Printer, scanner, desktop computer

Sue Doe-Nym · 06-18-2025, 11:55 AM

Once again, we are hoping that some of you can guide us to a reliable source for the above items. We need to replace what we already have with compatible units that won’t drive my husband nuts. We have had limited success with Staples and Lakes Region Computer in the past, but I think he wants a knowledgeable person who can guide him toward the best solution for his needs. We are not the most tech savvy people, as you can probably tell (carbon copies and white out were our familiar tools ��). TIA for any helpful suggestions.
Sue

DesertDweller · 06-18-2025, 01:13 PM

My parents are in their mid 80's and bought everything at Best Buy and had their people (i.e. the Geek Squad) set everything up for them and it's been good for two plus years now. The printer and scanner are one unit. HP's are nice and reliable. As far as the desktop, they are all pretty good (Dell, HP, etc unless you want to go the Apple route). Once everything is set up (including connecting it to the internet) it's pretty straight forward. Good luck.

TheTimeTraveler · 06-18-2025, 01:39 PM

If you are into Apple products (i.e. MacBook, iPad, etc.) then Best Buy may be an ideal option for you.

Additionally, the Apple Store in the Mall of New Hampshire (Manchester, NH) does have a dedicated well staffed Apple Store there), and that could be also a good option.

AppleCare at the Apple Store is a well worth option which makes an extended warranty available on newly purchased Apple products. Unsure if AppleCare is available if buying an Apple product from Best Buy.

Best of luck!

MeredithMan · 06-18-2025, 02:30 PM

...if you want to be totally hands-off in trying to determine what to get and to set it up, then the Best Buy Geek Squad is a good option, as mentioned above. Go to them with your needs/wants, and they will guide you accordingly.

If you want to go the DIY route, then the decision becomes an Apple system or a Windows PC system. I've had both, and quite honestly, I've never seen the magic in a Macbook.

My personal favorites are a Dell Inspiron or Lenovo Thinkpad or X1 Carbon laptop. You can buy them on line at Dell.com or lenovo.com. Both units are fine for homeowner/personal use and should last a number of years, (my current Dell is 5 yrs old and fine, and my former Lenovo Thinkpad lasted about 8 years I think). I would couple either unit with a Microsoft 365 subscription, which gives you Outlook for email and calendar, as well as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. For a printer/scanner, an HP at Staples for one or two hundred bucks is more than sufficient for the typical homeowner use.

The above is what works for me; your mileage may vary; and I'm sure there will be many more opinions to follow. Good luck!

MeredithMan · 06-18-2025, 02:42 PM

...Forgot to mention Carbonite in my earlier post. I have a Carbonite subscription for back-up as well. Your pc is automatically backed up to "the cloud" and then if it crashes, (or you get a new pc as in your case), you can easily get all your files and photos back on your machine. You can get subscriptions for just one pc or multiple units. Carbonite has been around for years and is a well-respected cloud back up solution.

tummyman · 06-18-2025, 05:18 PM

You might want to keep in either the Apple or PC lane...what you have been using in the past should be what you use going forward. Too late in life to consider new operating systems, etc. I am a full APPLE user, especially with the on-line support and mall stores that I can bring equipment to if an issue...which usually never happens.

Look at a Laptop with wide screen instead of a Desktop....will save space and you can lug it to Florida in the winter season. I have Brother laser printer with built in scanner. The scanner interface is very easy to use. Printer is bulletproof. Black and White Laser printer should be good for everything you need. I don't like inkjet, unless you want to do a lot of color stuff.

Hook up everything through your home internet network...no wires, etc. etc. that might be needed with desktops. With a laptop, you can use it anywhere in the house.

Say "hi" to the boss man for me !

Sue Doe-Nym · 06-18-2025, 07:39 PM

Excellent ideas! Thank you. I will try to perfect my sales pitch!

BroadHopper · 06-19-2025, 06:52 AM

I retired from Sanders, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems as an IT guy in the finance group. Over the 40 years, I started out with DEC and IBM computers and dabbled in many brands through the years. So, pick my brain for advice.

Right now, I see some fantastic deals in business/gaming computers under $500 with Windows 11. Windows 10 computers will be unsupported in October. Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer and ASUS have been solid through the years. I recommend them. I currently have 3 laptops 10+ years doing work. Only one brand new laptop for Win 11 experience. 16GB memory and 512Gb SSD storage is currently the standard configuration. AI search for 16GB / 512GB SSD and you will find tons of laptops/desktops. I prefer a small form laptop for portability with USB key board, mouse and HDMI monitor. Perfect for the best of both worlds!

As for printers, all printers are good. The same rule applies to all brands, the cheaper the printer, the more expensive the printing cartridges. So, if you do a lot of printing, buy a better printer. If you plan on printing photos, photo paper and ink are very expensive. Keep that in mind. I prefer to print locally at the drug stores or Walmart. Built-in scanners/fax capabilities are also available if needed.

Most business computers are Windows based. Most designer's computers are Apple based. Most engineering computers are Linux based. I have experience in all three. In fact, my main laptop has all three!

Send me a PM if you want more information. I could meet for coffee if you prefer.

TomC · 06-19-2025, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I retired from Sanders, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems...

Brings back memories... first project I ever worked on (like 40 years ago) was the ALQ-156 with your guys on Canal Street...

BroadHopper · 06-19-2025, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomC

Brings back memories... first project I ever worked on (like 40 years ago) was the ALQ-156 with your guys on Canal Street...

And the ASPJ project that Raytheon gave up on!

Descant · 06-19-2025, 10:42 AM

When I reboot my desktop, the Dell logo comes up, but it is very old and I doubt there are many original Dell parts remaining. I have a local computer company that does my maintenance, replacing parts as needed. When I'm really stuck, I call and they log into my machine, work their magic remotely and we char while the machine is upgrading. My printer scanner fax copier is a Brother. Pretty good, but I figure life expectancy on these things is five years regardless of brand.

My son, as a student, worked for Support.com, Staples' help desk. I learned from him that, while a customer was explaining a problem, he was typing the issue into a Google search. Then he would read the fix back. That worked well for me until Google went more than about three steps and then I got lost changing between the two sites. Anyway, there's probably a local shop that can help if you're beyond the Best Buy Geek Squad range.
Many public libraries know volunteers locally, or have staff that can help. there are probably folks in your local seniors club who have resources (grandchildren) who are knowledgeable.

Mr. V · 06-19-2025, 02:03 PM

Time to upgrade our ancient PC, which runs Windows 7.

Mostly just surf the net, no gaming or heavy demands.

My sturdy HP laser printer is hooke up, as is a Samsung monitor.

What would be the best option to upgrade while still keeping the printer hooked up?

retired · 06-20-2025, 12:32 PM

What kind of hookups does your computer and printer have? Sounds like you have an old system that may use a parallel or serial printer cable. If so, you won't find any new computers that will accept these. You may need to start from scratch. Visit Staples website or store. Look for sales.

Mr. V · 06-20-2025, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retired

What kind of hookups does your computer and printer have? Sounds like you have an old system that may use a parallel or serial printer cable. If so, you won't find any new computers that will accept these. You may need to start from scratch. Visit Staples website or store. Look for sales.

THanks, will do.

I guess I'm a Luddite: I drive an '82 Volvo turbo, listen to LP's and don't own a cell phone.

And yet...I'm happy.

Go figure.

retired · 06-21-2025, 04:52 PM

The 70's were the best of times!

The Real BigGuy · Today, 10:34 AM

I've always thought the first rule is answering the question, "What do I want to do with the new computer?" This will help in deciding what hardware you need. Are you going to want to take it with you when you travel? If so, you probably want a laptop. Todays laptops are every bit as useable as a desktop which was not always the case early on. (I keep saying my next computer will be a laptop with a docking station but I have been using a desktop since the Apple IIe and it is awfuly hard to break old habits.)

As other have pointed out Mac's are considered superior for graphics related work. Windows PC's probably have more software available for them and some people think they are better for database & number crunching. Also, knowing what you are going to use it for will help you decide how much memory & storage you need as well as what processor & graphics card. I.e., if you are going to be using it for drawing, intense graphic, etc you probably want to look for a faster CPU, and maybe more memory. If you are storing a lot of pictures or files you probably want more storage. However, with regard to storage. External storage is pretty cheap. I have external 1 TB (terabyte) solid state drive (SSD) and a 1 TB hard disk drive (HDD) attached to my PC (came with 512 MB internal storage) via USB. The SSD is active file storage and the HHD is strictly for back up and is unplugged from my PC after every monthly back up.

With regards to software: someone suggested that you get Microsoft 365 subscription. However a subscription is $90/yr and you might not use all of the apps that are provided. Right now, if you Google Microsoft Office, you will find that you can purchase Office 2021 for well under $100. In fact, you can get LibraOffice, a MS Office clone, on line for free and is compatible with MS's file formats so if you have stored MS documents you will still be able to read them. What are you missing when you don't get MS 365? All the new templates, and "gattzy" stuff. If all you want is to write, calculate, store data, you really don't need the newest software. However, you do get 1 TB of cloud storage with 365 ,which is probably worth close to $90 itself but, you can't use it like you use a back up drive. Microsoft limits what can be stored on it. By the way, my 1TB external drive cost $108. Someone also suggested paying for cloud storage as a back up. I have a G-mail account that come with FREE cloud (15 GB I believe) and I have over 15,000 pictures stored tru Google pics (also backed up to my external HDD). I should add however that I am old school and have never really trusted cloud storage even though the technical side of my brain says it is perfectly safe.

Final analysis, decide what you are going to do with the new equipment and go to a few places that sell/service computers and ask for their advice. Shop around. If you find that a couple of places are suggesting the same hardware it is probably what you want.

06-18-2025, 11:55 AM	#1
Sue Doe-Nym Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,434 Thanks: 751 Thanked 792 Times in 415 Posts	Printer, scanner, desktop computer Once again, we are hoping that some of you can guide us to a reliable source for the above items. We need to replace what we already have with compatible units that won’t drive my husband nuts. We have had limited success with Staples and Lakes Region Computer in the past, but I think he wants a knowledgeable person who can guide him toward the best solution for his needs. We are not the most tech savvy people, as you can probably tell (carbon copies and white out were our familiar tools ��). TIA for any helpful suggestions. Sue

06-18-2025, 02:30 PM	#4
MeredithMan Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bedford, NH; Meredith, NH Posts: 954 Thanks: 263 Thanked 814 Times in 333 Posts	Get ready for a lot of opinions on this one... ...if you want to be totally hands-off in trying to determine what to get and to set it up, then the Best Buy Geek Squad is a good option, as mentioned above. Go to them with your needs/wants, and they will guide you accordingly. If you want to go the DIY route, then the decision becomes an Apple system or a Windows PC system. I've had both, and quite honestly, I've never seen the magic in a Macbook. My personal favorites are a Dell Inspiron or Lenovo Thinkpad or X1 Carbon laptop. You can buy them on line at Dell.com or lenovo.com. Both units are fine for homeowner/personal use and should last a number of years, (my current Dell is 5 yrs old and fine, and my former Lenovo Thinkpad lasted about 8 years I think). I would couple either unit with a Microsoft 365 subscription, which gives you Outlook for email and calendar, as well as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. For a printer/scanner, an HP at Staples for one or two hundred bucks is more than sufficient for the typical homeowner use. The above is what works for me; your mileage may vary; and I'm sure there will be many more opinions to follow. Good luck! Last edited by MeredithMan; 06-18-2025 at 02:31 PM. Reason: added "scanner" to the HP printer comment

06-18-2025, 02:42 PM	#5
MeredithMan Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bedford, NH; Meredith, NH Posts: 954 Thanks: 263 Thanked 814 Times in 333 Posts	Oh, and Carbonite for backup... ...Forgot to mention Carbonite in my earlier post. I have a Carbonite subscription for back-up as well. Your pc is automatically backed up to "the cloud" and then if it crashes, (or you get a new pc as in your case), you can easily get all your files and photos back on your machine. You can get subscriptions for just one pc or multiple units. Carbonite has been around for years and is a well-respected cloud back up solution.

06-19-2025, 06:52 AM	#8
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,582 Thanks: 3,224 Thanked 1,106 Times in 796 Posts	IT guy here. I retired from Sanders, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems as an IT guy in the finance group. Over the 40 years, I started out with DEC and IBM computers and dabbled in many brands through the years. So, pick my brain for advice. Right now, I see some fantastic deals in business/gaming computers under $500 with Windows 11. Windows 10 computers will be unsupported in October. Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer and ASUS have been solid through the years. I recommend them. I currently have 3 laptops 10+ years doing work. Only one brand new laptop for Win 11 experience. 16GB memory and 512Gb SSD storage is currently the standard configuration. AI search for 16GB / 512GB SSD and you will find tons of laptops/desktops. I prefer a small form laptop for portability with USB key board, mouse and HDMI monitor. Perfect for the best of both worlds! As for printers, all printers are good. The same rule applies to all brands, the cheaper the printer, the more expensive the printing cartridges. So, if you do a lot of printing, buy a better printer. If you plan on printing photos, photo paper and ink are very expensive. Keep that in mind. I prefer to print locally at the drug stores or Walmart. Built-in scanners/fax capabilities are also available if needed. Most business computers are Windows based. Most designer's computers are Apple based. Most engineering computers are Linux based. I have experience in all three. In fact, my main laptop has all three! Send me a PM if you want more information. I could meet for coffee if you prefer. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

06-19-2025, 10:42 AM	#11
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,382 Thanks: 1,353 Thanked 1,628 Times in 1,060 Posts	Brand? When I reboot my desktop, the Dell logo comes up, but it is very old and I doubt there are many original Dell parts remaining. I have a local computer company that does my maintenance, replacing parts as needed. When I'm really stuck, I call and they log into my machine, work their magic remotely and we char while the machine is upgrading. My printer scanner fax copier is a Brother. Pretty good, but I figure life expectancy on these things is five years regardless of brand. My son, as a student, worked for Support.com, Staples' help desk. I learned from him that, while a customer was explaining a problem, he was typing the issue into a Google search. Then he would read the fix back. That worked well for me until Google went more than about three steps and then I got lost changing between the two sites. Anyway, there's probably a local shop that can help if you're beyond the Best Buy Geek Squad range. Many public libraries know volunteers locally, or have staff that can help. there are probably folks in your local seniors club who have resources (grandchildren) who are knowledgeable.

06-18-2025, 01:13 PM	#2
DesertDweller Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV and Moultonborough, NH Posts: 380 Thanks: 25 Thanked 87 Times in 73 Posts	My parents are in their mid 80's and bought everything at Best Buy and had their people (i.e. the Geek Squad) set everything up for them and it's been good for two plus years now. The printer and scanner are one unit. HP's are nice and reliable. As far as the desktop, they are all pretty good (Dell, HP, etc unless you want to go the Apple route). Once everything is set up (including connecting it to the internet) it's pretty straight forward. Good luck.

The Following User Says Thank You to DesertDweller For This Useful Post:
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06-18-2025, 01:39 PM	#3
TheTimeTraveler Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 888 Thanks: 278 Thanked 288 Times in 178 Posts	If you are into Apple products (i.e. MacBook, iPad, etc.) then Best Buy may be an ideal option for you. Additionally, the Apple Store in the Mall of New Hampshire (Manchester, NH) does have a dedicated well staffed Apple Store there), and that could be also a good option. AppleCare at the Apple Store is a well worth option which makes an extended warranty available on newly purchased Apple products. Unsure if AppleCare is available if buying an Apple product from Best Buy. Best of luck!

The Following User Says Thank You to TheTimeTraveler For This Useful Post:
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06-18-2025, 05:18 PM	#6
tummyman Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 840 Thanks: 258 Thanked 687 Times in 244 Posts	You might want to keep in either the Apple or PC lane...what you have been using in the past should be what you use going forward. Too late in life to consider new operating systems, etc. I am a full APPLE user, especially with the on-line support and mall stores that I can bring equipment to if an issue...which usually never happens. Look at a Laptop with wide screen instead of a Desktop....will save space and you can lug it to Florida in the winter season. I have Brother laser printer with built in scanner. The scanner interface is very easy to use. Printer is bulletproof. Black and White Laser printer should be good for everything you need. I don't like inkjet, unless you want to do a lot of color stuff. Hook up everything through your home internet network...no wires, etc. etc. that might be needed with desktops. With a laptop, you can use it anywhere in the house. Say "hi" to the boss man for me !

06-18-2025, 07:39 PM	#7
Sue Doe-Nym Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,434 Thanks: 751 Thanked 792 Times in 415 Posts	Excellent ideas! Thank you. I will try to perfect my sales pitch!

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06-19-2025, 02:03 PM	#12
Mr. V Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton Posts: 1,412 Thanks: 65 Thanked 259 Times in 177 Posts	Time to upgrade our ancient PC, which runs Windows 7. Mostly just surf the net, no gaming or heavy demands. My sturdy HP laser printer is hooke up, as is a Samsung monitor. What would be the best option to upgrade while still keeping the printer hooked up? __________________ basking in the benign indifference of the universe

06-20-2025, 12:32 PM	#13
retired Senior Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: Belmont, NH Posts: 130 Thanks: 1 Thanked 59 Times in 34 Posts	What kind of hookups does your computer and printer have? Sounds like you have an old system that may use a parallel or serial printer cable. If so, you won't find any new computers that will accept these. You may need to start from scratch. Visit Staples website or store. Look for sales.

06-21-2025, 04:52 PM	#15
retired Senior Member Join Date: May 2020 Location: Belmont, NH Posts: 130 Thanks: 1 Thanked 59 Times in 34 Posts	The 70's were the best of times!

Today, 10:34 AM	#16
The Real BigGuy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,310 Thanks: 125 Thanked 472 Times in 287 Posts	Replacing Computer, etc. I've always thought the first rule is answering the question, "What do I want to do with the new computer?" This will help in deciding what hardware you need. Are you going to want to take it with you when you travel? If so, you probably want a laptop. Todays laptops are every bit as useable as a desktop which was not always the case early on. (I keep saying my next computer will be a laptop with a docking station but I have been using a desktop since the Apple IIe and it is awfuly hard to break old habits.) As other have pointed out Mac's are considered superior for graphics related work. Windows PC's probably have more software available for them and some people think they are better for database & number crunching. Also, knowing what you are going to use it for will help you decide how much memory & storage you need as well as what processor & graphics card. I.e., if you are going to be using it for drawing, intense graphic, etc you probably want to look for a faster CPU, and maybe more memory. If you are storing a lot of pictures or files you probably want more storage. However, with regard to storage. External storage is pretty cheap. I have external 1 TB (terabyte) solid state drive (SSD) and a 1 TB hard disk drive (HDD) attached to my PC (came with 512 MB internal storage) via USB. The SSD is active file storage and the HHD is strictly for back up and is unplugged from my PC after every monthly back up. With regards to software: someone suggested that you get Microsoft 365 subscription. However a subscription is $90/yr and you might not use all of the apps that are provided. Right now, if you Google Microsoft Office, you will find that you can purchase Office 2021 for well under $100. In fact, you can get LibraOffice, a MS Office clone, on line for free and is compatible with MS's file formats so if you have stored MS documents you will still be able to read them. What are you missing when you don't get MS 365? All the new templates, and "gattzy" stuff. If all you want is to write, calculate, store data, you really don't need the newest software. However, you do get 1 TB of cloud storage with 365 ,which is probably worth close to $90 itself but, you can't use it like you use a back up drive. Microsoft limits what can be stored on it. By the way, my 1TB external drive cost $108. Someone also suggested paying for cloud storage as a back up. I have a G-mail account that come with FREE cloud (15 GB I believe) and I have over 15,000 pictures stored tru Google pics (also backed up to my external HDD). I should add however that I am old school and have never really trusted cloud storage even though the technical side of my brain says it is perfectly safe. Final analysis, decide what you are going to do with the new equipment and go to a few places that sell/service computers and ask for their advice. Shop around. If you find that a couple of places are suggesting the same hardware it is probably what you want.