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Before Black Friday I tweeted if anyone had a must have item they were scouring the BF ads for? Pretty much it was great deals on cellphones or an iPad. Me, I was looking for a new desktop computer, my current one sounded like a jet engine and talking on the phone prompted listener’s to ask if I was running the fan!

In August or September of 2010 I received a new Dell desktop at work and it was so quiet. I couldn’t believe how silent it was and then to return home and hear the jet whirring just made me yearn for a Dell desktop. I really didn’t think Boo would go for it since the jet computer was still kicking away with no problem, but when I mentioned desiring a new desktop Boo said “Man, that thing sounds like we’re at the airport!”

So we checked Costco.com (which seems to have a wider and better selection of computers period) and when Cyber Monday arrived Boo found a Dell with Intel 5 processor (faster processor than Costco.com’s dual core) that matched all the features Costco.com offered and at the same price. Boo ordered it and now that more than two months have passed I have to say I love it!

It’s as quiet as my work computer, blazing fast and its footprint matches the old one. I like the way the ports are configured on the back and it has four USB ports in the front with built-in card readers that include a Compact Flash card, which I still use in a digital audio recorder and digital camera I carry in the trunk in case I need to document an accident. Set up was a breeze and the provided chart made it simple for even a novice to setup.

Dell’s keyboard took some adjusting to as it angles lower to the actual desktop, a level I’m not used to. I’ve tried using wrist rests which seem to accentuate the lower angle without helping. After a month of continued use I couldn’t adjust and opted to use my old Logitech keyboard. I don’t use Dell’s wired mouse either opting for Microsoft’s optical mouse. Aside from the odd keyboard angle everything else has been fine.

I used PC Decrapifier prior to connecting the computer to the Internet. I wanted to uninstall junk software I neither needed or wanted especially McAfee’s anti-virus suite. I use Eset's Nod-32 anti-virus software and have been very happy with it. Nod-32 offers a Smart Security Suite of tools which I feel is overkill and don’t want bogging down my system so I use the basic anti-virus software.

This computer's been great so it's ironic that it has received the least use of all the systems I've owned. Why? Well, the HTC Evo is compact, convenient and with its sharp, legible screen I use it for everything that doesn't require an optical drive!