What PC to buy?

[gidgit]

I suppose that it all depends on the res of those videos, but yea, vids eat up room... even at 320x200 for web cam, doesn't take much to start eating into those gigs of hd space... and yea, good to have more than one drive for sure, and so many other wonderful storage devices as well

[raynerj1]

Typically 740X480. But when video editing, one typically has more than 2 hours of video (@ 1gb/minute). When one starts saving interim steps... You get lots of stuff real quick.

[Xhris]

The best advice I can give is to avoid off-the-shelf PC's no matter the marketting blurb.

I would agree with that. They throw big numbers at you, but bottle neck your system with some cheap component. If you have the expertise, I'd recommend building your own. I did not too long ago, but had to leave it behind...I'm very tempted to build another one at the expense of a chunk of earnings...the most powerful you can build (for gaming).

[Daniel]

I would leave the floppy out and just take the old one from my exisiting system. The same would be true with the OS, if she has a OEM XP CD.

Offensive terminology from an offensive member who takes pride in posting trivial rubbish. That's opinion: but it's fact that you would be breaking your licence agreement by re-using an OEM Windows XP CD. Ignorance and an anti-Microsoft bias is not an excuse for piracy: I hope they catch you and nail you to the wall.


EDIT: Removed the offending word from the quoted text.

[handrawn]

it's fact that you would be breaking your licence agreement by re-using an OEM Windows XP CD

This was covered well by sledger [can't find the link right now] - if memory serves when we were musing about just how far you can upgrade a machine before it becomes a 'new' one.

Its certainly true that, having registered windows OEM on one machine, installing it on a second one is against the license. The fact that the first maybe dead doesn't alter the OEM situation.
Good reason for buying the full version, I have been converted in this respect.

[WolfMoonHP]

I just had to make this decision last weekend. My old computer was fried by repeated lightning storms...the UPS burned out, then my power supply...and the motherboard. You could actually smell the burned components...the power went off seven times that day...

My old computer had been built by my own loving hands, but this time, I decided to go with a store-bought system. It is my first computer with a brand name on it since the old Atari days!

Anyway, I chose the HP Pavilion Media Center m8120n PC TV

Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 3 gigs of RAM, 640 Gb hard drive plus 500 Gb personal media drive, for more than 1 Tb total storage.

But the most important thing is the insurance! If this one burns out, I just take it back to Best Buy and they give me a new one.
---
Will

[handrawn]

Sorry to hear that Will - still brand new computer - cant be all bad

Friend of mine has been woo-ing me into the virtues of leasing a computer - costs him £16 [$35] a month - brand new replacement every two years, alternative machine supplied within 4 hours to cover if needed on breakdown...... hummmm you know, I'm sorta tempted...............

[raynerj1]

The License is to install on one computer... If you only have it on one computer than you are legal. Anything else is rediculous.

You can however transfer the entire desktop/notebook with the OEM license to a new user/company. When transferring the PC to the new end user the original software media, manuals (if applicable) and Certificate of Authenticity (COA) must be included. It is also advisable to include the original purchase invoice or receipt. The original end user cannot keep any copies of the software.

Then sell the original OS to your spouse and then have em sell it back to you for a penny then you are legal... (stuff that in your hat, that is why Microsux)

[Soquili]

John the OEM license is to be used on the specific computer with which it was purchased. It cannot be transferred to another computer. OEM license media (CDs) usually will not install on another computer unless it is the same model from the same manufacturer.

If you have CDs that were purchased from a retailer without a computer, that is not considered an OEM license. A retail license allows you to install the OS on a single computer. As Sledger originally stated.

In my experience hard drives fail more often than any other component as long as quality components have been used to construct the computer. In an environment of 400 desktop computers I had 1 in 10 hard drive failures. There were 2 in 400 motherboard failures, and only 1 power supply failure.

About 9 years ago e-Machines were prone to power supply failures. But that was due to using low cost parts. Since then e-Machines was bought by another management company and they have reliable hardware.

[Egg Bramhill]

Going back to the question of how many drives, this looks like a great solution.