>> Given that I'm quite happy with the disk space I now have I see no reason to go for the 1 TB drives now offered but perhaps, for the small incremental cost, I should do so? >>

Why not? Certainly you wouldn't want something less than 500 gigs. The price difference is so small as to be of no concern, and there's never anything wrong with having more drive space than you can imagine using.

>>  I certainly no longer do any work that would be benefit from 64-bit processors. My prime uses of my computer are internet (Firefox), e-mail (Thunderbird), word-processing and spreadsheets (WordPerfect 12) and Quicken for my personal finances. The latter is probably my biggest concern since I've never upgraded from Quicken 2001 so I would like to be sure that it would install on a new computer so as to be able to use the old-format data files. >>

I doubt you'll find a current Dell computer without a 64-bit processor of at least dual cores. It would make no sense to get anything less. The future is in 64 bits, and why buy a computer that is already very obsolete? Your old stuff will run fine on a 64-bit processor. What OS are you planning to use? As for Quicken, it's not so expensive that you couldn't afford to get the newest version. Check around and see if there is a conversion utility for old-format data files. There is most likely a way you can get them into a newer Quicken. It would make no sense to get an obsolete computer for the sake of one obsolete application.

>> Dell seems to offer only DVD drives but on this machine I have both a DVD and CD drive (as well as a 3-1/2" floppy). Will the new DVD drives read old CDs or should I copy my old backups from CD to DVD? >>

Of course, unless your CDs were made with packet-writing software that uses a format not recognized by the new computer. But a DVD drive reads any old standard CD. Be sure you get a DVD *writer* (DVD +/- R/RW), not just a DVD reader.
--Judy M.

I wasn't talking about a 64-bit OS, but a 64-bit *processor*. You can run 32-bit XP on a 64-bit processor and for all I know, you can run 98SE on a 64-bit processor. You can certainly run 98SE in a virtual machine on a 64-bit processor.

As you say, drivers are another issue, insofar as we're talking about a 64-bit OS. And of course, a newer computer may not have drivers for quite a few things that ran on an old computer, regardless of operating system.
--Judy M.

Must you purchase a Dell unit?

HD space is a no-brainer.  500G drives are "the norm" and 1T+ drives are gaining traction...

Install 2 DVD burners - CD only drives are obsolete.  DVD drives read both CD's and DVD's...

64 bit Windows is finally getting off the ground as device drivers get up to speed.  While Windows 7 still comes in 32-bit, it will most likely be the last...

You WILL need to upgrade Quicken as the 2001 version won't install on Vista or Windows 7...

If you use a local builder, you may be avle to still get a system with XP.  If you purchase a Dell, you will need Windows 7 Professional and "downgrade" to XP, at a higher cost...

Thanks to all for their responses.  

Despite my comfort with Dell, there is a local firm that I've dealt with in the past and which treated me very well - "no charge just some advice" & "$5 since it only took a few minutes".    My one concern is my Dell 3000cn printer.

...Charles

It will use both a USB and parallel port, Judy.  On this machine it didn't work when I first used the USB connection so I tried the parallel cable.  It worked so I didn't even experiment again with the USB.

I certainly will be asking Dell about using the printer. It was not cheap to buy (although inexpensive to run - at least for me) so I'll be telling Dell "No driver for the printer,. no new computer for me."

...Charles

Thank you!

I remember buying a card to support a second parallel device (my first scanner?) in what now seems to be "a way back when".

I had to a have a scsi card for my HP SJ5P scanner. It came with a 8 bit one but that soon got outgrown by technology and I had to get an adaptec 16 bit one later on. I'm still using that scanner with a later Adaptec card that I needed for W2K probably, not sure, but it's one reason why I am not using 64 bit WIndows 7 on Ollie 3 -- no 64 bit driver for it.

Funny thing is that Adaptec in their KB says No No to whether they have or plan to have a compatible WIN 7 driver and don't go beyond XP for that card ... but it works fine under VISTA and Windows 7 using the XP files ....

However I just checked to see what they say about VISTA x86 and 64 and it says there are drivers in the VISTA package .... I must dig out my VISTA CD or check the VISTA drive I have and see.

  Hugh

I'm still using an 8-bit Adaptec ISA SCSI card with my 12-1/2-year-old Microtek scanner. It's attached to my older 1.3 GHz desktop computer that has XP. That computer will not be upgraded. XP has a driver for the SCSI card and I use Windows 2000 software for the scanner.

The scanner is not supported under Win 7 (of course) and I doubt the SCSI card is. The optical resolution of the scanner is 600 dpi (600x1200) and the time is coming when I should get a better scanner with higher resolution. I probably won't replace it until it croaks. I have two other scanners from my two cheap all-in-ones, but they're worse than the Microtek and are okay for quick and dirty but not for anything important, like photos you want to keep.

The Microtek and the SCSI card are well supported under Linux. The old desktop is my only computer with an ISA slot and I wouldn't buy a different SCSI card--too expensive for such an old scanner. Same for an adapter.
--Judy M.

Thanks, Irwin.

My primary reason is that my system seems to be slowing down.  I have a folder on an external drive with one folder that includes about 4000 sub-folders containing, in total, about 50000 files - no programs just data of one kind or another.  I thought a new computer with more memory might help speed up Explorer.  Perhaps I should disconnect that drive and see if things improve.  BTW, there's also a Windows file on that drive which didn't appear until I'd had the drive for some time.  I wonder if it's there because of the huge number of files I have?  (It's one of those files with apparently hexadecimal random numbers as a filename.

I would like to spend less than C$1000 since I plan to keep my old monitor.

Yes - I checked with Dell and the printer will continue to function with the Vista driver.

Finally, my problem with the processors is really understanding why Intel has so many of them - especially for most users who don't do much floating-point arithmetic.   I could see the slight advantage of Sperry (Unisys)' 36-bit processor over the IBM 32-bit for scientific calculations but even in the geodetic calculations I once did I didn't see any difference larger than 1/10 of a millimetre - at least for plane surveying.

...Charles