New Computer sticky idea....for 'I'm in need of a new computer' questions!

I actually think we ought to start a sticky 'thread' just for people wanting to buy a new computer....and include questions up-front for people to fill out and answer! Invariably, what I've noticed is that some OP's will ask a general question about a computer...but without a lot of information filled in. And so we end up on these long threads, answering questions that nobody was even asking in the first place.

I've seen this kind of thing done before elsewhere, and I think it could work here as well...

Here's my first stab at a questionnaire of sorts....

What is your general budget (within a $100-200 range)?

Do you want to buy local OR mail order?

Laptop or Desktop? Do you feel you understand the pros/cons of each?

Do you have a Mac or PC preference? Are you 100% set on one or the other?

What is this computer going to be built for? What types of tasks/uses you’ll be using it for? Breakdown usage if at all possible (40% general use, 40% photoshop, 20% gaming...you get the idea)

Do you have a monitor already OR do you plan to buy one?

Have you performed any research yet?

If you intend on building your own computer, do you have any current parts you can use?

Do you need the computer right away...or can you wait a few months?

This would weed out so many open-ended inquires....if people would tell us more information up front about what they are looking for.

Another idea.....rather than completely re-beating the Mac/PC drum over and over....why not create a Mac-PC sticky and then invite a couple Mac users and a couple of Windows users to write their plugs for each. Most of these Mac/PC's back and forths say little new....but the problem is that those threads get lost in old posts. So newbies can't find it....and then throw soft-ball questions that get the debates going again. Why not just have a dedicated Mac vs. PC sticky....have the mods pick a couple of people to write for *each* side....and then close it?!?!?

Here's my take:

P1- Do you currently have a computer with OSX or Windows?
Windows - continue to P1-a
OSX - skip to M1
Other - Skip to P1-b

P1-a - Do you currently need more power?
Yes - Skip to P2
No - Skip to P3

P1-b Do you really need help or are you just fooling around?
Really need help - Skip to an undefined section
Just fooling around - Skip to 'me Lou

P2 - Do you need a small lightweight form factor?
Yes - Skip to L1
No - Skip to D1

P3 - Are you currently looking for a laptop to go along with a powerful desktop you already own?
yes - Skip to L1
No - Continue to P4

P4 - Do you only want a larger screen?
Yes - Look for recommended monitors.
No - You likely have some sort of hardware failure. Check troubleshooting threads.

L1 - You are now searching for a suitable laptop: What size range do you need?

Under 12" - Skip to L2
12-14" - Skip to L3
15-16" - Skip to L4

L2 - You are currently looking for a netbook. Netbooks are usually very underpowered and only suitable as secondary computers. Do you have a secondary computer newer than 2006?
Yes - Continue to L2-a
No - You should reconsider this category. Return to L1.

L2-a Currently, all netbooks are more or less the same. The EeePC line is the current king of this category, but models from Toshiba, Acer, Dell, and HP also have what it takes. Netbooks tend to break down much faster than regular computers though, so backup often.

L3 - You are looking for a small laptop. Do you prefer absolute portability or a more powerful system?

Portability - Skip to L3-a
Power - Skip to L3-b

L3-a You are looking for an ultraportable laptop. These are generally under an inch at the maximum thickness, and have battery lives exceeding 6 hours. You will find an intel Core 2 Duo SU processor at it's core, and often no optical disk drive. These are not recommended as a primary laptop, but for extreme road warrior types, these allow all day computing. You will find that these laptops aren't very fast, but they will be fine for cameras up to the 1dmkiii or a 40d. Current top choices for this category are the ASUS UL series laptops (UL30, UL80) especially the Vt versions, due to reasonably low cost and good general performance. Vt versions can play back 1080p video, but video editing on these machines will be slow and painful.

L3-b You are currently looking at a portable laptop. These laptops generally have the same components as a low or mid level 15" laptop, but with a smaller, lower resolution screen. Most are fully featured, including secondary monitor outputs and optical drives. You will pay a premium for power and size over a similar 15" build, but often receive better battery life holding all the specifications the same. Suggestions for this category are: Intel i5 430 or i5 540 processor, 4gb ram, 200gb HDD.


---------------More to come at a later day---------------