What to Look for When Buying a New Computer
In my last article I gave you some great places to purchase a new computer. In this article I’d like to give you some ideas about what you should purchase.
For a desktop computer you primarily intend to use for things like email, internet, and working with pictures from a digital camera you shouldn’t pay more than $600. I’d recommend staying in the $400-$500 dollar range since you’ll need to add another $100-$200 for a decent flat screen monitor. If you can wait for a deal you can get everything for under $500.
For a laptop computer used for the same purpose you shouldn’t pay more than $700. If you can wait for a deal you can find one for $400-$500.
The brands I like to stick with are Dell, HP/Compaq, and Acer for both desktop computers and laptops. They all rate well for reliability and service.
When you’re looking for a new computer the most important specifications to look at are the OS (Operating System), processor speed, the amount of memory (RAM), and the size of the hard drive.
Let’s start with the OS. At the time of this article Microsoft is getting ready to release SP1 for Vista. I’ve heard more bad than good reviews of Vista. I think it has some good points and may be ready for purchase in 6 months to a year. In the meantime I’d recommend sticking with Windows XP Home or Professional version with SP2. It’s faster and more reliable than Vista.
For your processor you have a lot of choices. Either an Intel or AMD processor is fine. For a laptop I’d look for at least 1.8GHZ and for a desktop look for at least 3GHZ. If you can get a dual processor that’s all the better.
The amount of memory or RAM you buy is an important consideration since, the more you have, the faster your computer will be. If you’re buying an XP computer system I’d recommend at least 1GB and for Vista 2GB. RAM is pretty easy to upgrade but don’t skimp on RAM when you buy a new computer.
The size of your hard drive isn’t much of a factor unless you plan to download a lot of songs or movies which take up more space. 80GB is fine for the majority of users. 160-250GB should be sufficient for those who will be downloading or storing a lot of media. Another reason that the hard drive size isn’t of huge importance is because you can buy and external hard drive for under $100 that you can use for backing up your files and for extra space.
If you’re looking for a computer to do serious gaming, plan on spending $1,000 or more. If you want to play games you might be better off with a PlayStation, Nintendo or Xbox.
Regards and happy shopping,
-Bert
