| Author |
Message |
    
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6069
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2005 - 10:12 am: |     |
I am posting this from the friendly Maplewood Memorial Library since my hard drive died on Tuesday. The lovely technical support people at Dell tell me it will be another several days before a techniciam calls to make an appointment to install a replacement hard drive (fortunately the computer was under warrentee).
I can go cold Turkey from MOL for a few weeks without any problem (want to buy a bridge?) but I don't like being without the lifeline which the internet provides.
Can anyone recommend an inexpensive reliable second computer I could purchase as a back-up? Kind of a computer version of a station car? |
Network & PC Care
Citizen
Username: Npccare
Post Number: 31
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2005 - 10:51 am: | |
It depends how inexpensive you are looking for.
You can get a Dell Dimension 2400 for $280 right now after you subtract the monitor... and you even get a free printer.
For your money, you can not beat that deal.
|
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6073
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2005 - 10:58 am: | |
Network:
I am not looking for another dell. I want to be able to walk into a store ASAP, pick up a plug and play machine and go from there. My son suggested getting a basic tower and an A/B switch would enable me to use my monitor/keyboard/mouse with both towers, once my Dell was repaired. |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1283
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2005 - 1:40 pm: | |
This is the cheapest deal at CompUSA right now:
http://www.compusa.com/adproducts/product_info.asp?product_code=320322&pfp=cat3
$349 only thing that is skimpy is the memory, but you can always add more for cheap. Even without it is more then adequate for internet surfing, though.
Go to BestBuys, Staples, OfficeMax websites and look at the specials. |
monster
Supporter
Username: Monster
Post Number: 1121
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, August 18, 2005 - 1:44 pm: | |
If you want a cheap immediate solution for a backup pc, try that place over on rt. 22. It's in the same shopping center as Pathmark, and Best Buy. I think it's called something like Golden Computers, or something like that. they have pc's for $99.00 and up. |
Case
Citizen
Username: Case
Post Number: 182
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 9:40 am: | |
Costco sells computers, you know. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6100
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 2:13 pm: | |
Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully, Dell is sending a technician tomorrow to replace the hard drive on the Dimension. In the meanwhile, I have borrowed back my old Compaq Presario, which is slow as ever but is still on its first hard drive after nearly 8 years of faithful service.
I'm still thinking seriously of getting some sort of back up though. My son tells me that my tower can easily handle another hard drive. Does it make more sense to buy a second hard drive for the one tower or a second tower from one of the above suggested sources? |
Network & PC Care
Citizen
Username: Npccare
Post Number: 33
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 5:54 pm: | |
Joan, if you add a hard drive to your computer, you will need to install an OS on the 2nd drive before you use it. In case the first one fails, you would switch the cable and the 2nd would work.
Or you can use a program like Norton Ghost that will copy your entire drive onto CD's, and you can copy it back onto a new drive very easily. |
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