Question for the computer experts

[ecaplan_52556]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67"
<justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> I rahter desperately need a new computer. Should I just order one
> online (Dell, for example), or is there a line/brand/chain that you
> would recommend for reliability, quality, and fair pricing?
> 
> Carol, who is thinking of buying one from a local merchant but is
> afraid he'll be forced out of business by the big guys
>

Buy a Macintosh.  I'm coming into this thread rather late, but you
should do yourself a favor a look at the new Intel Macintosh.

If you still want to run Windows sometimes, the new Intel Macs can do
that in two ways:

(1) Get "BootCamp" FREE from Apple, so you can boot up your machine as
either a Mac or as a Windows machine.  I haven't done this (see #2),
but I've read that it works really, really well.

(2) Get the PC-emulation software "Parallels"
(http://www.parallels.com) that is working fantasticly well for me. 
You run the program and right there in a new window is Windows, while
 at the same time the rest of the machine is running Mac programs. 
The speed is excellent.  (You also have to buy a copy of the Windows
OS.  Price: Parallels: ~$80 USD.  Windows ~$100 if you buy online.)

I've had only three quirks with Windows via Parallels:
(i) I caught a Windows virus within 2 weeks of running Windows...
after NEVER having had a virus on my Mac in the 13 years I've bought
Macs.  I went and bought Norton for Windows to protect my Windows
environement!;

(ii) A game I tried via Parallels insisted it needed direct access to
my graphics card, which Parallels would give (but see below);

(iii) It's still clumsy to copy files between the Mac and Windows
environments... you need to use something like FTP.  I understand the
Parallels company is working on that for the next release.


Like I said, do yourself a favor a look at this option: go to the
Apple store and tell the peoples you are a PC user and you're thinking
of switching.  Ask about BootCamp and Parallels.

You can get an Mac Intel Mini for ~$600 USD (no monitor or keyboard,
but you can use the monitor and keyboard from your old PC).

Why buy another Nimbus when you can get a Firebolt?  :-)

Eddie