buy new or add to?

orourke · Post by **orourke** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 9:48 am

Hi all:

I have a 2000 model Dell computer running windows XP. It has been a great machine but is now running a bit slow. Is my money better spent on a new machine or by adding memory and a high speed USB port?

Dave "O"

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 10:05 am

Better to buy new. Last year's model desktops are tumbling in price, and if you hit a going-out-of-business sale at Circuit City or some other place, you can get them for cheaper than it would cost to upgrade your old computer.

Cheers,

Dr. Todd

orourke · Post by **orourke** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:41 pm

Thanks for the input Teal:

What do you guys think of laptops? Are they practical for your main system?

Years ago I told you all I'd like to open a little shop in Dad's old jewelry store. I have started hanging stuff on the wall and may open on a catch as catch can basis.

Would it be good to take the lap top back and forth between the house and the store, or should I buy new for home and take my old set up to the store?

Thanks for any thoughts and or suggestions.

What is reasonable for memory size and speed these days?

Dave "O"

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:44 pm

Dave, I'm in the same boat, but I disagree with Todd. There are a lot of reasons computers virtually always slow down after several years of use. Unless you regularly "clean" your hard drive, defragment it, etc., it will slow down, but there are lots of free programs available to help here.

In my case, I think a lot of the problem is caused by the several antivirus and anti-malware programs I use, each of them scanning all traffic in and out, in addition to scanning programs as they're opened.

I added RAM (no relation to BB) to my old Dell, and it helped a lot. At this point, I've been putting off getting a new computer until our beloved Microsoft comes out with a new OS, probably later this year. Haven't heard a lot of good things about Vista, so I'm trying to avoid it completely.

I've also taken dozens of GBs of photos off the computer's HD and stored them in a couple of external HDs, which leaves a lot more storage room in the computer.

Anyway, I'd clean things up and consider just adding some RAM, which is a lot cheaper than a new computer and may well solve the problem for a year or two. If you want some suggestions for helpful utility programs, email me.
Steve

orourke · Post by **orourke** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:51 pm

Thanks Steve:

I do defragment fairly regularly. I think pictures are what is filling my machine up and slowing it down. I don't presently use any other storage system other than my hard drive. (not even a flash drive) I don't have any experience with external drives either.

Are they reliable and easy to use?

Dave

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:04 pm

External HDs should be as reliable as your computer's, as long as you buy a name brand. I use one for storage of those photos and for general backup. The second is used mostly for backing up critical stuff, and after I use it, I disconnect it from both the surge protector and the computer, so it won't be affected by surges or by malware.

Anyway, they're very easy to use. Plug in the USB cable, and they show up in MY Computer like everything else. Store stuff by all the methods you already use.

Incidentally, defragging isn't enough by itself. Your registry and the rest of the HD can be packed with unfragmented, useless files that clog up the works but that can be removed by utility programs.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 1:33 pm

I guess it depends on how old the system is. With new (year old) desktops running about $299, it wouldn't take much to move beyond this price point with upgrades.

If the machine is over two years old I'd personally upgrade it.

I do some of my work on a laptop, but most of it on a desktop.

-- Dr. Todd

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Thu Jan 22, 2009 4:24 pm

In the spirit of this new era, let's compromise. Clean up your computer first, then see if it has sped up enough to satisfy you. Here are a couple of utilities you can install. Both "clean" the HD, but even after one has finished, the other finds even more files to dump.

http://www.glaryutilities.com/gu.html?tag=download#
http://www.ccleaner.com/

One of the fastest ways to clog a computer is to let your browser cache and cookies get out of control. Firefox has a neat add-on (CS Lite) that allows you very easy control of your cookies. The utilities above will clean your cache and cookies, but you have to remember to run them every once in a while.

If you don't see any improvement after a thorough cleaning, you can start thinking about a new computer.

RAM · Post by **RAM** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:21 pm

Many pics stored on my old (slow)computer. It is so old it doesn't burn CDs. My new laptop doesn't burn floppy discs. So I am transferring pics to floppies, will use them on a floppy external laptop plug-in ($39.95 at Best Buy) when I want to transfer or view them on the lap top. I am told this will work. If it won't, please tell my why guys before I waste any more time (haven't bought the plug-in yet)! Unlimited storage on floppies if you have a room to store them in (several hundered thousand should fit in a standard room. I can get about 20 or so pics per floppie it appears.
Bad (computer dumb) Bob

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:05 pm

I've had good luck using a program called Symantec Ghost. After you get a new computer, run Ghost to make an exact image of your hard disk.

Over time I am careful to store pictures, documents, music etc in well organized folders. If the computer starts running bad, save all your files to some external media and restore the system to its previous condition. You might lose any programs you installed but you would probably have the disk to re-install them.

I'd have to guess that the majority of speed problems are caused by run-away programs and stuff you didn't intend to install.

I suppose there are other utilities to do this as well. Some may be included in windows.

Jason

Post by **john elder** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:30 pm

Dave: I will add my usual two cents by saying first that laptops are great. My whole business and private life has been run on laptops only for the past 15 years, at least. I carry mine with me always and as wireless technology has kicked into gear, it's gotten easier and easier. Battery life is also better, but I rarely run it on the battery if not travelling. My daughter started shaking her finger at me about ruining battery life, so every few days I've been running down the battery...but 90% of the time, it's plugged in, without issues.

I will further add that I have used nothing but Macs for all this time and would not switch...I know this is like converting a Ford man to a Chevy man (will we be able to make this comparison in a generation?), but I've had nothing but good luck with Macs...and as yet, no one has made a virus that I have to deal with...which means that I don't have to deal with all the software issues Steve mentioned.

Speed is still a bit slower than pc, but so is my brain...haven't found it to be an issue..and now they have intel processors so differences are not an issue...and at least microsoft office software, adobe, and everything else I use on a daily basis works fine...documents and pics are interchanging with pcs, so compatibility is rarely an issue.

Okay...enough...but go to the Mac store and check out a MacBook Pro laptop...get the geek with the acne to take you for a spin...think you'll be impressed!

fishbugman · Post by **fishbugman** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:44 pm

john elder wrote:My whole business and private life has been run on laptops only for the past 15 years, at least.

Remind me John, were Commodore 64's made in a laptop version?

Post by **john elder** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 9:31 pm

no, but my first Mac weighed in at almost 20 lbs and was probably about 100k memory

...I was using an abacas and charcoal before then

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:00 am

I just doubled the RAM of my 5-yr-old Dell to 1 GB for $20. Everything I've tried so far goes much, much faster, and the boot-up time has been cut by maybe 75%. Just trying to avoid having to buy a new computer with Vista.