Why would a computer be junk if something failed after the warranty period? Does not make sense really and if you are that unsure why pay such a high price for something you may not have confidence in?

Google for a few computer help forums and you'll soon notice that most of the help needed these days is due to the user not being diligent in many cases and software related. Precious few are hardware problems any more. You might also check the dates of threads, back in the day a busy help forum could fill 3 or more pages in an evening, now it is not uncommon to see a week's worth of posts on the lead page. A testament to how good the computers are compared to back along a few years.

Once you narrow your choice down visit Youtube and type the make and model into the search feature, you very likely see a number of videos reviewing and offering repair guides.

Spend only so much for your new PC that you will be able to afford to replace it (like for like) in 4 or 5 years. If this is a desktop that won't be tousled around, if it lasts through the warranty period, it'll be good for 5 years and probably much longer.

I'd stay out of local computer repair shops, they're dinosaurs. The comment they gave you is nonsense (and wrong). When a PC breaks from accident or impact, the smart thing to do is to send it to the manufacturer's repair center anyway.

The all in ones I know - Sony & Apple - most certainly can be opened and accessed, but I'd never give one to a local yokel to touch. Sure, screens can fail (like on laptops) and they most certainly can be replaced. On a machine approaching middle age, doing so would be wasting money.

Owbist...do you also think maybe the reason there aren't so many questions any more is that people are getting more computer savvy (sort of hard to put into words). But..I, as a senior citizen, had a LOT of questions when I got into the world of computers..as time has gone on, I've learned a lot (mostly from reading at this site) and don't have nearly as many questions as I used to have. I still come here from time to time with a question, but not nearly as often as I used to. Others of my generation are about the same as me or never got into learning about computers at all. My children didn't grow up with computers but they had the first video game things that came out and they are computer literate. "Their" children have been using computers since they were in kindergarten. I was just mulling this over...does this make sense to why maybe there aren't so many questions...along with the fact that computers are getting more dependable?
I've had a lot of panic times with my computer and this site has been like an old friend. My kids and grandkids don't panic like I did (and still do at times)

Snidely...I understand what you have said, but I still might buy from my local repair shop. They will answer any question I might have via e-mail and give me a discount for having purchased my computer from them...and I they are also my internet provider.

Just some thoughts from a senior computer user...thanks for listening :o)

Maybee wrote ...do you also think maybe the reason there aren't so many questions any more is that people are getting more computer savvy....

Oh absolutely correct. Most users now have a degree of self confidence varying from the brash try it and see what happens types to the more timid who might see fit to stab a key they may not have hit not so very long ago. This is great news. Also there is a whole wealth of computer help information at Google and Youtube that was not there before, so learning has become much easier. Millions of software tutorials are out there for free.

The capability of modern computers boggles the mind, most of us only tap into perhaps 5% of the things available I suspect.

One might also notice computers do not hog the front pages of electronics flyers anymore, they have moved on to the latest, greatest craze of the day. Computer sales are down as the market is reaching saturation point so there is a reliance on having users replace the old machine with a new slick model.

On a side note I found fantastic, my neighbour told me last week he took his 2 girls to our local library to use a 3D printer. How special is that? That our small town library had one at all and it was available free of charge is pretty fantastic. Prices on them have dropped dramatically, not that I'll be rushing off to buy one lol.

I want to thank you all for your input. I think the fears I had have been eased. When I think back, I do not think I have ever had a hardware problem. Every hiccup has been software related....and operator problems (me).

Maybee, I too am in the senior group. When I got my first computer, I thought if I touched the wrong key, I would experience an explosion of some sort. I have been relying on this site for quite a few years for computer information. The answers always come right away and are stated in a way that I am able to understand what is being said. Thank you everyone!

One of my biggest fears is the fact that I will have to learn a new operating system. Owbist, I am sure I will be spending lots of time in YouTube trying to figure everything out. I really thank you for your assistance over the years.

Thanks again everyone for your ideas and information.

Larry

I'm still using my XP computer and think maybe I will until it dies, but I have Windows 7 on my laptop and found it relatively easy to figure out..I also have an iPad which is easy....I want to get into Windows 8, but can't justify buying a new computer right now, but I know I will have to replace my desktop at some point....be it Windows 8 or the next one out, I'll just have to buckle down and learn.

Our small town has access to a 3D printer also and I'm in the dark about them (need to read up) But..I'm always looking for something different to do with our grandson when he visits and this might be something to investigate. lol..all I know about them is from the episode of The Big Bang Theory where Howard and Rog made small, 3D replicas of themselves...funny.

I do still have my "panic moments", but then, I tell myself that it isn't the end of the world...and then I start working on the problem.

Now..having said all of this...I think that I might have saved myself a lot of high blood pressure days had I not gotten into computers, but life wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.

There is some truth to the people being more computer literate, but I have talk to a few people who have left this site and believe me it's not all about being PC literate.

I wish Microsoft would do away with that loud error message bam, bam! Still scares the heck out of me when it happens.

I've gotten relaxed and comfortable with my computers but still lack knowledge for the more technical aspect. I manage to stay away from things this old brain just can't figure out.

But that error message....

Jane

If you search in this forum, you will turn up several threads about all-in-one computers. I have had one for several years, and here is what I had to say:

I have a very nice Sony Vaio all-in-one with a 24" screen, which has given me good service for 5 years. However, the one disadvantage is that, if something fails -- like the screen -- the repair cost could be a lot higher than simply replacing the stand-alone monitor for your desktop. Also, the insides are very tight and highly integrated, so you can't generally swap out internal components if you want to upgrade in the future, other than perhaps the hard drive. And, while mine has a slot inside to add a second hard drive, there is no other expansion space for other components. Additional equipment would have to be external.

I really like my all-in-one, but may not get another when it's time for a new computer.