video (I'm guessing that's what you mean by "entertainment purposes"), you may want to be careful and research a little just to make sure you won't have problems. I, personally, am wary of low-end machines for that purpose, so if you go middle-of-the-road you should be okay. Just ask the questions . If you're planning to play games, you should make sure it has a dedicated graphics chip (e.g. something from NVIDIA or ATi/AMD and not Intel Integrated Graphics).

The second question is mobility (or size). I stopped buying desktop computers primarily because of the small amount of space I have for my computer, but I do like the mobility of a laptop. The only real mark against laptops these days (in my mind) is that they don't have the high amount of processing and graphics power that you can get with high-end desktops.

Last bit to throw out there is manufacturer. There are a lot of people that have different opinions on this one . The Dell laptop I have from work is powerful enough, but is pretty cheap construction. I think my brother's (old) Dell laptop didn't have that problem, so your mileage may vary. I've never bought a Lenovo, but I know that when they were part of IBM they had a good reputation for quality. You could try Googling for computer reliability and see what you can come up with (I found this two-year-old article pretty quickly).

Good luck!

[cheerios]

Thanks ;D

I'm going for a desktop for more memory space. For entertainment I would like to be able to make music videos and watch HD movies.

But I have to set a limit to spend no more than around $400.