Check out Overstock.com. They seem to have quite a few choice and you won’t be forced to buy Windows 8. I’ve been looking at some there, but haven’t sprung for one yet.
One idea ... put an ad on craigslist. Here in PA, they are making it difficult to put computers, monitors, TV’s, etc. in the trash. It sounds like an EPA thing, so it may be national. There might be someone that would be very happy for you to pick up their old computer and save them a trip to the recycle center. Hopefully, a working computer.
If your pc kicked the bucket then how did you manage to post this thread?
Bite the bullet, spend the money and get an iMAC or MacBook Pro.
You won’t regret it.
I used to build my own PC boxes and haven’t missed Windoze a bit.
If you have any thrift stores in your area (Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc) they may have something available. Prices on their used electronics are typically low.
Got Craiglist or a local Goodwill? Have a budget? My son just put together a nice box for about $425. with, I think, 8 GB RAM and a huge solid-state drive. It hauls ass. Installed Windows 7 in under 10 minutes.
what do you mean by “Kicked the Bucket”?
If the harddrive failed you could still run Linux off a USB or CD
Go to Best Buy. Get an eMachines for less than $300.
Your back in business.
They have references to other sites (they don't sell anything -- they are comparable to bookfinder.com for books).
I recently used this site, and bought a fairly new Dell Laptop for just under $200. Now it was one that was coming off lease, and the battery may eventually need to be replaced, but I like the laptop.
They have new, re-furbished, and those coming off lease.
Maybe someone on FreeRepublic.com will give you something...
Check with a computer repair store, not a best buy place, for that.
Good luck with getting up and running again, 2DV
Mac ?
NewEgg.com
Look up Chromebooks. They’re cheap <$200 and get the job done.
Sorry for your loss.
Check your local repair shops. They often have some rebuilt ones for free. Also, just check with your local friends. I bet many are like me who have several old ones sitting around collecting dust and they may sell it cheap or trade it for something.
Decent older machines with XP for $100-150 or less depending on what you need.
I have been using one I bought for $125 for at least 4 years. Works great for basic internet stuff but I don't play games much. I did upgrade to a bigger hard drive and better graphics card as I could, but it wasn't really needed. Pricewatch.com is also good for me.
Also watch geeks.com specials.
Edited to add: I meant the refurbished computers on Overstock. Heck, check out refurbished from anywhere, sometimes you can get really good warranties with them, too.
Can you furtner describe “kicked the bucket” please?
Most PC’s fail due to a bad hard-drive, or get cripple from a virus. A new hard-drive is less than $100 for 1TB of storage (more than most normal humans need). Flat-screens can be found for under $100 too, if it’s just the monitor or screen that’s out. The other bits, being solid-state, rarely fail unless subjected to excessive heat or a lighting strike.
As far as software goes, the Ubuntu distro of Linux is completely free, as are the Firefox and Chrome browsers. OpenOffice is a good replacement for Microsoft office, so you can pretty much load it up and run what you’d need for very little money.