I'm planning on buying a new pc but I dont want to pay anymore then 800$ and i have no idea what makes a good pc... good.

So out of the dell,hp, and gate way

is there any pcs that they are selling that is under 800$ and is a keeper for years to come?

Please don't even consider Gateway. Have you actually visted Dell's or HP's Web site yet?

Take a look here (http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/desktops?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs) for Dell. Take a look here (http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/prodserv/desktops.html) for HP.

I personally despise HP's. My old boss had one and it simply ran like crap. It always needed fixing, was always crashing... granted that's just one instance. However, first impressions are the strongest.

Gateway- I've owned several of them over the years. Nothing but headaches and unnecessary drama.

As for Dell- I'm currently using one and I've had my fair share of problems with it. However, I've had mine for over two years now and it's still running very nicely. As much crap as people give Dell, they're really not all that bad.

These are just my opinions though. I would suggest visiting the site tokyo bleu posted just to see what you can find :) [Personally, I'm in love with Sony Vaios. I've been wanting one for years and I think I've met one person who said they aren't worth the $$$. Everybody else loves them. Sony's are excellent products, however, I don't know if you'd be able to find a desktop under $800. Check out Sony Style (http://www.sonystyle.com) for more info) :)

Sony is excellent. I've had my Vaio for years and haven't had any major problems with it. They are a little pricey, but it's worth it.

Personally, I'd never buy a Dell. I think they're cheaply made. And if you have a problem with your PC, non-Dell products don't work most of the time - you have to buy from Dell. I've seen so many of them have these major issues and their tech support didn't help.

Of course my top recommendation is Apple, but I'm biased... ;)

My husband has a Dell desktop and after 3 years, it only started messing up when we installed WinXP Service Pack 2... I have a Dell laptop and I guess it's okay... Personally, I recommend building your own computer... That's my biased opinion.

^Same here. I built mine. That way you can get all the stuff you want.

personally i've built every system ive ever had. probably cause that's what i do for a living...lol i would suggest staying away from those you mentioned and hit your local computer store and build your own or check alienware, they have some awesome systems, http://www.alienware.com/

...or check alienware...

Alienware is very expensive though!

Sony is excellent. I've had my Vaio for years and haven't had any major problems with it. They are a little pricey, but it's worth it.

Personally, I'd never buy a Dell. I think they're cheaply made. And if you have a problem with your PC, non-Dell products don't work most of the time - you have to buy from Dell. I've seen so many of them have these major issues and their tech support didn't help.

Of course my top recommendation is Apple, but I'm biased... ;)

I'm getting a laptop this fall for my WebDesign and Graphic design courses. I've wanted one for year simply to have, but at least now I would be able to put it to use :) I don't care about the price. I'm looking at a system upwards of $2500, as opposed to those you see on TV selling for $500. I figure the price will be worth it if I have virtually no troubles with it :)

Another thing about Dell- (this may be true of other computers too- but I'm not exactly sure) is when you call customer service you can NEVER understand the person you're speaking with. They're either all Hispanic or from India or something. I have nothing wrong with this, but just their accents are so hard to understand. And half the time they don't even help anyway.

My dad had an HP... Yeah, had. He's not very good with keeping his computers in working order, but aside from what he did to it, I never liked it. I'm on a Dell, and it's really good. The only problem with it is one of the cd drives gets stuck, but I can't blame Dell for having little brothers who break everything :lol: The good thing about Dell is that you can get cheap computers (or have them customize it for you). My computer wasn't even new and it's in good working condition. I don't know what the deal is with their customer service because I never had to use it before, so I can't comment on that.

Good luck!

Weve had a HP for over 5 yrs (laptop and desk) and good luck for the most part. No its time to get a new one(s)
What we learned from shopping around is that its best to have one built like mentioned above. Why?
Because all the puters in the store, reguardless of the make/model are built from used parts. Thats why they sell so cheap as "packages on sale" with the tower,monitor,printer,etc. If you have one built for you at a good source, they will tell you what they are putting in it BUT it will be much more expensive. The shopko/walmart/target/etc sales are nothing more than used or outdated parts and if they have to be serviced they'd have to go back to the that particular company unless your local dealers happen to have the specific parts in stock.
Just my opinon and what Ive been told by builders.
Have a great day and good luck shopping!

I never owned a computer from any, though here's some things I've heard or know:

- Some of Dell's PSUs are non-standard, I've heard (screws not in the same places).
- Lower-end Dell systems don't have an AGP slot and bus.
- Often, these pre-built computers never come with a full XP install disc; only a recovery disc. I recently had to buy a disc (thankfully, I was able to get it OEM) because my mobo died and the recovery disc apparently would install the chipset drivers too, thus making Windows XP unbootable on the new system... =\

I'll have to agree with Monkey Bizzle -- it'll also grant you better or cheaper upgrade opportunities if you do your research (i.e. get a mobo with a socket which is likely to be produced for will allow you to only change the processor in the future), and you're sure to get what you need/want. You'll also save a few hundred bucks if you have to replace the mobo... ;)

Dell...I have a Dell desktop...and laptop...they are both very reliable!

yes alienware is expensive but the idea behind what I was thinking was to build one and they have great specs. Toshiba isnt too bad.

My problem is i donno what is good and what is not. like what in the world does something like this mean:

Dual Core, 64-Bit Processors
SLI Graphics Technology w/ 7800 GTX
SATA, RAID and 10,000RPM Drives
Low Latency Memory

i have no computer part knowlege of any kind and just want to buy a good pc but if its only a few hundered dollars over 800$ but is way better i could pay that much if it means it will be good for years.

what computer outlet is near you, circuit city, best buy?? go there, tell them what you want to do on the computer (games, video, music, graphics, office, business, etc.), and the max you can spend on a full package, and they will point you in the right direction....best bang for your buck.
Also, you can ask them any questions you have and they should be able to answer them.
~Lana~

...tell them what you want to do on the computer (games, video, music, graphics, office, business, etc.), and the max you can spend on a full package, and they will point you in the right direction....best bang for your buck...

wrong... those people work on a commission and will try to sell you whatever they can to get more money for themselves...

My mum's laptop was (I think) an HP. And it was demented.

We have three Gateways, and haven't had problems with them. (Well, except the fact that I took the mouse from the old one so it's now unusable. :blush: )

wrong... those people work on a commission and will try to sell you whatever they can to get more money for themselves...

There are people like that, but not all of them. They not only work on commission, but they also work on customer satisfaction. If the people they sale to always come back with complaints and returns, they won't have a job.

If you go to a store, make sure that you know a little about what you are talking about. A lot of times, the sales person will try to tell you that this computer is super duper because it has a lot of memory, but they fail to tell you that a lot of memory is a waste of money if you don't intend to use it... I.E. for games and such. That's why I suggested that you could save some money and build your own computer. A lot of times, places like Best Buy and Comp USA will have deals where you get mail in rebates. Because of that, my desktop really only cost about $300 to build.