Buying a Computer

Making a decision on what kind of computer and what options you want can be a very difficult one. Even if you are an experienced computer user, it can be hard to know what to buy and how much to spend. It takes a lot of research or…a lot of trust. While I won’t tell you exactly what to buy, I can suggest a few people who might

If you are the type of person that likes to research every detail of something before you purchase it, then by all means, do the same thing before buying a computer. Go to the local electronics store and tell them what you want to do with your computer. Find out if there are other software applications that may be useful to you. Have them teach you about their products and why you might need or want various features. Follow up with a visit to the bookstore. There are dozens of guides that can help the newcomer including the popular Dummy’s Guides published by IDG. Don’t ignore the magazine rack. There are more computer magazines than you can imagine; many magazines are aimed directly at the new computer shopper. If you have access to the internet there are also a number of good places to look there. Ziff-Davis is very big in the computer publishing business. In addition to their many magazines (including PC Magazine and Computer Shopper), they have a very useful web site (http://resource.evisionlink.com/rc_webucation_internet_1.html#l2). They even run ZDTV, a cable TV channel that specializes in computer topics.

On the other hand, if you really don’t feel like doing all that research, then you have to trust somebody. Chances are that someone you know is using a computer at home and connecting to the internet. Ask them what they use. Find out if they are happy and if they would purchase the same thing again. You can always choose to trust the salesperson at the electronics store or one of the mail order computer companies. Many experienced and first-time computer buyers successfully purchase their computers over the phone from companies like Gateway and Dell.

Here are a few things that will make you sound a little more intelligent when you talk to the salesperson.

• PC versus Mac -- There are two different kinds of personal computers. By far, more people are using what is known as the PC (which is also called IBM-compatible). These are the machines that use Microsoft Windows to run their programs. Apple makes alternatives to the PC. While they are in the minority of users, Macintosh people are adamant about the superiority of their machines. It's a tough choice for many people and for some it's quite a passionate subject. In the lessons that follow, we’ll be talking about IBM-compatible machines that use Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows 98. Although there are some differences, a great deal of the information about the web and browsers will be useful to you if you are using an Apple product.

• Processor speed -- The processor (also known as a central processing unit or CPU) is the most important part of a computer. It’s the brains. The faster that brain works, the faster everything else works. The speed of processors is increasing so fast that there is no way to identify what you should buy. This is one of those important areas that you will have to do some research or trust somebody. By all means purchase as much speed as you can afford. But keep in mind that the processor is not the only thing that will affect your computer’s speed.

• RAM -- Random access memory, or RAM, is where information is stored temporarily on your computer. Think of RAM as a giant worktable for your computer to use while it sorts through all the things you want it to do. The more RAM you have, the more things the computer can spread out on its table. If the computer runs out of RAM, then it has to keep shuffling and sorting through stuff as it works. When a computer has enough RAM, things run smoother and faster. After the processor, nothing is more important than having enough RAM. When buying a computer, get as much RAM as you can possibly afford. It may even be worth getting a slower processor to get more RAM. It's certainly a discussion that you should have with the people you trust.

• MODEMS –- The modem is the part of your computer that allows it to connect to and communicate with the internet over a standard telephone line. Modems also come in different speeds. Fortunately there usually aren't that many options in choosing one. Most computers come with a standard modem that will be sufficient for your needs.