Black Friday once again came and left without you fulfilling your wife’s honeydew list. Rather than head over to the crowded electronics store to look at new computers you ended up at Sears drooling over new table saws. In the back of your head all you can hear is “honey do this, honey do that.” Here’s some pointers to buying that new computer.
A good first step is taking a look at all the people in the house who will be using the computer. Gaming, web surfing, accounting, etc. should all be taken into account. For technical reasons you don’t want to under buy and you certainly don’t want to spend too much on something you don’t need. After all, you want to save up for that new saw.
Most households are going to need a basic computer for internet surfing. Simply logging into Facebook and checking your e-mail periodically doesn’t require a lot of oomph. For this, the most basic of requirements, pretty much any computer sold today will work.
Users who edit pictures and videos may want to go up to the next level. These are usually considered mid-grade machines. Triple core processors and three gigabytes of memory are all standard fare. Typically, manufacturers will increase hard drive size up to one terabyte so there’s plenty of storage space.
The highest and most elite of all systems are gaming rigs. If you have video gamers in the house be prepared for a project picking out a computer. Depending on the game, systems can run into the thousands. Typical systems are quad core, six or more gigabytes of memory, and most have add-on video cards. Picking the right computer requires investigating the games being played.
If you do decide to venture away from table saws and tools be prepared to be attacked by salespeople no matter where you go. Stores are hurting for sales this year due in part to the economy. Computer sales people usually don’t like to let you leave without a computer in the back of your car. Do your homework before making any decision.
Computer boutique stores usually can’t compete with box stores on low and mid grade machines. The small stores simply can’t purchase the volume of a chain store. I wouldn’t waste any time shopping at ‘ma and pa’ stores for inexpensive machines.
Gaming computers are another animal all together. Because they are designed and built around the gamer’s preference they are best custom tailored to the individual. For these I suggest visiting a computer specialty store. A good store will research the game you would like to play and build a computer around the requirements.
All new computers are going to have Windows 7. Home Premium is the most common version you’ll find on store bought PC’s. Depending on your pocket book, you may also be looking at PC’s with Windows 7 Ultimate or Business. The differences for home use aren’t enough to warrant the extra investment.
If you do purchase a new computer and find it’s not what you thought it was you can always update later. Memory is a fairly inexpensive add-on which most users can handle on their own. Changing out a processor is fairly expensive and usually easier to purchase as part of the computer bundle. Some computers have PCI-E slots to accommodate a video card.
The worst mistake any guy can make is to avoid doing tasks on the honeydew list. I know it can be daunting picking out the family computer so take your time and do it right. I suggest comparing PCs at different stores to make sure you get the right one for you and your family.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can e-mail him at remoquin@gmail.com or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)