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Author Topic: Buying a new PC - advice please.  (Read 1934 times)
wood.mjm
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #15 on: Saturday 03 January 09 12:48 UTC (UK) »

Thanks for the pointers.

I've also noticed that the mouse can be wired, optic or laser. I'm used to a wired one - and tried a wire-less one once but couldn't get it to work! Is there much difference in the operation of the other types?

Jill

These things have improved a lot. I use wireless keyboard and mouse by Logitec and like it very much. I would say try before you buy.

Woody.
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Falkyrn
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #16 on: Saturday 03 January 09 13:56 UTC (UK) »

Re mice .... a lot depends on what you want to do with them , as you don't play high speed reaction games it would make little difference whether wired or not.

optic/laser - very similar in operation both use a light source rather than the old fashioned ball system which often got clogged up.

I personally prefer wireless due to the freedom it gives me on the desk.

The only potential problem is that wireless mice need batteries - either replacing standard batteries or rechargable - mine gets placed in its cradle to re charge it.
(one of the best optical mice I ever used was a Microsoft one but it ate AA batteries as if they were going out of fashion)
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Gragareth
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #17 on: Saturday 03 January 09 15:28 UTC (UK) »

I'm using my second Mesh make computer and again well satisfied.
Not included were speakers so using those from first Mesh.  Sound is only listened to now and again so these small speakers ample.
The flat screen monitor isn't good for critical use with photographs, so using old Mesh crt monitor, and can swop monitors. Cannot expect a better monitor for the price paid.
Five USB sockets are useful. 1GB at least of memory too.
Gragareth.
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jillruss
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #18 on: Saturday 03 January 09 15:39 UTC (UK) »

Thanks,all.

Gragareth - good to know you can obviously mix and match!

 Falkyrn - must admit, I was a bit worried about the battery question re wire-less mice. I can see me forgetting to stock up on them and being cut off in the middle of something important!!

I'm still thinking of questions which are probably elementary to the initiated (which I'm not - obviously!!  Embarrassed).

1. If I buy a package which comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse - would I be able to use my old wired keyboard and mouse with it instead?

2. This is possibly my daftest question so far but... if I have saved documents from my current PC which runs Windows ME onto a memory stick, will there be any problem opening these documents on my new PC which will run Windows Vista (I think Home Premium seems to be the obvious one to go for).

I've been going through all my old saved emails re Family History and saving them into My Documents. I also have lots of Word Docs and a few JPEG images and DjVu files (mainly census pages)?


3. If it says it has a DVD Rewriter, I'm assuming it has a DVD drive, but will that also take my CDs? I have amassed a lot of parish record CDs from different FHSs.

I think I'd better stop there for now!!  Roll Eyes

This help is invaluable to me!!

Jill

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downside
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #19 on: Saturday 03 January 09 16:12 UTC (UK) »

1) Yes.
2) This is more complicated.  You can't transfer programs, so if you have Word on your old PC then how are you going to migrate it to you new PC?  If you do not have the MS Word program on an installation CD then you could always download Open Office free of charge and that can open Word documents.  I don't know what email client you have been using on Windows ME but if it was an old version of Outlook Express then you should be able to open them on your new PC with Windows Live Mail (Outlook Express replacement program).
3) Yes.  A DVD player can play and record CDs as well as DVDs.
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jillruss
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #20 on: Saturday 03 January 09 16:23 UTC (UK) »

Thanks, Downside.

Just to clarify question 2. I wasn't looking to transfer the Word programme - just the Word Documents I have created using that programme i.e. will they open ok in Windows Vista?

Does Vista not include a Word prog?

Yes, I've been using Outlook Express for my emails and have noticed that it has been updated to Live Mail.

Jill
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Major brickwalls:
John Frith mge to Fanny, Bucks? c 1798
Bathsheba Boothroyd bp W Yks c1802
John Bishop bp E Yks c1758
Joseph Symonds mg to Sarah, prob Berks c 1735-40
John Horwood mg to Martha, Berks c 1735-40
Sarah Sculler bp  Berks area c 1675
Paul Phillips bp  Berks/Bucks c 1720
William Newell bp Berks/Bucks/Oxon c 1765
Richard Troughton mg to Jane, Westmoreland c 1732
Mary Simon bp Shrops c.1795
Falkyrn
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #21 on: Saturday 03 January 09 16:33 UTC (UK) »

Quote
Does Vista not include a Word prog?

Word is part of the Microsoft Office Suite but was previously also released as part of MS Works but this is no longer the case.
Open Office is possibly your best bet although document readers can be downloaded from Microsoft

Quote
Yes, I've been using Outlook Express for my emails and have noticed that it has been updated to Live Mail.

Live Mail is an update version of express and should work fine but you may wish to consider alternatives e.g. Thunderbird which as a free email client program
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O1dgobbo
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #22 on: Saturday 03 January 09 16:46 UTC (UK) »

Hi

Have you considered a laptop at all?  We recently replaced a desktop PC with a largeish laptop for not much more than the price of a desktop.  It has a graphics card, speakers, camera all built in and performs at least as well as its predecessor.  The big advantage is the fairly compact occupation of desk space - much more room to scatter documents about.  And if you do have to move it it's just one piece of portable kit rather than several bits and all those connecting wires.  And you could take it with you to the record offices.

Good luck

Gobbo
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Dancing Master
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #23 on: Saturday 03 January 09 18:38 UTC (UK) »

I cannot type on a laptop keyboard,  they are horrible for a proper typist to work on.

Sons both have laptops to take out with them doing the family research, but  one of them is a one finger typist so not a problem to him.   and I don't see the point of having to connect a proper keyboard and proper mouse as extras .

I'll stick with a proper multi media keyboard.




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jillruss
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #24 on: Saturday 03 January 09 18:44 UTC (UK) »

I've tried a laptop before but didn't particularly like it - much prefer a proper desktop PC - each to their own!

That's a bit of a blow re Word not being part of Vista - I
always thought it was part of my Windows ME. A bit useless, really, not having a basic 'typing documents' prog!!

You say that I can download this Open Office free of charge and it will open Word docs, but what will I use to actually create Word docs with the new PC? Very odd!!

Jill
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Major brickwalls:
John Frith mge to Fanny, Bucks? c 1798
Bathsheba Boothroyd bp W Yks c1802
John Bishop bp E Yks c1758
Joseph Symonds mg to Sarah, prob Berks c 1735-40
John Horwood mg to Martha, Berks c 1735-40
Sarah Sculler bp  Berks area c 1675
Paul Phillips bp  Berks/Bucks c 1720
William Newell bp Berks/Bucks/Oxon c 1765
Richard Troughton mg to Jane, Westmoreland c 1732
Mary Simon bp Shrops c.1795
wood.mjm
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #25 on: Saturday 03 January 09 20:39 UTC (UK) »

   My twelve month old Mesh desktop has 'Works' which includes word processor,  database and spreadsheet and is part of Vista Premium.
Laptops are great if you must have portability but like others in the group I like a 'proper' keyboard and mouse. I can touch type (sort of) and a real keyboard is better for that. My old Mesh had 'Word' and I've had no worries reading old documents on my new machine.

Woody.
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jillruss
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #26 on: Saturday 03 January 09 20:44 UTC (UK) »

That sounds okay then, Woody.

I've just remembered that my Word prog on my current PC was downloaded from a Works package which I bought when I got my PC. So, if that's included in Vista Premium, I should be okay.

If not, I wonder if it would work downloading a 7 year old Microsoft Works package onto a new PC with Vista Premium?  I'm sure I still have it - in a cupboard...somewhere!!  Roll Eyes

Jill
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See Surname Interests Table +
Major brickwalls:
John Frith mge to Fanny, Bucks? c 1798
Bathsheba Boothroyd bp W Yks c1802
John Bishop bp E Yks c1758
Joseph Symonds mg to Sarah, prob Berks c 1735-40
John Horwood mg to Martha, Berks c 1735-40
Sarah Sculler bp  Berks area c 1675
Paul Phillips bp  Berks/Bucks c 1720
William Newell bp Berks/Bucks/Oxon c 1765
Richard Troughton mg to Jane, Westmoreland c 1732
Mary Simon bp Shrops c.1795
wood.mjm
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #27 on: Saturday 03 January 09 20:48 UTC (UK) »

You won't need to Jill, 'Works' is included in Vista Premium.

Woody.
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falcybe
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #28 on: Saturday 03 January 09 23:43 UTC (UK) »

Hi, I bought a new pc in August, with Vista business. No MS Works but my brother in law has vista (perhaps premium?) and he has "works" so as long as you get Woody's version you should be all right  Smiley

Quite a few programmes I had which worked on ME (2 pc's ago) or XP (last pc) don't and will never work with Vista.

A printer my sister gave me when updating to Vista because it would not work for her, suddenly started working on my pc when I accidently plugged it in to the new pc instead of my old one. Obviously Vista decided to trot off and find an newly created driver.  Cool

With Vista I have Windows Mail, which replaces Outlook express. I think I could buy an Outlook which would work with Vista. However although there is a programme included with Vista for translating old mails from Outlook or Outlook express format to Windows mail format, it didn't work on my pc. Rather than complaining to the shop, I just sent all my old mails I wanted to keep to myself. (As you can guess, I kept my old pc until everything was working on the new one) An alternative would be to open up a (free) account with, say, Yahoo which is quite excellent on reliability, quantity and size, and send everything there.

Open office programmes work just like MS ones, word, excel, access, powerpoint, etc. so you can create whatever you want, free of charge.

However I wanted to keep up to date with MS for work reasons and I purchased Office Home and Student 2007 with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. It is a tremendous learning curve getting to grips with the new way of doing things but I'm starting to love the new ways and wouldn't want to go back to the old.

And I bought an optic mouse, with wire. No clogging and no batteries  Grin

cheers, falcybe

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JAP
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Re: Buying a new PC - advice please.
« Reply #29 on: Sunday 04 January 09 06:31 UTC (UK) »

I cannot type on a laptop keyboard,  they are horrible for a proper typist to work on.  ... 

If by "a proper typist" you mean someone who uses 10 fingers and doesn't look at the keyboard, then I qualify for the description  Smiley

We all have different opinions so I'll proffer mine.  I happily use a laptop all the time!  I use the laptop keyboard and find it very comfortable.  I usually have a mouse attached and use it from time to time - but that's no different from the situation with a desktop ...

I recently had to replace the desktop and laptop.  This was after about a year of mainly using just the laptop - I unhesitatingly decided just to get a new laptop and forget about replacing the desktop.

Regards,

JAP
PS: It came with Vista.  Computer boffin son has installed XP.
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