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Buying A Computer

Buying a home computer can be a bit like buying a car- it's major purchase decision. There are many models, and many people willing to give advice about what to buy and where to buy it. To make most of your shopping experience, make sense of the variety of choices facing you, you'll want to do your homework before heading out.

Whether you're buying a new or used, you need to know what you want the computer to do for you and how much you can afford to spend.

Deciding on an Operating System

Computers can be categorized into two basic operating systems: Those designed primarily for graphics work and those primarily intended for word processing and office work.

Office computers are designed to be simple, quick, and are generally lower on everything, including hard drive space, processor speed, and RAM, than graphics machines.

Graphics machines are higher end, with faster processors, bigger hard drives, better video cards, and a heavier price tag. These is because these machines are handling very complex operations that require loads of memory as well huge amounts of hard drive storage to hold the files they produce.

Buy From a reputable Dealer

Buying your computer from a reputable electronics dealer means you're more likely to get a better warranty and better service. Today's computers are fast, powerful machine, but with more capability more complexity, and thus more things that can go wrong.

To avoid getting stuck with a faulty machine, make sure that the vendor you purchase from has a good warranty and if possible several years of service.

Just like a car, things do go wrong, and it's always best to have all repairs and service covered to avoid unnecessary expenses.

What to consider Before Buying a Computer

How will you use the computer? Do you plan to write papers for a class using word processing software? Keep track of finances or business on a spreadsheet? Send E-mail to relatives across the country? Play fast-paced computer games?

These are questions you need to ask yourself and answer before setting foot in the local store. When the salesman asks you what he can help you with, you should already know your requirements. If you don't it leaves you open to being unsold to huge, expensive machine that you might now need.

You don't need the top-of-the-line to Send E-mail or type a letter. However, if you're planning on doing animation, video, etc., then you need a machine with some meat to it.

Bigger Programs Require More Memory

Software packages today require huge amounts of RAM to run properly, as well as enormous amounts of hard drives space to house them. Gone are the days that programs could run entirely off a floppy disk. Now, a single program can take up to seven CD's particularly games, which are loaded with sound and video files that take up huge amounts of space.

To simply start up your computer today with only the operating system running, you need a minimum of 16 Megabytes of RAM. That's just to turn it on. To actually do something useful requires a lot more than that.

A good number to shoot for is 64 Megabytes. This lets you run common applications such as word processors and Internet connections fairly well. For graphics applications, the sky's the limit. A minimum of 128 Megabytes is needed for a graphics workstation.

How much should I Spend?

With computers, it's a good rule of thumb to buy as much as you can afford. Depending on your needs be prepared to spend $1000 for an entry-level computer to $3000 and up for a higher-end computer. You don't have to buy the biggest, fastest, or most powerful computer on the market, but you should buy the best system you can.

Many stores now offer packages, which, along the computer, include monitor, printer, scanner, etc. Shop around and find the deal which best suits your needs and your budget.

Laptop vs. Desktop

After you've made all the decisions about what you want in a computer, you also can choose what type of model you'd like: laptop or desktop.

Laptop models are portable, and if you travel a lot and need to bring your computer along, this is the obvious choice. Nowadays, these machines are as fast or faster than a tremendous portion of the desktops out there. And with 14 and 15-inch screens becoming the standard; they are extremely viable alternative for even graphics professionals. However, they are not very upgradeable, due to lack of space inside of them.

Desktops are very suitable for those that want to customize a machine and build a strong system around it with peripherals like printers and scanners. They are tremendously expandable, with bays that can fit more hard drives, cd-writers, DVD drives, and dozens of other options.

Learning to Use It

There's no substitute for sitting down at the keyboard and trying out your new purchase. But be sure to check out introductory classes offered through computer stores, colleges, libraries and continuing education programs. Many software programs also offer tutorials, which will help explain their specific features and uses.

Computer Buyer's Checklist

Before you walk into a computer store or call a mail order source, go over the list of the items (hardware and software) that you might consider purchasing.

Ask the salesperson questions about the computer you are interested in and jot your notes in the space below.

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source: Thane Web

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