[desktop PCs] Do you buy your computers in "ready to use" state or do you buy them part by part?

[dos2unix]

I typically build my desktops, but lately I've been on a laptop binge lately.
Where I work, we typically by vendor made servers, and some small form IOT systems.

 

[TheProf]

I build all my PCs, I don't really trust others to build my computers, had bad experience with this in the past. Plus I can build the better computer for less by spending some time getting parts at a better price and not having to pay extra for someone to assemble it for me.

 

[CrazedNerd]

To me, it just boils down to whether its a laptop, desktop, or phone/pad device. With laptops and phones/tabs, you can't build with a reasonable amount of ease.

With desktops, i always prefer to build them for the sake of learning, and greater ease of just returning parts that either didn't arrive as promised or don't work.

This is part of the reason why i just have decided not to have a laptop...phones themselves now adays can do daily driver type tasks just as good or better than some laptops. Of course, you can't program or do sys-admin type stuff very well with a phone, but all normal stuff works fine on androids even though its a way for companies to easily collect my info.

 

[KGIII]

Of course, you can't program or do sys-admin type stuff very well with a phone, but all normal stuff works fine on androids even though its a way for companies to easily collect my info.

Amusingly, there are some (probably crazy) people who do both of those things. They're not very high in number, and sometimes it's a matter of necessity. Curiously, I know a person who has written two novels on a cell phone. I can't imagine that kinda experience.

I didn't mind some extended use back when I could get a smart phone with a slide out keyboard. Those were awesome and after a bit of use you can touch type your thumbs and have some degree of accuracy. Sadly, I haven't seen a new/good phone with a slide out keyboard in ages.

Not many folks are doing this yet, but a few of 'em are using their cell phones like laptops or portable desktops. They hook up a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and then use an external display. Someday, we might have standards that the OEMs adhere to and we could have universal docking stations where you just carry your computer with you as your phone and dock it when you're home or in the office.

 

[CrazedNerd]

Amusingly, there are some (probably crazy) people who do both of those things. They're not very high in number, and sometimes it's a matter of necessity. Curiously, I know a person who has written two novels on a cell phone. I can't imagine that kinda experience.

I didn't mind some extended use back when I could get a smart phone with a slide out keyboard. Those were awesome and after a bit of use you can touch type your thumbs and have some degree of accuracy. Sadly, I haven't seen a new/good phone with a slide out keyboard in ages.

Not many folks are doing this yet, but a few of 'em are using their cell phones like laptops or portable desktops. They hook up a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and then use an external display. Someday, we might have standards that the OEMs adhere to and we could have universal docking stations where you just carry your computer with you as your phone and dock it when you're home or in the office.

After i posted in this thread, i was thinking about how you could do some professional writing on your phone, i've done some non-professional writing on mine with a notepad program. However, it's generally a pain for me to do anything besides forum posting, texting, google maps, writing emails, browsing/research on my phone. If I plan to make a long post, i always do it on my desktop. I wrote a book of poetry on my desktop once with open office, and also did the graphic design and print ordering on a my desktop. If i had done all that through my phone, it would have come out really messed up with lots of errors, i'm sure of that.

And it would be so much more annoying if i did my routine tax-preparation on my phone, maybe even impossible. Phones IMO are better for gaming than any sort of serious work, they are fine for emails and conference calls though.

 

[KGIII]

If i had done all that through my phone, it would have come out really messed up with lots of errors, i'm sure of that.

I pretty much just make phone calls and text. If I'm out of the house in the afternoon (morning time is my time), I'll login to this site once in a while to fulfill my obligations. I might check another site, but that's about it. Any replies will be short, though autocomplete is pretty well trained on my current phone.

Though I do not use 'text-speech' - even when texting. I use proper capitalization, punctuation, spelling, etc...

 

[CrazedNerd]

Though I do not use 'text-speech' - even when texting. I use proper capitalization, punctuation, spelling, etc...

I personally despise text to speech or anything like "siri", it simply annoys me

 

[TheProf]

To me, it just boils down to whether its a laptop, desktop, or phone/pad device. With laptops and phones/tabs, you can't build with a reasonable amount of ease.

With desktops, i always prefer to build them for the sake of learning, and greater ease of just returning parts that either didn't arrive as promised or don't work.

This is part of the reason why i just have decided not to have a laptop...phones themselves now adays can do daily driver type tasks just as good or better than some laptops. Of course, you can't program or do sys-admin type stuff very well with a phone, but all normal stuff works fine on androids even though its a way for companies to easily collect my info.

I don't think I know anyone that builds their own laptops, phones, or tablets

 

[CrazedNerd]

I don't think I know anyone that builds their own laptops, phones, or tablets

Definetly not with phones and tablets...but i have seen laptop chassis for sale by themselves, i figure it would be kinda a nightmare to find the right motherboard unless you knew exactly where to look!

 

[SpongebobFan1994]

My current desktop is a pre-built. As much as I like the idea of customizing my own computer, the problems I have with doing that are:

A) I wouldn't know what I'm doing because I'm not a technical-oriented person. I could try learning how hardware works and then learn how to assemble/disassemble a computer by myself, but whenever I have tried learning something technical, I just get confused, overwhelmed, and annoyed, causing me to give up. Because of this, I rely on people who have a better understanding of it than I do.

B) Depending on what parts you get, it can be expensive. At one point, I was going to upgrade my desktop because it was somewhat old when my friend at the time gave it to me. He was going to help me do that (because that's his specialty), but he showed me a price list of the parts he recommended, and it was $700-something. Not only was I broke and in-between jobs, but for that price, I could've bought another used desktop for much cheaper.

C) Most CPUs have the Intel Management Engine or AMD Secure Technology in them, and even if I had to live with either or, having to disable them can be a pain. Thankfully, a number of manufacturers have started selling computers with them disabled.

 

[CrazedNerd]

A) I wouldn't know what I'm doing because I'm not a technical-oriented person. I could try learning how hardware works and then learn how to assemble/disassemble a computer by myself, but whenever I have tried learning something technical, I just get confused, overwhelmed, and annoyed, causing me to give up. Because of this, I rely on people who have a better understanding of it than I do.

Pre-built is just fine and can save money...but it's not genetic, anyone can learn how to become computer literate. Computer technicians aren't any smarter than greasy joe at jiffy lube: system intelligence rests on the understanding that nobody can learn everything.

The biggest issue i have had so far with building computers is that im always im afraid im going to break something, because that is a genuine risk when you build computers.

 

[SpongebobFan1994]

Pre-built is just fine and can save money...but it's not genetic, anyone can learn how to become computer literate. Computer technicians aren't any smarter than greasy joe at jiffy lube: system intelligence rests on the understanding that nobody can learn everything.

Everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses. I've mentioned in another thread I excel in the art field, so if someone sucks at writing and drawing but they're great at building PCs, that's perfectly fine. Also, if a person doesn't have much interest in a particular field, they won't push themselves to get better at that because they wouldn't feel any need to do so.

 

[CrazedNerd]

Everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses. I've mentioned in another thread I excel in the art field, so if someone sucks at writing and drawing but they're great at building PCs, that's perfectly fine. Also, if a person doesn't have much interest in a particular field, they won't push themselves to get better at that because they wouldn't feel any need to do so.

But what i'm wondering is that if you think it's fine to be dependent on people who are better with computers...why are you such a heavy linux advocate? Linux is all about doing it yourself and software transparency.

It is fine to rely on help from other people, people who think that it isn't are dishonest losers who rely on other people's efforts anyway...yet, your belief that you are "not a technical person" and are more artistically inclined makes me really curious about what you use linux for. I'm personally very artistic (i've written a book of poetry and several albums of music), yet i'm personally motivated very strongly to understand information technology because it's everywhere...

 

[SpongebobFan1994]

But what i'm wondering is that if you think it's fine to be dependent on people who are better with computers...why are you such a heavy linux advocate? Linux is all about doing it yourself and software transparency.

It is fine to rely on help from other people, people who think that it isn't are dishonest losers who rely on other people's efforts anyway...yet, your belief that you are "not a technical person" and are more artistically inclined makes me really curious about what you use linux for. I'm personally very artistic (i've written a book of poetry and several albums of music), yet i'm personally motivated very strongly to understand information technology because it's everywhere...

I value my privacy, I support digital and privacy rights, I like being in control of my computing, and I like how Linux is a community-driven project that isn't owned by one entity. Just because I heavily advocate FOSS doesn't mean I should be required to take a computer apart and put it back together in 1 minute, hanging upside down, and while blindfolded.

 

[CrazedNerd]

I value my privacy, I support digital and privacy rights, I like being in control of my computing, and I like how Linux is a community-driven project that isn't owned by one entity. Just because I heavily advocate FOSS doesn't mean I should be required to take a computer apart and put it back together in 1 minute, hanging upside down, and while blindfolded.

yeah nobody can do that anyway, putting a computer together in 5 minutes would require practice. Doing a rubics cube fast means knowing the algorithm for solving the rubics cube...