FOAK: Buying a Dell PC for the kids

I'm trying to spec up a new PC for the kids. It'll go in the "den"
we're making for them.

It's going to be used for Surfing the net, homework and games and the
budget is around £500.00 +/- £50

I fancy something like this..

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/desktops_better?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

...but I find the Dell site a bit cluttered. I can't help but feel that
I could get a better deal from Dell if I knew what special offers to
take advantage of.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

The only thing that might need something other than a very low spec[1]
PC would be the games, so unless they really need high-end graphics, go
for the lowest-spec C521:
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dimen_c52
1?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Hmm, so it's for you, not the kids, isn't it?

By the way, I haven't actually looked at your link, so don't know what
you've got your eye on, but then this is ukrm.

[1] by today's standards, at least.

 

TBH, though I hate to admit it, you should toddle down to your local PC
world and buy something there. The price isn't much different and when it
goes wrong you plonk it down on the counter and get it fixed again.

 

When I was last shopping, I headed straight to the Outlet site (kit for
orders that have been cancelled for some reason) and picked up an
absolute bargain - a year and a half on and it's still running without a
hitch.

http://outlet.dell.com/Emea_Dfo/EuDispatcher?country=GBR&target=InventoryPage&lob_constraint=DIM

You can only pick from the specs the original buyer put together, but so
long as it's got at least a gig of RAM and a 256MB video card, you're
laughing. A quick glance shows a bunch of machines that fit the bill,
starting at 240 quid (!) with Vista Home Premium.

 

Hog says...

But if a kid's pc gets taken into PC World, won't they report the kids
for having pictures of naked, fat, balding old men on the hard drive?

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE (Black with added black bits)
Suzuki SV650 K3
Suzuki GSX-R750L
Yamaha 250 Flat-tracker
I ride way too fast to worry about cholestorol.

 

<spamming git mode>

I have no idea if this is any good or not, but it looks nice.

http://tinyurl.com/yuzm2p

We're punting them out through selected Somerfields for £499 - which
appears to be very cheap. But I know little about PCs.

Comes with a 3 year warranty, too.

 

Why Dell, if you don't mind my asking? That restricts you to Intel
processors and you get a lot more bang for your buck from AMD. Mesh
always do very well in PCPro group tests.

<http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE=PRODUCTVIEWPAGE&USG=PRODUCT&ENT=PRODUCT&KEY=163427>

Has a very respectable spec for £550 and plenty of room to install linux
alongside that Vista crap. You may be able to negotiate XP SP2 instead
of Vista - I would.

I build my own so have pecuniary interest!

 

It generally is.

broken even more badly by their "trained" technicians
--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk www.ebayfaq.co.uk

 

The one for £505 looks rather nice.
http://www.dmxdimension.com/blogcategory/dell_uk_dimension_e520.html

Intel® Core® 2 Duo® E6320 1.86GHz
VistaT Business
20" Wide TFT E207WFP
2048MB
320GB
16X DVD +/- RW
256MB nVidia® GeForce® 7300

--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk www.ebayfaq.co.uk

 

Nooooooooooooo! They're usually quite a bit overpriced for the spec., and
their 'service' staff a) haven't a fucking clue, and b) will try and replace
as many components in the PC as possible to fix any given problem (OK, not
such an issue under warranty, but still).

A mate of mine works in PC support, and has heard so many stories about PC
World stitching people up with overpriced so-called servicing and repairs,
and also had to sort out the odd PC that they've buggered-up even more than
when it started. The only thing I'll go in there for is the odd cheap
component that I really need *now*.

If you want to buy from a 'proper' shop, try to find a small local place who
actually know what they're talking about, and sell you a machine that you
actually want, rather than the most expensive they can try to push on you.

Here endeth the rant.

 

Not on the two laptops I recently bought from them - AMD something-or-
other processors.

 

They do special deals from time to time.
I'm extremely hard to please yet I've had no real trouble with them. I like
being able to drive a mile, walk in and be able to have a good rant.
Telephone support sucks and I can't be arsed sending stuff back.

 

It certainly is potentially "overwhelming" - I always (well 4 times in
the last 3 years or so) ring up and speak to the sales people and have
consistently had very good service plus you get the opportunity to get
the odd goodwill freebie such as printer cables.

 

Change of policy, obviously. I tied to upgrade a dell Socket 7 with an
AMD K-6 and they'd buggered up the bios so it wouldn't even recognize
the processor.

 

That's not true of the new dual core chips is it? I thought Intel had taken
the game back?

 

IME they put all their good people on sales - buying a Dell couldn't be
pleasanter. I'm still in love with Marie, who sold me a laptop 5 years ago.
Until you need tech support, then you're talking to Mumbai and explaining
yourself fifteen times. To be fair, though, my last 4 PCs/laptops at home
have been Dells, and we run 200+ Dells at work, and there are never any
problems. (The Mumbai call was a one-off and related to the broadband
connection, not the PC.)

 

Now this has got to be the daftest answer I have *ever* seen on UKRM & from
Hog to boot!!
Have you *ever* tried to get anything fixed at PC world.
Come on mate, you normally give good advice!!

--
Greybeard



FLHTCUI UK-07 Mk II
Trumpet Trophy 1200 new one coming soon!
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

 

Why Dell, if you don't mind my asking? That
restricts you to Intel

Dell do AMD, In fact I am trying to recover a fucked Samsung Hd at the
moment on an AMD unit.
Samsung drives suck! less than 6 months old...again!

--
Greybeard
(Dell DCSE ESF Engineer!) ;o)


FLHTCUI UK-07 Mk II
Trumpet Trophy 1200 new one coming soon!
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

 

Wait till it goes wrong.
We (as in the company I am about to me redundant from) used to repair Acer
stuff. Even they forgot what job-lot rubbish they make their machines from!
Maybe they have changed, but I wouldn't trust one.

--
Greybeard



FLHTCUI UK-07 Mk II
Trumpet Trophy 1200 new one coming soon!
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

 

I've had desk and laptops off them. Peripherals and printers. Never had a
problem. No really!
It's the convenience factor too.