Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 10:23:24 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[Today at 09:59:11 PM]

[Today at 09:44:18 PM]

[Today at 09:12:36 PM]

[Today at 09:05:54 PM]

[Today at 07:11:09 PM]

[Today at 01:13:46 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:25:42 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:05:39 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 12:35:34 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 11:18:23 AM]

[March 26, 2024, 07:45:07 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 06:19:03 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 05:47:06 PM]

Support NCKA

Support the site by making a donation.

Topic: WTB ~ Computer  (Read 1926 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
Looking for a used computer (box, not tablet or laptop).  Needs to be reasonably fast WITH windows 7 ideally.  i7 would be great, i5 might even work.  8+ GB ram.  Don't need a monitor.  Needs to have a few USB ports.  Obviously needs to work.  It will be heading out to the desert with me and likely to be destroyed by the dust but I'm building it into an enclosure to help prolong it's life.  I will be installing a 2nd internal hard drive for video recording purposes.  Not looking to make a huge investment, if possible.

Our B.M. camp is building a video "confessional" and using the computer along with a webcam to record the "confessions".  Should be ..... interesting project!  The computer will be for this use.

Thanks!

Bill :smt006


big bear

  • Sand Dab
  • **
  • View Profile
  • Date Registered: Feb 2015
  • Posts: 84
Why not just build one. The prices are not too bad these days for parts. I5 is all you really need, and get a good sd drive for main he.  Then a reasonable western digital blue or green drive.  If you ain't running graphics intensive programs.  Just use the on board graphic card.  Saves a lot plus less thermal issues.  Get a case and seal the it with fine mesh.


Chet

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Tracy, California
  • Date Registered: Jun 2013
  • Posts: 1518
So you need used motherboard, CPU, and Memory ?
For sale [Lithium Battery] Version_2 -> Postponing
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=87570.0

For sale [Lithium Battery] Version_1 -> Postponing
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=84409.msg959037#msg959037

=======================================

2016 Dune Hobie AI
2011 Red Hobie AI
Trident 15
Tarpon 140
Prowler 13

My adventure
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=75214.0


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
I've built a lot of things in my days but a computer isn't one of them.  Proud to say that I am NOT tech savvy.  Fishfinders, that's another story :smt002

I can engineer the enclosure that will house the PC so that it has ventilation fans & filters to help keep the Playa dust out and prevent it from being stolen.  If it is close to my camper, I could keep the PC in the camper or my tent & run USB extensions to the "confessional".  The software is made in England that I'm looking at running & seems to be cheap & easy to use.  The camera is just a standard Logiteck.  A monitor is optional & I have a pile of those at home.  Last piece to purchase is a large USB start/stop button for recording & they are ~$25.


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
So you need used motherboard, CPU, and Memory ?
I figured a complete "Box" computer that already has a basic hard drive with OS (win. 7), video card, etc.  I'll add the 2nd hard drive to be fast & large for a week+ worth of recording (1-2TB). 


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
BTW ... since I'm paying for this out of my OWN pocket, I'm trying to keep the cost down as low as possible, yet functional.  Possible trade depending what you need...  Fishing equipment, BRAND NEW high-end power tools, or ?????


Fiver

  • Enlightened Soul
  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Pleasant Hill
  • Date Registered: Sep 2010
  • Posts: 1211
Seems like out of the box is cheaper than building these days anyways (unless you want all high end gaming stuff).  Do you have a budget?  I don't have any used rigs I want to get rid of, but can keep an eye out for deals on new ones for ya.


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
Seems like out of the box is cheaper than building these days anyways (unless you want all high end gaming stuff).  Do you have a budget?  I don't have any used rigs I want to get rid of, but can keep an eye out for deals on new ones for ya.
Thanks!   I want to keep it as low as possible ... as you can tell.  Started looking at C.L. & found a few systems in the few hundred range that seem to be good buy you never know with "used" computers.


lucky13

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Union City
  • Date Registered: Jan 2009
  • Posts: 1597
Whatever you decide, don't choose a Lenovo. Ever since IBM sold it to China their quality went downhill. I have three late model laptop and desktop broke on me in the last two years. Dell and HP seems rock solid. All of our company desktops are Dells and HPs.

I suggest you drive up to San Jose and visit a Fry's Electronics. Go take a look at what they have and actual prices. I'd be happy to put one together for you if that's what you decide. Building one yourself is not necessary cheaper these days, but it will contain exactly what you want in it. If you rather get one quickly and don't want to mess with it, I suggest a Dell or HP.

ernest


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
Whatever you decide, don't choose a Lenovo. Ever since IBM sold it to China their quality went downhill. I have three late model laptop and desktop broke on me in the last two years. Dell and HP seems rock solid. All of our company desktops are Dells and HPs.

I suggest you drive up to San Jose and visit a Fry's Electronics. Go take a look at what they have and actual prices. I'd be happy to put one together for you if that's what you decide. Building one yourself is not necessary cheaper these days, but it will contain exactly what you want in it. If you rather get one quickly and don't want to mess with it, I suggest a Dell or HP.

ernest
Ernest,

   Thank you!  Thank EVERYONE who has chimed in via post & PM.  I'm not in a big time crunch ... luckily.  I have about 97 days before I pack it all in the truck & trailer and head out!  I DO want to test this out as "proof of concept" as early on as possible before I spend the next 96 days fabricating the 4' x 8' "confessional" with all its details/artwork/etc only to find out the concept with the recorder, etc doesn't work.

   Worst case, I have a laptop that is near the end of its life (HP i7) and I COULD use it & just copy the files over to a portable drive each day to keep room on the hard drive for the next day.  Always a possability or at the VERY least, proof of concept.  Might have to give that a try this weekend...


Fiver

  • Enlightened Soul
  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Pleasant Hill
  • Date Registered: Sep 2010
  • Posts: 1211
Interestingly, I almost exclusively buy the Lenovo line, and have had great luck with them.  Now, I typically buy the business line (T series Laptops, ThinkCentre Desktops), which makes a difference.  The only one that I've ever had a problem with was a Lenovo Twist laptop that I bought for my niece.  HP, on the other hand, I had so many issues with I swore never to buy another one ( AMD/Nvidia fiasco).  They may have improved since then.  I do have a HP I use for work that hasn't given me problems yet, but again, this is a business line one.  Be careful with the used craigslist ones, especially since you mentioned you aren't that tech savvy.


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
For sure.  I have enough of the basics, I think, to keep me out of trouble when looking at a PC, I just don;t think I have the savvy to build one from scratch.  I've installed HD's, boards, etc.  Honestly, this should be a fairly EASY task.

1.  Buy "reasonable" PC
     1.1  Install extra Hard Drive for sotrage of video files when recording 
2.  Load the RightBooth software & configure for the use
3.  Plug in pereferals (camera, start/stop button, etc)
4.  Shoot Video


AlsHobieOutback

  • - = Proud Member of Team A-HULLS! = -
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • "I love it when a plan comes together!"
  • View Profile
  • Location: "In the Redwoods!" AKA: Boulder Creek, CA
  • Date Registered: Apr 2007
  • Posts: 14003
Check out Central Computer rather than Frys, and see their section of Bare Bones PC's.  Back in the day building a PC was cheaper than buying something like a Dell or HP.  Now a days people only build them because they are particular to specific components, and are usually building a high end gaming system and dont want to waste money on parts they are just going to upgrade.  I'm a big Asus fan for PC's, and always used their motherboards to build computers before they built full desktops.   I also love Lenovo Laptops, which was never actually built by IBM even when they were IBM Thinkpads.  But I dont love their desktops, at all.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."

 IG: alshobie


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
My HP laptop was great till my wife decided to give it a glass of wine, the day AFTER I just got it back from HP (from a 1 month long repair job).   :smt013  Waited a week & sent it back in since I had purchased the extended warranty that morning. Still works BUT starting to reach the end of its life.  Had ok luck with a Toshiba laptop we had back in the day except the hard drive failed.  :smt012


FishingForTheCure

  • "I'm going to make dinner because my colors taste like hungry"
  • Manatee
  • *****
  • LOWRANCE & SIMRAD PRO STAFF
  • View Profile
  • Location: Aromas
  • Date Registered: Apr 2010
  • Posts: 11334
Check out Central Computer rather than Frys, and see their section of Bare Bones PC's.  Back in the day building a PC was cheaper than buying something like a Dell or HP.  Now a days people only build them because they are particular to specific components, and are usually building a high end gaming system and dont want to waste money on parts they are just going to upgrade.  I'm a big Asus fan for PC's, and always used their motherboards to build computers before they built full desktops.   I also love Lenovo Laptops, which was never actually built by IBM even when they were IBM Thinkpads.  But I dont love their desktops, at all.
Though I have bought computers from Fry's, I've just never feel good about my purchasing experience from them, their staff, their retail culture, etc...