Ex-Church of Christ Support Board

I'm thinking about getting a new computer and several Hewlett Packard ones seem interesting. I have a 14 year old MacBook fixing to give up the ghost. Any opinions about HP from any of you?

I've had one before...I don't remember specifics, but just asked my DH. He says he thinks they make a good product, that they're all "pretty much the same".

Right now I have a fairly new Dell and it's giving me a few minor problems, but it's probably the operator's fault.

We always get Dell, and I've had both good luck with the computers, and excellent customer service from Dell whenever there has been some problem with the computers. That's - oh, roughly thirty years with Dell? About that. Our girls took Dell laptops to college, except the youngest, who thought she wanted to do graphic stuff (she didn't) and who asked for, and got, a Mac something.

One really nice thing about Dell is that you can just call them up and talk to a person, and simply tell them what you want a computer FOR and what you want the computer to DO and Dell will build you one to do exactly that.

I also have an iPad, because it is very small and light, and I want to use it for traveling instead of carrying around my (relatively large and heavier) laptop. It is a pain in the proverbial rear, because it is NOT a PC, and I am NOT an 'Apple devotee' and it does not behave the way I expect and either cannot do, or (more likely) I cannot figure out how to MAKE it do, the things I want a computer to do. Plus it doesn't have a card reader, or a CD player - I actually USE THOSE THINGS, darn it. I can live without them for short periods, so - I will deal. I'm just not thrilled.

Annoying. There's nothing WRONG with it, but it just doesn't have - or is successfully hiding - the functions I EXPECT (and actually need).

HOWEVER - that said - if you are used to an Apple product, you may be happier with an Apple computer, even though they cost more - and, in my limited experience with them - are a lot less durable and lot more prone to problems AND they cost an arm and a leg and another arm to get fixed.

PS BH - read reviews. I hear good things about Lenovo, for instance. And some people actually are fine with a Chromebook - which is basically a use it and dispose of it in a year or two, product.

I went ahead and got the HP Envy. It came with a keyboard and mouse. I went ahead and got a new printer and monitor too.

BH, keep us posted on how you like it.

One thing I don't like about my Dell is that it's packed with all these apps that you can't opt to delete. For instance, I like to use Google instead of Bing, but they really want me to use Bing, which I don't really like.

Oh, well...I'll get over it.

Ivy, you can certainly set your BROWSER to use Google for your search engine as the default. I know you can, because I did!

It should be a checkbox in your settings.

In other words, that's not a DELL thing. That's a BROWSER thing. I don't know which browser you are using, though.

I have let's see - three browsers downloaded on my Dell. I prefer Firefox, but at least one site I have to do something with from time to time will not 'recognize' Firefox, and I have to use Chrome.

It is made of metal not plastic and runs really quite. Since I live in an apartment and gas the internet in my phone I never got internet hookup for a computer. When I get that going I'll give more details

agricola wrote: ↑Wed Apr 26, 2023 5:41 pm Ivy, you can certainly set your BROWSER to use Google for your search engine as the default. I know you can, because I did!

It should be a checkbox in your settings.

In other words, that's not a DELL thing. That's a BROWSER thing. I don't know which browser you are using, though.

I have let's see - three browsers downloaded on my Dell. I prefer Firefox, but at least one site I have to do something with from time to time will not 'recognize' Firefox, and I have to use Chrome.

Of course I know to set my browser default to Google. It's just all of the apps embedded in Microsoft, which came with the Dell. So you're correct, it's not Dell's fault. Just a bit annoying. I used to use Firefox, but haven't seen anything of that in ages. Just not a big fan of Microsoft Bing.

I've had Firefox for decades and it is still alive and kicking, but Chrome is taking over. BUT darn it! All my saved bookmarks etc are in FIREFOX and I haven't had the time, energy or inclination to figure out how to move them over without repeating everything individually (shudder). I suppose I should.

But I'm so old, I started with DOS 3, and the internet was dial up on a landline phone. In some ways, I am very 'computer literate' and in others, I'm a dinosaur.