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Package computer deal

aeromed202

aeromed202

SOH-CM-2014
Ok I'm seeking some comments from the experts and the rest of us on this deal from BestBuy. My family is maturing and I am considering the near future as school and college needs are taking their toll on our one machine. What would I be getting with this package in general. Strictly low-end stuff? Decent? Surprisingly good? I'm assuming these will not be gaming devices beyond simple Flash type. Although the desk top may be used for some graphic design apps. Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks in advance.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+Slim...?id=pcmprd118300050005&skuId=9999118200050005
 
Definitely low end stuff. Looks like they're trying to clear old technology out of the warehouse.
 
Here are the specs on the Slimline S5212Y (other than the lack of a dedicated vdeo card, doesn't look half bad):

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01874896&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us〈=en&product=4041245

Here are the specs on the G60-535DX notebook (again not bad):

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01860416&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=4041434

And the specs for the HP Mini 110-1125NR (again, not bad):

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01884743&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=4041526

I doubt any of these machines would make for a great FSX machine, they would be great for homework, net browsing, and all that YADA, YADA, YADA stuff. The Mini 110 is comparable to my wife's laptop, which is 3 years old but basically brand new (sat on top of my nephew's dresser so badly infested with viruses and trojans that it would not work for all but 4 months of it life before it was given to my wife and I formatted and rebuilt the system).

If I wanted to put some computers into the hands of my family so they would leave my sim system alone, I would not hesitate to grab this package, say "Here ya go, now leave me alone" and watch them slink into their respective rooms like technology bloated cockroaches.

OBIO
 
Aeromed, build your own computer.... it's not that hard to do. These "store bought" computers are propriatary and you cannot upgrade them like one you build yourself. Besides, they're filled with bloat software that you are paying for and is not needed. It's best to install what you want, not what they want you to have at your expensce and will bog down the computer. You can bog it down with what you want. ;) Besides, if you don't want Vista or Windows 7 you can get XP at a reasonalbe price to install.
 
That is a huge deal from what I saw the other day while in the store. If you mean the package that has several computers, its pretty nice, but none of that is for gaming. They are basically for web browsing and school work. Very small end computers. The little tiny laptop is good for travelling, the wife would probably adore the desktop unit, but it would probably have problems running even FS2004 on it.


Great deal... Just not a gaming set of computers..



Bill
 
Again this is not being considered for gaming but for more typical school/work PC things like writing papers, browsing, etc. I think I am at least going to motor over and have a first hand look.
 
aeromed202 said:
Again this is not being considered for gaming but for more typical school/work PC things like writing papers, browsing, etc. I think I am at least going to motor over and have a first hand look.
Click to expand...

Speaking from 20 plus years selling computers I would give that package a good recomendation based on 2 factors 1 - you stated the purpose was for basic computing, school, web browsing, light computing in other words, that package will do those things exceptetionally well, and 2 - in the Comsumer line of computers HP make a good product, and in my experience they have provided good service. If that is all you are looking for this looks like good value for the money and you get 3 computers, good idea. The only drawback to these types of packages is if your needs change or you try to expand the functionality you will be limited, not stopped but limited.

My motto when I was selling was always buy (or sell the customer) the right gear for the job, not the newest, biggest, best, withthe most flashing lights, most of the time I seen reps do this the customer could never make use of 50% of the capacity and overall the systems were to complex or not suited for the purpose and the customer ended up unhappy and never returning. I have people who I sold "Olivetti" 8088 systems to 20 years sgo who still call me to see if I am in the business and ask my advise on what and who to buy from.

BTW I am not selling for anyone any longer so this is not a pitch, I have 4 different brand systems in my home now plus 2 systems I made, and yes one of the systems (the one I use most of the time) is an HP, and once I removed the bloatware it came with it was and has been a good working system. I have even been able to add significant upgrades to the box, a 1 GB video card, second DVD, larger PSU, and 2 additional 1 TB drives. Most of their boxes can be expanded, not quite as easily as scratch built, but it can be done.
 
Yup, I'll also agree that both the big rigs in that package would be decent "general use" computers.
I haven't heard much about the HP netbooks so I don't know how they compare against the other brands.
Not a half bad pricetag on the set.

That mini-formfactor desktop might be a little tricky to upgrade if you want to down the road.
They usually use a mini-PSU that is hard to find anything of larger capacity.
I have seen several entry-level vid-cards that are in the "half-height" format to fit in a mini case though...I put a half-height PNY Nvidia 9400GT in one of my mini HP "beater" rigs. Nothing fancy but it's better than the on-board chipset it replaced.
BUT...for general computer use, you'll probably replace it before upgrading it much anyway.
 
Snuffy said:
Never buy a package when you can build to suit your needs.
Click to expand...

For a flightsim/gaming rig, I'll agree with that 100%. BUT...for a general use machine there are many pre-built systems that are just fine. the OP stated these will be for general family-use computers. And if it eases the workload on his main gaming rig that'll help too.

In my case, I've got three pre-built systems that are perfectly adequate for what I use em for and there is no way I could've built em for the money that I've got in em. When they die...I'll just replace em with another. It'll be time to upgrade em anyway.

Granted, a lot of pre-built rigs tend to skimp on things like the vid-card and RAM capacity.
...but since Vista and 7, most makers are including a decent amount of RAM with their rigs. RAM is cheap and most of the makers have listened to all the customer complaints about a system running slow and being able to remedy that problem simply by adding another few XXX-bytes of memory.
...since PCI-e came out all but the most basic pre-built systems have at least one x16 PCI-e slot that you can use to improve the video.

For a gaming rig, yes, it's still a good plan to look at putting together a specialized machine.
(Although I broke that cardinal rule a couple months ago too...lack of time to shop & build a new FS rig was a factor in me buying a Studio XPS 8000 Dell). At least now, I can still enjoy FS but I've got time to rebuild/upgrade my old sim rig and this new Dell will still be a pretty wicked programming/graphic machine for the other side of the office.
 
I already looked at that package a while back..I get their deals in e mail..

It is a great deal..Saves you about 350 bucks..

Yes that HP netbook is a good one two..They all have NO DVD drive and only one gig ram...


For non gaming..Heck yes....

For gaming....Basic settings maybe...Low end stuff
 
harleyman said:
I already looked at that package a while back..I get their deals in e mail..

It is a great deal..Saves you about 350 bucks..

Yes that HP netbook is a good one two..They all have NO DVD drive and only one gig ram...


For non gaming..Heck yes....

For gaming....Basic settings maybe...Low end stuff
Click to expand...


No DVD drive?????

Yikes.. Aren't the Windows CD's now in DVD format?

That might be grim.


Bill
 
I will concede the point that laptops or notebooks can not be home built, (at least that I am aware of they can't,) but if you're looking for a desktop, building from scratch is the only way to go. For any purpose.

I use to buy into those package deals and I got so frustrated when for one reason or another, I have to be forced to do something a particular way because of their modified "licensed copy" of the O.S. is filled with their name brand quirks. Or their motherboard is wired to run only compatible name brand components, if you need to repair or want to upgrade.

Compaq use to be that way. My last Compaq was the last time I bought a name brand packaged computer. That was a 386. Since that Compaq, I've scratch built all my computers, even for mundane stuff.

I refuse to buy a prepackaged deal. I guess that's why I don't own a laptop or notebook yet. But should the day ever come when I do buy one, I will guarantee you I'll strip the software off that computer to the bare bones and start with a fresh install of a new O.S. so that it will run the way I want it to run, and not the way some name brand flunkie thinks I should run it with all the spamware and flukes of their modified "licensed" O.S.
 
Lionheart said:
No DVD drive?????

Yikes.. Aren't the Windows CD's now in DVD format?

That might be grim.


Bill
Click to expand...

That's how all netbooks are. No optical drives at all. One of the main ways that they've been able to shrink em down to the size they are is to limit that big chunk of metal and plastic that spins & reads a CD/DVD.

If you need to reinstall em beyond what a recovery partition will do (like if the hard drive pukes and is replaced), you can do a media-based install with an external USB drive or and external flash drive with the OS on it or you can do an FTP install via network.

Eventually, even DVD media will become obsolete due to their bulk. Flash drives are one of the first steps that direction. Since nearly all current machines can boot form an external USB device, I suspect we'll eventually see software being shipped on something like a non-writable ROM type media card or USB device in the future.
My "emergency kit" of Linux live distros and other recovery software is now on a handful of USB jump drives instead a CD carrier full of disks...I can use em on all but some very old machines.
 
Snuffy said:
I will concede the point that laptops or notebooks can not be home built, (at least that I am aware of they can't,) but if you're looking for a desktop, building from scratch is the only way to go. For any purpose.

I use to buy into those package deals and I got so frustrated when for one reason or another, I have to be forced to do something a particular way because of their modified "licensed copy" of the O.S. is filled with their name brand quirks. Or their motherboard is wired to run only compatible name brand components, if you need to repair or want to upgrade.

Compaq use to be that way. My last Compaq was the last time I bought a name brand packaged computer. That was a 386. Since that Compaq, I've scratch built all my computers, even for mundane stuff.

I refuse to buy a prepackaged deal. I guess that's why I don't own a laptop or notebook yet. But should the day ever come when I do buy one, I will guarantee you I'll strip the software off that computer to the bare bones and start with a fresh install of a new O.S. so that it will run the way I want it to run, and not the way some name brand flunkie thinks I should run it with all the spamware and flukes of their modified "licensed" O.S.
Click to expand...

That's the general idea Snuffy. It's a pre-packaged machine that's ready to use.
For someone who's just getting their first or just a basic machine, a collection of software beyond an operating system is a good thing. they can just boot it up and go.
If someone else is buying the same system and find it comes with some extras that you don't need...they are free to uninstall em.

It's no different than the systems that I built for my customers when I was running my shop a few years back.
Back then, a basic Win98/WinXP computer wasn't really usable...and neither is a new "bare" Win7 rig.
All it has is an operating system. You still need to add the software to do "stuff" with it (MS Office, MSMoney/Quicken, antivirus & firewall, etc...)
Granted, I would custom-tailor the software package to the customer (much like Dell will for ya when you custom order from them) where most of the brand-names send out a generic package.
Nevertheless, if you get more than an operating system then you can just boot up and start doing things besides start shopping for more software that you need to make it capable of anything beyond basic email/browsing.

Brand-name "loaded" computers serve a purpose. If they don't fit your purpose, then you are still free to modify the install to your liking.

Gaming? Again...no. I'll still recommend building over buying too.
Gaming and other specific-use machines (graphics, programming, business, industrial, etc) are still more of a custom deal and a homebuilt rig is still usually the way to go. BUT...the folks needing those machines know what they need and will build accordingly.
 
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