Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group I need some computer help please

The computer I have now is 10 years old, so sometime in the next year I'm going to be getting a new computer. I'm starting to do research to figure out what to buy, and I need some help.

What kind of computer do you own? Is it a name brand (Dell, HP, Gateway etc.), which comes with on-line/phone tech support, or one you purchased off of the shelf at Walmart, Fred Meyer etc.?

If your computer has on-line/phone tech support, how often have you used it, and are you satisfied with the results?

Do you have any feelings about if one brand is any better than the others?

My current computer is a Gateway, and I've been pretty happy with their tech support. I can either call them, email them, or use a live chat. I use the live chat most often, it suites me best.

I welcome any opinions or experiences you would be willing to share. Thank you.

Janet

I have 3 dells. I would be hard pressed to own anything else but.

Two are working right now, and the third, well....Eric decided to "operate" on it....I think it needs a new hard drive.

We have the desktop that Eric uses, and the lap top that I use...I love them both. I have the extended warrantys on both computers, but have not yet had to use them...thankfully...

We have HPs at work, and it seems that it is issue after issue with them.

that is my 2 cents on it...

Mine is a home built computer...Dragonslayer built it for me. We started with a barebones case and spent several hours collecting all the parts. Built it in his kitchen. Must be four years old now. I have upgraded memory to 1.2gig, added a 2nd HD and a 300 gig external HD. Still runs fine for me. Don't have any outside help besides friends who are in the biz. Would love to have a lap top but Santa was me and I wasn't good enough this year

Good luck

Hi.....
Thanks for the card!!!

My new computer ( a year or so old) is a Dell. My last was a Gateway. I love the Dell even though the Gateway held up well for a long time. I am glad that I chose the Dell. It was because of my kids recommendations. They have bought many more than I have.

Happy New Year!
Talk to you soon.
Blessings.
Possi

Janet, I bought a new Gateway 3 or so yrs. ago and have been very happy with it. They tried to sell me the extended warrenty, but I did'nt bite. I think it is 2.8 gig, and has not had one problem. The only complaint I had on my previous computer, a Compac was that it was obselete when I walked out the door with it brand new, and I just did not know any better. Windows 98 was kind of buggy, I sure like XP better. J.R.

I took the warranty because if something happens to my computer, they come to my house to fix it. I dont need to send it out.

I took the extra on the lap top in case it was dropped....I know of parents, that have had their laptops dropped by their kids..I wanted to be covered!

Been happy with HP--my last two desktop computers have been HP (one I bought used for 99 USD, and needed some coaxing in order to boot, because the previous owners hadn't downloaded the video driver update :-D).

We have HP computers right now and have had good luck. One place I worked used Gateway computers and we had great service from them. If you don't have someone close that can walk you through problems, you might want to go with a company that has a really good support reputation. My husband is a computer programmer, so we don't have to worry so much about support. We have had many "frankenstein" computers over the years from leftover parts from other people's computers. I am happy to finally own one that was all put together when I got it. :-) We have had good luck with Overstock.com on price and service on our computer and the one my daughter got a few years ago.

Hi
I had a Gateway that lasted almost 9 years. I say almost because I ended up rebuilding it, then 2 months later the monitor went out. My brother bought it off me
for cheap and must have sold it to someone else to make a few bucks. I would have kept the pc if I would have known he wasn't going to keep it.

Well, This pc is from Walmart, it's an eMachines PC, and when I got it home and looked at the specs in 'System Information' and it says 'System Manufacturer, Gateway' lol. I'm pleased with this pc so far. When I first got it, 512mb memory seemed like it wasn't enough for it, so I added another 1gb memory to it, and it's very quick now. This is a good pc for the budget minded people, but it isn't a very good gaming pc in my opinion. I did use their email tech support to order a full restore cd, and that is the only time I used their support.

My next pc will be custom built, since I get my parts on discount at the local pc shop. They gave me a good estimate on a very nice setup. I'm just waiting to see if everybody prefers Vista over Xp or not, then the constuction begins.

Take Care,
James.

Hi there SL!
I have a Dell...bought it about 3 1/2 yrs ago and have had no problems with it. Only had to have support with my Outlook express and that was it. I am quite content with it and hope to get another one this coming year as well.