Sony cybershot DSCS500 + HEWLET PACKARD Pavilion A1615 des..

Sony cybershot DSCS500 + HEWLET PACKARD Pavilion A1615 desktop.
Hello there,
I am looking to replace my basic cheapo dial-up system (win98 running
on 1999 hardware) with another basic system ... This time though the
comp has to be capable of dealing with digi camera input ... (A sony
cybershot DSC-S500 ... which is another cheapo (£80) item in Comet's
sale ... which I MAY** ? buy). All I want from such a camera are
simple pictures for record purposes i.e. pictures of houses, rooms
...... car mechanical parts ... nothing much that is 'going to move'
---
One of the drawbacks with that Sony model is they eat batteries ...?
.... and the MS memory cards (Sony's own) are twice as much (£35 for a
512mb) than the much more common SD ones.
My Question ... to anybody who would be kind enough to help ... does
the above camera/computer combination (see remarks below and comp spec)
make any kind of sense ? ... or is it all just to cheap and nasty. Can
anybody tell me also where the Sony DSCS500 fits into the Cybershot
family ... is it a bottom of the range basic ...? or a 'onetime great'
) but now superceded and hence discounted.
-------(computer)---------
Comet have the following £348 "reduced sale item" Comp (see spec at
bottom) advertised in the national press. It is obviously as basic a
machine as you can get ... fit for not much more than basic office
work, as Comet's own spiel says (I've been down for a print off). So
.... ? ..will it be any good for basic digi photo work ... the
processing of, storing and sending etc. I ask because of Comets own
rather negative note in their spec sheet .....
"Shared Graphics 256MB.............this is an economical solution that
borrows your computers main memory to use for graphics. Fine for basic
computing tasks but not powerful enough for digital photography, video
editing and gaming"
---
That is my main worry ... then it's very basic bottom of the pile Intel
Celeron 352 2.8Ghz processor ... is it up to it ?? Mind you it is a
hell of a step up from the 433 Mhz one on this old machine ...) (433
megahertz Intel Celeron 32 kilobyte primary memory cache 128 kilobyte
secondary memory cache ). And as I certainly don't do games or
video etc ... what would I need a fast processor for anyway ..?
---
Lastly, as I intend to remain on dial-up only, I will have to buy an
external modem as the Comet one has not got one .... neither has it a
floppy disc drive ( ... so how the hell I am going to be able to
transfer my 1gb of text files over to a new machine I just don't know
?? (can anybody give me some clues on what to do ..?.. my old machine
has no USB 2 or 1 port ... and certainly no 'writing to CD' facility).
I suppose I could alway laboriously get the main ones onto floppies
.... then go down to the library and use their comp to get them onto a
memory stick ...?
------------(comp spec)----------------
£348 .....HEWLET PACKARD Pavilion A1615 desktop ... with 15" screen.
(in the ad it shows a wide screen ... so I'll challenge them on that
aspect ... ).
Processor : Intel Celeron 352 2.8Ghz
Processor bus 533 Mhz
Processor cache 512 kb
RAM 512 mb
Hard drive 160 GB
Optical drive ... 'plays and records CDs and DVDs'
2nd optical drive .... not got one
OS .... Windows XP media centre.....microsoft works
---
Shared Graphics 256MB............."An economical solution that borrows
your computers main memory to use for graphics. Fine for basic
computing tasks but not powerful enough for digital photography, video
editing and gaming"
---
7 USB 2 slots
Firewire ....yes
Media Card slots 9-in-1 Use cards from your digital camera - a
quick and easy way of getting your digital photos onto your PC
-------o0o---------
Hey aren't I just the cheapskate .... but when cash is short that's
what you've just got to do ...;-(( or do without ....
cheers
alec

Sorry Asaar and Roy for posting the whole stupid lot again .... I could
not find the post on the site and presumed it had not landed ... now
I've belatedly found it .... and with it your two posts, both
containing some good tips .... nothing shown up on the camera yet but
the comp side is of course far more important. Being a non-techie I
am a bit mystified with this line though :-
<<<Be aware however that on all the HP machines the built in Card
Readers are dead slow, USB 1.1 only. So they are no bloody use. >>>
..... if you could possibly go into a bit more detail on that ? ... and
I thought every thing was USB 2 now ? well on the 'outside of the
can' it is ...)
anyway thanks ... much appreciated ...
alec