Help me select my new computer

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?CS=19&kc=6VAFF&oc=DDDADG4&dgc=CJ&cid=24471&lid=566643. A Dell Quad PC that should do the job at $499. I would add a good Video card and you have yourself a good machine. Oh, and remove Vista and install XP

 

I'm discovering that it's the brief encounters and those that upgrade who recommend sticking with XP. For those starting fresh and those that have used it for quite awhile can't imagine having to tolerate XP anymore.

I've been using it for just shy of 2 years at home now. Vista is so much more convenient, a night & day difference. Having to use XP at work everyday is really a pain.

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Little Snitch gets very mixed reviews here.

 

Why are you asking a bunch of strangers on the internet? If I was one of your clients, I'd be a little ticked off and a wee bit litigious. Go to a professional IT service and have them set you up. Stop being cheap with your clients' data. Would you expect your clients to take the advice JOEBLOW492 gave him on the internet over yours?

 

Uhhhhhh..... That is different.

The proper place for a firewall is BETWEEN your computer and the internet... Not on your computer.

If you are subject to security requirments for your client data you have whole new set of issues that will determine the infrastructure you select and the security configuration and logging of you computer files.

XP may be discontinued for sale shortly but support will continue for another three years or so...

If you have Microsoft branded XP you can install it on a new computer. If you have an OEM branded version of XP your license will not allow you to install it on a new computer. It may be a nitpicky point but if you require a secure environment for your business you do not want a license that is out of compliance in the event of a legal issue.

I would suggest utilizing one computer as a small "server" and accessing it from the others. There are so many ways to configure this that it would take a whole book to explore all the options.

If you have security considerations and are responsible for maintaining confidential data for other people as part of your work you really need to have a professional specify, set up, configure, install, and maintain your systems to minimize your exposure to risk.

Whole new ballgame. Hire a professional who has O/E insurance and be done with it. I have been doing this stuff 20+ years and you would not believe the crap I have seen over the years. Hire a professional just as you would a lawyer, accountant, or investment firm.

The hardware will be the least of your expenses. Also, check with your insurance agent about data insurance options. I do not know what you do for a living but if I thought my accountant or lawyer was trying to determine system requirments from a message board focused on cars and fuel economy I would be shopping for their replacements.

 

I talked to several professionals before I bought my last computer, and the least cost, most effective method of securing data was not to connect it to the internet. So, now I have two computers. One for data, and another for communication.

 

In that case, I'd NEVER trust any software from Microsoft, operating system or applications. And I would not do business with someone who kept my confidential information on a Windows machine. You have your clients' children's social security numbers? Whatever for? Okay, you don't actually have to answer that question.

I'm curious, though, about your line of work where you have clients' confidential information and you also need extreme computing power.

As suggested above, you need a professional. And not just any professional: One who comes with top-notch references from people who are competent to judge the technical competence of the person, and not just his integrity. Just because someone is honest, does not necessarily mean he's competent, and vice versa.

 

Well, part of having a reliable backup process often involves utilizing an online connection, encryption, and secure connection via a broadband connection.

Are you working with bonafide consultants or using the expertise of a salesperson?

As far as determining that Windows itself is a problem, I wouldn't go there... Configuration and infrastructure is everything. In the systems I design you data would not actually leave the office (except for backup),regardless of whether you were looking at it from a remote location or on a second internal computer.

 

Uh, no, I was not hearing this from a salesperson. One of my clients, who also happens to be an IT pro, half-jokingly suggested that the only way to guarantee data security was to leave the machine disconnected. Maybe he was just having a bad day, but it turned out a second computer was less expensive and much faster than his services to bomb-proof the thing, so that's what we went with. I'm not suggesting for a moment this solution would work for everyone. I'm well aware there's a wide range of expertise on configuring computers, and that it goes far beyond connecting the cables.
But none of this is really relevant to the original question, so I'll cut my off-topic comments short and let the discussion continue.

 

You definitely need some kind of firewall on a laptop (and hopefully VPN client software and a VPN server to talk to), since you'll be connecting to insecure networks when you travel from the office.

And in my experience, firewall software is needed on desktop machines as well, because you never know when some moron in the company is going to attach an infected computer to the company's network. We have honey-pots and monitoring software on our corporate network, and despite our very competent IT group's best efforts to centrally manage and enforce security policies on all non-developer machines, some dumbass is always doing something stupid like bringing in their personal computer from home and attaching it to the corp network, and it goes banging away on every machine it can find (including the honey-pots and other traps set up to detect this kind of nonsense).

 

Buy a Dell. They have good specials with SAC terms. My PC has 3 GB of desktop ram, A dual Pentium processor, a 500 GB HD, and I am running Vista Home premium that is super fast compared to XP- (A true dog). I have run Dell's and they run smooth and offer exc. tech support-(Unlike HP & the Hindu connection). I would take a dell anyday to an HP. They are promoting exc. deals on many models & many have the new quad 4 processor. Go to Dell's site and browse around. I think you'll be pleased.

 

I have to butt in again.

The last poster said BUY a DELL.

Dells are crap, except the servers. I fix so many Dells it's coming out my ears. Desktops, some laptops and an occasional server. But come on, Dell never won an award for.... for.... Sales maybe.
Performance per dollar: LOL
Latest components: Only half the machine, then they put slow memory in it.
Latest software: Is anything Symantec or McAfee latest? (throws up)

And dude, you call Dell, YOU ARE CALLING INDIA.
All my Dell customers don't call DELL, they call me, I get the job done the first time!

Sorry, Dell may be sales leader but it's at the expense of the consumer. Like I said, some of their server aren't half bad.

ZC1

 

on a sidenote, macs running either dual-boot OSX/Windows or only windows have been benchmarked faster than comparable PCs. the "my software doesnt run on a mac" is no longer valid

 

Give me the link to that benchmark.

Your Mac is doing an emulation with hardware less than the PC's I'm building. It takes extra processing power to emulate.
Windows PC's don't have to emulate, they're just running natively from bootup.
Anyways, I've heard this before, give me the link (please)

ZC1

 

Dude, macs have been running natively on intel hardware for a couple of years. Try this link: Apple

 

I think that if you didn't already knows Macs were running Windows natively, you automatically lose all your credibility. Last time I checked a MacPro was actually quite a bit less expensive than a comparably equipped Dell Precision Workstation.

 

Apple iMac with Parallels to run Windows

Trust me!

 

the masses concur-the mac is a better buy regardless of your system. and also, its not emulation anymore. since the switch to intel chips, macs run windows. better than a pc. end of story. if you want to argue, yes, you'll lose disk space to hold two OSs on one computer. but if you get a 250 gig drive, i dont think youll really notice.