Need advice/input on purchase

[Martin]

Hi.  I'm very concerned with Microsoft's practices and the new Windows XP.  In particular, I'm concerned with the way XP and Office XP registration process is moving towards a more and more draconian process.  I'm in the market for a new computer, possibly a laptop, but I'm on a budget.  I am no computer guru and I'm unfamiliar with alternatives like linux, but i consider myself knowledeable enough.  Right now, as I shop various vendors like dell or nutrend it's obvious i would have to buy a windows xp based system.  When i turn to the Mac, unless i buy an iMac i'm getting into the high price range for a desktop.  I'm concerned that the iMac has a too small monitor view, its the one thing that is holding me back from buyibng an iMac.  Going the next step to a Power Mac 733 is tempting but combine that with a nice LCD and the price is not good for me.  Too bad Mac doesn't upgrade the iMac to a bigger screen or bring a budget Power Mac that can rewrite CD's into the market.  Is there any hope for this in the near future from Mac.  Any advice on buying a new budget computer that does not require me to get Windows XP yet has the comparable power/features that these budget Windows systems have?  I guess the iMac is the only mainstream alternative, it still may be worth it to avoid XP.  Thanks for any input you all have        

Note: I'm a college student interested in word processing, web surfing, and rewriting cd's only  I'm NOT a gamer.

[ December 04, 2001: Message edited by: Martin ]

[ December 04, 2001: Message edited by: Martin ]

[ December 04, 2001: Message edited by: Martin ]

[badkarma]

The best deals (and the best pc's) are allways made (imho) buy just buying the hardware and casing and building one yourself (or let someone you know with some knowledge about computers do it if you're not too sure of yourself, but it's not that hard if you know how to use a screwdriver and can read a manual       )

If you're not a gamer then linux is highly reccomendable, take a distribution which is easy for beginners (I recommend SuSE, anyone with just the slightest knowledge of computers can install it, the documentation and support is excellent), seeing you only want to do basic stuff with it. There are some very good programs shipping with SuSE which get installed with the OS (SuSE professional ships with 3000+ software packages, at less cost then any microcrap os I believe) for your needs like:

KOffice (office suit which is free and rivals ms office (and in some aspects surpasses it))
Netscape/Mozilla/Konquerer
KOnCD

so my advice would be to just build/buy a pc (and clear it from win xp if you buy a complete system) and to just install SuSE (and if you do be sure to get a dvd drive with it cause it's a lot easier to install SuSE from 1 dvd then to do it from 5 cd's (or 7 if you install "everything"))

Hope this helped you with making your choice    

[ December 04, 2001: Message edited by: BadKarma ]

[<Martin>]

BadKarma,  thanks for the info.  It sounds like Linux is very doable.  My follow up questions are concerning the installation of, for example, SuSe 7.3 on a computer system that is shipped to me with Windows XP.  Will the Linux software just erase the XP and install Linux, or does it mix together or what.  Should I order a computer and ask for the manufacturer to not install Windows at all, is this possible??

[CommonSense]

Martin:  Just a quick reply to address the iMac portion of your e-mail . . .

There's a fair amount of rumor that the next iMac will be a totally new, redesigned product with an LCD screen instead of a CRT.  MacWorld (in mid-January) is when it's rumored to be introduced.  So if you can hang on until then, it may be worth it.

Of course, they're rumors, so . . . you never know.

[<Martin>]

Thanks Webmaster for the info, it actually answers questions I posed under the Mac OS discussion group also.

[badkarma]

quote:Originally posted by <Martin>:
BadKarma,  thanks for the info.  It sounds like Linux is very doable. My follow up questions are concerning the installation of, for example, SuSe 7.3 on a computer system that is shipped to me with Windows XP.  Will the Linux software just erase the XP and install Linux, or does it mix together or what.  Should I order a computer and ask for the manufacturer to not install Windows at all, is this possible??

When you install SuSE you get the choice (assuming a version of winblows exists on your hd) to either wipe the disk clean or shrink the windows partition to create room for SuSE. So you can run winblows and SuSE on the same machine. I don't know if you can get a computer from a manufacturer without an OS installed, but at a local shop which sells computer hardware and such this isn't much of a problem I think.

But the win xp disk makes a great coaster .... or frisbee.

[<Martin>]

Thanks again for the clarification BadKarma.  I see you are from Holland.  I find that interesting for two reasons, the first is that I've been to the Netherlands and thought it was really cool.  I was only there for a couple days in Amsterdam, but I liked what i saw.  I don't just say this for the whole drug/sex thing.  I thought the people were really cool and I just liked the place.  Also, my last name is Boonstra, and I'm about 80% Dutch, so i have other reasons to be interested in the Netherlands.  Thanks again

[<VoidMain>]

quote:Originally posted by <Martin>:
BadKarma,  thanks for the info.  It sounds like Linux is very doable.  My follow up questions are concerning the installation of, for example, SuSe 7.3 on a computer system that is shipped to me with Windows XP.  Will the Linux software just erase the XP and install Linux, or does it mix together or what.  Should I order a computer and ask for the manufacturer to not install Windows at all, is this possible??

Please, please, please do not order a machine with Windows installed if you do not plan to use it.  I make it a point to build my own machines so I don't have to pay the piper (even if a prebuilt machine with Win installed costs less).  I just hate to contribute to the world domination of the evil empire.  Of course it's getting damn hard to find a laptop without Linux preinstalled. I'm typing this from Linux on a Dell laptop but of course it originally came with Windows (bought it second hand).  It really erks me that I cant buy a machine from one of the major vendors without paying Microsoft.  http://www.penguincomputing.com has a
good lineup for desktops and servers if you want prebuilt. I've purchased a couple of their rack mount servers running Linux and I must say Linux really screams on them.  I've also purchased a few of the VA-Linux servers which I also liked but unfortunately they're now out of the hardware business...

[IHateMacsToo]

Hmmmm you want XP?  get a warez copy.... they're completely safe and if you find a good version you don't need to register with ms or any of that stuff and if you think it's dangerous to have warez then ur a fool because I have been running on downloaded OSes since they came out with ME and put it on my new comp.....