Help me buy a PC for my office

[James Hatts]

My office is 100% Mac-based (4 desks). But we need a Windows PC for certain things (compatibility testing of websites, Royal Mail SmartStamp software to name two).

I already run Windows XP on my Intel Mac laptop using Parallels Desktop. But if I'm not in the office, no-one else can print postage etc.

So we want to get a PC for the office. Something cheap, something basic. Not decided between desktop or laptop.

It won't be used much. Mostly web browsers, SmartStamp and maybe some word processing when we have interns in the office and need another workstation. But it won't be anyone's main machine.

I've bought plenty of PCs in the past but not for a few years so I am not very well up on the finer points of the current crop of processors etc - or the relative merits of the different versions of Vista.

Any pointers for a cheap, bog-standard PC appreciated. Thanks.

(I've looked at a few websites (Dabs, ebuyer, PC World, Amazon) but haven't found anything that looks quite right.)

[Bail]

Go for a mid spec mid range Dell and you won't go far wrong, good price, good quality, good support if it does go wrong.

[Sput]

The best version of vista is probably xp

[Sput]

Might want to check this SmartStamp programme works on Vista if you get a machine with it too

[Nick Harvey]

If you decide to go for Dell and want to ring them, rather than using the web site, their direct dial number in Dublin, 00353 120 44000, turns out to actually be a cheaper call than ringing the 0870 number that they'd like you to ring.

If you add the 00353 number to your discount package the day before you ring them, it's even cheaper still.

[cwathen]

With such modest requirements, *Any* new PC will do everything you need. My advice would therefore be to buy the cheapest thing you can lay your hands on regardless of spec - in fact it may even be worth looking at second hand. There are often machines for sale in the local rags for £150-200 which will do the job for you.

As has also been said, something with XP may turn out to be a virtue - the fact that it was the current version of windows for so long (October 2001-January 2007) also means that virtually everything currently in common use will run on it flawlessly which simply can't be said for Vista. Despite being released 6 years ago, XP is also presently fully supported by Microsoft meaning there is no risk attached to letting it loose on your corporate network.

[Sput]

oo, none of the other macs are intel based are they? You can dual-boot with xp using boot camp, which might be more straightforward for a pleb.

[Gavin Scott]

My office is 100% Mac-based (4 desks). But we need a Windows PC for certain things (compatibility testing of websites, Royal Mail SmartStamp software to name two).

I already run Windows XP on my Intel Mac laptop using Parallels Desktop. But if I'm not in the office, no-one else can print postage etc.

So we want to get a PC for the office. Something cheap, something basic. Not decided between desktop or laptop.

It won't be used much. Mostly web browsers, SmartStamp and maybe some word processing when we have interns in the office and need another workstation. But it won't be anyone's main machine.

I've bought plenty of PCs in the past but not for a few years so I am not very well up on the finer points of the current crop of processors etc - or the relative merits of the different versions of Vista.

Any pointers for a cheap, bog-standard PC appreciated. Thanks.

(I've looked at a few websites (Dabs, ebuyer, PC World, Amazon) but haven't found anything that looks quite right.)

I got a great little machine from eBuyer. Look for Maxdata dual core machines for about £350. Super duper value, robust case, SATA drive and very quiet running.

[jrothwell97]

oo, none of the other macs are intel based are they? You can dual-boot with xp using boot camp, which might be more straightforward for a pleb.

But that's only if the machine IS Intel-based, otherwise you'd have to run a virtual machine.

I'd suggest running Virtual Server and Virtual PC.

[Sput]

oo, none of the other macs are intel based are they? You can dual-boot with xp using boot camp, which might be more straightforward for a pleb.

But that's only if the machine IS Intel-based, otherwise you'd have to run a virtual machine.

I'd suggest running Virtual Server and Virtual PC.

Oh christ. In order of what you posted: That's EXACTLY what I just said, and EXACTLY what he's doing already (albeit with parallels). You really are a redundant twat.

[all new Phil]

Yeah but his presence makes us all look more intelligent.

Every cloud and all that.