So far, this looks decent

Desktop (Inspiron 560) with another 2GB RAM from Crucial

4 years warranty- she wants this
320gb hard drive
4GB Ram
2.7Ghz 2Mb processor
20" screen

£530.

Any other suggestions? For internet/dvds/word processing etc.

She may well decide she wants a laptop, but more for your cash with a desktop isn't there?

You get more vfm with a desktop than a laptop. But for those tasks a pc running windows xp would more than fine with 2gb ram, amd dual core, 320/500gb hard drive

This

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE=PRODUCTCONFIGPAGE&USG=PRODUCT&ENT=PRODUCT&KEY=787455

http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.aspx?PAGE=PRODUCTVIEWPAGE&USG=PRODUCT&ENT=PRODUCT&KEY=793696

Mesh computers are good and they come with 1 or 2 years warrenty

I'd stay away from Dell. They install tons of junk, and fob you off with crappy parts where it counts, but aren't listed on the spec sheet. There's more to a PC than RAM and a CPU.

Most people I talked to have had problems with Dell one way or another.

If I were buying a desktop I'd call Scan or someone and tell you want they want. They sell ready made systems or can customise it.

Just bought a Dell Inspiron 570.

Very pleased with it so far and it seems to be pretty good value.

I have had so many problems with dell through customers. There is loads of choice out there and mesh is one of them

Most people I talked to have had problems with Dell one way or another.

This is my second Dell desktop and I've never had a problem.

It's very easy to un-install all the crap like trial versions of MS Office and McAfee.

molgrips – Member

I'd stay away from Dell. They install tons of junk, and fob you off with crappy parts where it counts, but aren't listed on the spec sheet. There's more to a PC than RAM and a CPU.

Most people I talked to have had problems with Dell one way or another.

If I were buying a desktop I'd call Scan or someone and tell you want they want. They sell ready made systems or can customise it.

This laptop, Dell Inspiron 6000 is over 4yrs old and has never been a problem. Works PC/laptops are all Dell, some run 24/365 and are pretty robust so cannot agree with that statement.

If I were buying a desktop I'd call Scan or someone and tell you want they want. They sell ready made systems or can customise it.

I know nothing about computers, therefore do not know what I want/need so how could I spec one?

I always recommend Dell. I've had a few and they've always performed perfectly. Customer service (on the one occasion I wanted it – to get all the install disks and re-partition a system) was excellent, with the lady from India calling me up later to make sure they'd arrived and if she could provide any further assistance.

I also dealt with them" professionally" and can say that we had very, very few problems with either laptops or desktops. That was out of an estate of several thousand.

I willing to bet that there are other brands which perform just as well and/or which might have slightly better components. However, I'd rather go with a known quantity than risk a mistake in order to save a few pounds here and there.

I'd second Mesh. I've had several, recommended many and all have been great – except one and their warranty support was rapid.

Writing this on a 4+yr old Inspiron 6000 thats been faultless. Its been pulled off the dining room table twice & lived.
Spend 8hrs a day running some pretty demanding modelling/CFD/FEA apps on Dell machines & these too have been spot on. Were talking pretty high spec cad machines though, not sure about their cheaper desktops.
Price looked high initially, but then spotted the 4yr warranty.

I think laptops are better for most people nowadays. You may get more for your money spec-wise with a desktop but you need to buy a desk and dedicate the space. You also cannot use it when sat on the sofa, train etc.

I think that she would get more use out of the laptop – Acer and Asus do good, cheapish, laptops.

Might get something similar a little cheaper on the Dell Outlet store, then add a monitor from DABS?

Dell has let me down deliverywise (followed by customer service failing to reply to repeated contact via their suggested route) twice out of 3 attempts in the last year and a half – there won't be a 4th attempt

My brothers have Dell laptop and Dell computer. computer broke, fixed under warranty, then broke again. laptop broke within a few months, is now fixed but buttons are already broken – through having being used.

I'm sure Dell aren't any worse than other manufacturers but I don't want to complete the run of bad luck.. so I'd never recommend one

i know it's probably a much more expensive option, but have you considered a Mac Mini or iMac? Simply because, non-computer-savvy people tend to get on better with Macs like these. They come with a bundle of useful software, and are very intuitive and relatively easy to use.

A mate of mine, don't dare mention Dell to him. I remember him once, sat in a corner, growling 'Dell is Hell'.

He's not been right since. 🙁

I just got an Acer Aspire from eBuyer – Intel dual core processor, 4 gig ram, 500 gig HD for £400. Just waiting for it to be delivered. A bargain I reckon.

i've used dell with great success, both at home and work, however in the best tradition of recommending what i've just bought, take a look at the asrock ion 330. small, quiet, quite fruity. 250 quid. you'll need to add OS though, and if you're going windows 7 maybe 4gb of ram, and to do that you need 2 sticks of 2gb sodimm, unfortunately – another 80 quid from crucial. win 7 installed and ran fine with 2gb though.
if she really wants a desktop that is.

She uses computers at work but isn't clued up with specs- I know a bit but not everything!

My Dell is five years old- one warranty problem fixed very efficiently.

Only two years warranty on the Mesh isn't ideal in her eyes- theres no option to extend it either.

My wife's Dell – came installed with tons of stuff that bugged the hell out of you (some thing that kept bloody well popping up to tell you some useless marketing crap, then THAT software itself kept crashing!) that was hard to shift (and I'm a professional programmer) then after about 3 years it started to fail because the power socket was soldered direclty and unsupported onto the main PCB and the strains on it broke the connections. Smart idea, and you have to take the entire thing apart to get to it.

My Dad's dell is slow as HELL for its spec, and the battery lasted about 2 hours from new (it's a low spec machine) and then it lasted about 9 months before needing replacing. And the screen's rubbish.

My mate's Dell – broke, spent ages trying to agree on what kind of warranty it had, finally got someone to work, got it back – broke again. Was apparently a software clash the second time.

I'd go for Mesh.

The MIL was given a Dell, eldest daughter worked for them. She hates it, wants a mac like the rest of the family.

Have used Dells for years for work and home use, lucky me no probs.
This lappy is over 5 years old dropped in a watering hole and stripped soldered power jack again still working.
Use Dells for work in some very hostile enviroments and do not give any more faults than a couple of HPs.Me thinks some seem to have alot of probs or just a downer on Dell.As stated check Ebuyer for similar spec and good service value for money(No I dont work for Dell or Ebuyer}
Do not pay over the odds at places like PC world and Comet.

My cycling buddy is md of a plc IT company and all their machines are dell, he swears by them not about them.