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Buying a computer system/Questions Answered by Expert Karl Zick
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Computers | 12/13/2011 |
| Q: What is the difference in a laptop, notebook and netbook computers? I thank you for your reply. ... A: Yes it can. You can get a very nice slimline external CD/DVD player/burner for about $40 that hooks ... | |
| New Computer* | 12/4/2011 |
| Q: First time I've written to you, well, I've decided to get rid of my 2002 desktop Compaq XP w/256 Ram ... A: I just checked Fry's and they have a nice Lenovo (IBM) for $429 ... | |
| Buying a new pc | 11/20/2011 |
| Q: I am thinking about buying a computer that will last me through most of college. I was thinking ... A: I like Dell also, but order it yourself on-line and do not call one of their sales people or you ... | |
| What computer would be the best for my needs | 11/15/2011 |
| Q: I have recently purchased a 65" HDTV with an HDMI port in the rear. I would like to be able to watch ... A: The converter boxes you are looking at are intended to take a new cable (or satellite) digital ... | |
| What computer would be the best for my needs | 11/11/2011 |
| Q: I have recently purchased a 65" HDTV with an HDMI port in the rear. I would like to be able to watch ... A: Your question should not be what KIND of a computer to buy' but what FEATURES does it need'. To ... | |
| Computer build | 10/20/2011 |
| Q: Hey Karl, I'm needing advice on building own computer mainly for music recording/production and some ... A: I like your build 1 because of the Gigabyte motherboard. I've never had one fail - and I cannot say ... | |
| Buying a new PC | 10/5/2011 |
| Q: I really really need to buy a new computer. My current computer has got to be a good 8 to 10 years ... A: Years ago Dell made their PC's with a DVD PLAYER and a CD PLAYER/BURNER. At the time DVD burners ... | |
| Buying a new PC | 10/3/2011 |
| Q: I really really need to buy a new computer. My current computer has got to be a good 8 to 10 years ... A: Here is a very nice Dell Inspiron 570 for only $340: ... | |
| Buying a new PC | 10/2/2011 |
| Q: I really really need to buy a new computer. My current computer has got to be a good 8 to 10 years ... A: My favorite desktop these days is a Lenovo manufactured by IBM. You can usually get a fairly hi-end ... | |
| computer | 9/30/2011 |
| Q: I'm looking to buy a netbook to go online when I'm away from home to do light internet surfing. I ... A: The 7 inch netbook technology is so new that not a lot of user reviews are available. I did find ... | |
| order to get things | 9/23/2011 |
| Q: I have an old computer and still use dialup. I want to get both a new computer and subscribe to ... A: I would get the computer first so the Internet installer can get you on-line while he is there. ... | |
| new pc | 9/19/2011 |
| Q: how much should a desktop PC that will be used primarily for MS word, internet browsing, and ... A: I have grown to trust Lenovo (IBM) computers as much as any brand on the market. Sony may be a ... | |
| Computer purchase | 4/1/2011 |
| Q: I am about to start a homebased wedding planning business and I have a few questions on computers. I ... A: If I were you I would buy a Lenovo Ideacentre H405. Amazon has them for $350 and the reviews are ... | |
| New laptop | 3/30/2011 |
| Q: I am an expert (over three years) in another area. I want to purchase a laptop that is fast, has ... A: If I were shopping for a new laptop, I would buy either a Sony, a Lenovo (IBM), or a Toshiba - and I ... | |
| Stuck on choices | 2/24/2011 |
| Q: I am about to purchase a new laptop. I thought I had come to the decision to buy the Sony Vaio ... A: You are right - the processors are practically identical. As far as brand, Sony is top of the line ... | |
| First Timer PC Maker. | 10/23/2010 |
| Q: I started googling how to make my own gaming PC because I cannot afford today's gaming ... A: One last thing (I think). Don't forget the CPU fan and some heat transfer paste to rub on the ... | |
| First Timer PC Maker. | 10/23/2010 |
| Q: I started googling how to make my own gaming PC because I cannot afford today's gaming ... A: You didn't say anything about a CPU in your first question and I missed it. Sorry. The main ... | |
| Buying a new computer | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: I need a new PC for my home and home business. I can spend up to about $1000. A: In terms of quality and price, I would look at Sony first, then Lenovo (IBM) and finally, Dell. You ... | |
| new computer | 9/10/2010 |
| Q: I don't know if I'm in the right section of all experts - this area seemed to fit my question best. ... A: What I do is use my ide/sata-to-usb converter (about $20 from Newegg.com) to connect my old hard ... | |
| To build or to buy computer for photos/video editing | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: It is time for me to get a new computer and the most demanding thing I will be doing on it is ... A: I looked up your Gateway page on the Costco site and read the reviews. About half of them said ... | |
| laptop | 8/3/2010 |
| Q: My husband is looking into buying a laptop, he will be using it while traveling for internet and ... A: My favorite bangs for the buck' are Lenovo #IBM# and Toshiba - and you can get either for $399 or ... | |
| Buying a laptop. | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: I am interested in a laptop computer to play videos that I recorded on the hard drive through a TV ... A: I cannot recommend ACER computers. I have had some very bad experiences with their hardware and ... | |
| Laptop | 7/11/2010 |
| Q: I'm looking at a gatewaynv7915u, 600$. I have a little over 650 to spend. At most 700, tax included. ... A: I've had a Gateway notebook for a couple years and I wish I hadn't bought it. Hard to put my finger ... | |
| Buying a laptop. | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: I am interested in a laptop computer to play videos that I recorded on the hard drive through a TV ... A: My two favorite laptops on the market are Lenovo (IBM) and Toshiba. If I were buying one for myself ... | |
| Wite keyboard | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: Because of my poor eyesight I would like a white keyboard. I can't find a new one in the stores. I ... A: Keyboards these days are pretty generic and any brand will work with any PC as long as the ports ... | |
| Buying the right desktop | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: I do a lot of multitasking on my computer. I currently have an Acer laptop. I need something with a ... A: My favorite desktop computers at the moment are Lenovo's by IBM. If you check the Newegg and Geeks ... | |
| Computer Won't Boot Up* | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: When I start my computer, I get the error message "boot disk failure", so I go into bios & try ... A: The `boot disk failure' message means your computer is looking for your system start-up files on ... | |
| Printer Won't Print* | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: Don't know if you can help, but my 'Brother MFC 3240C' all in one printer wpn't print the black ink ... A: You have probably already found your problem. Lots of printer manufacturers have fixed their ... | |
| HELP DO I NEED A NEW COMPUTER | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: I am a pastor who uses a computer for writing, doing research on the internet, emails, and other ... A: The hard drive chatter you hear could probably be eliminated by adding some more RAM to your PC. ... | |
| buying dell laptop in india!! | 7/30/2009 |
| Q: ! i like to buy a dell studio15.dell laptops are recently ... A: My favorite laptops for the money are Lenovo (IBM) and Toshiba. I have seen them on sale at ... | |
| Notebook suggestion | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: Which of these two notebooks is better for general use on Windows XP? (internet, watching movie, ... A: Sorry, I missed the fact that you live in Latvia. Guess you ARE limited to your selection. Are the ... | |
| Notebook suggestion | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: Which of these two notebooks is better for general use on Windows XP? (internet, watching movie, ... A: Before I answer your question, do me a favor and check out the Lenovo (IBM) selection and the ... | |
| internet speeds | 7/20/2009 |
| Q: Just purchased a toshiba satelite L305-S5955 laptop today and its internet speeds are slower than ... A: The speed of your processor has very little to do with your download speed on a bandwidth test. The ... | |
| Online access with a Dell Inspiron 13 Laptop | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: I'm thinking of buying a laptop but I'll be the first to admit I am a computer dummy! My main ... A: If you use Google and search for a `usb dial-up modem' it will take you to lots of places that sell ... | |
| Question about Dell Laptops | 7/4/2009 |
| Q: Would you be able to give me a crash course in the differences between the following Dell laptops: ... A: Glad you asked me the question. I haven't checked Dell's inventory of notebooks lately and it looks ... | |
| Best brand of computer | 6/30/2009 |
| Q: What is the best brand of computer to buy. I have an Acer now that I bought at Wal-Mart and have ... A: First, an ACER isn't typically a bad computer - but all brands have their lemons. Also, if you ... | |
| Need Help Buying A Used Laptop | 6/22/2009 |
| Q: I hope you can help me. I am in the process of narrowing down my list of used laptop choices on ... A: First, I would never buy a used laptop of any brand. You are purchasing another persons cast-off ... | |
| netbooks | 6/20/2009 |
| Q: karl! could you tell me when the new models of netbooks will be coming out? the one i had planned ... A: If you do a Google search on `netbook reviews', the most popular (ACER, MSI, and Lenovo) will pop ... | |
| Netbooks | 6/17/2009 |
| Q: I am considering buying a netbook but have a few questions. The monthly fee to get guaranteed ... A: Netbooks (or any new laptop) will communicate with any wireless internet service (including your ... | |
| Buying a computer | 6/8/2009 |
| Q: I am in the market for a new computer and need some help picking which one to get. My budget is ... A: First, I will admit they MAC builds a great box and is slightly better than a PC in the graphics ... | |
| I need a new computer and need a place to start... | 6/8/2009 |
| Q: I currently have a Gateway lap top (model # W323-UI1?) that was purchased back I in 2006. Its on ... A: When shopping, stay away from Compaq, HP, and eMachines. Gateway owns eMachines now so I would add ... | |
| VGA | 6/8/2009 |
| Q: i want to know which VGA do u suggest which it's price is under 200$ and has the most abiliy for ... A: VGA stands for video graphics adapter. Most people use the term to refer to a vga monitor. If you ... | |
| Virtual memory | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: I received a note saying I did not have enough virtual memory. What is virtual memory and how do I ... A: Virtual memory is a computer system technique which gives an application program the impression that ... | |
| VGA | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: i want to know which VGA do u suggest which it's price is under 200$ and has the most abiliy for ... A: Go to http://3btech.net/monitors.html. 3btech is a great site that has free shipping and no sales ... | |
| LAPTOP with HDMI slot | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: I want to buy a laptop with HDMI slot. Please advise best one for connecting to 48" TV to watch ... A: All I can say is that some do and some don't and you will just have to shop around. While you are ... | |
| Helping me decide what computer to buy | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: I'm sorry but I don't exactly know who else to turn to besides asking a question here. I am ... A: Sounds like you have done your homework if you want to stick with a PC. The quad-core i7 is off the ... | |
| laptop versus notebook | 3/22/2009 |
| Q: What is the difference between a laptop and a notebook? Is one better than the other? Thanks A: They are exactly the same thing. The word laptop has been around longer and was used to describe ... | |
| Graphics based pc | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: My daughter is using a graphics tablet to draw and create mangas. She also wants to branch out into ... A: In today's computer world, I would not call any IBM computer `graphics based'. The very serious ... | |
| lenovo x61 | 3/14/2009 |
| Q: saw where x61 list $ approx $2000, now on sale for $700. called lenovo, they said b/c "end-of-life" ... A: My main machine is a loaded Lenovo AMD powerhouse and I cannot imagine having a better computer. ... | |
| Wireless | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: I would like to invest in a laptop and go completely wirless. Please advise. 1. Is wireless ... A: 1. If you are on the `transmit' end of wireless (which you would be connected to any wireless ... | |
| Buying a computer for college student | 7/29/2008 |
| Q: We are sending our son to college in a few weeks and want to get a laptop to go with him. We are ... A: Stay away from HP's, Compaq's, and eMachines. They are unstable and all have a high failure rate. ... | |
| New Computer | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: i was looking to get a new computer to run the age of conan game i got as a gift. I had heard that ... A: The term 'computer upgrade' has numerous meanings - and you need to explain to me your understanding ... | |
| hard drive | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: I have a hp pavilion dv8000. I want to take the hard drive out and back up the data to my desktop. ... A: Hey Evrim, Changing the RAM boards may help. Make sure they are the same type of RAM sticks ... | |
| hard drive | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: I have a hp pavilion dv8000. I want to take the hard drive out and back up the data to my desktop. ... A: I have a better idea now of what you are trying to do. First, your installation problem could just ... | |
| New Dell vs HP laptop | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: Which would you say it better, Dell or HP laptops? ANSWER: Dell ---------- FOLLOW-UP ... A: You asked a simple question and I gave you a simple answer. In general, Dell computers are a lot ... | |
| hard drive | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a hp pavilion dv8000. I want to take the hard drive out and back up the data to my desktop. ... A: I'm not sure I am following you. In the first place, your desktop is part of Windows and Windows is ... | |
| buying a laptop | 5/26/2008 |
| Q: I am a college student and I need to buy a laptop this year, and I can't decide what to buy. I need ... A: I would just save myself a lot of trouble and order a name brand notebook with a good support ... | |
| Printer | 5/26/2008 |
| Q: Karl, I need to replace my Epson CX6000 inkjet printer. Print quality was very good, but I've had ... A: Hey again Ed, To continue our Epson discussion for a minute, seems the company has finally caught ... | |
| Printer | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: Karl, I need to replace my Epson CX6000 inkjet printer. Print quality was very good, but I've had ... A: I have been an Epson man most of my computer life and currently have 2 of them sitting on a table ... | |
| computer for gaming | 5/20/2008 |
| Q: I need to buy a new cpu to hook upto to my LCD screen. I basically just want to be able to play ... A: Are you in a place where you can order on-line or are you stuck with what you can buy locally? ... | |
| os's | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: for just search the web and email. which would you recommend, toshiba, hp or mac A: Toshiba - hands down! While you are shopping though, Dell has a pretty good box also and their ... | |
| pc | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: can you recommend good value motherboard, also which cpu you would get AMD - Athlon 64 (S AM2) - ... A: Stick with the Athlon 64 X2 - it is a great CPU and AM2 socket motherboards are the thing these ... | |
| Brands to purchase | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: Hey there, First thank you for taking your time to answer questions from gals as myself.. I've had ... A: In my experience, the computers with the highest failure rates are eMachine, Compaq, and HP - in ... | |
| printer | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: I have a Canon Pixma printer,its about 4 years old. What is the life span on a printer that gets ... A: If you have a 4 year old printer, I would say you are WAY behind the power curve. Not only are the ... | |
| laptop | 1/20/2008 |
| Q: Im a graduate student that really needs to just break down and buy a laptop. However, I could really ... A: Without a lot of discussion about technical stuff, I will just say that that best noteboog deals, at ... | |
| laptops | 12/1/2007 |
| Q: 2 questions: 1. for just email & web searching, which laptop is most reasonable & better-dell, ... A: Toshiba is fine. I just saw a very nice one at Office Depot for $699. Stay away from Compaq, HP, ... | |
| desktop for gaming | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: internet, music&movie downloads and pay bills on line. i would like to play call of duty 4 the max ... A: If you log onto geeks.com and go to desktop computers, you can find awesome deals from one day to ... | |
| Monitors | 11/16/2007 |
| Q: What type monitor should I buy, regular or widescreen. I use my computer mainly for the web. A: Everything is going widescreen so that would be my suggestion. Monitors, however, are usually a ... | |
| buying a US made computer | 9/10/2007 |
| Q: Are there any good quality computers out there made in the US with US service? ANSWER: Hi Julie, ... A: Up until about 18 months ago, a good laptop was around 3X the price of a desktop - and that ... | |
| Buying a new notebook | 9/7/2007 |
| Q: I have been shopping for a new notebook for the past couple of days. I have always wanted a Mac, but ... A: Afraid I can't help you much in the MAC area. All I do know is that my son-in-law is a graphic ... | |
| computers | 9/2/2007 |
| Q: I want to buy a gaming computer, what brand do you recommand, I have looked at aleinware, ... A: The latest technology in processors is a 64 bit bus and dual-core construction. Both Intel and AMD ... | |
| buying a US made computer | 8/27/2007 |
| Q: Are there any good quality computers out there made in the US with US service? A: The trick is to buy a computer that doesn't break :o) Here is my 2 cents worth on buying a new ... | |
| which is right for me? | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: I am looking to buy a laptop but there are so many out there. I was hoping that if i provide you ... A: Adding price in as a final factor, I recommend the Gateway NX570. You should be able to find one at ... | |
| RAM | 6/19/2007 |
| Q: If I get the Acer Aspire at Circuit City that you previously recommended to me, and I want to add ... A: When I helped a friend purchase an ACER at Circuit city last week, they had their Kingston 1 GB DDR2 ... | |
| Buying a home computer | 6/17/2007 |
| Q: What's a good month to buy? What months do they go on sale? A: There is no 'best month' to buy a computer. Sales revolve around competition and processor ... | |
| Compatibility of Foxpro with core 2 duo | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: I bought core 2 duo machine and installed windows xp. Will the applications developed using foxpro ... A: Typically, your processor has very little to do with whether applications run or not. It can impact ... | |
| laptop | 3/26/2007 |
| Q: Karl. I am looking to replace my aging HP laptop. I'm looking for something that cab support top end ... A: I just purchased my first new notebook/laptop directly from from Gateway.com and, for the price of ... | |
| laptop purchase | 3/24/2007 |
| Q: I'm overwhelmed by the choices out there! My old computer just died. I'd like a new laptop but don't ... A: The simple thing to do is go to Dell.com and order one from them. Other options are to shop around ... | |
| PC for number crunching | 3/15/2007 |
| Q: I have a basic question that I think confirming. I know about PCs and different components etc. At ... A: Biggest is not always best. When looking at processors, the dual-core design is more important than ... | |
| Buying PCs | 3/9/2007 |
| Q: Sorry, Need to ask another question. I've noticed that there are some incredibly cheap, new PCs on ... A: These sources may be OK - but do you know what brands to look for and what kind of warranty and ... | |
| Upgrading PCs | 3/9/2007 |
| Q: I seriously need to upgrade my old computer. I need a gaming machine that can handle the more ... A: I would not waste my time upgrading your old PC. One of the most important upgrades you can make ... | |
Karl Zick
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am very familiar with all brands of computers and computer components and the best places to purchase them. Can also provide a lot of help to the 'build your own PC' folks.
Experience
over 20 years experience as a computer systems consultant and PC builder/user/trouble shooter.
Education/Credentials
BSEE from VMI and CIS degree from El Camino.
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