Last PC user on earth seeks new desktop PC for fun tasks together

I'm in charge of ordering computers for my workplace. I buy all our PCs from a local mom-and-pop computer store. They build the computers to my specs, and on those rare occasions when there's a problem with the hardware, they fix it at no charge (within the warranty period). They're good folks, and I don't mind paying maybe a bit more than I would have paid if I had mail-ordered the machine from some large, national company. Maybe there's a store like that in your area? The place I use is very honest -- they don't try to "upsell" you on expensive options that you don't need.

as far as crapware goes, i had a good experience using the http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/html/pbpage.MicrosoftSignature?Icid=CompCat_Footer_2_Signature_041713 program at the Microsoft Store. they remove all the stuff you don't want and ensure that important optional stuff (e.g. Security Essentials) are installed.

My Dell lasted 8 years. You have had good experience with Dell. Dell still makes PCs. Problem solved? Check their website.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372609,00.asp was written last week. The number 2 option is in your price range, but probably overkill. Maybe the Gateway or the Lenovos make more sense?

I have a similar Dell XPS workstation to your link, and it's excellent.

900 bux will get you something decent. Commodities these days. HP will let you downgrade (sic) to Win7. Some folks aren't crazy about Win 8, you may have heard. I like the idea of all-in-ones, but don't have a single friend with a PC that has anything but a tower or a laptop. Maintenance SEEMS to be easier on a tower, of course, especially HDD upgrades. Whenever I DO get one, I plan on a 5 year life, no more. It's a crap shoot, but if you get a chance to see what kind of HDD is in the machine, Toshibas apparently have the highest reliability and Seagates the lowest. If something is going to die, it's going to be a HDD.

I don't want to build my own PC so component reviews aren't useful You can always look at a system guide for components and then talk to a local system builder or one of the online shops like ibuypower that have lots of component choices.

Nthing why not just buy another Dell? All our desktops are Dells and they've been total workhorses.

The way I see it, either you build it yourself, or you pay someone to build it for yourself. Pre-built computers are one way of going about the latter option, but they tend to be harder to upgrade, and often have inferior quality motherboards and cooling. That given, why not pick the parts that would best fit what you need done, and ask your friends if they have a nice, trustworthy teenage geek in their family who would be willing to put things together for, say, fifty bucks? I can guarantee that you'll get a PC that runs faster, cooler, and cheaper that way. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2HuGT Investing in an SSD instead of a cheap HDD is worth it for performance; just re-use the mass storage drives from your existing computer for capacity. (Laptop drives work too, since this case will handle a couple 2.5" devices with ease.) You could even break down and repurpose any 3.5" portable hard drives you have, and have them put in the case as well. Time your purchases with a price-tracker like CamelCamelCamel, and you could easily get all this for $900. http://www.logicalincrements.com/ provides a nice table of ways to increase the performance or decrease the cost of this build as well.