Is it really cheaper to buy a new computer rather then paying for support?

Question

A few points:
-Dell has low-end desktops starting at $299.
-What if you need a data transfer?
-What if you need help setting it up?
-What if you need help re-connecting your broadband connection?
-What if you need training on new computer?
-What if you have a problem every 3 months, does that mean you need to buy a new computer?

WHAT'S ___ACTUALLY___ CHEAPER?

You know the majority of people are actually going to slow down their new computers with spyware and such.....

Let's assume that this is a consumer that does NOT want to fix their own computer and is willing to either buy a new one or get it repaired.

**** Please keep in mind that this question is hypothetical and is not referring to any computer specifics or pertaining to me in anyway.

MY ANSWER: As with many things, it is cheaper to maintain then to buy new.

Answer 1

That's like saying it's cheaper to buy a new car each year than take care of the one you have!

If you have money "to burn"... sure... BUT... It is always CHEAPER to take care of (i.e. MAINTAIN) equipment rather than REPLACE.

Unfortunately, people these days want to treat all machines as disposable "throw aways" rather than get the education needed to properly operate and maintain them!

Answer 2

The simple answer is: It all depends. Do you have good computer skills? When you buy a car, the initial investment is big however over the long haul it may only be half of the expense of owning the computer. The more skills you have, the more maintenance and repair you can do yourself, the more economical it can be. Computers are the same. If your present machine is fast enough when cleaned, pay someone to rebuild it and move data. If not, buy a new one and pay someone to set it up and move the data.

The computer hardware should not be the biggest worry. What about the data and time invested in it. Is it backed up and is it well organized? Should be able to rebuild on new or same hardware and be back running within an hour or two. What piece of hardware it is on should not matter. If it does, you need to rethink your processes.

If you don't have any data, who really cares?

Answer 3

These details are not clear enough to give a good answer. What do you want the computer to do? What problems are you having every 3 months? How old is the one you have? What are the specs of the existing computer (hard drive, RAM, optical drive, etc)

When it comes to data transfer, if you're getting a Windows machine, that is basically automatic these days. So is connecting to your broadband.

I don't know what sort of training you would need on the new computer if you can use the old one.

Without knowing any more details, I'd say do more research and decide what you want, but it sounds like you need a new computer.

Answer 4

What computer do you now use and how old is it?

OS system? ( Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, Xp? Mac? )

What speed does it operate? Mhz or Ghz?

Amount of Ram? Regular or DDR?

Size of hard drive? Mb or GB?

What is your main use for the computer?

What are the problems you are having every three months?

And NO, a new computer is not slowed down by the majority of people.

It sounds as you need to buy some books and start learning more about computers. New computers work nearly the same as older ones do, or at least back to 1995.

Go to Half Price Books and buy a few, as that is what I did.

Answer 5

There is no computer for $299, since DELL charges almost $100 for shipping. But thier deal is still pretty good. You can buy this, and get Installation services.

But you should be able to use the new DELL for 7 years or more. YOU must learn how to keep it free of viruses and spyware.

I recommend a plain Anti-virus software package, instead of the all-in-one security package. Here is what I use:

Norton Anti-virus
SpyBot Search & Destroy (free from http://www.download.com)
Ad-aware (free from http://www.download.com)
Zone Alarm (free from http://www.zonelabs.com )

Use the Disk Cleanup program in the Accessories - System Tools section of Programs. Run Defrag occasionally.

Learn, so you can Keep Your Computer Alive.

(otherwise, buy a MAC)

Answer 6

Computers are cheaper now more than ever some new computers are cheaper than repairs or upgrades and new computers comes with a factory warranty; if you feel that something is going to go wrong the stores have extended warranty.

Answer 7

i think it's really cheaper to buy a new-high-end computer than a low end computer...

low-end computers PROS/CONS:
-they're cheap but its really irritating spending all your money on
support and dealing with hardware (bcuz its getting old)

high-end computers PROS/CONS
-they're a bit expensive but think about latest hardwares and
updated softwares, and automated system-restoration,
everything's up-to-date and will run smoothly for 2-3 years

bottomline: new computer is much better

Answer 8

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Computer Slow

Download and then run startup.exe at:

http://www.mlin.net/startupcpl.shtml......

Can't live without it and windows...

Then disable and/or uninstall whatever u don't need.

Joe...

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Computer Virus/Spyware/Adware/Malware/etc

All free...

Download and then run Avira AntiVir Personal Edition Classic at:

http://www.free-av.com/

Download and then run Spybot - Search & Destroy at:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/

Download and then run Ad-Aware SE Personal at:

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

Joe...

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