A personal computer is an essential electronic equipment. There are many types of personal computers, brands and so many cool designs, that selecting a personal computer for oneself can be quite a confusing task. Computers are available at various costs, one can find a basic desktop computer around $100 in the used computer store, or can go with the great looking Alienware gaming laptops over $1000. So, again the question which computer should I buy, asserts itself. There are many factors regarding computer buying, that will help you narrow down your search, and many ways to get your personal computer for a relatively discounted price. Here are the various computer shopping tips, that will help you in the job of selecting your new computer.
Computer Shopping Tips
Desktop Vs. Laptop Vs. Netbook
The first clear question to ask yourself is – do you want to go for a laptop computer or a desktop computer? Both computers have their pros and cons, hence weigh these pros and cons properly, before you decide. Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of both in brief.
Laptop computer are portable, don’t take up much space, are coming in various cool designs and affordable prices today. However, the price of a laptop computer compared to a desktop computer which has the same features is mostly higher. This means buying a desktop computer will give you more features for less price. But, desktop computers are heavier, and when you are moving to a new place, moving the old desktop machine with you can be a painful task. While with laptops, you can just put them in the laptop bag, and carry them over your shoulder.
But, a desktop computer is best, if you are looking for a workstation. Which means if you are going to be using your personal computer for doing a lot of technical stuff like hardcore video editing, animation, illustration, image editing, or using software will need a lot of space, or you are going to be gaming, then desktop computer is a better choice. As a workstation like features in a laptop cost a lot, also a laptop becomes outdated easily, because newer models of laptop keep coming, and upgrading the laptop is tedious and expensive. While upgrading your desktop is easier, and a DIY enthusiast can do it themselves.
So, lets summarize. If you need a personal computer for basic stuff like surfing, watching movies, playing movies, little bit of video or image editing, video conferencing, and are always traveling, then laptop computer is the best deal for you. Also, check out netbook computers. These are compact laptop computers. But, if you need a workstation, because you will be working on large projects, and portability is not a big issue then go with desktop computers.
What Features Do You Need?
I guess by reading the above tips on buying a home computer, you must have decided which computer type you want, next step to decide the computer you want is to note the configurations you need in a personal computer. First decide what should be the size of the screen, then also consider RAM and hard disk. Today, everybody goes for at least 2GB RAM, so don’t go below it. But, if you need better speed and performance you can look for a higher RAM too. A hard disk of 160 GB is decent, but now even laptops come with a hard drive of 500 GB capacity, so that you have ample space to store all your movies, music, documents, software, etc. Next comes graphics card, which makes all the graphics and videos on your computer look better. NVDIA is a well-known brand. Apart from this stuff, keep looking for other configurations like CD ROM, mouse, keyboard, and other components like webcam, speaker, scanner, mikes, UPS, etc. Make a list of all the components you need in your computer, and then shop accordingly for a model.
Deciding the Personal Computer Model
Next step is to check out various reviews, once you have narrowed down the features, go to various sites. They have very cool interface, that helps you what you need. Like it asks you what kind of computer you want, laptop or desktop, what is the purpose of the computer, and the look of it, and other configs, etc. Then it will give list of various recommendations. There are various brands of computers and each have their own benefits. So, what computer brand is the best? Here are some pointers. Mac is great looking and has awesome features, but costs a lot and only supports Mac interface. While Dell is decent looking, quite tough, and gives good features for a good price. Sony Vaio is great looking, has great picture quality, but quite expensive compared to other brands offering the same price. Then there is Lenovo and Acer which are reliable, quite cheaper to other brands, and have an okay design. Hp is also a good brand, which has many great models which are loaded with features and come for a good price. Even Asus netbooks have great positive reviews. So, decide on few brands and then compare few models which have configurations that you noted down in your list.
Money Saving Tips
There are many ways to find cheap computers. You can even find a decent refurbished laptop under $200. Here are some useful tips to buy a computer online, first of all, check out online on different shopping sites, they have different prices, and you can shop from a site which has the lowest price for the particular personal computer model you are looking for. Also, go to computer dealers, and ask them what is the price for the particular model. Also, keep an eye on seasonal offers, like during holiday season like Christmas. Apart from the computer see what all other components or accessories you are getting for free. Check out for extended life warranty cost, cost of special parts upgrade, and other freebies that are coming with the computer.
These were the various computer shopping tips, right from selecting the type of computer, the hardware configurations of the machine, and tips to buy your computer for discounted prices. So, remember the above tips to get the best personal computer.