[LittleBastad]

Here's something I posted to my website about the situation with my present computer and my hopes to replace it with an iMac. I'm wondering if any of you have any thoughts on what I should do.

Kaylee and I checked out the iMacs at Best Buy this afternoon, during our trip to the Mall of New Hampshire. These two images were taken with the iMac's built-in iSight camera and processed with a neat little app called Photo Booth.

Now, why were we checking out the iMacs, you're asking? Well, our home computer has been on the fritz lately. The monitor has been exhibiting all the classic signs of CRT tube failure -- pinched picture (imagine the after image in a Slim Fast ad, where the middle of the person suddenly contracts), et cetera -- and the actual computer is exhibiting the signs of a power supply failure, among other things. So, we've been looking at buying a new computer. We can't really afford it, but we really do need to have a working machine at home.

Here's why: The Clarks - Working computer = no working from home for Chris. No working from home for Chris = no savings on daycare for Kaylee. No savings on daycare for Kaylee = not enough money for mortgage. Not enough money for mortgage = having to sell a house in need of a half-dozen repairs, in a bad real estate market, and probably losing money on our investment. And so on, and so forth.

We've been talking about making the switch to the Mac platform for years, and buying any other kind of computer at this point doesn't make sense. We don't need three or four more years of computer-envy, after all. And while the low-cost Mac Mini has some appeal, it doesn't solve one of our major problems -- lack of a fully-functional monitor. So, the iMac is what we've been looking at, and the 20 inch iMac to be specific (which is the middle-of-the-line for that line, but the biggest model that will fit within the confines of our beautiful rolltop desk), mostly because it comes with a bigger hard drive standard, and we have a lot of crap to store on our machine. It's a more expensive computer, but a good friend of mine has always told me to "buy as much computer as you can afford", so that you don't look back on your purchase in a year and wish you'd gone bigger and better.

This past Saturday, Stephanie and Kaylee and I went to the Apple Store in Salem, NH and checked out the machines. We asked tons of questions, and felt pretty good about moving forward. Stef wanted to get our taxes started before we made any purchase though, to see if maybe our return might help us out, and I thought that was a more than reasonable request, so we went home, and I did some more research.

I did a lot of research, actually. I wrote a list of every program we regularly use on the PC, and found a Mac equivalent for each of them. I researched booting Windows XP on the Mac, which is possible using Apple's Boot Camp software. I solved the problem of what to do with the limited number of USB ports on the machine. I looked up about a thousand different things I was wondering about how this worked and how that worked. In short, I invested every spare moment I had, from Saturday through Tuesday, making sure I had all of our bases covered. I was excited. I knew that I could do the taxes on Wednesday morning, and that we'd be able to buy the machine this coming Saturday. That was my plan. It was set in stone.

And then...

On Wednesday, after finishing up the federal taxes and determining that we'd be looking at a pretty good return, I began to notice a change in the computer. It hadn't turned off on its own all day. The fan on the power supply, which I'd degunked on Saturday with what had appeared to be no results, seemed to be spinning again, albeit not very hard. The monitor wasn't having as many problems. It was as if the machine knew that we were about to replace it and decided, 'Oh, okay, I'll start working again.'

Sure, both of the internal DVD drives are still non-functional, but we bought an external drive with Christmas money to solve that problem, at least temporarily. Sure, the TV tuner is broken, but we don't use it anyway. Sure, you have to bang the monitor now and then to get the picture to show up right, but that's a small inconvenience, right? And sure, the power supply on the PC is still a little hotter to the touch than I would like, but the machine is working. It's staying on. And as long as we turn off the computer when we're away from the house, it's not a fire hazard.

So should we really be thinking about buying a new computer now, when our old computer has decided to be good again? I guess not.

And I guess this should make me happy. I guess I should be elated that we're not going to have to spend the money, that maybe we can focus on getting a new stove now instead (our oven hasn't worked since 2005, though our stovetop burners are still functioning). But I was really looking forward to the new machine. I've been dreaming about getting one for years now, and I was so close...

The rational way of thinking about it is this: Daycare expenses will go down this summer, when Kaylee moves from the infant room to the toddler room. The new Mac OS is due out later in the spring, or early in the summer, as are new versions of their iLife and iWork suite of applications. Our current computer may last us that long, or even longer, and the longer it lasts us, the more we are able to dig ourselves out of debt and find a way of better affording it.

That's the rational way of thinking about it. But I'm not in the mood to be rational right now. I'm not in the mood, at all.

Any thoughts?

[WOPR]

Just buy the 17" with a bigger hard drive in it

[P]

Well, if you want to be rational or not is your choice, but let's see if I can add some options for you:

* You can upgrade the HD on the higher-end 17"er to 250 or 500 gigs, which would still save you money compared to the 20"er. The 17" is still a very big display.
* There are cheaper refurbs available. As long as you buy an Intel model, you can still run XP when you have to.
* It sounds like your display and your powersupply are both dying. It is usually better to leave them on round the clock in that case, as there is more wear and tear from turning them on. Turning them off doesn't reallly lessen the fire hazard - there is still current in the computer when it's off. If you want to cut the power completely, pull the plug.
* If the computer is getting hot, try to improve airflow any way you can - leave the box partially open, for instance, and get it off the floor to avoid dustbunnies getting sucked in.
* I know lots of people who have old CRT monitors in their attic or similar - they're not really worth anything anymore. If that is the main problem, you could ask around to see if you can borrow one from someone, or try eBay.

[shifuimam]

I would suggest trying to replace the power supply and getting a new monitor before you drop more than a thousand dollars on a brand new computer. If you need a bigger hard drive, you can upgrade that pretty easily in any normal PC desktop case. You'll spend maybe $400 total on parts to bring your current machine up to speed, which will save you, at the very least, $600.

I don't want to crap on the fun of getting a new computer or anything, but if you are at all concerned about finances, it just doesn't make sense to buy a brand new computer when you can fix the one you have for much less $$.

My mom doesn't have a lot of money. Her eMachines computer was fitted with a power supply that was known to fail. The supply blew a capacitor, frying both the supply and the motherboard's PS/2 and VGA connectors. She was about to go buy a new computer, but I pointed out that the only dead parts were the motherboard and the power supply. For $80 I found her a compatible motherboard on NewEgg and bought a better (but still low-end) power supply at Fry's. I had an extra mouse and keyboard handy at my house, so that took care of that part, and she was good to go. As much fun as I would have had shopping for and buying a new computer for her, it just wasn't financially logical. She could have afforded $400 for another low-end desktop, but $80 was a heck of a lot cheaper.

It's just a thought.

[LittleBastad]

Thanks for the replies. I do realize that I can repair the current computer for far less dough. However, I've been regretting buying this computer since about two months after I bought it back in 2002/2003. I really would have liked to have switched to Mac back then, but I had to quickly replace a machine that had completely died and I went with what was familiar. The machine has since become like that used car that you keep fixing and fixing, and eventually you're just sick of fixing it.

I've also grown to hate taking my computer apart. It stresses me out too much.

One thought that's occurred to me... my parents' computer is hopelessly old. It's still running Windows 98 and it takes about two minutes to open a web browser when I'm over there. It's a sub-600 mhz machine with about 64 mb of RAM or something. Maybe I could fix my current machine up, give it to them, and go out and buy the new one for us.

I don't know... I'm reaching here, I know. I want an excuse. It's like I want permission, I guess, to go out and spend the money.

[JKT]

My opinion - as you are now able to wait, do so. New iMacs and Leopard in the next half year will be worth waiting that little extra for, especially as the current models are a little long in the tooth just now.

[brokenjago]

You can always go for the Refurb 20" iMac!

It's the exact same thing, comes with the exact same 1 year warranty, and is $200 less!

The Apple Store (U.S.)

[LittleBastad]

Well, we don't mind splurging when it's time to buy. We're already in debt, and we're not going to be out of debt anytime soon, so we might as well get the best computer for our purposes. I guess the real question is, "Is it time to buy?" Do I continue to deal with the BS of owning and operating Windows and a machine that occasionally flakes on me? Or do I say, "Enough is enough," and make the switch.

I think you make a great point, JKT, about Leopard being so close. I think the answer may be, "When the monitor goes, go out and buy the new machine". Yes, we could go out and buy a new monitor for much less money, but when the PC goes and we have to go out and buy our iMac, what are we going to do with that fairly newish monitor?

Thanks so much everyone for being so nice. I'm sorry to have taken up space on the board with this problem. It's just that I'm very confused about all of this right now, and I work in an office by myself for ten hours a day, so I have way too much time to stew on things like this, and no one to chat with about it.

[brokenjago]

Well, there's no point in spending the extra $200 for no apparent reason, especially when it's the exact same computer with the exact same specs and the exact same warranty.

I might add that I also think it's a good idea to wait for both Leopard and iLife 07. Spring officially starts March 20th/21st (can't remember the exact date,) and ends June 20th. It's not far off by any stretch of the imagination. You can save $200 in software right there, and if the refurb iMacs are still around at the time, that's a total savings of $400!

That makes it a much better deal. And if you can wait, well, wait. Getting more out of debt is always good.

Originally Posted by LittleBastard

Yes, we could go out and buy a new monitor for much less money, but when the PC goes and we have to go out and buy our iMac, what are we going to do with that fairly newish monitor?

Connect it to your new iMac and use it as a second display!

[centerchannel68]

Get a mac mini dude. They're cheap, especially refurb'd ones. You can't afford much at the moment, because of the mortage and whatnot. That's fine. Instead of blowing a ton of cash, grab a mini, a firewire HD (pricewatch.com), and an LCD (also check pricewatch, craigslist, fatwallet.com, or woot.com), and you'll have a modern mac with lots of storage for under $900. You don't need the form factor or graphics of an iMac, so why spend more for something you don't need?

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by LittleBastad 

Well, we don't mind splurging when it's time to buy. We're already in debt, and we're not going to be out of debt anytime soon, so we might as well get the best computer for our purposes.

This is the number one biggest danger to American society. "I'm already in debt, so what's another $1200 on top of the $15,000 I already owe?" It's another $1200. Then you have to get a car, and think "why buy a used Toyota for $10,000 when I can buy a brand-new one for $30,000? I'm already in debt!" and suddenly your debt has ballooned completely out of control. Declaring personal bankruptcy is not just for people who think Peter Francis Geraci is sexy anymore.

You don't need a new computer. Any Windows-based computer that is capable of running Windows 2000 or Windows XP acceptably is all you need. I used a 366MHz PII with XP/Pro for five months in college because it cost only $200 and did what I needed it to do - surf the net, listen to music, and do homework. For another year and a half I used a 600MHz PIII running XP/Pro that only cost me around $500. You mention having loads of problems with your current machine. What kinds of problems are you having? Are you running the latest patches in XP? Did you get a virus? Did you use cheap hardware?

Macs are great. I love my iBook. OS X is pretty. But I still won't drop $1000 a new iMac or MacBook because it's just not worth the money. I can get a good desktop or laptop for half that price through Dell, and if you're a responsible computer user, you won't have problems. I fixed up a computer for a family friend that had been fried by viruses galore, because they didn't have updated antivirus software. I set them up with Symantec, Ad-Aware, and SpyBot, and showed them how to scan their computer weekly for adware, malware, spyware, and anything else bad. They haven't had any problems since, and we're talking about a completely computer-illiterate family with three boys...yet they've managed to avoid computer nasties.

If you want a Mac so badly, get a used one. There is no reason for you to spend a grand on a brand-new computer that is simply more power than you really, honestly, truly need.

You have kids, right? You have a mortgage, car payments, I'm going to guess you've got student loans or credit card bills and maybe even a personal loan or a second line of credit on your house. You have a child to take care of. To feed, to raise, and to someday send to college. There is absolutely no justifiable reason why you need to be even thinking about spending so much money on a computer.

I'm sorry if you're offended by any of this, but I have seen personal friends go up in flames because they lost control of their finances, and used your same rationalization to continue falling deeper and deeper into a financial abyss. It's simply not worth it. Get control of the debt you have now instead of continuing to pile on more.

[LittleBastad]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I feel as though I have come across as stupid, though and that I haven't described my situation or my thoughts well. So I'm just going to step away and hope that nobody's mad at me for wasting their time.

We are very careful about our finances. We won't be getting into any situations that we don't carefully consider first. I sincerely appreciate the concern, and I'm happy to have found a supportive community here.

My final word on the subject: when this computer fails us completely, then we'll figure out what to do. Until then, we're going to pay off our debts and focus on more important things than what kind of computer we have. Because you guys are right -- as aggravating as it is to continue using Windows, it's what we have and we just have to deal.

[Chinasaur]

LilB,

When you DO buy, go to the Apple Store Refurbished section. I've purchased 3 iMacs there in the last 36 months and all have been flawless. You'll save a good amount of change by doing so and the computers have the same 1year warranty as new computers.

Something to think about.

Luck.

[centerchannel68]

Or check out a local campus if there's one around you. They seem to go through macs on a pretty regular basis, and you can get a screamin' deal. But yeah. Brand new= stupid. Go used dude. Used stuff is great, because somebody ELSE takes the major loss in value, not you.

[ndptal85]

As long as you aren't playing video games then the Mac Mini is more than fast enough for your needs. I have one and its a speed demon. So you could get a new (or newish, I'd suggest used LCD to save money) to go with your PC for now and then buy a refurb Intel Mac Mini later on and just use the same monitor with it. Seriously, if you aren't playing video games or using media creation software (I'm talking high end software like Final Cut Pro or Shake) then anything more than a Mini is a huge waste of money.

[sparhawk]

Um It's never stupid to ask opinions someone may see somthing you missed, the fact that you use it for work and the computer will inturn make you money means that it will pay for itself over time in earnings and savings on day care so it's not a selfish computer purchase it's an investment and that in itself justfies it. So yes it's ok to go out and invest in yourself! plus if you use it for work you can add it to next years tax return as a work related expense so you will get a little more back next year . As far as the stove that's broken go to an appliance store and buy a scratch and dent model it's not as pretty but it will still cook your food just the same. Be well and don't sweat what people think too much you are the one that has to live with your choice not them. Good Luck

[Mr.Creosote]

Against my better judgment I clicked on the "Post Reply" button. I can't believe I read this whole thread.

You've gotten some decent advice and some horrible advice in the follow-ups. Forget about an Apple for now. Get your finances in order ( fix your stove and make the house note). If you HAVE to experience OS X buy a G3 iMac and load Panther (10.3.X) on it. It'll work fine and cost you less than $150 bones. I picked up a perfect G3 iMac from the "Marketplace" section of this forum.

It doesn't sound like imminent failure is gonna happen to your stuff. If an electrical appliance is gonna fail it doesn't "come back to life" as it were. Once it's shot...it's shot. It will let you know by not turning on at all.

It sounds like your wife uses Windows apps for work so why don't you HMAM (how much a month) a cheap laptop from Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, Staples, et al, for 18 months interest free? The little woman could use it for work and it would fit in your heirloom roll-top. Once you get back on your feet (financially) you could get a Mac to play with and once you set up a wireless router ( no more than $30 bucks) the wife could continue to use the laptop anywhere she chooses (within range of course). Give your folks the box you have now and everybody's happy.

I bought my kids (3) identical low-end Toshiba laptops 19 months ago. They all still work fine. I spent less on all of them than you would on one iMac.

Think twice about "switching" to OS X. My first Apple is my MacBook and, with the exception of the keyboard (it's a joy to type on), I hate it. I ended up picking up an iMac just to see if my experience was typical. It's not...the MacBook just sucks. It's been back to Apple twice already and it's going back again. It locks up every third CD I try to import to iTunes. ALL of my Windows XP computers see these same CDs, as does the old G3 that i bought.

A previous poster stated you could write a new computer off as an expense. That's wrong. If you have the receipts and can prove you use it for work, you can depreciate that expense. That only works if you can itemize employment expenses.

[earthlings]

like someone mentioned above, emachines are good and cheap. But I thought I heard they got bought out by Compaq . I still have mine, I just need to by a bigger hard drive for it. But my main and the one I use primarly is my pb.

[Mr.Creosote]

eMachine is owned by Gateway.

Compaq (actually HP/Compaq) makes perfectly decent consumer level computers. Their laptops are especially nice.