Ok, this is for all you computer people out there.....When looking to purchase a new computer or laptop, is there really a difference between brands (like HP, Dell, Compaq etc.) or just programs and other general features? Thanks!

There really isn't a difference between brands on the hardware side. Most manufacturers all ship very similar models. Differences are more cosmetic, keyboard and control layouts, expansion options. Software is almost the same on all computers it seems nowadays.

The only computers I have purchased from a manufacturer were laptops - my current HP purchased because it had dual core AMD processors and a Dell because of price. Years ago I purchased an IBM PC Jr and a Zenith 8088 and finally a KLH 386. After that (around 1994) I've built all my own and my kids computers. I prefer AMD processors to Intel but I know other professionals who prefer the reverse, I like NVida or Radeon for Graphics, I distrust all salesmen at stores becauses they treat women and especially older women like we're too stupid to know what's what. I do love it though when I prove their stupidity -- you see I've been in computers for nearly 26 years now so for most of these youngsters I've forgotten more than they will ever know.

Ben pretty much said it.

When it comes to a desktop/tower, if you know how yourself or know someone who does, you'll get more bang for your buck if you custom build and avoid a brand name. I haven't bought a pre-manufactured, brand name computer since, oh...'95. Every one since, I've put together myself.

Laptops are a different animal...they're less frequently built by the owners, just because the parts and casings aren't as readily available to the private individual...you have to know where to go to get them. So, for my laptop, I did break down and get a brand name. But, most of the hardware inside comes from the same sources. An Intel or AMD processor is an Intel or AMD processor, regardless of the brand name slapped onto the case, f'rinstance.

I'd suggest looking for the best buy for the money with a laptop...the best specs for the lowest price...and to possibly just take a look at the service procedures of a given manufacturer to narrow down between them. Do they cover shipping both ways for service or only one? Do they, by chance, do laptop service in home rather than having to send it in? (That's a rarity.) That kind of thing.

Thanks Ben, Rod and TigerLilly, definately helpful info!

Hello Secret.
I must disagree with some of the posts. I am a career software engineer and lifelong computer enthusiast and spend a lot of time dealing with servers, laptops, and building & tweaking my machine.

Here's my advice. Today, most computers are far more powerful than most will ever need. PC users will fall into one of 2 camps...power users or regular people. Power users are those who require power, such as those who are really into luxurious 3D video games experiences or people who want their machine to be highly responsive during CPU-intensive tasks, such as video editing, 3D graphics, or engineering. Ordinary users buy machines that can do everything the power user's machine can do, but it won't be as luxurious experience.

Judging from the post, you're an ordinary user. You therefore want to look for different criteria. Performance is overrated. Any CPU made today will be fast enough to run a browser, office suite, quite nicely.

What I specifically disagree with is people telling you to get the best specs for the lowest price. Its a recipe for disaster. If you buy a desktop computer, go with a major brand. They may all be the same hardware, but you'll get better support from Dell than some no-name bargain brand you found online. I have friends who have bought cheap desktops w/ good specs and they sound louder than air-conditioners. They also look crappy and use cheap components that have a tendency to wear out quickly. You may have not paid much for the box, but you'll be really disappointed when the power supply blows, fills the room with foul smoke, and you have to take the machine apart to remove the hard drive and get your valuable data off of it.

The only spec you should really worry about is if the computer has 1GB or more or RAM and has a big enough hard drive for your needs. Even both of those aren't deal breakers because it's cheap and easy to upgrade both on a laptop or hard drive. I greatly prefer AMD, but most of the better laptops use Intel instead of AMD.

I'm much more concerned about energy efficiency than clockspeed. The more efficient processors have longer battery lives (for laptops) and have quieter fans, making the experience much nicer. However, gathering that info requires more research than most would like to do.

Dell makes good desktops, but their laptops are garbage and I'd avoid them at all costs. I bought a dell once and It's literally falling apart. It feels very cheap, creaks with the slightest movement, etc. I replaced it with an HP corporate laptop, which was far superior in all ways.

Here's what I'd recommend as the best experience for an ordinary user. Buy a business-grade laptop & docking station. I recommend a business-grade HP or Lenovo Thinkpad. Apple makes excellent laptops, if you like the MacOS (which I'm not fond of). A docking station is something you can hook up a regular monitor and keyboard to. Spending long times on a laptop is an ergonomic nightmare and a recipe for Carpal Tunnel or general discomfort.

Business-grade laptops are about $300 more than cheapo consumer laptops. They usually have aluminum or magnesium shells instead of plastic. They have excellent warranty terms and last much longer than consumer laptops. I swear by HP corporate laptops in that they're the same quality as Lenovo, the market leader, have the best docking station and extended battery I've ever seen, and are significantly cheaper. View the laptop before buying make sure it feels solid and well made. A corporate HP, with decent RAM & HD can be bought for under $1000. A docking station is about $200 & worth every penny.

I do most of my professional work on an HP laptop in a docking station plugged into a large monitor with a comfy keyboard and mouse. I can work 12 hours without discomfort and pull the laptop out of the docking station if I need to travel or just want to relax on the couch. I also have a large water-cooled rig I use for gaming and testing some of my more CPU-intensive code.

Let us not forget (though Steve Jobs has made it nearly impossible) that there is one name that sets itself apart from the others: Apple. Unless you really want gaming capabilities, the Apple of today is different from yesterday's. Plus, if you should need to - *shudder* - you can dual boot in Windows. Cheers

You're bringing up a very old holy war. I Agree with you. Apple is a viable platform. Many software engineers are jumping ship from Windows to Mac. I'm personally a linux guy, myself. I've always been on the fence between Windows & Desktop linux. Vista made me RUN to Ubuntu. All of my machines run Ubuntu as their primary OS and I boot into windows whenever I want to play games.

However, changing your OS is a lifestyle choice and not merely a consumer chioce. It takes a long time to learn a new OS if you've spent decades using windows. I know this personally as I completely dropped Windows 3 months ago.

Apples cost a LOT more than PCs. Not only would she have to pay a premium for the pretty Apple hardware, but she'd also have to buy new software licenses for anything she uses. She also has to deal w/ driver compatibility issues, hoping her printer/scanner/etc works with her new mac.

Finally, if she relies on help from friends & family, it depends on how many mac/pc users she knows. If she's surrounded by mac gurus, I'd predict a much easier transition. If she's not, it'll be a very lonely journey the instant something goes wrong.

Buying a mac is an adventure. If you're an adventurous individual, there are potentially many rewards by breaking out of a historical rut & dropping windows. However, if she finds she doesn't like her mac, it'll be a very expensive mistake.

Awhile back I read an article (wish I'd saved it) about some university research, done at Stanford. While Mac cost more initially the research seemed to indicate that, taking into account time lost with a PC while it was being repaired, cost of having someone fix or adjust the software, and cost of programs to protect/ fix it,Mac and PC are close to the same cost. Mac is still slightly more expensive, but much less of a headache.

Strider and HardWood69 bring up some good points. However, to put somethings into perspective: the price for a MAC with comparable specs to the HP laptop I purchased was $1,200 more, I use Vista Business Pro and once I got the proper drivers for my devices I have had no problems and will be installing it on the other computers on my network, I had a Dell laptop (reconditioned at that) and never had a single problem with it, you can find AMD equiped laptops if you look for them. Finally, if you purchase something that is the on lowest processor end you will run into problems before you know it; very often software releases will not work with slower processors (processors that are over 5 years old) especially operating systems.

I have a friend I met here who loves Apple/MAC, hates AMD but loves Intel; in fact we disagree on just about everything to do with computer hardware based on personal experience. Which goes to show that everyone can have a different experience with the same equipment.

TigerLily,
I love your signature and have to say....
As hard (no pun intended) as it is to disagree with someone who's signature is "a woman who knows how to use her mouth," I would like to respectfully suggest that you compare apples to apples.

I've priced HP corporate laptops for $900-1500. MacBook Pros start at $2000 for the 15" model.

Compare
http://www.hp.com/sbso/busproducts_notebooks.html
to
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=MacBookPro

A plastic Mac laptop can be had very inexpensively, but you're really looking at the quality of a dell or consumer HP (the ones with bright glowing blue leds all over the place you can probably find at a local WalMart).

I didn't specify in my original posts, but any praise directed towards apple was based on the MacBook Pro. They are premium machines that carry a premium price.

Regarding Vista? I'm not telling anyone not to run Vista. However, after I paid $260, upgrade price, just to get the same features I had in XP Pro (RDS + WMP) which only had a tiny fraction of the standard features of any linux distro, I decided it would be the last windows I'd ever buy. I also hated their security prompts anti-aliased font-rendering, anti-theft system which locks my out of my OS if I dare upgrade my machine, and renaming of familiar features, like "Add/Remove Programs." On the plus side, I can run DirectX10 (the reason I bought it) and super-fetch is much nicer than anything Linux or Apple are offering right now.

I'll get back on topic now & just say that regarding Apple:

Viable OS? Yes. Good Hardware? Yes. Same price as PC? I strongly disagree.

Do not buy a Compaq Presario. You will be sorry you did.

There is a difference between Consumer Class, Business Class and Professional Class machines.

One rule of thumb to remember if you are buying Windows Vista, get at least 2GB of RAM.

Unless it's a custom built maching (and one done privately, at that), she won't have much choice but to get Vista (for better or for worse).

yeah all computers are about the same it is just the quality of what you have.