Basic PC from a bricks and motar store - No Windows 8

• 

  Riczter on 22/08/2013 - 11:21

  just install start8 on it. They wont even know the difference.

  • 

    goatus on 22/08/2013 - 11:59

    Thanks, Wasn't aware of that app - is it really just the start menu that will stump them?

• 

  Riczter on 22/08/2013 - 12:08

  basically yeah. the stumping factors are that it starts in the windows 8 start screen. So straight away you have no idea how to turn it off, you cant exit out of anything because all the apps open in full screen mode…
  If you figure out how to get to the desktop theres no way to get to the control panel.. its a nightmare..

  But with start8, it logs straight into the desktop mode, and brings with it all the familiarity of windows 7, and allows the user to choose when and if he wants to visit the windows 8 start screen. much less of a culture shock.

  It costs $5 though, but very much worth it, even if you do know how to use windows 8.

  Also Win-X is a very useful shortcut key.

  • 

    scrimshaw on 22/08/2013 - 15:04

    Start is Back is cheaper and does the job fine. $3 bucks for a 2 key license.

    Installed it on my parents computer after a Windows upgrade and they don't even notice the difference!

• 

  stratbargain on 22/08/2013 - 12:16

  Yeah Windows 8 is actually very good once you add the start menu back.

  I use http://www.startisback.com/ which I highly recommend and it's only $3 (for 3 licenses) but start8 is good too.

• 

  grog on 22/08/2013 - 12:26

  I see the "metro" stuff in windows 8 once daily for about 2 seconds until i hit the "windows and "D" key.

  Once at the desktop i use toolbars in the taskbar and "pin" programs to the taskbar etc so i never see metro during noemal operation, even shutting down i use Windows key and "C".

  Also make shortcuts from programs exe file onto the desktop and show the desktop in taskbar.

  It only takes a few minutes to set up the programs pinned to taskbar etc then cruisin…

  I think windows 8.1 due in a few weeks will allow booting direct to desktop.. even easier.

  Also there is heaps of "hotkeys" to make it even better.

  Windows 8 is good stuff i reckon.

• 

  p1 ama on 22/08/2013 - 15:56

  You might want to consider something custom built, if that interests you.

  From MSY, I would suggest just grabbing:

  • Asus P8H61-M-LX3 - $50
  • Intel Celeron G1610 - $48
  • 4GB DDR3-1333 Patriot - $37
  • 2TB Seagate HDD - $96

  • SHAW GT-DF1 - $37

  • Total = $268, invest some time to build it yourself (takes around 20 mins if you know what you're doing).

  Windows should be around $100. So you save a bit of money, you get better parts, better processor, more RAM, larger hard drive…etc. Might be something you would be interested in.

  Also, I should mention that since the old comp has carked it, you might be able to salvage what you can or even fix it. Take a look at the CPU, MB, RAM, HDD…etc. Usually you can almost always salvage the HDD, unless it's what failed. Even the RAM should still be good. Even if you can't salvage anything at all, there's always the case :P

• 

  ethereal88 on 22/08/2013 - 16:07

  -2

  That PC is trash. No Gigabit ethernet, no USB 3, and for the price, a pansy old model Celeron with only 2GB RAM. Fail. I'd pick up a G1610+Asrock B75M board from MSY, that mobo from paulsterio is an old piece of rubbish with an obsolete chipset.

  • 

    p1 ama on 23/08/2013 - 19:10

    +2

    You can get a B75M motherboard if you want, it's just be unnecessarily increasing the price on what seems to be a budget system.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 23/08/2013 - 20:09

      Intel G1610 and B75M together should work fine as a budget build as well.

    • 

      ethereal88 on 24/08/2013 - 07:46

      -1

      What? Its $11 more for a B75M-DGS R2 with native SATA 3 and USB 3, not some old obsolete piece of rubbish with nothing native.

      • 

        p1 ama on 24/08/2013 - 11:37

        +1

        I went with an ASUS board because generally ASUS and Gigabyte are the most dependable motherboard brands. My aim was to build the cheapest system possible, which was what the OP was looking for.

        With budget systems, my aim is to always go for decent solid components at budget prices rather than going for the bells and whistles. You're right native SATA3 support would be nice and so would USB 3.0, but for a budget system, SATA3 effectively means nothing anyway. USB 3.0, at the moment, is also unnecessary in this system unless the users are often transferring large files to external hard drives.

        You're right, it's $11 more for a little more. Well it's also a little more to upgrade to a Pentium, it's also a little more to get a better case…etc. The point is, I wasn't making some definitive guide. I suggested a few components which I thought would be good in a budget system.

        I'm not going to sit here and argue with you, you can think XYZ is obsolete rubbish if you want to, at the end of the day, OP will make choices on what to buy, what I've set out are just suggestions, it might not be the best.

      • 

        ethereal88 on 24/08/2013 - 11:52

        -1

        Its 2013 and you want to buy a mobo from last year with no modern features, how will it last? To save $11? It's got nothing to do with a Pentium or a case, you are avoiding the issue. $11 and you have a way more future proof system.

      • 

        p1 ama on 24/08/2013 - 12:09

        There was never an issue to start off with, so I don't see how I'm "avoiding the issue", I have already said, in my initial response to your suggestion, that a B75M motherboard would be good if the OP needed USB 3.0 (let's be real SATA 3 is completely unnecessary).

        I'm not trying to argue here.