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Computer Buying Guide
Whether you need a computer for your personal use or for your business, buying one is not difficult. Deciding on the options you need or the model you want is a little more difficult. Below are some considerations that may be useful to you when purchasing a new computer.
There are many different brands on the market today including Apple, Canon, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM, Sony, Toshiba and Xerox to name but a few. There are many other good and reliable computers from other manufacturers or manufactured under a different name.
Probably the biggest decision you must make is whether to buy a Macintosh or a standard Personal Computer or otherwise known as PC. Although both types have made great strides in the ability to transfer files from one type to the other, it may come into play if you are heavy into graphics and layouts and you need the ability to connect to others. It would be useful to find out what kind of computer you need to be communicating with on a regular basis to ensure there is compatibility and easy file sharing. Otherwise the choice is completely up to you and your own preferences.
One thing you may want to consider when purchasing a new computer is the type of drives available. Will you need your computer to be able to read and write from floppy disks or just from CDs. What kind of CDs do you want your computer to read? Do you want your computer to play DVDs?
Check out the warranty offered with the computer you plan to buy. There are many different kinds of warranties out there and you may want to check on the length of the warranty; some manufacturers offer 1-year warranties while others offer 90-day warranties. May sure you get what you feel would be best. Also, check out the return policies of the computer you plan on purchasing. While not usual, sometimes computers will come with basic flaws, and you need to be able to easily exchange.
Check out the accessories necessary to do what you want. If you like to play games on your computer, you may need to purchase joy sticks, or better speakers. If you hold conference calls you may want to purchase a web-cam for your computer. Be sure to check connectivity and compatibility issues.
Sound cards are another consideration. Most computers these days come with a sound card. However, you may need to check what kind of sound card comes as standard with the computer you are considering. You can upgrade the sound card should you need a higher sound quality for personal music listening, playing games or watching DVDs. You may need to invest in some better speakers for your computer as well.
Make sure that the hard drive on your new computer is large enough to handle what you need your computer to do. Make sure that your CPU (central processing unit) is large enough to process fast enough. The CPU is really the guts of your computer. If you are going to run lots of different program and tons of graphics you may need to expand the processing speed of your computer by increasing the amount of memory capability for your hard drive and RAM.
Monitors need to be examined as well. Today, there are many different choices including flat screen LCD monitors. Larger monitors allow more information on the screen but may cost a little more. A 17-inch monitor is a great place to start your evaluation. You can go bigger or small depending on your budget.
Look for USB ports if you connect to a digital camera, a palm pilot or MP3 player. Some computers have USB ports located right in the front to make connecting to your devices easier and faster than have to look to find the ports in the back of the computer.
The ability to expand your computer can also be an important factor when considering a new computer. With the price of memory going down, you may want to expand the capacity of your computers in the future Check to make sure that the computer you are considering can be expanded for future use.
The software that is included with the computer is also important. Some computer manufacturers have the software pre-loaded, which is a nice benefit. Check to see if the software included is what you want. Sometimes, for a little bit more money you can upgrade the software provided with the computer to exactly what you want. For instance if the pre-loaded software included Word Perfect but you prefer Microsoft Word, then check to if you can add in the options.
The computer processor is and will always be an important consideration when purchasing a computer. Today with multiple CPU/Processor manufacturers, it may be less confusing as well as more cost efficient to look at the different processor manufactures as well as the type of computer processors.
Modems are not as important these days unless you don’t have broadband access to the internet. Today all new and most used computers are equipped with at least a 56k modem, which should be the only speed looked at with the bandwidth demands of internet use.
People buy computers for many different purposes – so think about how you want to use your computer and pick one that will satisfy your needs. Light web surfing and email can be done with less capacity than heavy graphics. The best thing about a new computer is that you have the possibility of getting the latest hardware and software and the latest and greatest accessories.
Article By Karla Soule, May 2004.
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