Quote Originally Posted by IC2
Looks like XP is still the winner tho I do like Dago's idea. I don't have a separate full XP OS disk, unfortunately, to go that way. I'm leaning towards the XP and dump most of the bloatware that manufacturers seem to want to install and load up the hard drive. Maybe, if my ship come in I can buy a good desk top and a low end lap top (wishful thinking) but like Denny, I have many pictures and they really fill up the lap top quick. Now, another Dell, an HP or possibly a Lenovo(which I believe is now Chinese owned)?? Dell service has hit the bottom and HP is sounding good - I wish I had the skills to build my own. Did a 386 once with some geek help long ago, but it was very mediocre in performance. Not a decision that needs to be made today but gotta get the research started and a plan going.
Buy a barebones system w/ the motherboard and prosessor/ heatsink and fan installed. AMD dual core ( Athalon 64 X2 ) or Pentium dual core ( core duo or core 2 duo ) would be great, especially if there 2ghz per core or better.. this will give you the basics, the motherboard will be hooked up, all the pins for the lights will be plugged in, motherboard power ect... then all you do is add a hard drive, CD rom and memory, probably have it for $500 or so. Don't go For SATA HD's, there marginally faster but for the cost it's not worth it. IDE HD's are easier to hook up anyway, pin 1 ( red line on cable ) almost always points to power plug. set the jumper to cable select, make shure it is plugged in b4 the CD rom, set the CD rom to slave jumper.