29-11-2012, 09:05 AM
(This post was last modified: 29-11-2012, 09:13 AM by Radio Fixer.)
Well a great thread. And everyone in their way is right in what they say. There are lots of ways to look at it.
I used to work with all sorts of computers: mainframes, Mac’s, PC’s, Sun Servers and loads of other hardware to do with print pre-press. I could operate most of it and fix a lot as well. Now after 12 years so much is forgotten and irrelevant as the hardware has moved on. What is still valid though is confidence…
Yep! I was well out of date but I still put this PC together about a year ago. It took a lot of reading up including reviews (Mags and web sites) and making the selection of parts wasn’t easy as has been said. “Not for the faint hearted” and it takes courage to shell out a load of cash without knowing is it good or a disaster. But neither was putting in boilers and plumbing houses (not my trade but another triumph) as with all the other stuff, including major work on cars … and more.
I wouldn’t recommend Colin building a PC unless he wants to do it as a project and is prepared to drop other stuff (5 lathes for example) to do it. The easy way is to buy an HP as said. I could have done that but really enjoyed myself putting this one together (time I have) and I know it well and that makes fixing it much easier if needed. I wouldn’t want to have to phone HP tech support and get someone screwing around on it remotely etc …
Yes! You don’t have to spend money on a new mch, you can keep propping up old ones. But to me that’s where I have, if you like, wasted money. Put in new parts and still it hasn’t been what I wanted. But I spent money and gained experience and then moved on to putting a new one together. To me satisfying and easy as all the hardware is new and so no driver probs etc and W7 makes it simpler. As to the latest not being much of an advance, well I have not heard of anyone who has an SSD or USB 3 wanting to go back.
But another point made was: unless you have the applications to need it and buy current software you wont get the advantage of the hardware (64 bit and multi-core).
Lots of folk here are tight with their money and maybe they have to be, I’ve been there. But they should be encouraging those of us who have worked a lifetime (wife as well) and saved to spend and create jobs and provide them with the old stuff to suit their life style.
Gary
I used to work with all sorts of computers: mainframes, Mac’s, PC’s, Sun Servers and loads of other hardware to do with print pre-press. I could operate most of it and fix a lot as well. Now after 12 years so much is forgotten and irrelevant as the hardware has moved on. What is still valid though is confidence…
Yep! I was well out of date but I still put this PC together about a year ago. It took a lot of reading up including reviews (Mags and web sites) and making the selection of parts wasn’t easy as has been said. “Not for the faint hearted” and it takes courage to shell out a load of cash without knowing is it good or a disaster. But neither was putting in boilers and plumbing houses (not my trade but another triumph) as with all the other stuff, including major work on cars … and more.
I wouldn’t recommend Colin building a PC unless he wants to do it as a project and is prepared to drop other stuff (5 lathes for example) to do it. The easy way is to buy an HP as said. I could have done that but really enjoyed myself putting this one together (time I have) and I know it well and that makes fixing it much easier if needed. I wouldn’t want to have to phone HP tech support and get someone screwing around on it remotely etc …
Yes! You don’t have to spend money on a new mch, you can keep propping up old ones. But to me that’s where I have, if you like, wasted money. Put in new parts and still it hasn’t been what I wanted. But I spent money and gained experience and then moved on to putting a new one together. To me satisfying and easy as all the hardware is new and so no driver probs etc and W7 makes it simpler. As to the latest not being much of an advance, well I have not heard of anyone who has an SSD or USB 3 wanting to go back.
But another point made was: unless you have the applications to need it and buy current software you wont get the advantage of the hardware (64 bit and multi-core).
Lots of folk here are tight with their money and maybe they have to be, I’ve been there. But they should be encouraging those of us who have worked a lifetime (wife as well) and saved to spend and create jobs and provide them with the old stuff to suit their life style.
Gary
