IslandAg76 said:
Great, lot of information.
now I have to sort it out.
Thanks!
A lot of people ask "what's reasonable for ME" on this forum.
Here's some basic truths :
1. If you buy a PC, expect it to last about 5 years with respect to technology/capability/etc. That's been the business standard for a few decades. Why? The speed of technology/capability of the hardware with respects to the software.
2. What YOU need, is not what I need, and whatever else needs. So 'right and wrong' on recommendations can be muddy. What you did on this thread is best - tell us what kind of user you are, then get the most bang for the buck on referrals.
But again, when getting said bang-for-buck, try not to buy 'too old', because that affects your 5-year clock.
3. If you get past the 5 year clock, as most users do - just recognize you're in overtime. The benefit is not always the same as driving a car you paid off. Old can catch up to you. Computers are now disposable units (monitors, keyboards, mice, trackballs, external devices, etc can go longer without too much affect).
... and lastly, if you shop around the specials and costo's and such, the average casual user can get a pretty darn nice PC in the $300-500 range these days without hassle. And by average PC, I mean without being a gamer and needing an above-average video card.
