I am computer-stupid when it comes to anything technical, so I never know what to look for. I want to upgrade some things on my computer; first the current 1.1 USB and then maybe the cd/dvd burner. My computer is a Dell I bought in 2001. About the USB, what do I need? And how do I do it? And what are things I should look for in a new cd/dvd burner drive?

To upgrade the USB, get a card like one of these. This will require you to open the case and plop it into one of the slots, but it's pretty easy.

Upgrading to a dvd burner is a little trickier. You have to install it into one of the slots in the front of the computer and hook up a couple of cables. There might be a switch you have to change in the back of the drive. As for what kind to get, all of the new burners support +R and -R plus dual layers, so just about any drive will work the the casual user. I recommend NEC and BenQ.

The switch on the back of the drive is called a jumper.

What he said - I've also had luck with Plextor drives in the past. Have you ever added additional RAM to your system? That's another easy thing that can really boost your performance.

Of course it may be obvious to some, but if you have never done it you may not know that the computer should be off when you do any of the above. Not trying to be a smart ass, but I have seen people do a lot of strange things in my day.

Even if you know what you're doing, it still happens. I fried a new hard drive many years ago because I left the computer plugged in while I was installing it and it turned on by mistake when I bumped the switch.

Don't just turn it off. Unplug it.

Buy a new computer. Seriously. If yours is from 2001, no brainer. You can get a great new computer with USB 2.0, DVD RW for $400 or less

He's right. If you can afford it, this is the time for you to upgrade.

plus your hard drive is bound to be bigger, and the cpu will probably be faster

Don't forget more memory, better OS, better motherboard, integrated graphics...

I got tired of typing

I didn't want to confuse the young lad with jargon.

I'm all for getting a new system, if you can swing it. I've never been able to just get a basic rig, however. I may not need 2 gigs of RAM, but it's nice to know it's there. I know, it's a sickness.

Yeah, really -- I agree with those folks -- if you upgrade your CPU, your bottleneck becomes your motherboard, so you're going to have to eventually upgrade that, too. So might as well just save up and get a new computer. I don't know about DVD-RW for US$400, but you can always put it in later for < US$100.

Another thought: keep all your peripherals (floopy drive, etc.), and just get a new motherboard, CPU, memory, and hard drive -- possibly case, too. Everything else should transfer.

Yeah I think I'm going to get a new computer soon and just take the memory and hard drive out of the one I have now. I've also got another computer that's like 10 years old that I could probably take the hard drive from too.

Is it pretty easy to make an external HD out of an internal one? You just need a case for it right?

Yup. And don't even bother with a separate case for the 10-year-old one -- just copy all the files to your local (internal) hard drive, then reuse it for the other one.

Maybe $400 was lowballing it....but you can get this FAST desktop for $550

Dimension 5150
Pentium® 4 Processor 630 w/HT Technology (3.0GHz,800FSB)
XP Home
256 DDR SDRAM
80 GB Hard drive
48x CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive
90 Day Warranty
17 inch E173FP Analog Flat Panel
$549.

i am going to buy a new laptop for my house. looking at one of these new apple ones - can get a pretty nice set from work for a good discount but still pretty pricey.

Well, those specs are similar to my computer. So I don't think I need a new one. .. not that I know anything about computers. And I already have a dvd/cd combo burner on this one, it's just started to act quirky lately.

Here's mine...
Dimension 8200
Pentium 4, 2.53GHz
XP Home
1 GB PC800 RDRAM
120 GB Hard Drive
48x CD-Rom drive
DVD+RW/CD-RW Combo drive
19 inch digital flat panel

too me this is enough. I just want the 2.0 USB and my burner to not be screwy...
Oh. And I was wrong. I bought it in 2002.

That's pretty freakin' good for a 2001 computer. You must have spent a fortune on that.

edit: even for 2002 it's nice.

Yeah it was expensive, but I saved up for it over a couple years and paid cash for it. Most expensive thing I've ever bought myself. Also, the first computer I've ever had.

ok, I recant

This is a good card at a nice price
http://www.Dealsonic.com/sy50necch5po.html
and this is a nice burner at a good price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827152059

Dont throw that thing in the trash. I bought a VAIO in 2003 with almost identical specs, for about $1300

Hey sorry to bring this thread back, but I wanted to see if anyone has an opinion on a couple of DVD+/-RW drives... I am finally going to buy one as my DVD drive finally has given up and will not play more than 2 seconds of a DVD before it freaks out.

I was looking for reviews and things online but there are a million, and many sites seem to have conflicting opinions. I'm think I have it narrowed down to two, and was wondering what any general ideas people have on NEC drives vs. LG drives. Specifically this NEC one and this LG one. The NEC one is the same that wilked listed earlier...

I just don't know about this stuff, and I don't want to end up with a piece of crap since I can only afford to buy one of these right now. Thanks.

I'd get whichever one is cheaper. Name brands don't mean much as far as computer parts go.

i have that nec model and so far its proven to be bulletproof. nec has a very good reputation for their drives.