here's some places to compare prices- new pc or various parts..
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...EW.asp?CatId=6
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...me=Desktop-PCs

http://www.pcdirectsource.com/parts.cfm?Cat=53

Okay. I have two more questions. Actually one, because NO ONE ANSWERED MY MODEM QUESTION. Can I just unplug what I have now connected and just re-plug the modem and IT WILL WORK??? Or do I have to install modem stuff?

And now here's my other question. Suppose I don't want to keep my tower. Seems more trouble than anything now that I think of it.

Can't I just go to the computer store and say "I want to keep my monitor, and keyboard and mouse, all I need is a NEW COMPUTER!!

Then he shows me what is on the market today, and I say "okay" and I buy it for WHATEVER, because I have no idea how much they cost today. Then I bring it home, (and I have all cd's for all my peripherals by the way).

So let's say I buy a new computer (just the tower), and it comes with Windows Vista (what else do they come when you get a bundle??). Can I bring it home and hook my monitor and keyboard and mouse? Will I have to use the cds that came with the monitor, keyboard and mouse?

Or are these things plug and play?

AND SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION ABOUT THE MODEM.

lol
Melody

LOL Melody you are a riot!!

Any computer you get should detect your DSL modem and put you online without doing much of anything. The only time you would need software is if your DSL provider has a place where you need to put some kind of password, but I havent seen this for quite a while.

The links that Jo have here are a great place to shop around for just a tower. You should be able to buy just the tower, and your monitor and keyboard will be plug and play, no drivers or software required. Things are getting easier and easier for computer users. Just hook up your monitor, keyboard, mouse and internet connection and you will be surfin the net in minutes!

To beef up your current computer look at getting a SATA hard drive, and some new memory. You can up grade to vista also, or if you have a win xp disc you can continue to use that OS.

Something I have been recommending is a good thorough cleaning of the inside of the computer every year. What I do is take the side off and take a can off air and blow all the dust out of every nook and cranny, taking extra care in making sure the cpu fan and cooling fans are all blown out real good.

Then a clean install of the OS is in order bringing the registery to that new first time user feeling. It will feel like your computer is brand new. Just remember to back up all files you dont want to lose, because a fresh install wipes everything out.

If you want this done to your computer, find out how much it will be. It may not be worth it to fix up an old one, after buying the new parts and paying the guy to clean up and upgrade your computer, it might be the same price as buying a new tower. Just make sure you compare the two before you decide which way to go

We have Verizon DSL and modem, but we have a wireless router hooked to our modem also.
With a plug in dsl connection you should be fine.

I only had to install & set up our modem the very first time we started using it. probably to get it online and registered etc. It's been years now so I don't recall the details.

We have totally rebuilt computers, and done testing on other computers and they all see the connection with no setup or hassle.


Prices are coming down on all this stuff so quickly , you should be able to find a nice deal.

I suggest going to a store and trying Vista to see if you really like it or not.
Some online or smaller local stores will have XP as the operating system still available.
or the new Windows7 is coming out sometime soon
I haven't looked at it at all though.

I saw one of those links had a free upgrade from vista to 7.

to JoMar and Allen:

Thanks to you both for your nice EASY answers.

what the heck does one do with an operating system??. With Windows XP, well, it didn't matter if it was 98, XP, CZ OR OX.

I just went on line or I went into word pad and typed some documents, or I went into my logitech camera thingee and did some videos and then went online and uploaded to YOUTUBE.

See, I know how to do LOADS OF STUFF, NOW DON'T I??? lol lol lol

But I can't for the love of me, figure out what is the difference between vista and other operating systems. (My first one had DOS by the waY)

For example, yesterday I was at the lady across the street's house and she has Vista. I just made her type in her password, and then got her online. So what is the big difference between VISTA and XP??

What the heck does one do with an operating system, other than go into your other applications, or go online.

I know how to do word processing, and I've played games, but I can't figure out what the difference between VISTA and XP, (probably because I have XP. When I got this one, I had previously had Windows 98.

so I got this HP media center with XP (5 years ago), and I didn't use the XP, I just used my wordpad, and went online, and did my logitech videos, and played games on my computer.

Is there something else that XP, or VISTA can do? Or is it just the operating system?

So if you can clear me up on THAT QUESTION, that would be great.

so here's what I know for now.

Okay, here's what I know so far. Just say YAY!!! or NAY!!! if I got anything wrong or right.


I go to the computer store, tell the guy there that all I want is the tower. I take a look at VISTA (hopefully he'll explain stuff to me but I doubt it). I then buy the computer and go home and simply unplug the stuff from the back of MY tower, and replug the stuff into the back of the NEW tower, and everything should light up, sing songs, my modem will be in sync and I'll lg on and go online, only with the new one, EVERYTHING WILL BE FASTER???

Oh, right now I have an Athlon, 1.0 gb memory, and 200 GB hardrive. What do I look for in the NEW one. 3 gigs of ram. A million hard drive GB???lol

So let me hear a YAY or a NAY!!!!

Oh, and this is funny!!

You see, the computer guys around here are all 20, and when they see a 60 year old walk in, they walk the other way. I've tried this and it HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. They think we are complete idiots.

Only once (and this happened in the phone store), when the guy was explaining the phone to me, and I said "I am thinking of buying a new computer and he looked at me with amazement and said "YOU KNOW HOW TO USE A COMPUTER???" and I looked him dead in the eye and said:

"My dear, almost 35 years ago, my company picked ME OUT OF ALL THE EMPLOYEES, and sent me to IBM computer school where I learned the first desktop system. I had a dot matrix and I did Multi Mate Advantage software."

The look on his face was priceless. I then really jabbed it home when I said "Oh by the way, I know that URL means Universal Resource Locator, and HTML means Hypertext markup language".

He nearly fell over the counter (I get some good ones in now don't I).

That's when he began answering some of my computer questions, but then this was a SPRINT PHONE STORE and not a computer store.

I can just imagine when I walk into one of those today and the guy takes one look at me and walks away. What the heck do I do, run after him and say:


"Hold on there young-un, I'm here to buy a Computer".

this should be VERY interesting.

See, I'm like a boy scout. I like to BE PREPARED.

Alan (my hubby), just wants to sit down and start typing. He knows NOTHING about software, hardware or anything. He won't even carry a cell phone (sigh).

So my dear Allen and Jomar

THANKS SO MUCH!! Couldn't do any of this without you!!!

Oh, one more thing. Right now I have Verizon Internet Security Suite. I know that any new computer will come with it's own anti-virus thingee.

And I know that you can't have TWO anti-virus thingees on a computer.

So I gather than when I get the new one (if I ever do that I mean), I bring it home, I then call up Verizon and they will help me download a version for the new computer. And then I uninstall the McAffee or Norton, or whatever is on the new one? Or do I do this first, BEFORE I DOWNLOAD VERIZON INTERNET SECURITY SUITE. I love the Internet Security suite because every time I had a problem, I just called up Verizon, and they helped me EVERY TIME. I pay an extra 5 bucks a month but the peace of mind is really good.

so any opinions on this one would be welcome.

Thanks much

Melody

Mainly they just look different and and switching from XP to Vista is more of a visual change and the layout of some areas will be different.
The computers I worked on with Vista took an extra click to OK some actions.
I didn't care for that with my rsi, but it is a safety thing I guess, so people don't accidentally delete or remove something by mistake.

For the basic things of going online, making a video or typing a document it would be pretty much the same.

[Is there something else that XP, or VISTA can do? Or is it just the operating system?]
as soon as you pc boots up you are using the operating system.

Operating Systems {OS} general info
Win 98/XP /Vista are what makes the computer do things like the brains.
If you had no Operating System you would have a pile of parts that does nothing.

Linux is also an OS - and has many distro's and is free. Generally they use less system resources that the Windows OS and are less susceptible to viruses. But Microsoft got the mainstream in sales and back then Linux was more for geeks. But now they have some distros' that are very comparable to the Microsoft OS.

And there's Apple/ Mac which has it's own OS & hardware system.
you can't put a Mac OS on a pc and you can't put MS OS or Linus on a MAC computer.

unless you use a program to allow the conversion/emulation - but that's getting pretty deep into things LOL

[I go to the computer store, tell the guy there that all I want is the tower. I take a look at VISTA (hopefully he'll explain stuff to me but I doubt it). I then buy the computer and go home and simply unplug the stuff from the back of MY tower, and replug the stuff into the back of the NEW tower, and everything should light up, sing songs, my modem will be in sync and I'll lg on and go online, only with the new one, EVERYTHING WILL BE FASTER???]

Yes = faster more details below-
It should recognize everything for you, if not you can go online to get what you need.

I suggest playing around on one of the laptops at the store to "test drive" Vista - to see if you like how it looks compared to your XP. Around here they always have the darn things on all the time at the big stores .
do that before a salesperson is hanging over you. LOL

I think many of the big box stores have a keyboard & mouse along with the actual computer , if so you'll just have spares. Usually the monitor is sold separately.

You might even be able set up Vista to look more like XP if that is what you want to do. control panel /appearance/themes etc.


With a new computer you will not have any bookmarks/favorites/pictures/passwords etc...

so any of those that you want to have to put onto the new pc you will have to save as files and copy to a cd, flash drive or something so you can load them on to the new one.

BUT if you are concerned about possible viruses/Trojans/spyware on the old pc do full scans of those files before transferring to the new pc.

or you could write out all your passwords & websites and add them in manually.
same for any emails/ settings/ saved messages

anything on the old pc that you want to save to add onto the new one.
Of course you'll still have the old one around to get the info off of if you need to. I wouldn't toss it out if it still works.
Keep it around for awhile as a back up in case you need to get files off of it.

Most new pc come with 30/60/90 days free security on it.
I didn't care for the Norton layout so I removed it from parent's system and installed Zone Alarm sine I had a license/key for 3 pc's.

So you can do that too and put on what you prefer.

For what you use your pc for- you don't have to max out the memory/ram same with the hard drive size {is yours full now?} - just look in your price range and see what they come with.

I'm using an 80G hd and only 1/3 full, but I have a back up 200G and a USB 250 G external for long term backups and in case of major crashes.
Of course it all depends on how much and what you save and how often you clean it out.
my Ram is 1.5G so anything above that should work fine for you.

basically the more windows or programs you have running at one time the more ram you will need.
Gaming & intensive video/photo editing stuff are what requires more horsepower LOL

Okay, !!!! I THINK I GET IT.

Now one more question. (actually 2).

Aren't favorite places on the server side (I have mozilla).

do you mean we have to take a cd rom and put it in the lightscribe thing and copy the favorites to the cd? I have no idea how to do this. ALAN has so many favorites I cannot copy them all by hand and write them down.

I thought if we got a new computer and signed into Mozilla (now how stupid do I sound, who wigns into mozilla firefox?).

I guess I just answered my own question.

So how does one copy favorite places.??

Thanks much

Melody

Oh, one more question. If we decide to get a laptop, then I gather all I do is unplug the computer I have now, remove it from the desk (monitor too), and just place the laptop there and plug it in?

Is this right?

Thanks

Melody

well, i think i did it. i did something, i know that!!!

I put the cd in the LIGHTSCRIBE CD-WRITER.

I then went to my desktop and saw the MY BOOKMARKS ICON.

I then clicked on that icon, and chose SEND TO-

I then chose the DRIVE E.

I gave me some problems at first telling me THERE IS NO WRITABLE CD IN THE DRIVE, OR THE DISC IS FULL".

I only had 4 or 5 songs on that disc so I deleted them all.

So essentially I had a blank disc.

so I started over, and Sent the BOOKMARKS FILE TO THE DISC IN DRIVE E.

It worked.

Now I wanted to see what I actually had on the disc, so I went to the Start menu, I clicked on EXPLORE, I cliced on Drive E and there was the file (or folder, or whatever it's called).

I double clicked on that and guess what happened next?

I get a message asking me 'HOW DO YOU WANT TO OPEN THIS.?

It gave me a long list of options, once of which is Firefox.

Do I click on Firefox to see what is on the disc in Drive E?

And if this is so, that I gather that once I buy my new computer, I put the Bookmarks CD in the cd rom thingee of the new computer, and

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

So

1. How to I get to view what I just copied to this disc.

2. When and if I buy a new computer, how do I get the bookmarks for viewing when I go online? I gather I just copy them to the bookmarks folder in Firefox (???), I mean, when I get the new computer, and I am on Firefox, and I click on Bookmarks, will they be there?

Thanks much.

HEY I'M LEARNING, I'M LEARNING!!!

lol

Melody