Computer question: Windows 10 or 11

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

My old Windows 7 confuser is getting old. A couple weeks ago I got the "Blinking Amber Light of Impending Death". It only did it a couple times, but I fear that the End is Near.

I'm not going to spend several hundred dollars on a new one just to hang out here with you guys. There are however, a number of places that have older computers running Windows 10 or 11. Naturally the Windows 11 confusers are more expensive. 

I don't run programs, just peruse the interweb mostly, running Google Chrome. I like Chrome, so that's staying. Reading various articles, some people HATE Windows 10, and LOVE 11. Some are the other way around, having upgraded to 11, and then gone back to 10. 

I'd like some input from you guys. What say you?

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Get a Chromebook or some other device that’s just for web surfing. No need to pay for computing power to run programs like Microsoft Office or Adobe products. 
 

I’m a Mac guy, but I still need the computer processing for my graphics business. Otherwise I’d get a refurbished tablet or something similar. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Of my machines that are working, I have three tens and two elevens. Prefer the tens.

[J-BAR #18287]

If I am not typing volumes of text, I can cruise efficiently with my iPhone.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

42 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

If I am not typing volumes of text, I can cruise efficiently with my iPhone.

I'm not getting a smartphone. But thanks.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Get a Chromebook or some other device that’s just for web surfing. No need to pay for computing power to run programs like Microsoft Office or Adobe products. 

Sometimes I write. I wrote my book on my old windows Vista confuser. If I ever get inspired to write the sequel, I'll need Office.

[Pat Riot]

1 hour ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

If I am not typing volumes of text, I can cruise efficiently with my iPhone.

That’s exactly what I do. I literally use my laptop about once a month. 
 

 

 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

30 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

If I ever get inspired to write the sequel, I'll need Office.

 

Lots of free or low cost word processing software available that mean you have no longer have to be using a high end Windows machine and MS Office.  Most of those will convert to any version of an Office compatible file output format.

 

BUT - the more you add requirements onto your list of Must Haves, the more it will drive you to a high end computer.   IF you ever get to writing another book, THEN you could buy (or perhaps rent) that big machine.  Until then, keep it simple and portable.

 

As I write this, yes I'm on Win 10 and you would not convince me 11 is better for typical things I do.    But my simple, 5 year old Win 10 laptop is good enough for 2/3 of what I do, too.  And I do when traveling.

 

good luck, GJ

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

The wife has Windows 11 on her new Dell.  I am running Windows 10 on my going on 7 year old Acer.  I don't seem to have as many issues as she does.  And I do a lot more with documents than she does.  Her computer is used for web surfing and photos, while I work with Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat quite a bit.  Mine is slower on start up, but then again, it is 7 years old.  I'm good with it lasting a few more years.  

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Confession here.  
 

my latest machines have lasted much longer because ….. spilling a beverage on the keyboard was not instant death.

[Texas Joker]

https://epcusa.com/shop/online/

 

This is a brick and mortar outside St Louis with an online store.

 

They buy off lease business class computers and tech. They are a certified Microsoft reseller.

 

You can buy a good quality used laptop fairly cheap. I used them when I did tech for my last company

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

2 hours ago, Texas Joker said:

This is a brick and mortar outside St Louis with an online store.

 

They buy off lease business class computers and tech. They are a certified Microsoft reseller.

 

You can buy a good quality used laptop fairly cheap. I used them when I did tech for my last company

There's a place here locally that does the same sort of thing. Their Craigslist ad shows RACKS of towers starting at under $100. I'll probably go there once I figure exactly what I want. 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

First a CAVEAT   I'm a "die hard" MAC user.  My answer would be to completely skip the Towers with the attendant spaghetti of cables and wasted desk space.  Today's Lap Tops are more powerful and more reliable than most towers and you can take 'em anywhere.  My suggestion is a nice MAC book Lap Top.  You can also continue to use your favorite Browser.

[Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381]

12 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

I’m a Mac guy...

 

That explains a lot.

[ShadowCatcher]

Frankly I'm not sure it makes any meaningful difference.  Most of what you describe is operating system agnostic.

What really matter for a cost/benefit decision is hardware age, and the amount of RAM and Disk space.

Newer hardware will likely give you longer time between computer refresh and better performance.

 

I'd go for the newest hardware with the most RAM/Disk possible at your price point, and not care about OS.

I moved to using a Lap-Top exclusively since I like to travel and want to bring my computer with me to handle

photograph image processing while on the road, for trips over 3-4 days. Less than that and i just lock it in the

gun safe.  My lap top has a solid state disk, but I carry a second spinner for off loading pix onto.

 

SC

[Sedalia Dave]

14 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Get a Chromebook or some other device that’s just for web surfing. No need to pay for computing power to run programs like Microsoft Office or Adobe products. 
 

I’m a Mac guy, but I still need the computer processing for my graphics business. Otherwise I’d get a refurbished tablet or something similar. 

 

THIS ^^^^

 

13 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Sometimes I write. I wrote my book on my old windows Vista confuser. If I ever get inspired to write the sequel, I'll need Office.

 

Chromebooks come with Google Docs. Anything you type can be saved in MS Office compatible formats.

[Ranger Dan]

I'm a Microsoft Systems Engineer so I work with windows all the time. I recently bought a ChromeBook as a strictly web surfing computer. Waaaayyyy Cheaper, very reliable. If all you need is a web browser you are paying for a whole lot of hardware and software you don't need with a windows platform.

[bgavin]

Win10 is mature, Win11 is still a PITA.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

I have been using Dell Laptops for the last 20 years .

My last one is a 10.

I like it .

But I have now been using a cell phone and Google Chrome for a few years .

It's so simple .

I bought a Google Chrome tablet. 

It's like using a big phone .

Love it much more then a PC .

Rooster 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Looking on Amazon, they have these:DELL Optiplex 3020 SFF Desktop PC, refurbished for $85. Anybody know anything specifically on this model?  

[bgavin]

TigerDirect is another refurbisher.
These are generally nice computers... most of the time.
They use ultra cheap CCS solid state disks, and I've seen several of them brick and die.

Always get a second physical hard disk when using SSD for the system volume.
After configuring the system as desired, take a Windows System Image Backup to the 2nd disk.
You WIII need it, sooner or later.

Look for units with Intel processors.

Intel embedded graphics is just fine for most users.
If you game, nVidia beats AMD both in performance and ease of support, meaning fresh drivers.

 

Full size cases use standard power supplies.
Micro cases use more proprietary (read: expensive) power supplies, and don't ventilate as well.

 

16gb of memory if you want to work with multiple open windows.

I do a whole lot of work on my big machine, so it has dual monitors.

 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Thanks bgavin for the info. I don't game, so that's not an issue. I went back and looked specifically for a couple things you mentioned, the Intel processor and 16gp memory. (I like to open multiple youtube windows, and then watch them one after another). Looking at that, I think that this one might be a better deal. Also the refurbisher has something like 3300 reviews, and this computer 1500 at 4 Stars.

 HP Elite C2D 3.0ghz, New 4GB Memory, 250GB, Windows 10 Professional

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0094JF1HA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2L5GKX31VOMVD&psc=1

[bgavin]

4gb of memory isn't enough to blow your nose.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

What about this one?

 

Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower Desktop PC Computer Workstation, Intel Quad Core i5-4570 3.2GHz, 16G DDR3, 256G SSD, DVD, USB 3.0, VGA, DP, Mouse, Keyboard, Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit-Multi-Language

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkCentre-M73-Tower-Bit-Multi-Language/dp/B08HQYZCBX/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1Z89TJ5MZSJ01&keywords=desktop%2Btowers&qid=1697745277&refinements=p_72%3A1248879011%2Cp_36%3A5000-15000%2Cp_n_feature_twenty-three_browse-bin%3A13580790011&rnid=386442011&s=pc&sprefix=%2Celectronics%2C216&sr=1-16&th=1

[Johnny Popper]

Check out a Linux system to load on your current PC.  If it is in good shape, it will work fine.  Takes less space and has all kinds of open source applications.  Desktop is very similar to windows, and doesn't have a large learning curve.

Just make sure you have a backup of all your photos and documents and any other things you don't want to loose. (USB Memory Stick)

Good Luck.

JP

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 hour ago, Johnny Popper said:

Check out a Linux system to load on your current PC.  If it is in good shape, it will work fine.  Takes less space and has all kinds of open source applications.  Desktop is very similar to windows, and doesn't have a large learning curve.

Just make sure you have a backup of all your photos and documents and any other things you don't want to loose. (USB Memory Stick)

Good Luck.

JP

I appreciate the thought, but my computer is dying. I'm getting the Blinking Amber Power Light of Impending Doom". That's why I'm looking for a new unit. It's not the system.

[bgavin]

#1:  if you have an external USB disk then do the Windows System Image backup to that disk right now.

 

#2 copy all your documents, photos, etc to that disk.

 

When they are gone, they are usually gone forever.

 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

5 hours ago, bgavin said:

#1:  if you have an external USB disk then do the Windows System Image backup to that disk right now.

 

#2 copy all your documents, photos, etc to that disk.

 

When they are gone, they are usually gone forever.

 

#1: I don't know what that is, and I don't have an external disk. I do have a couple 64 gig thumb drives.

#2: All pics and documents are copied onto those same thumb drives. 

I picked up a Dell Optiplex 7020 today. Intel Core i5-4790 CPU, 8 gigs 465 GB. For $75, I hope it does what I need it to.  

[bgavin]

The Intel i7-4790 is a nice go-fast processor.
There is no i5 version of this, so I assume you have a typo and meant i7-4790.

 

This machine has four memory slots and supports up to 16gb.

8gb will do the job, but is a bit short under Win10 if you have a lot of windows open.

The memory type is DDR3 1600 Mhz.

I recommend G.Skill which I put in all my own machines, as well as all my clients.

 

The Samsung FIT 64gb thumb drives can be had on Amazon.
They are blazing fast USB 3.x types, and very tiny in size (easy to lose).
They hold a ton of data, and are VERY inexpensive.

Anything important should be backed up 2x or more times.
Media and hard disks fail, so duplicate.