# What is the best computer available now?



## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Wow I'm glad I found this section of the Forum--I never knew it was here before :blush: My husband and I are extremely behind the times when it comes to technology.
We don't have an actual computer. What I'm typing this on is a device called an MSNTV2. It is outdated and since everyone is buying computers now it will never be upgraded again. What is the best computer we can buy without breaking the bank?


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Would you like a desktop or laptop? What all do you plan on doing with your computer? Would it be simply for web surfing, checking email, playing solitare, viewing and editing documents and spreadsheets, etc.? If so, that all falls under the standard stuff that pretty much any entry level computer would handle. There are tons of package deals to be had out there (I say package because it sounds like you'll need everything: monitor, keyboard, & mouse). I'd start with Dell. They make pretty solid machines. Check here. The Inspiron 560 w/19" monitor for $499 looks like a nice deal.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Watch here for best deals.
http://www.techbargains.com/

If you buy Dell, make up a small business name (if you don't already have one) and buy the Vostro line through the business side.
That way, you get solid computers, but without all of the junk typically added to consumer PC's.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Techbargains is very good. I would also check your local Costco (or Sam's) if you're a member. They often have really good deals as well.


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

I just bought a new Dell Studio laptop and love it so far after a couple weeks use and was suprised by the lack of preloaded stuff on it the way the HP laptop I got last year was.

I never was happy with the HP laptop and I sold it after 6 months use to buy the Dell and so far I am very happy with my descision.

Oh and what ever you do dont buy an Emachine for I have had to repair just about every one that my friends or coworkers have bought and I cringe everytime I see someone buying one in a store.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Dolly said:


> What is the best computer we can buy without breaking the bank?


Define breaking the bank.  $300, $500, $800, more?
Laptop or Desktop?


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

If you've been living with MSNTV for years, I'd get an iPad. While I use my Desktop and Laptop for work, they both are getting less use since the iPad.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Actually, if you've been living with MSN TV for years, I'd suggest an Acer Aspire Revo.

It's small, power-efficient and it can pretty much drop in and replace what you've got.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

dennisj00 said:


> If you've been living with MSNTV for years, I'd get an iPad. While I use my Desktop and Laptop for work, they both are getting less use since the iPad.


Unfortunately to have an iPad you still need a computer unless you have them set it up at the Apple store for you with iTunes.

I would suggest getting either a netbook or a full featured laptop. That way you can move it around easily if you want. Laptops are not all that expensive.

If you don't care about portability, a Dell desktop is usually your best bet. They are inexpensive and last quite a long time.

On the Mac side, a Mac Mini is an excellent value. The iMacs for $1199 are also excellent machines although probably out of your price range.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Given that your needs are simple, I agree that a netbook is worth considering. Netbooks by Acer and Asus have good reputations. Also, if you are a member of Costco, they have a few Acer netbooks. Sam's has a wider variety. You might want to pick up a copy of the current issue of Consumer Reports, which has reviews of quite a few computers, ranging from netbooks to desktops.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

We went to Sam's Club this evening, so I looked at what they had. They had 4 netbooks, while underpowered compared to a laptop, will be far more powerful than MSNTV.

They had 2 Toshibas, an HP and a Samsung ranging in price from $299 to $399. Regular notebooks started at $479.

As has been metioned, a netbook should be fine provided you can get by with the small 10.1" screen.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Chris Blount said:


> Unfortunately to have an iPad you still need a computer unless you have them set it up at the Apple store for you with iTunes.
> 
> I would suggest getting either a netbook or a full featured laptop. That way you can move it around easily if you want. Laptops are not all that expensive.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all of your help :sunsmile: I'm sorry I forgot to come back here and check this thread :blush: We have a neighbor that has an iMac. My husband has seen it, but I haven't. He was very impressed by it, but obviously not very happy about the price! I wonder if it would be possible to ever find a deal on something like that? We aren't in a rush to buy so we can take the time to try to find any deals that may be out there.


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## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

Dolly said:


> Thanks for all of your help :sunsmile: I'm sorry I forgot to come back here and check this thread :blush: We have a neighbor that has an iMac. My husband has seen it, but I haven't. He was very impressed by it, but obviously not very happy about the price! I wonder if it would be possible to ever find a deal on something like that? We aren't in a rush to buy so we can take the time to try to find any deals that may be out there.


You might check Apple's online store. Sometime they have refurb models for sale. Would probably be your only shot at a deal as far as Macs go.


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## Galley (Apr 3, 2007)

Refurbished Macs are in like new condition, and include a full warranty. They are often hundreds of dollars cheaper. Go to http://store.apple.com, and scroll down. The refurbished section will be on the left. They currently have the latest generation 21.5" iMac for $999.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Galley said:


> Refurbished Macs are in like new condition, and include a full warranty. They are often hundreds of dollars cheaper. Go to http://store.apple.com, and scroll down. The refurbished section will be on the left. They currently have the latest generation 21.5" iMac for $999.


Thanks :sunsmile: But I don't know if I can get my husband to go "refurbished"? He won't buy a used car! The only things we have that are "refurbished" are D*'s Receivers. And, of course, that is D*'s choice on how to do things so my husband doesn't have any choice about that!


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Dolly said:


> Thanks :sunsmile: But I don't know if I can get my husband to go "refurbished"? He won't buy a used car! The only things we have that are "refurbished" are D*'s Receivers. And, of course, that is D*'s choice on how to do things so my husband doesn't have any choice about that!


Well, it might help to keep in mind that, as mentioned, you get a full warranty. Also, refurbished doesn't even mean the system was really used. If someone has buyers remorse after getting it home, even before hooking it up, when they take it back Apple can no longer sell it as new.

The problem you run into with used and refurbished is when it has a shorter warranty. There is a valid argument that a good used car is the way to go, you don't get the depreciation hit leaving the lot.


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

Dolly:

I suggest you and your husband get out of the house for a bit and go play around with some computers... see what you guys like. 

Best Buy is probably as good a place as anywhere to start, and most of the larger stores have both MAC and PC on hand that you can play with. "Hands on" is always the best way to find out what you enjoy... and I suspect there will be lots of sales out there on this holiday weekend.


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## turbo_oasis (Jan 4, 2007)

As a budding Apple "FanBoy", I would recommend looking into the iMac if you are looking for an all in one, or a Mac Mini if future upgrades are not important. I have a refurbished 2.53GHz C2D Mac Mini as an HTPC and really love its. So much so that I bought a Mac Mini for my parents and they love using a Mac (I also installed VM Ware Fusion and installed Win 7 so they can use some Windows apps).


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Well, it might help to keep in mind that, as mentioned, you get a full warranty. Also, refurbished doesn't even mean the system was really used. If someone has buyers remorse after getting it home, even before hooking it up, when they take it back Apple can no longer sell it as new.


As dpeters noted, refurbished does not really mean used. I had ordered a Dell laptop for our babysitter as a HS Graduation gift. After it came, Ilike it so much I order myself one. When I ordered they were offering a free upgrade to the higher resolution screen, so I took it. Got the computer and hated the resolution. All the icons were too small at native and using non-native res did not look good. Had this computer for 2 days and sent it back to Dell and ordered the lower res screen.

As noted, Dell now had to sell this as a refurb. One thing about electronics vs cars, is once they "burn in" and there are no problems, there probably won't be. My mom is still using one of my old c. 2000 Dell PIII desktops. I put in a new HHD for her (I wanted to keep my old one), but otherwise it is just like it was when it rolled off the line 10 years ago. So a refurb may be just as good as a new one.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

I am really liking the idea of a refurb imac. My buddy bought one years and years ago like that and it still runs like the day he got it.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

Dolly: being that you're in WV, you may be limited as to what you can see in stores. If you have a nearby Best Buy, see what they have to offer. Also, seek out friends nearby who have computers and see if they'll allow you to play with them a bit.
There are many reasons to consider a Mac, despite their higher cost. Their operating system is very stable, they're quite user friendly and are relatively secure. If cost is no object, in today's market, where laptop computers are rapidly displacing desktops, I'd probably consider a MacBook Pro. They're great computers.


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## kikkenit2 (Oct 26, 2006)

The best computers are $10k superfast gaming rigs as reviewed in MaximumPC Magazine. I don't think you need anywhere near the best. Several brands advertised in that magazine mail order direct are the best value for fast computers in the $1500 range. I buy $300 15.6" laptops on sale at Fry's Electronics that work just fine for most people. They even have several brands with Intel i5 cpu(very fast) for $600 right now. Reliable competitive brands include HP, MSI, Toshiba, Lenovo, and ASUS. Unless you make your living using a computer it is a waste to buy the best. For most people a cheap laptop, a wireless mouse and wifi internet access is all you need.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Cholly said:


> Dolly: being that you're in WV, you may be limited as to what you can see in stores. If you have a nearby Best Buy, see what they have to offer. Also, seek out friends nearby who have computers and see if they'll allow you to play with them a bit.
> There are many reasons to consider a Mac, despite their higher cost. Their operating system is very stable, they're quite user friendly and are relatively secure. If cost is no object, in today's market, where laptop computers are rapidly displacing desktops, I'd probably consider a MacBook Pro. They're great computers.


:lol: You don't give your "true" location, but you certainly know WV well! My husband used our neighbor's iMac and he really, really, really, liked it. So I'm guessing an iMac is what we will be getting. All of you have made very good points about "refurb", but I don't know if I can get him to go that way or not--you see usually it is a case of what Hubby wants Hubby gets


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

Cholly said:


> Dolly: being that you're in WV, you may be limited as to what you can see in stores. If you have a nearby Best Buy,


As far as I know we have three, plus easy access (couple miles into another state) to at least one more. So you can get to one if you want to.



Dolly said:


> :lol: You don't give your "true" location, but you certainly know WV well!


Well, you don't exactly give your true location either.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Dell Auctions...Dell has a auction site where they auction off certain models of laptops and desktops. They have small hard drives and low memory but can be upgraded and usually come with WindowsXP Professional or better. Good for those with a modest budget.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

I just want to throw in my vote for going refurbished. I have had fantastic luck with refurbed through TigerDirect.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Xsabresx said:


> I just want to throw in my vote for going refurbished. I have had fantastic luck with refurbed through TigerDirect.


Well I have told my husband what all has been said about refurbished; but I can't get a "yea" out of him, however, I've not gotten a "nay" either :shrug:


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

RasputinAXP said:


> Actually, if you've been living with MSN TV for years, I'd suggest an Acer Aspire Revo.
> 
> It's small, power-efficient and it can pretty much drop in and replace what you've got.


I was thinking along those same lines and would recommend a Dell Zino as well. Very similar to the Revo in many ways.

No matter what the OP does, going from an MSNTV to anything you can buy right now will be a revelation.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

I'll take one of these: 
http://www.cray.com/Products/CX/Systems/CX1-iWS.aspx


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Buying a refurb is a roll of the dice. I'm posting this on a four-year old Dell refurb laptop. 

My dead 32" 'Westinghouse' LCD refurb didn't make it a year. :beatdeadhorse:


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## Galley (Apr 3, 2007)

Sometimes you get lucky with refurbs. The refurbished MacBook I bought for my daughter came with extra RAM and a larger hard drive at no additional charge.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> I'll take one of these:
> http://www.cray.com/Products/CX/Systems/CX1-iWS.aspx


That has to be the smallest Cray I've ever seen. Actually, if I saw one and didn't look closely, I might mistake it for a UPS from some of the pics.


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## Draconis (Mar 16, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> I'll take one of these:
> http://www.cray.com/Products/CX/Systems/CX1-iWS.aspx


If you want overpowered you can always try a Sager laptop. This is a good site to get them from.

http://pctorque.com/


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## digital223 (Dec 19, 2002)

Click the photos

I just put together 2 computers for my daughters. They are using it for business and pleasure. Lightning fast with Window 7 Home Premium. It does just about everything you can throw at it. Cost $407.

You would still need a mouse keyboard and OS.

H 3.5"x L 15"x W 13", ATX InWin small footprint case, w/300W PSU 
Asrock A785GMH onboard video and sound with HDMI VGA DVI potrts
AMD Athlon llx2 250 Regor CPU
4 gb Dual Channel AData DDR2 800
Sony DVD RW drive
Western Digital 500gb HDD
It is the quietist computer I have ever put together.
You or your husband might consider building this computer....after all it's not rocket science ! If so Check out Newegg.com


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

digital223 said:


> View attachment 22440
> View attachment 22441
> View attachment 22442
> 
> ...


It isn't rocket science, but more than a lot of people want to get into.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Lee L said:


> I was thinking along those same lines and would recommend a Dell Zino as well. Very similar to the Revo in many ways.
> 
> No matter what the OP does, going from an MSNTV to anything you can buy right now will be a revelation.


That is so true :lol: But I think if we are going to buy something it should be what I refer to as a "real" computer. I'm now telling him if he thinks the Imac price is too high, and won't go the refurb. route to get a Dell computer. The problem is he won't say yes to anything and there are more and more websites that are becoming completely unuseable on the MSNTV2! I'm even worrying about loosing DBSTALK :girlscrea :eek2:


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

Dolly said:


> That is so true :lol: But I think if we are going to buy something it should be what I refer to as a "real" computer. I'm now telling him if he thinks the Imac price is too high, and won't go the refurb. route to get a Dell computer. The problem is he won't say yes to anything and there are more and more websites that are becoming completely unuseable on the MSNTV2! I'm even worrying about loosing DBSTALK :girlscrea :eek2:


You may want to consider a DEll Vostro 220. It's lightning fast and comes with Windows7 Professional, Windows Media plus the latest versions of Direct X and Windows Media Player. Good luck in whatever Choice you and your hubby make.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

And the verdict is in and it is just as I thought it would be--a new Imac  It is just a question of when do we break the bank to get one? He has been doing research and what he is reading is telling him that Black Friday is the best time to buy. But that is November and I can only hope the MSNTV2 can hold up that long :angel:


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Dolly said:


> And the verdict is in and it is just as I thought it would be--a new Imac  It is just a question of when do we break the bank to get one? He has been doing research and what he is reading is telling him that Black Friday is the best time to buy. But that is November and I can only hope the MSNTV2 can hold up that long :angel:


Last year the discount was about $150-$180, based on which iMac you got.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Dolly said:


> And the verdict is in and it is just as I thought it would be--a new Imac  It is just a question of when do we break the bank to get one? He has been doing research and what he is reading is telling him that Black Friday is the best time to buy. But that is November and I can only hope the MSNTV2 can hold up that long :angel:


Good for you! I know you don't want to buy a refurb but they really are not that bad and look brand new when you get them. Apple does a good job with them and they still have the full warranty. There are some great deals to be had if you don't want to wait.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

dpeters11 said:


> Last year the discount was about $150-$180, based on which iMac you got.


That is a discount :eek2: I will have to tell my husband about that! And my husband just will not go refurb for anything :nono:


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

I'm trying to get my husband away from the IMac. They cost so much even the refurb. In fact, I think I'm getting away from my idea of what I called wanting a "real" PC. I had never heard of an Acer Aspire Revo or a Dell Zino until this thread. Maybe this would be a better way for us to go? We have to get away from the MSNTV2 because it is so outdated and it will not be upgraded. But I hate to spend so much money or get an elaborate system that we would probably only use a fraction of its capability. We don't actually use the MSNTV2 that much, but the sites we do use are starting to require a higher level of functioning than the MSNTV2 provides. In fact we have already completely lost one site that we did use.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

I haven't commented in this thread. But if all you need is to get to a web sites, get your email, and do a few other things, you can accomplish that with all new equipment for under $500 on a Windows 7 based computer. Even a non-gaming, non-video editing "power user" could function adequately on such a computer.

The problem is the time will arise with any Windows computer that something won't work right and it will leave you feeling challenged (like the techies around here) or feeling helpless (like the many Americans who have their only home computer in a closet).

I'm a PC guy, but I have a number of family members who use Apple computers and who rarely run into one of those "oh crap" moments. But you pay for that up front.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Yes there in lies our problem. We want something that we can use on all sites, yet don't want anything too technical for us to use. In fact as much as I hate to admit this on a Forum that I know fully well that Directv people look at and in some cases actually post on the Forum the site I want to be able to use the most is www.Directv.com!
I love D* :heart: But I don't fully trust D*--no offense D*--I don't fully trust any company. The Directv site is the next best thing to being TOTALLY unusable on the MSNTV2. We can still get the site to come up, but we can't get all the information we should be able to get from the site. For example we can get our payment, but we can't get our recent account activity. And, of course, D* is always telling people to go to their website, but for us that is almost mission impossible! Why do all these big companies believe that everyone in the country has a fully usable PC


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Dolly said:


> Yes there in lies our problem. We want something that we can use on all sites, yet don't want anything too technical for us to use. In fact as much as I hate to admit this on a Forum that I know fully well that Directv people look at and in some cases actually post on the Forum the site I want to be able to use the most is www.Directv.com!
> I love D* :heart: But I don't fully trust D*--no offense D*--I don't fully trust any company. The Directv site is the next best thing to being TOTALLY unusable on the MSNTV2. We can still get the site to come up, but we can't get all the information we should be able to get from the site. For example we can get our payment, but we can't get our recent account activity. And, of course, D* is always telling people to go to their website, but for us that is almost mission impossible! Why do all these big companies believe that everyone in the country has a fully usable PC


They have to go with the majority. If it works with, say, XP on IE6, Windows 7 with IE8, and current versions of Safari, Firefox and Chrome it's reasonable that that's what they go with. So few users use a MSNTV, which isn't supported by Microsoft, that it's not in anyone's testing regimen. It could actually cause problems or at least reduce functionality for current systems. And for purposes of web pages like that, a 5 year old PC could be well within the current range. You'd have better luck with a $400 netbook.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Actually if you are talking about Tech Support the MSNTV2 is indeed still supported by Microsoft. In fact they even still support The Web which was before the MSNTV2. They just aren't upgrading them because most people are buying regular PCs now so there is no real market for them. Still I don't think companies should just assume that everyone in the country has a fully usable PC that they actually know how to use!

EDIT: When I go to the Directv site it says I need a browser Internet Explorer 7 or higher, Firefox, or Safari. It also says JavaScript needs to be enabled in the browser and the Flash level needs to be at least 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say the Directv site is just too far advanced for what the MSNTV2 has! 

EDIT 2: We would really have no need for any thing that is portable as we would not be taking it anywhere!


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Dolly said:


> Actually if you are talking about Tech Support the MSNTV2 is indeed still supported by Microsoft. In fact they even still support The Web which was before the MSNTV2. They just aren't upgrading them because most people are buying regular PCs now so there is no real market for them. Still I don't think companies should just assume that everyone in the country has a fully usable PC that they actually know how to use!
> 
> EDIT: When I go to the Directv site it says I need a browser Internet Explorer 7 or higher, Firefox, or Safari. It also says JavaScript needs to be enabled in the browser and the Flash level needs to be at least 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say the Directv site is just too far advanced for what the MSNTV2 has!
> 
> EDIT 2: We would really have no need for any thing that is portable as we would not be taking it anywhere!


I'm surprised it doesn't work on IE6 (fully that is), but to be honest, I can't wait for IE6 to die. DirecTV does support a browser that's 4 years old. I don't run Flash by default, and can do everything I want to on the site without issue.

But my main point was that DirecTV isn't assuming everyone has super modern systems, they are fairly safe in supporting the vast majority of systems. Systems that have Flash installed need to keep that updated just for security purposes.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Well all I know is I used to be able to use D*'s website perfectly. But then they kept changing it so people could have more information and do more online. In the process of change they shut me out so now I have to go to the public library to use D*'s website. I guess I should be thankful for the public library :angel:


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Dolly said:


> Well all I know is I used to be able to use D*'s website perfectly. But then they kept changing it so people could have more information and do more online. In the process of change they shut me out so now I have to go to the public library to use D*'s website. I guess I should be thankful for the public library :angel:


Right, the site has changed, but they can't keep maintaining full support for a browser that was released 9 years ago in August. And that's what your browser is based on. The problem is that a computer from that time period can have it's software upgraded to a supported browser. Your box doesn't have that option. DirecTV isn't doing anything wrong here, it's just the way it is.

It just comes down to that if you want to have full access to websites, you need something. It doesn't have to be an expensive system, that was my point on the netbooks. They are cheap and would work much better than the MSNTV. A reasonable system with IE7+ or Firefox etc and some sort of broadband Internet connection are the main requirements.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

There are computer design for senior citizen use. Mainly they have larger font type and simple graphic commands.

You can read about one at _A PLUS SENIOR COMPUTER_.

And another is the _GO COMPUTER_.

I believe there are a few more. But these two should give you an ideal of what they do.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Oh, does your local library have computers and online access. If so, you can fool around with them and see how knowledgeable you are. You just might be amaze with yourself on just how much you do know.


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Oh I can use the library computers just fine for what I want/need to use them for  But when I use them I'm only doing one thing--like using the Directv website. I have no idea of what all a computer--any computer can actually do. That was my thought that we didn't need a computer, but I'm afraid if we buy anything less than a full computer it will be like the MSNTV2 all over again. It will work fine for the sites we use for a while then like the MSNTV2 it will no longer be able to keep up with the sites


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Dolly, after all the indecision, it's time for you and your hubby to stop agonizing and make a choice. Almost any new or late model computer will do what you want to do. Sometimes, one just has to take a leap of faith. You're not still driving your first car, are you?


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## Dolly (Jan 30, 2007)

Nick said:


> Dolly, after all the indecision, it's time for you and your hubby to stop agonizing and make a choice. Almost any new or late model computer will do what you want to do. Sometimes, one just has to take a leap of faith. You're not still driving your first car, are you?


No I'm not still driving my first car, but I did drive a Blazer for 15 years  Oh I just saw your location I love The Golden Isles :sunsmile: We used to always go on our vacations there--that was back when we were working and had some money for vacations. Well my husband has had his mind made up for sometime, I just don't know where we are going to get the money to buy an IMac? Or even if we really need an IMac?


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Dolly,

If you get a computer, and have a problem, who would be the one you call for help? The manufacturer, neighbor/kid, son or daughter etc? 

That is an important consideration. I wouldn't let my mother buy a Mac because I don't know enough about them to do proper tech support.


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