Help me buy a computer

So I am a computer killer…the last one I bought…some chrome book recommended here lasted less than a year
I probably kill a laptop or netbook a year

Now we have iPhones…the kids got iPads for Xmas

There is a toshiba laptop around but I don’t use it and it’s slow

I think I want an iMac with 27” screen…done with netbooks or laptops..looking for a desktop…preferably something kids can get into…my9 year old is currently obsess with the Apple brand…


Looking to spend $1500-2000….hoping this one will last a few years

I would not use it for much more than internet, emailing…but my kids might

Also any benefit from buying at Apple store as opposed to amazon?!?

Also I will not buy dell or hp

hutch wrote:
Also any benefit from buying at Apple store as opposed to amazon?!?

Also I will not buy dell or hp

Service. My MacBook developed a swollen battery. They couldn't fix it in-house, said it would be a week. It was 3 days. Out of warranty but a known problem; fixed free of charge.

service…but you gotta keep paying for that apple care…
also, I am pretty sure it doesn't matter where you brought the apple product…you can bring it to a store
So IMO amazon/best buy (where ever you get the best price) should be fine
You won't get a super cool hip person with tats and piercings to help you part with your cash, so you are missing out on that awesome experience

the swollen battery was a know issues and they got a lot of flack…so I think if you weren't under support they might have fixed it

I personally have a gripe against apple products that is some what irrational, I get it

But i think you have descrbed Steve Jobs perfect target audience…no real work, Kids use it, want it to look pretty

My recommendation for your price point go here https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished
that way you get the assurance it's covered, but you're getting it at scratch/dent pricing

This place has some good deals on late model iMacs
https://www.macs4u.com/apple-imac-21-5-inch-desktop-2-9ghz-core-i5-quad-core-nvidia-gt-750m-1gb-8gb-ram-1tb-thunderbolt/
that's a pretty good deal for $700

There are some mac repair stores in the area, they typically will give you warranty on the purchase to

Well I don’t want refurbished


But if Apple is bad what do you recommend ?

I mean I like the idea of having all Apple products but I am not married to it

It feels to me that spending more than a thousand dollars on a computer that will only be used for internet and email is a waste of money. if you're thinking that your kids will want it for games, then don't get Apple as I don't think there's much on offer.

But I'm thinking about getting a kick-ass gaming computer with beefy specs and I don't intend to spend more than $2k

Relaxer wrote:
It feels to me that spending more than a thousand dollars on a computer that will only be used for internet and email is a waste of money. if you're thinking that your kids will want it for games, then don't get Apple as I don't think there's much on offer.

Both of these statements are very true. If you want to surf the web and run Word/Excel, there is no reason to exceed $500 on a computer. If someone is spending $2k on a end-user computer and they are not using it to video edit 4K film for a movie, then they have literally took a bunch of money and set it on fire for no reason.

I also want to organize family pictures!

But what do you recommend?!?

Gaming is not something I care about my kids getting into…

honestly, I think apple would be good choice for your needs

Dell consumer products are crap, their business lines (optiplex/Lattiude) are far superior and last a lot longer than their consumer brand

Also, you buy used records out the wazoo, saving $200-300 on a certified refurbished product directly from apple seems like the deal to me
When you go with the new iMac's there really are only 1 or 2 options/prices…and everywhere is the same (apple is a dictatorship)

So the cheapest config is $1,799.00 …with sales tax and 3 years of Apple care=  $2,086.08 out the door
that's the cheapest config!

This has gotten some decent reviews ASUS Zen AIO Pro  (I know ASUS has a lot of crap at the low end…a lot of crap)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VJ7XS9/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_eulnCb2JP6YR3
and it's only $1100
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/asus-zen-aio-pro-z240ie,review-4460.html



personally couldn't recommend the Microsoft Surface Book any more
but my work bought it for me, as the cost is more than some of the Mac stuff

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-1920x1080-Processor-Bluetooth-Fingerprint/dp/B07F3BZF57/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1546958688&sr=1-4&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A13580790011%2Cp_n_feature_twelve_browse-bin%3A9521908011

$518. 7th gen i5 with a solid state drive and 8GB ram.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-15-TouchScreen-1920x1080/dp/B07LDHY9P2/ref=sr_1_15?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1546958763&sr=1-15&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A13580790011%2Cp_n_feature_twelve_browse-bin%3A9521908011

$699 8th gen with a solid state and 16gb RAM customized.

Either one of those computers will literally whip a llama's ass if it's just getting used for Office/web/youtube.

At $2k, a family of four can all have their own laptop. $2k for a single computer for a home (read: not for specialized work) user that doesn't play some sort of video game that requires a graphics card is full on coo-coo bananas.

The reviews for that Asus aren’t exactly great…


Is it considered necessary to pay for Apple care….I had not even considered buying that

Well I was liking the idea of a 27” screen so a laptop isn’t really what I want

hutch wrote:
Is it considered necessary to pay for Apple care….I had not even considered buying that

the accidental damage coverage is pretty good deal for 3 years $169 (although they updated the fine print on that and there are some gotchas)
you really only get a 90 day warranty and 1 limited warranty
You can get some help after the warranty at an apple store, but definitely wont fix/repair it

I am pretty sure their are some hard core apple users here….do I have to out you?
that can give you feedback on the value of apple care

hutch wrote:
Well I was liking the idea of a 27” screen so a laptop isn’t really what I want

you can buy a nice 27 inch 1080p monitor in the $125 range…

hutch wrote:
The reviews for that Asus aren’t exactly great…

Amazon reviews are crap!

Its be like getting your music reviews from the guy yelling at the newspaper box by the ice cream store (was that you actually?!)

toms hardware and consumer reports gave it good reviews, those I trust

Julian, wrote:
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-1920x1080-Processor-Bluetooth-Fingerprint/dp/B07F3BZF57/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1546958688&sr=1-4&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A13580790011%2Cp_n_feature_twelve_browse-bin%3A9521908011

$518. 7th gen i5 with a solid state drive and 8GB ram.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-15-TouchScreen-1920x1080/dp/B07LDHY9P2/ref=sr_1_15?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1546958763&sr=1-15&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A13580790011%2Cp_n_feature_twelve_browse-bin%3A9521908011

$699 8th gen with a solid state and 16gb RAM customized.

Either one of those computers will literally whip a llama's ass if it's just getting used for Office/web/youtube.

At $2k, a family of four can all have their own laptop. $2k for a single computer for a home (read: not for specialized work) user that doesn't play some sort of video game that requires a graphics card is full on coo-coo bananas.

I like the Lenovo Yoga ThinkPad. Durable, folds into a notepad, and has the nipple.

As a desktop option for someone who refuses to go refurbished and insists on having some absolute computing beast, here's a $700 computer that is more than any average user will ever need computing wise:

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Optiplex-790-SFF-Desktop/dp/B075SLN39R/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1546962374&sr=1-3&keywords=desktop+computer&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A13580790011%2Cp_n_feature_four_browse-bin%3A2289792011%2Cp_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A562240011%2Cp_36%3A-100000%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A2224371011

Throw a giant monitor on that and you're home at $850 and even at that price, its a waste of money because its too much computer.

DO NOT SPEND $2K ON A GENERAL USE COMPUTER.

^that is the ugliest thing I have ever seen

hutch wrote:
^that is the ugliest thing I have ever seen

indicator that you might be a good candidate for a Apple product…concern with outside appearance of a desktop computer

^most predictable post ever