Desktops & Servers > D0747n Desktops & Servers > PC

Advantages: cheap, can be made to own spec
Disadvantages: design poor (e.g. front usb ports)

i have had my dell dimension 8400 since february 2005 which could be a trademark of dells supposed reliabilty rating. dell is good as it allows you to build your own spec computer over the phone if you wish not to order the internet. it is also good at prviding a good service at a reasonable pirce. but there are a few problems. the design and the build quality of the machine is rubbish. since it is to be built by the customer its casing has to be ...
...to each other. dell dimension 8400 computers seem to have power lead problems as on rare occasions the computer refuses to turn on which can be very annoying for the user, instead of switching on the light turns amber. after researching it when i had this problem i was told to buy a new lead which i bought for 15 pounds. dells do have their problems but the fact that it can be built around you is a big pluss factor. i personally negotiated with the ... Read review

Advantages: Runs quietly and efficiently with few crashes
Disadvantages: Required a replacement hard drive after a while

The Dell 4700 is a decent PC, and stable enough however I have had to replace the hard drive on all three of the ones I have. Its strong enough to run a lot of games, but for the higher level games you'll probably need to buy a graphics card. It comes with a PCIE slot, which allows you to use Express PCI cards which are a lot faster than standard PCI. It continues to start up fast after having it for a good few years, and with regular cleaning and ...
...had a chance to phone Dell so I dont know about the manufacturer support. Its a good computer, and worth what I payed for it so I would definately reccommend it. Just expect to need a new hard drive if you use it a lot, and a graphics card is needed for most new games. ... Read review

Advantages: Screen, Webcam, amazing processer speed
Disadvantages: With mine the Wifi can sometimes be an issue

...I bought it from the Apple store in London, where I must say the customer service is amazing and the staff had an answer to all my questions! Before this Imac I had an Ibook G4 which was the best thing since sliced bread, thats what made me want one of these. The IMac is all an all in one computer, all the bits are in the screen with only the keyboard and mouse separate. This makes it great for people with not so much space. This computer is very ...
...round, the whole unit is a sort of brushed aluminum colour and my favorite bit is the small brushed aluminum keyboard, which has nice sized buttons and a nice feel to it (ie not big and chunky keys) The IMac loads up in no time, unlike a Windows machine and within less than say 30 seconds you are ready to go. The screen is Massive, bright and very clear, and the graphics can easily handle online TV and gaming, I use mine to play World of Warcraft ... Read review

Advantages: ibms past record
Disadvantages: poor choice of graphics port

I've got one of these, in fact I'm writing this review on it right now. I bought it at my local auctions 2 years ago & I'm still getting great use out of it. It looks sleek with its all black case, keyboard & mouse. It's really easy to do upgrades on as it requires no tools to open the case or remove any parts. I upgraded the dvd-rom in mine to a rewriter & it took minutes to do & was as quick to get running & burning with. It might not have a ...
...games pretty well. I've been able to play both Quake 4 & Half Life 2 at fairly decent speeds. The port to fit a graphics card is a slightly annoying issue as it's intended for a standard PCI card & I was expecting to find an AGP port but I guess thats the price you pay for buying what was only ever intended to be a business machine. On-board sound is very good, the 1gb of RAM that comes as standard is more than enough for what I use it for. It ... Read review

Advantages: Speed, looks, ease of use.
Disadvantages: None

I bought my iMac as I my "PC" was due for replacement and had become unreliable. A few of my friends have iMacs and I was instantly grabbed by the design and ease of use when I sat in front of one. Some of this is due to the software that comes pre-loaded onto the iMac. I went for the 2GB version with the 2.66 Processor as the prices had just dropped. The iMac boots up lightening quick compared to my PC. In around 15 seconds I can be using the system ...
...is extremely clear and at 20 inch - large enough for most people to use as their home computer. I thought I would be keeping the PC to one side to use when the iMac didn't have the ability to do a certain job but I have thrown it away now as everything I need to do works. The beauty of the iMac is that it does exactly what you except. No fuss, first time - every time. It comes pre-loaded with the operating system and iLife08 which had iPhoto, iDVD ... Read review