Can you folks help me evaluate the Dell system I found listed this morning on their website: [URL]http://outlet.us.dell.com/Dispatcher?target=InventoryPage&action=filter&lob=DIM&model_search_and_display=Dimension%208300&tgtSeg=B&srcType=xml&srcDetail=series[/URL] The machine I think might give me what I need now with room to grow (based on discussions here) is System Identifier #EJ8VDJHF It's got twice the RAM I've got now, decent speed (800 FSB), enough storage, and the ability to burn DVD as well as CD's if I understand the specs correctly. (Would appreciate confirmation of that. I may be misreading it.) I don't understand that 4x and 16x stuff with reference to the DVD; I know it's speed but I don't know if that's fast, slow, or what. It has a sound card but from what's been said here, I don't think it's anything to get excited about. But... it's probably good enough to carry the signal to my receiver and switch that distributes throughout the house (I'm not an audiophile but do have a decent system). Regarding the video card, the GeForce it comes with sounds like it puts me in the gamer class... which is OK. I'm sure it's just a matter of time when some business graph sources will be coming to me in three D. I'd appreciate any comments on this machine specifically please. Keep in mind, I principally multi task Excel, Work, a browser, and have a firewall and virus software running constantly. Occasionally, I listen to the radio or business conferences that get "streamed"? to the machine... but seem to hesitate a second every now and then as though they come to the end of a bust.
