Your Wonderful Chance to Help a Fat Old Non-Muslim!

[Cashew]

I need to buy a new computer.

I have an 8-year-old Gateway desktop that I hate.

And I have my grandchild's Compaq Presario 2100 laptop which I also hate.

I need a computer for only three things:

* Writing

* Research on the Web

* Email

I do NOT play memory-intensive computer games.

I want a top-of-the-line best-quality least-likely-to-ever-cause-me-problems machine. (I **hate** calling customer service numbers.)

I can spend a few bucks. What should I buy?

[Joha]

I need to buy a new computer.

I have an 8-year-old Gateway desktop that I hate.

And I have my grandchild's Compaq Presario 2100 laptop which I also hate.

I need a computer for only three things:

* Writing

* Research on the Web

* Email

I do NOT play memory-intensive computer games.

I want a top-of-the-line best-quality least-likely-to-ever-cause-me-problems machine. (I **hate** calling customer service numbers.)

I can spend a few bucks. What should I buy?

If you can spend a few bucks, there is only one thing that will *never* give you trouble, and if it does, you'll have the best customer experience possible.

And that's an Apple.

I've had one for years, and I can count 1 crash in all that time - and that was my fault!

The one I'm using now hasn't been restarted for 2 months...and it's running like it would if I'd just wiped the hard drive and installed everything new!

Seriously...go to an Apple store, try it out, you'll find it's dead easy to use, gets the job done and is beautiful to boot!

Then go buy!

[belal1]

I need to buy a new computer.

I have an 8-year-old Gateway desktop that I hate.

And I have my grandchild's Compaq Presario 2100 laptop which I also hate.

I need a computer for only three things:

* Writing

* Research on the Web

* Email

I do NOT play memory-intensive computer games.

I want a top-of-the-line best-quality least-likely-to-ever-cause-me-problems machine. (I **hate** calling customer service numbers.)

I can spend a few bucks. What should I buy?

sounds like you can get any new system then. you can buy the cheapest system out there now, and be able to do what you do.

i'd recommend getting a linux PC now, since what you want out of your computer is so limited and i'm sure you'd appreciate never having to worry about worms, virii, computer hacks, intrusion, etc.... you can check out dell who's selling for 599 either a deskop with 17in LCD, 250 GB HD, 1 Gig of RAM, and alot of other goodies... or for that same price you can get their inspiron laptop which comes with half that spec and a 15 inch display. both include ubuntu which is the general preferred choice as a linux operating system. check it out at http://www.dell.com/open

if you want a windows pc u can grab anything from walmart, u'd probably spend only 500 to 600 bucks from there.

and if u really want something powerful and for it to be windows, then check out best buy's pc's.

i recommend this one if you have some cash since it'll last you for A WHILE:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=999972400050002&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat103700050050&id=pcmprd72300050002

but u can opt for any one ofthese and it'll get you to do what u want:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site//olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat103700050050&type=category

[Cashew]

The Linux machines sound interesting.

Does Ubuntu have a good word-processing program?

Do its other programs work well with Microsoft and Macs? I mean, can both read files generated by a Linux machine?

[belal1]

The Linux machines sound interesting.

Does Ubuntu have a good word-processing program?

Do its other programs work well with Microsoft and Macs? I mean, can both read files generated by a Linux machine?

Yup! :up:

Every linux distribution includes OpenOffice.org . This wonderful little office suite can read, write, and save in various formats including microsoft word's .doc format. But it'snot just ms word compatible, it's also compatible with excel, powerpoint and access. I personally use it often to view powerpoint slides. I type up some work in write (open office's version of word), save it, boot into windows when I need to, and can still edit the same file in msword 2003.

so yes, anything you create in linux, can be opened in mac's and windows.

there are other programs that's compatible with software on windows and macs.

if you have broadband and a cd/dvd burner, you can try out linux right now without even installing anything. you can download a linux distribution (we call it linux distro for short), burn the iso, then restart your computer with the CD in the drive. in about 5 minutes you'll have a complete linux environment to mess around with and see how you like it. if you don't like it, then simply restart the computer, take out the CD (before it loads) and you'll be back into windows.

check out the ubuntu/kubuntu/linux/unix/xubuntu thread in this (digital highway) section, i put up a few links. I say try Ubuntu or PCLinuxOS. Both are really great.

[Cashew]

Yup! :up:

Every linux distribution includes OpenOffice.org . This wonderful little office suite can read, write, and save in various formats including microsoft word's .doc format. But it'snot just ms word compatible, it's also compatible with excel, powerpoint and access. I personally use it often to view powerpoint slides. I type up some work in write (open office's version of word), save it, boot into windows when I need to, and can still edit the same file in msword 2003.

so yes, anything you create in linux, can be opened in mac's and windows.

there are other programs that's compatible with software on windows and macs.

if you have broadband and a cd/dvd burner, you can try out linux right now without even installing anything. you can download a linux distribution (we call it linux distro for short), burn the iso, then restart your computer with the CD in the drive. in about 5 minutes you'll have a complete linux environment to mess around with and see how you like it. if you don't like it, then simply restart the computer, take out the CD (before it loads) and you'll be back into windows.

check out the ubuntu/kubuntu/linux/unix/xubuntu thread in this (digital highway) section, i put up a few links. I say try Ubuntu or PCLinuxOS. Both are really great.

Geez. I wish my kids were as tech-savvy as you. (They very well may be, but they sure as HECK don't talk to me about it!)

Thanks to you, I've really started investigating this Ubuntu stuff and it does seem fantastic.

I had a vague, general idea of what Linux was. (Many years ago, before your parents ever met, before you were ever scampering around in nappies, I used to work on a DOS machine. The "floppy disks" we used were as big as dinner plates!)

But it seems Ubuntu has at long last made Linux available to the regular layperson.

I can't tell you how much I hate Microsoft product. I'm working on a laptop that has an ENORMOUS memory, but the %!$!#! Microsoft stuff makes it run so incredibly s.....l......o......w......l........y.

[belal1]

Geez. I wish my kids were as tech-savvy as you. (They very well may be, but they sure as HECK don't talk to me about it!)

Thanks to you, I've really started investigating this Ubuntu stuff and it does seem fantastic.

I had a vague, general idea of what Linux was. (Many years ago, before your parents ever met, before you were ever scampering around in nappies, I used to work on a DOS machine. The "floppy disks" we used were as big as dinner plates!)

But it seems Ubuntu has at long last made Linux available to the regular layperson.

I can't tell you how much I hate Microsoft product. I'm working on a laptop that has an ENORMOUS memory, but the %!$!#! Microsoft stuff makes it run so incredibly s.....l......o......w......l........y.

Definitely. Ubuntu has been a major force in the Linux world, converting many many people to the world of Free/Open Source Software (F/OSS).

Btw, if you want to check out how Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, PCLinuxOS, or whatever looks like, check out http://shots.osdir.com . It's a really useful site that lets you check out how each distro looks , so you can see what you can get without even going through the trouble of downloading it in the first place.

Alot of the guys here on Ummah are familiar with Linux, and generally we all advocate Linux use over M$. So feel free to post up any questions you have on it, and we'd always help you or anyone else willing to learn.