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Before purchasing a new computer there are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself. The answers to these questions will help determine the not only the final price but some of the components that will go into the computer.
What is my budget?
What will the computer be used for?
What is my budget?
This is usually the easiest question to answer but people often want more computer than they usually budget for. When establishing a budget think about a low range and a high range. The low range is what you hope for but the high range is often what you end up getting. The difference between these two figures should be roughly $500.00 but no more or you could well get talked into a super-computer whose only purpose is to fill the pockets of commissioned sales people.
Once you have established your budget stick to and look at your answer to question 2.
What will the computer be used for?
You need to be very honest when you think about this question. Will the computer be used only for homework chores, bill payments, letter writing and some Internet surfing? Will the computer be used for gaming? If so, will you be playing the latest and greatest games on the market?
Once you know the answers to these questions, only then will you be in a position to speak effectively with a sales representative.
If this is a first computer chances are you'll be best served by going to a large local electronics or computer retailer. They often have complete systems that will include some software and a good warranty program.
Once in the store and talking with a sales rep it is good to understand a few basic terms. Sales reps will often throw words around that end up confusing you and often folks don¡¦t want to look stupid so they just nod their heads in agreement. A bit of knowledge can make a world of difference and can make a large price difference.
One the first terms you should understand is megahertz (MHz). This simply refers to how fast a computer runs. The MHz term is preceded by a number: 300, 400, 500, 600 etc. As you might be able to infer the higher the number the faster the speed.
Another couple of terms you will run into will be Pentium III, Celeron and Athlon (AMD). These terms are always combined with the MHz numbers, for example: Pentium III 600, Celeron 600 or Athlon 600. Now the biggest differences for most folks when the megahertz number the same is price. The Celeron is much less expensive alternative to the Pentium III, there are other differences but most folks will never be bothered by those differences.
Other terms you'll run into include:
Gigahertz or gigs: this refers to how much storage is on the hard drive. E.g. 10 gigs. More gigahertz will end up costing you more.
RAM: Random Access Memory. This is a type of memory that dictates just how much information you computer can chew through at any given moment. You will usually see this in 2 forms: 64 megs of RAM or 128 megs of RAM. Never consider anything less than 64 megabytes of RAM because less will mean slower computer performance. The more RAM the more expensive your computer becomes.
Video RAM: All computers have video cards but not all video cards are the same. Video cards actually put images on your monitor and the more RAM the faster the card can process the information and display it to you. One of the biggest differences is the amount of video RAM. Usually you will see 8 megs of RAM, 16 megs of RAM or 32 megs of RAM. It is wise not to even consider less than 16 megs of RAM. More video RAM will also increase the cost of your new PC.
IBM compatible. All personal computers are IBM compatible except for Macs.
CD-ROM /DVD: sometimes you'll have a choice between these two drives. DVDs can play CD-ROMs but CD-ROMs can not play DVDs. The only real difference between these two formats is that movies are shipping on DVD now and you can watch these movies on you computer or with the proper cables you can out-put the movie to your television. CD-ROMs are less expensive and often the better choice for a new computer owner.
CDR: CD Recordable drives. These are CDROM drives that allow you to make your own CDs. Some computer manufacturers include these as standard equipment and these will play a regular CD.
Computers are made up of so much more things than are listed; however in a big name system most of the rest of the components are of less importance. Chances are you'll never have to discuss things like the motherboard or floppy drive.
Often you'll be asked to purchase a monitor separately. If this is the case don't panic when your retailer presents you with different options. You're choices will likely be between 15 inch and 17 inch displays. 17 inches is usually a good choice however you can, if you wish, look at 19 and 21-inch models. Again the larger the screen size the more expensive they will be. You might be presented with a term called dot pitch. The smaller the number the better the display but the more it will cost. If you look for a dot pitch no higher than 27 and no less than 25 you'll have a pleasant viewing experience with a reasonable cost.
The next thing you'll have to consider is the warranty. Name brand computers will often have similar warranties but they can be very important if you know little about repairing these sometimes-finicky machines. You might wish to consider an extended warranty sold through your retailer. Often this warranty will allow you to bring the computer back to the store for repair rather than mailing it to the manufacturer. Taking it to the retailer is often a faster option and you'll have the opportunity to explain exactly what went wrong.
By understanding a few key terms you'll make your computer buying experience a more pleasant event and you won't feel taken advantage of.
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