Tips for Buying a New Computer

[Linda]

This article gives information on all the things you need to consider when buying a new computer.

"purchasing a new computer is not as easy as you might think it is. Sure you could shell out lots of money and buy a brand PC, but sometimes you are spending money on speed and features you don’t even need. They also come with offers and built in software that they dangle in front of you to stay ahead in the business."

Catch it @ http://www.smallbusinessbrief.com/ar...re/003891.html

[Pete_Wailes]

Personally, I'd advise going to a computer fare and buying parts to build your own. It's not as hard as people think.
Pete

[cooljo]

Sure do have a lot of things to consider when buying a computer. But to get the computer that you want you have to know your needs in the first place. It makes sense to make some shopping and research before buying...great article btw linda. thanks for sharing.

[CyrusL]

I generally disagree with the person who suggested building your own. As a computer consultant for small offices, I recommend that you buy a name brand (Dell, HP, IBM, Gateway). It'll have a warranty, some basic support, and you won't have to hunt around for drivers or troubleshoot issues on your own.

If you are buying a computer to be a home game machine, that's another story. But for your business, you shouldn't have to waste time building and troubleshooting. In the old days, you could save a LOT of money building your own. Now days, that's simply not the case.

[mayna]

yep purchasing a computer is not easy. so think twice, shop and buy wisely.

[StupidScript]

Welcome aboard, CyrusL!

In a business environment I agree that a name brand can provide some comfort and a certain level of reliability. I also agree that it's not especially difficult to build your own system, these days.

For people who are new to computing and just want one for their personal use, however, I try to frame the question in a metaphor they might understand a little better ... like 'a car':

- Are you a daily driver who insists on reliability and good gas mileage?
- Do you like to tweak things like carbeurators?
- Is it important to you that your neighbors be impressed with your ride?
- Are you willing to learn a bit about cars in order to use a cutting-edge vehicle?

Stuff like that.

Point of fact is that a car can be built by anyone with the gear and the knowhow. Will it be a Maserati? Uh ... no way. Will it do what the builder expects and allow them to modify it easily? Probably. It all depends on the skills, tools and available parts.

For first-time buyers I would recommend getting a system from a reputable company that you know you can contact for help and service and who has a good reputation for quality. Don't rule out the retail outlets, as they often have staff who DO build their own systems and can be very knowledgeable about the intricacies of the system you are buying without being overly biased toward one or another brand. Look for someone who enjoys talking to you and is easy to understand.

For upgraders: You know why you are upgrading, but you may not know all of the choices you have available to you. Again, find someone knowledgeable and have a frank discussion with them about your goals.

[LBBMike]

don't forget to ask your social network (friends and family) for recommendations. ask them questions about why they like or dislike their system. and have them give you a demo. you might even become computer buddies.

my advice is not to build your own if you don't already now how. if you want to learn and have the time to experiment, then by all means.. build away! but if you are not that technically inclined, buy a pre-built system.

btw.. earlier i posted a computer recommendation on the 'Mac computers' post that might be useful. i don't have 10 posts, so i can't link yet!

[prakharmaheshwa]

Its better to assemble it your self...
Master Resale Rights Club

[Sporkman]

The "assemble it yourself" path only applies to desktop computers. It's not a viable option for notebooks/laptops.

My suggestion re computers:

- If you just want to surf the web & use MS office (which is how 90% of people use their computers), and perhaps certain apps like adobe photoshop, then get a mac (high quality & good security).

- If you want to do gaming, or use more specialized apps like autocad, etc, that are only available for windows, then get a windows-based PC.

- If you want to primarily surf the web, with the occasional photo editing, music downloading/uploading, basic word processing & spreadsheets (non-MS Office), and want to save a lot of money, grab an old windows PC that's become "too slow", and install Linux on it.

[Sporkman]

D'Oh! I was a victim of a vicious necropost!! LOL