Recommendations for PCs

[Serena Blanchflower]

I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer. I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago. I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs. I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.

My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high spec
mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the off the
shelf machines come supplied with.

[Clive Arthur]

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer.   I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago.  I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs.  I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.
My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high spec
mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the off the
shelf machines come supplied with.

I've found Novatech to be good, but I haven't bought a new PC for a good
few years.

[Clive Arthur]

Post by Clive Arthur

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main
PC before too much longer.   I got my current machine from
PCSPECIALIST, about eleven years ago.  I may well get my new one from
there but I seem to remember another company has been suggested, in
these parts, who build PCs.  I was wondering if any umrats had any
recommendations of places to look for my new machine.
My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high
spec mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the
off the shelf machines come supplied with.

I've found Novatech to be good, but I haven't bought a new PC for a good
few years.

Just to add...

I use an LG 4K 43" TV as a monitor, it's excellent and has been on for
many hours almost every day for, dunno, eight years or more?

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer. I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago. I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs. I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.
My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high spec
mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the off the
shelf machines come supplied with.

I have had a couple of reasonably high-end machines from SCAN and
found their help during specification and customisation to be
excellent.

Chris

[Jim Easterbrook]

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer. I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago. I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs. I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.

I've just bought a new machine direct from Dell (.co.uk). It was one of
their "black Friday" offers, but probably also on offer before and since.
My previous one conked out last week after 13 years of daily use.

I bought a 2 TB hdd for it separately and fitted it myself. Dell's design
(XPS tower) makes it very easy to extend - mini machines are probably
harder to expand.

[Jim Easterbrook]

Post by Jim Easterbrook

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main
PC before too much longer. I got my current machine from
PCSPECIALIST, about eleven years ago. I may well get my new one from
there but I seem to remember another company has been suggested, in
these parts, who build PCs. I was wondering if any umrats had any
recommendations of places to look for my new machine.

I've just bought a new machine direct from Dell (.co.uk). It was one of
their "black Friday" offers, but probably also on offer before and since.
My previous one conked out last week after 13 years of daily use.

Just out of interest I went to the PC Specialist web site and configured
an apparently similar system (processor, RAM, graphics card, and storage)
and it came to £60 less than I paid for my Dell.

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Jim Easterbrook
Just out of interest I went to the PC Specialist web site and configured
an apparently similar system (processor, RAM, graphics card, and storage)
and it came to £60 less than I paid for my Dell.

Thanks, that's interesting.

[Kate B]

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer.   I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago.  I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs.  I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.
My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high spec
mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the off the
shelf machines come supplied with.

I'm just bought a new laptop from PCSpecialist to replace the
seven-year-old one that won't do Windows 11. The new one has a 1TB SSD
and I'll keep the old 500GB one as an extra back-up. I need a laptop
rather than a tower - not very often, but for occasions away from home
where a tablet won't do. I do use it at home with a keyboard and monitor
attached and it works fine like that too. The cost was about £100 less
than a Dell equivalent, without any of the bloatware you spend half a
day getting rid of. I discussed it all with two or three different
people at PCSpec - they were all good, one particularly knowledgeable
(he even tried to see if the old one could be tweaked into W11
compatibility). Some apparently work from home, so be prepared for
extraneous noise of erupting toddlers, but seem to be able to cope OK.

What does one do with a laptop that can't manage W11? The rest of its
bits are still all in excellent working order. It won't have a hard disk
but that's not a real problem.

[nick]

On Wed, 4 Dec 2024 11:07:31 +0000, Kate B wrote:

<snip>

Post by Kate B
What does one do with a laptop that can't manage W11? The rest of its
bits are still all in excellent working order. It won't have a hard disk
but that's not a real problem.

I am not Father Derek (it was Father Derek, wasn't it? (where did Father
Derek go?)) but most older PCs are still capable of running an
up-to-date version of Linux which will still receive updates. There are
even one or two 32-bit machines which will still do it - in fact I'm
using one now.

Mainstream versions of Linux are so similar to Windows/Mac systems in
the way you use them that there's no real learning curve involved in
getting used to one. I'm probably unnecessarily cautious about using a
Windows computer for banking etc because I think security has got a
whole lot better with Microsoft but I still boot into Linux before I do
anything on-line that involves passwords or money. I only really hang on
to Windows for those programs like Agent for which I can't find a Linux
version although I know there are virtual machines out there if I wanted
to make the leap.

Nick

[Pete W]

Post by nick
<snip>

Post by Kate B
What does one do with a laptop that can't manage W11? The rest of its
bits are still all in excellent working order. It won't have a hard disk
but that's not a real problem.

I am not Father Derek (it was Father Derek, wasn't it? (where did Father
Derek go?)) but most older PCs are still capable of running an
up-to-date version of Linux which will still receive updates. There are
even one or two 32-bit machines which will still do it - in fact I'm
using one now.
Mainstream versions of Linux are so similar to Windows/Mac systems in
the way you use them that there's no real learning curve involved in
getting used to one. I'm probably unnecessarily cautious about using a
Windows computer for banking etc because I think security has got a
whole lot better with Microsoft but I still boot into Linux before I do
anything on-line that involves passwords or money. I only really hang on
to Windows for those programs like Agent for which I can't find a Linux
version although I know there are virtual machines out there if I wanted
to make the leap.

FWIW I use Linux Mint 21.3 and Agent runs OK (using it atm to post
this) under Wine.
---
Pete.

[Joe Kerr]

Post by nick
<snip>

Post by Kate B
What does one do with a laptop that can't manage W11? The rest of its
bits are still all in excellent working order. It won't have a hard disk
but that's not a real problem.

I am not Father Derek (it was Father Derek, wasn't it? (where did Father
Derek go?)) but most older PCs are still capable of running an
up-to-date version of Linux which will still receive updates. There are
even one or two 32-bit machines which will still do it - in fact I'm
using one now.
Mainstream versions of Linux are so similar to Windows/Mac systems in
the way you use them that there's no real learning curve involved in
getting used to one. I'm probably unnecessarily cautious about using a
Windows computer for banking etc because I think security has got a
whole lot better with Microsoft but I still boot into Linux before I do
anything on-line that involves passwords or money. I only really hang on
to Windows for those programs like Agent for which I can't find a Linux
version although I know there are virtual machines out there if I wanted
to make the leap.
Nick

Indeed. Which then raises the question: "Why bother with Win 11?"

Nick, it sounds like you should try WINE. You simply install it and then
wonder whether it worked and should you see anything. Then you run
Windows software and it just works. They have a list of compatible (and
partly compatible) software.

[nick]

Post by Joe Kerr

Post by nick
<snip>

Post by Kate B
What does one do with a laptop that can't manage W11? The rest of its
bits are still all in excellent working order. It won't have a hard disk
but that's not a real problem.

I am not Father Derek (it was Father Derek, wasn't it? (where did Father
Derek go?)) but most older PCs are still capable of running an
up-to-date version of Linux which will still receive updates. There are
even one or two 32-bit machines which will still do it - in fact I'm
using one now.
Mainstream versions of Linux are so similar to Windows/Mac systems in
the way you use them that there's no real learning curve involved in
getting used to one. I'm probably unnecessarily cautious about using a
Windows computer for banking etc because I think security has got a
whole lot better with Microsoft but I still boot into Linux before I do
anything on-line that involves passwords or money. I only really hang on
to Windows for those programs like Agent for which I can't find a Linux
version although I know there are virtual machines out there if I wanted
to make the leap.
Nick

Indeed. Which then raises the question: "Why bother with Win 11?"
Nick, it sounds like you should try WINE. You simply install it and then
wonder whether it worked and should you see anything. Then you run
Windows software and it just works. They have a list of compatible (and
partly compatible) software.

Thanks for the suggestion, Ric. When the appropriately shaped tuits turn
up I'll give it a go.

Nick

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Kate B
What does one do with a laptop that can't manage W11? The rest of its
bits are still all in excellent working order. It won't have a hard disk
but that's not a real problem.

The last time I had a laptop which was surplus to requirements, I gave
it to a friend who volunteers with asylum seekers, for onward
transmission to someone who would benefit from it. I know they had
someone who could check computers over and do any necessary work on
them, so they would probably have been able to replace the hard disk.

There's also a social enterprise, in Southampton, run by a charity which
works with the homeless, which takes old computers for recycling and to
train their clients in IT refurbishment. I'm not sure if the refurbed
computers are then sold on or if they're given directly to people in
need. This is probably where my old computer is likely to end up.

I know that neither of these, Southampton based, destinations will be of
direct help to you but you may well have similar groups in Edinburgh who
would put your old laptop to good use.

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer.   I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago.  I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs.  I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.
My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high spec
mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the off the
shelf machines come supplied with.

I have had a couple of machines from PCSpecialist and I cannot fault the
company. Indeed, I have recommended them to at least one other who has
purchased from them with great satisfaction. It was Umra who
recommended them to me - Umra is always right.

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer.   I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago.  I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs.  I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.
My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high spec
mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the off the
shelf machines come supplied with.

Many thanks for the assorted suggestions, which has given me some other
options to check out. At the moment, I suspect that I'm likely to go
back to PC Specialist (like Jenny, I originally heard about them here!).
My current machine has been running well for about eleven years but
it's got a few niggles now, which may well be portents of the end of its
time.

[Kosmo]

Post by Serena Blanchflower
I think it's all too likely that I'm going to have to replace my main PC
before too much longer.   I got my current machine from PCSPECIALIST,
about eleven years ago.  I may well get my new one from there but I seem
to remember another company has been suggested, in these parts, who
build PCs.  I was wondering if any umrats had any recommendations of
places to look for my new machine.
My current thinking is that I'm likely to go for a reasonably high spec
mini, with rather more in the way of disk space than most of the off the
shelf machines come supplied with.

I am on my second Chillblast - the first was going strong for about 6
years and the current one will soon be 5 years old - so no idea what the
current collection is like - but it does not get heavy use.

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Kosmo
I am on my second Chillblast - the first was going strong for about 6
years and the current one will soon be 5 years old - so no idea what the
current collection is like - but it does not get heavy use.

Thanks, that's a new name to me and one to take a look at.

[Kosmo]

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by Kosmo
I am on my second Chillblast - the first was going strong for about 6
years and the current one will soon be 5 years old - so no idea what
the current collection is like - but it does not get heavy use.

Thanks, that's a new name to me and one to take a look at.

I am trying to remember the PC manufacturers I have had down the years.

There was a Viglen, I think there were possibly two from Gateway which
was a US assembler but gave good service. There was one bought from
Dixonx/Currys when I woke up one day and the previous one was not
working, not sure of the make now at all, And the two from Chillblast -
the last one was bought with an OS and I installed it myself and when I
hit a snag their support team provided exactly the missing link. That
old machine sat on the floor here for about 9 months because getting to
the tip became so difficult when the world had covid.