Upgrade my Microsoft desktop or get a Nexus tablet? Stick with the Status Quo?

[Aquila]

If we can't have a civil discussion without insulting others then please don't bother posting. Nobody should be participating here or any forums for that matter and have to deal with someone making a cheap insult or dig regardless of anyone's level of skill or knowledge.

We applaud those that are here to help, not insult and drive people away.

I agree. While I consider myself currently at or above average knowledge regarding mobile and home computing technology today, I also know that 4 years ago I couldn't have cared less about phones or tablets or whatever. I purposely stayed out of the smartphone market for a long time because Blackberries LOOKED needlessly complicated and like they were inviting activity for the sake of seeming busy. The simplification argument just wasn't there - and I suppose I also appreciated not being tied to a beeping, blinking thing all the time. If you'd have asked me 4 years ago how to find the best app for calendar aggregation in whatever RIM's store is, I could have probably figured it out but I'd by no means "just know". This stuff, even Apple, IS NOT intuitive until you understand (even if subconsciously) a bit of the context of the intent behind the design.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Just wanted to give some closure, though I still haven't financially committed to anything yet.

Basically, it sounds like for $200 bucks I could get a chromebook that would probably meet 85-90% of my computing needs. I could also get a a low-end to mid-range Windows 8 Laptop for around $400.

The chromebook looks like a decent option, except I know there will be times when I need full windows support.

I don't really care about portability, so I'm still leaning toward getting a desktop, since I may be able to get a better machine for less, than a similarly priced laptop.

I was able to get more information on the $325 desktop I am considering. It's an Optiplex 780 with a 320 GB Hard Drive, a standard DVD Rom Drive and 4 GB of Ram. I know it is onlya dual core machine and I've seen some better prices online. However, I am OK with paying a little more to support a local business, 1 year warranty support etc. I am not really comfortable with assembling my own system.

I was thinking about upgrading to USB 3.0 for $30, 4 more GB RAM (total of 8) for $60 and a 1 TB Hard Drive for $60. That would bring the total to $475 + tax. It may be a little more because I was going to ask him to put the hard drive and DVD ROM from my existing machine and put them in the spare bays of my new machine. My DVD ROM is unlocked and the firmware has been modified to play DVDs from any region, so I want to keep it.

The total will probably be around $500, but I am sure I'll be keeping it for another 4 years.

At this point, my current machine is probably running slow and may have minor issues with the motherboard, since I have to reboot and run scandisk periodically. However, I am still thinking about keeping it and getting another 6 months to a year worth of mileage out of it.
I'd rather keep the money, since it is not 100% paramount that I upgrade.

If I was in the market for any new toys, I don't really care about any of the new phones coming out. I've been using my Nexus 7 LTE as a phone replacement since November. However, I may consider the Nexus 7 8" tab that is rumored to come out in 2014, assuming it also comes with an LTE model.

I am also looking at the HP 11 Verizon LTE Chromebook LTE. However, the specs are a little less than I would like, so I am definitely not sold.

For the desktop machine, I would make sure your processor can properly handle Windows 8.

For the HP11, I would still counter suggest the Acer C720.