h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

this is assuming you don't want to be fiddling around with the actual bits and bobs in the computer...
basically, don't buy a computer from a big computer shop (eg PCworld etc). these are the hardest to upgrade...if you know someone who builds computers, or you have a friend who's had a computer built for them and it's still working fine, get them to build you a computer from scratch. if you don't know of anyone who does this, ask around...
going through a small business or an individual will get you better value for money (depending, of course, on the person you're dealing with), will get you a computer that's designed for you, and what you want to do with it, and will be a lot easier to upgrade in the future. also, phoning the computer-builder for help will be a lot cheaper than the big-business helplines...
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There are also some 'big' businesses that do a very good job of custom-building computers. They provide a good deal on extra cover, and good after-sales care. This includes a program which will monitor your computer and alert you to any problems - *before* they happen.

It's a very simple to use program - it runs in the background, automatically gathering information about the latest bugs, security alerts, updates and so on. If a problem is detected, it can usually be fixed with just a couple of clicks of the mouse.

Just don't put all your trust in programs like that, there will always be something that comes along which they don't know what to do about, muck up and then explode, leaving horrible mess all over your system.

If you really want a system that goes, get a Mac. They're expensive, but because Apple are the only people who make them, they don't run into the same horrible mess with hardware combinations that Intel-architecture systems do.

Too true... I have a PC, but only because I need to be compatible with the Uni computers. If I had the money I'd go back to Mac like a flash.... the Mac we had was much more stable than any PC I've ever had or used, just wasn't compatible with school and then Uni.

TK

And one thing that really bugs me is people who call Windows computers 'PC' and Macs 'Mac' as if they're different... a Mac is a kind of PC after all. So is an Intel-architecture PC running GNU/Linux, or one of the BSDs.

But I suppose I shouldn't go after individuals who do that, because they're not exactly well-informed by the press, who make exactly the same mistake, and so I should be blaming them. And the games publishers, and everyone else as well.

As for stability... Mac OS X, very decent OS (certainly the core is). Mac OS 9, I'm amazed it works out as stable as it does, because its architecture is absolutely antiquated and horrible. The only reason it seems more stable than Windows NT/2000/XP is because of the homogeneous hardware environment which Apple get to work with, so they have fewer worries about driver incompatibilities and such things like that which are what cause a lot of the grief on Windows systems. Also, the Mac's system architecture is completely different (not that it's necessarily better, although the new G5 systems have some nice bits - even though they're not the world's fastest personal computer, that's only true if you look at the figures in one particular way).

I say 'PC' when I mean 'windows based etc' or 'IBM compatible blah blah' because it is generally accepted that if you say 'PC', you mean 'windows based blah blah blah', and if you say 'Mac', you mean 'Mac'. 'PC' is certainly much shorter than 'Windows based IBM compatible whatsamajoojabbingthingamybob', so I say 'PC'. I'm not really that bothered about being totaly technically accurate as long as people understand what I'm saying. You obviously did or you wouldn't be moaning.

TK

I've been rather baffled by that labelling for years. Part of the problem is that the label is part of the computer industry. I slide a PC-formatted disk into one of my drives on the Mac and the desktop logo says 'PC-disk'.
If the disk is formatted for PC, I can load Mac software onto it and the PC can read it.

Sure, saying PC and Mac is easy and instantly recognisable; so is saying 'windows' and Mac....though they both use windows for displaying all information in or out.

Probably similar to the Mac slogan 'think different', which is ungrammatical. Then the explanation makes all clear: 'Think: different'

Fruitbat

Yes, it's very silly really. I guess we're stuck with it now though

never mind
silliness is what life's all about
that and passion...
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and beauty...
apologies for topic drift
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