just so no one panics, my computer is down, so I will not be online for a bit.
everybody take some huggles to keep you busy till I get back!
my computer is down
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Comments
Re: "Down" computer & PSA: (weekly) backup all your "goodies".
In many (I hope!) places, public libraries may offer free use of a computer. Maybe same for local (community) colleges.
If no card, ask if a guest can use.
Places like office supply stores may offer a computer for in-store use ... sigh, rental fee may apply.
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With luck, we have a friend who has that old computer they never got rid of ...
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And of course, wishing your computer a swift (and cheap!) recovery.
Sorry to hear that :(
Wish I could help, but I am stuck in the mid-west. I have 2 regular PC's and 2 Raspberry Pi 5's on my desk, with 4 more PC's, 4 laptops of various vintage, and 7 more RPi's scattered through the house. Why yes, I do need a life, why do you ask?
In the meantime, might I suggest a Linux bootable usb drive to get online, assuming the hardware is okay and it is just the drive that crapped out? Hope everything is okay /hugs
Diana
Sorry to hear that your
Sorry to hear that your computer is down.
If you have to replace it, here is what I would recommend (I did work in a Computer repair shop, until last Friday when I quit, long story and this isnt the place for it)
These are what we would recommend to our customers as a base minimum specification:
CPU: Intel i5 14th generation or Intel core 5, (Core 5 or Core Ultra 5 are the new 15th generation CPUs) or better
AMD Ryzen 5 7000 series or better
RAM: 16GB of RAM
Storage: 1TB of SSD Storage
When it comes to computer hardware, generally, more is better, and higher numbers are better.
If you have a Costco near you and have a membership, they are a very good place to get a very nice computer for very little money. Though you might find a better deal on Costco's website. The Brands we recommended most the time were Dell or HP, both have been fairy good the last several years.
It is amazing in the last several years at how cheap computers have gotten for the amount of computer you get.
A few years ago we would have told you, you would probably need to spend 1000+ to get a decent quality computer. Now I can go to Costco and get the same machine for sub $600, and sometimes down into the $400 range.
You also need to be aware that new computers are not the long-lasting beasts that they used to be. A modern-day computer with an SSD will probably only last between 4 and 6 years on average. Mainly because of the SSD. SSDs have a limited lifespan in the number of writes they can do. Now that doesn't mean they won't last longer, we just don't tend to trust them with our critical data after that time.
IMHO, I wouldn't recommend
IMHO, I wouldn't recommend Intel's latest - they have reliability problems, and well... nope.
Also - any 1Tb SSD in cheap price range would use QLC flash, and they have limit on write cycles and would be slow.