Computer's on the Fritz

[GoodSpeak]

My computer is in the shop, so I'm typing on my work computer.

Corrupted Windows XP was the issue.

The problem, however, really begins with the complete lack of technical help through Dell in under a thirty minute wait. THEN, if you're lucky enough to get through, the call center is in [I swear] New Delhi, India.

I mean to cast no disparaging remarks on any particular culture or group of people with hugely thick and barely intelligable accents. BUT when I get [let's say his name is...] Akbar on the other end of a satillite 800 call [with a slight audio delay] attempting to explain incredibly complex processes to a computer dead-head [me], I have to wonder why I even OWN a computer in the first place! So now I'm spending $80 bucks on a local computer Yoda to fix it instead.


ARRRRGGGGGGHH!!!


Any of you experience simular difficulties?


Share them here.

TimMc

[jazzy mary]

I need to buy a laptop for home. We mainly need it so my daughters can do their schoolwork, which includes doing somewhat advanced term papers, go on the internet and play cds and play "The Sims". What do you guys suggest? I don't know anything about computers.

[Henry Mars]

I usually use HP laptops but a few people I know have Sony laptops and love them. Try em all then buy.

[Cem]

I don't know much about computers either. I do have an old Gateway laptop that has served me well. But be forewarned: afaik, Gateway and Dell (Sony, too?) are not very upgradable, with regard to sound & video cards in particular. Upgradability and the spendiness of parts etc. are 2 of the most annoying things about laptops that I know of. I'm not really a Mac person but many folks in the music/arts community swear by them.

Learn from GoodSpeak's woes, do your daughters a favor, Mary....

• Treat them to a Mac iBook!*

Take a look here

*Their text files will seamlessly transfer to PCs (if that's what their school uses), and the Sims somehow seem much happier in a Mac environment.

[jesus marion joseph]

Goody, you're not the first person I've heard with those exact same complaints. If Macs weren't so damned expensive, I'd probably have bought one or two by now.

[Chris D]

Considering what you get, the reliability and the ease of use, Macs are NOT that expensive.
G4s have been great for a while; one needn't get a G5.
And the G4 iMacs are very sweet.

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally posted by Chris D
Considering what you get, the reliability and the ease of use, Macs are NOT that expensive.
G4s have been great for a while; one needn't get a G5.
And the G4 iMacs are very sweet.

Yeah, but isn't that like driving a Pinto becuase you don't "need" a nicer car?

[Chris D]

Nope.
More like driving a Camry because you don't need a Ferrari.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I picked up an IMac for my oldest daughter so she could get proficient at all types of computers (the other 2 PCs in the house are Windows-based).

Problems so far include:

Difficulty transferring (Microsoft) Word and PowerPoint files bewteen formats via floppy disc. Somehow, the discs seem to get corrupted about every third try. One time, my daughter lost a large chunk of typing because she was (foolishly) using the floppy as her primary storage media.

Cost of software: Syms is a perfect example. I picked up the PC version for around $25, maybe even $20. Expansion packs are everywhere... cheap. Mac? $49.95... only available at CompUSA. To date, never seen any expansion packs. Other examples abound (in cases where identical software even *exists*).

Home networking: For the life of me, I can't find didly-squat on how the %#@* I'm supposed to hook this iMac up to my 802.11b wireless network. I *think* I can buy a Belkin and it should connect but I can't be sure... and I don't feel like paying $60-80 for the adaptor only to find it doesn't work.

USB: Bought a USB hub... didn't work. Bought am AC-powered USB hub... didn't work. Only thing that seems to work is the two on the side of the machine and the one on the keyboard. Makes it a PIA to hook up a printer & scanner (nevermind when I actually get to hooking up a wireless network card).

Other than those things, my daughter is digging the iMac. She's getting upset that she doesn't have Internet in her room like her sister (whose Windows PC connected up in about 10 minutes). She seems to have the hang of doing her homework on it. System seems pretty stable even though I had a bear of a time getting it to recognize the external floppy (and why Apple felt the need to delete that nicety is beyond me).

My advice is still to go with a Windows-based PC. Unlike many here, I have had very little trouble with Windows PCs. However, I will admit that I am very particular about my usage and many things I do i.e. minimal games installed, limited web surfing, *no* downloading junk shareware, seem to minimize my trouble.

BTW Goody, I hope this isn't that same "computer Yoda" (we prefer "techno-weeny) who screwed you over last time you had these types of problems! Didn't you bring it in and get ripped off on top of losing data? Also, if you are running Windows XP and you're having trouble, I'd put a lot of money on a computer virus. Some people chirp in with "get a Mac and no more viruses" but I'd answer with "Get Norton Anit-Virus and pay $20 per year to be virus-free on a machine with a lot more software available".

Later,
Kevin

[Chris D]

How could setting up the Internet be hard on an iMac, Kevin?
It's incredibly easy; just enter the server parameters and go.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Originally posted by Chris D
How could setting up the Internet be hard on an iMac, Kevin?
It's incredibly easy; just enter the server parameters and go.

It's not the Internet that I can't figure out (the guy I bought this Imac from was using it for dial-up)... it's how to hook it up to my wireless network so I can access the DSL modem down on the first floor. With my other remote Windows PC, I bought a USB adaptor, installed the driver, plugged it in and voila! It was connected. I can't figure out how "networking" works with this IMac. There's no set up controls anywhere that talk about it and even Apple's web site is vague about it. I had such a bear of a time getting the stinking external floppy hooked up I can imagine this networking task could really suck... of course, it could also plug & play too.

BTW, I'm probably going to try it with a Belkin USB adaptor within the next few weeks. The next problem will be how to install parental controls to the Internet access software... I think my MSN software will work on the IMac ()

Later,
Kevin

[Chaz Longue]

Mary - Can the computer / I.T. people at your workplace offer suggestions? They might even have a way to purchase a computer less expensively that civilians can. You might also check with the high school which just might have a deal available.


I'm not a computer expert, but I've been using one for many years and know people who use both software platforms - Apple and PC. My father is a computer instructor and teaches only MAC. While I agree that it's galling as hell to support Microsoft, I agree completely with Kevin in his post above. Why use a PC? Because almost everybody else does. It's that simple. I know it's annoying, but that's what it comes down to. Sure - the MAC operating system is (purportedly) much easier to use and tecnically superior. So was Betamax. It's a crying shame Beta lost out to VHS, but it did. Mediocrity rules the marketplace. But when a mediocre product reaches a certain combination of excellence and price - resisting it becomes a pyrric victory.

Having said this, I'll explain why I myself don't use an apple computer. I can't. I earn my living with a software program that's simply not offered in a mac flavor. It's not shrinkwrapped software you can buy at the local sprawl-mart - or anywhere else...it's custom written and being tweaked on a near-daily basis. It's annoying as hell for me personally to use, is designed by people who don't themselves use it - and is simply DAZZLING and miraculous for my clients and customers. It works WONDERS for them and I love it. I'd be in trouble without it. But it's never going to be written for both platforms. So I run a PC. That's my excuse.

But for the casual computer user, there's also a compelling reason to own a PC, rather than a MAC: Kevin made the case above - it's simply much easier to be speaking the same language as those around you. If you can't get something to work on your computer on any given day (your home network, your PDA, your digital camera, a new piece of software or a game, for instance) it's likely that you'll be within a hundred feet of somebody who can give you advice. Any 12 year old for instance, or a colleague at work. But how many people can give you software advice on a MAC? Far fewer.

I for one am thrilled there's a thriving MAC community out there. If I were a graphic artist, or wanted to use a laptop on stage as a musical instrument - I'd own a MAC. They are vastly superior for several things. Hell, one well known musician of my aquaintance uses his MAC laptop - the same MAC laptop, on stage and it's been there for 20 years or more. I wish Apple computers were ubiquitous. But they aren't.

I went to a computer seminar nearly a decade ago in which the presenter exasperatedly opined: "It's a TOOL, friends ...not a religion!" And I now know two people I simply can't have any conversation about computers with. We talk about other things.

So if the question is "which platform is better" The answer's probably Apple. But if the question is "what should a casual computer user get"? I'd reluctantly but very strongly suggest a PC.

I've had terrific luck with Dell products. But whatever brand of PC you buy, BUY A LOT OF "RAM". You'll be very happy with the slowest "processor" offered by the manufacturers these days, but get lots of RAM. Trust me on this. Lots of RAM is the absolute cheapest thing you can add to a PC to make it work faster and more smoothly. Don't settle for "double the RAM for free" that's offered by the manufacturers these days. Get 512 magabytes. You'll be very glad you did and your SIMS will love you for it. And buy a long warranty. With most consumer products, these extended waranty deals are just a waste of money. But with a PC, they are a must - partly because Windows computers are flawed, and partly because service ain't cheap...but also because this is one item you'll be using almost every day for (probably) hours - for a whole variety of activities. Buy a long warranty.

And Cem's right, of course. Upgrading a laptop is tough. It's better to take a good look at exactly what you'll be doing with the computer before you buy it. If you're going to run Protools or Photoshop or games that require extravagant resources - by all means, get a fancy soundcard and/or video card. The specs required to run any shrinkwrapped software product are typically right on the box. But they are bare minimums in most cases. Again RAM will help run most anything much more smoothly. You'd have vastly better luck running MS XP, (for instance) with twice the suggested RAM.

Let us know what you do, Mary!

cHaZ

[Monte Smith]

"Get it off, GET IT OFF!!"

Originally posted by Kevin Bresnahan
I picked up an IMac for my oldest daughter so she could get proficient at all types of computers (the other 2 PCs in the house are Windows-based).

Problems so far include:

Difficulty transferring (Microsoft) Word and PowerPoint files bewteen formats via floppy disc. Somehow, the discs seem to get corrupted about every third try. One time, my daughter lost a large chunk of typing because she was (foolishly) using the floppy as her primary storage media.

• Why on earth would you use a floppy disc? It doesn't make sense. It should not be a problem, however. I sometimes copy files to a floppy for my PC friends--never had a problem other than that floppy drives are deadly slow.

Originally posted by Kevin Bresnahan
Cost of software: Syms is a perfect example. I picked up the PC version for around $25, maybe even $20. Expansion packs are everywhere... cheap. Mac? $49.95... only available at CompUSA. To date, never seen any expansion packs. Other examples abound (in cases where identical software even *exists*).

• The Sims series is available for the Mac in many outlets, as werll as via mail order (where they tend to cost less). The extension packs are also readily available.

Originally posted by Kevin Bresnahan
Home networking: For the life of me, I can't find didly-squat on how the %#@* I'm supposed to hook this iMac up to my 802.11b wireless network. I *think* I can buy a Belkin and it should connect but I can't be sure... and I don't feel like paying $60-80 for the adaptor only to find it doesn't work.

• That sounds like a problem you are creating. The Mac has ethernet connections and USB ports--what else would you need?

Originally posted by Kevin Bresnahan
USB: Bought a USB hub... didn't work. Bought am AC-powered USB hub... didn't work. Only thing that seems to work is the two on the side of the machine and the one on the keyboard. Makes it a PIA to hook up a printer & scanner (nevermind when I actually get to hooking up a wireless network card).

• There is obviously something wrong with the USB hubs you bought. If the CPU and keyboard USB ports work, your problem is not with the Mac.

Originally posted by Kevin Bresnahan
Other than those things, my daughter is digging the iMac. She's getting upset that she doesn't have Internet in her room like her sister (whose Windows PC connected up in about 10 minutes). She seems to have the hang of doing her homework on it. System seems pretty stable even though I had a bear of a time getting it to recognize the external floppy (and why Apple felt the need to delete that nicety is beyond me).

• Apple eliminated the floppy because it is old, hopelessly out-dated technology. If you need to transfer files, get a USB flash memory storage--a 32MB can be had for under $30, and all you do is plug them into the USB port on the originating machine, drag the files over, and plug it into the other machine. Could not be easier.

[jazzy mary]

Wow, thanks, Chaz! My daughter really wants to buy a Dell. She has it all picked out in their catalog. Should we buy it out of the Dell catalog? The whole shebang (including a printer is going to cost me about $2,000.00!

[Pete C]

How could a kid need a $2k computer system?

[moneyp]

Originally posted by GoodSpeak
Any of you experience simular difficulties?

Nothing I couldn't fix!

Kevin... buy yourself DiskWarrior for the Mac and run it on your system.... every Mac computer should come with the damned thing. It's essential. Hate to say it, but I'm with Chris on the Ethernet thing. If you have the latest OS X (v. 10.3.4, I think) there's no reason it shouldn't be working. You can try DiskWarrior or else reinstall OS X (there's an option to save your user settings, which will also save any files you have on there). I'm definitely with you on the ridiculously-priced software and Mac's support policy, which usually requires you to send your whole f'ing computer to them.

I do like XP, but if you want a stable system, I still recommend Windows 2k.

Goody, I don't know where Dell is yanking you around, but they have support centers in the U.S..

[jazzy mary]

Pete, how can I do it cheaper? And, don't forget, even though she's a kid, she's in 8th grade, going into H.S. and I have my other daughter and so on. I have *no* time for computer aggravation either. We need a really good laptop and it has to be a lap top too for portabilty. There have been too many fights in my house when my younger one wants to sleep (she's obsessed with getting to school early and she's scared if she doesn't go to bed *right* at 9:00 she'll be late) and the older one is typing on the computer.

$2,000...and for a Dell????????

Someone is steering you wrong, Mary.

[jesus marion joseph]

Actually, if ahe's buying a laptop, $2K doesn't sound too ridiculously expensive. I have a three year old Dell laptop (P3) that cost me about $3K then. Thankfully, it runs like a champ and I've never had a problem with it.

[jazzy mary]

it's out of the catalog. I'm talking the printer, the laptop, shipping, tax--the works. It will prob. come to around $1,800-1,900. So, *about* 2K.

[Pete C]

Sorry, I missed that it was a laptop, which nearly doubles your cost for similar power and capacity over a desktop.

[john williams]

We have Dell's in one of our Libraries. I wouldn't touch one for personal use - overpriced and unreliable.

However, I have been using Windows based PCs for years (3.1,98.Me,XP) never had any major problems. The only probs I have had are ones brought on by myself. Macs are reliable as far as I can tell but just don't do what I want.


Sony and Toshiba laptops are pretty good from what I have read.

Just out of curiosity, what is it you want that a Mac can't do for you?


And a PC can

[Cem]

Born-again Mac users...you guys scare me!

[john williams]

Originally posted by Chris A
Just out of curiosity, what is it you want that a Mac can't do for you?


And a PC can

Mac's just don't cater for hardcore gamers. I play strategy games and Mac's are about as useful as tits on a bull in that regard.

Yeah, Macs are great for graphics, but I always feel Mac users are obsessed with dissing PCs and putting the humble Mac on an imaginary pedestal.

"The Mac user doth protest too loudly" From the little known Shakespeare tragedy Macsessed.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Originally posted by mone peterson
Nothing I couldn't fix!

Kevin... buy yourself DiskWarrior for the Mac and run it on your system.... every Mac computer should come with the damned thing. It's essential. Hate to say it, but I'm with Chris on the Ethernet thing. If you have the latest OS X (v. 10.3.4, I think) there's no reason it shouldn't be working. You can try DiskWarrior or else reinstall OS X (there's an option to save your user settings, which will also save any files you have on there). I'm definitely with you on the ridiculously-priced software and Mac's support policy, which usually requires you to send your whole f'ing computer to them.

Mone.... DiscWarrior is $80! I ain't paying $80 for an iMac that I bought used for $300 unless it does a whole lot more than repair directories. Are you saying that I should get this program because the problem I'm having with floppy discs' directories getting messed up is common? Now that would stink.

Also, I cannot get Ethernet to this Mac... My DSL modem is downstairs and the network emanates from the PC it's hooked up to. Running Ethernet through the walls ain't happening.... besides, those Ethernet cables are expensive as hell. They sell 50 footers for around $40. This Mac is at least 100 feet of Ethernet cabling away from the DSL modem. Sure, I could move the DSL modem upstairs, but then the iMac would have to be the server for my home network and I'd be even more confused as to how that would work.

BTW, one other thing I forgot about this iMac that had me questioning the "Macs are easier" statements I've read... Anyone but me ever swapped in a RAM module in an iMac? Holy cow, what a pain! I had to take the whole damn thing apart and then pop open the processor cage to get at the "lower RAM slot". To top it off, I had to swap the bigger of the sticks into this lower slot because it loads that one first and you get the maximum speed benefit that way. I've never had to swap RAM sticks around in any Windows PC to get the speed improvement.

Originally posted by mone peterson
I do like XP, but if you want a stable system, I still recommend Windows 2k.

We have tons of Windows 2K machines here at work and I had it at IBM for a few years. It was very good at the time but too much like Windows NT (after all, Win2K is just WinNT 5.0). I got the ol' "Blue Screen Of Death" many times on Win2K, only twice with WinXP Pro, both times were when the NVidia video card failed... what a piece of crap that NVidia card was.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this... I find WinXP Pro to be much more stable than Win2K. One thing seems true: Win2K seems "safer" from attack than WinXP so it gets props from sys admins. From a user's perspective, this "safety" comes at the expense of flexability, if the sys admins don't grant full administrative privledges.

Originally posted by mone peterson
Goody, I don't know where Dell is yanking you around, but they have support centers in the U.S.. [/B]

I know what Goody's talkin' about. I have called Dell's support center and talked with someone in India. I asked and they told me. However, another time I called, I did get someone in Atlanta, so Mone's right that they do have call-in centers in the US.

BTW, you usually get India when you call IBM's support, too. You get India when you call Verizon's DSL support *anytime* (in my experience). India seems to be a good (more likely, *cheap*) place for companies to set up call centers.

For Jazzy:

At work, I am now using a Dell D600 laptop. This has been a joy so far (about 2 months). It's fast (1.6 GHz Pentium M with the Intel Centrino chipset), light (about 4.5 lbs) and error-free to date. Before this, I had a Dell C840 laptop... sadly, it had big problems with the NVidia video card. It kept shutting off. Dell service (for my company) was very good about fixing it but it still took three tries. By the third try, I'd convinced my boss I had a lemon so I ordered this D600. I'm glad I did.

My last job was at IBM. I had very good luck with IBM laptops. However, they are more expensive. Also, the last two I bought before I left, one for my Dad and one for a good friend, have had a few bugs. Luckily, IBM's phone support has been OK (not great, just OK).

I'd check out Dell. Go on line. BEWARE: Dell's web site is very tricky to manuever to get the best deal. When you click on a machine, they bring up a page with two "Customize and Price" buttons. The closer (and bigger) of the two will actually bring up a *much* more expensive model. Usually, the "cheaper" model is up in the top right of the page. Weird sales technique... but it obviously works or they would have changed it ages ago. It is one of the trickest sales web page I've ever encountered. It comes across as very easy to use (and it is) but the deception in hiding the less expensive models is impressive.

Later,
Kevin

[Gary Sisco]

Another reason for setting up shop in India is an educated pool of potential employees to draw from. The US has been importing brain power from Asia for a long time now. These days, technology has made it so that people can "work from home," so to speak.

Originally posted by Cem
Born-again Mac users...you guys scare me!

• Born again?
  
  I have had at least one Mac since they introduced it, in 1984. Before that, I had a Tandy and Apples ][ and ///. I even bought an IBM, but it was too clunky, so I gave it away. Tried another one later--having been told that they "are good now," but had to put up with Windows--what a nightmare.
  
  Macs have their problems, too, but nothing like the PC. Also, the current, Unix-based OS X (Jaguar) operating system is extremely reliable. Can't wait for the release of Panther.
  
  There is good reason why they used to say "Windows 98 = Mac 89."
  
  Mary, quite sincerely, I think you are making a big mistake by going with the flow.