Quick Notes:
Just a quick word about some of the "hot deals" that are out there these days. You can now get a higher end computer for only a couple of hundred dollars...or even for nothing, but with a catch. The catch is that you have to sign a contract with a certain ISP (Internet Service Provider) for several years. You will still end up paying the same price in the long run, and you get locked into a Service Provider that you may or may not be happy with. Just make sure you read the fine print prior to signing on the dotted line.... There are also several deals that offer you a Free PC. If you can tolerate half to three quarters of your screen's boarder being rung with advertisements, it's not a bad deal.One more thing to consider. You can now get an ISP for free if you are willing to put up with a few Banner ads on your computer. Net Zero offers 40 hours of free Internet Connection (please note that this is not the only such provider available) along with local numbers in most areas. When you sign up, you have to fill out a short questionnaire that will later be used to gear the advertisements toward your personal likes and dislikes. It's not all that annoying and you get fairly fast internet access too (56k lines).
What to Expect to Pay:
I hesitate to recommend any one specific vendor. While many are "just fine" for most consumers, I have personally seen too many "proprietary" systems for my liking. My recommendation would be to purchase a custom built system using name brand components.
A Note about Laptops
A laptop is probably going to be the most proprietarily built computer you could buy, but due to their nature, you just don't have much of a choice. There are many vendors out there, all who make comparable laptops. You'll need to balance features, performance and price to come up with one that you will be happy with for a few years to come. One of the most important issues to look into, is the manufacturers warranty. A laptop is probably the one thing I would recommend getting the extended warranty. Laptop computers go through way to much abuse to take the chance and not get one. My personal choice for a laptop is Dell. I've owned a few, and have always been happy with them. (Please note: I have always bought higher end laptops trying to insure that they won't become obsolete quite as quickly.)
Vendor Info:
If you do decide to go with a specific vendor, here are a few things you should consider. These include mail order companies, such as Dell, Micron, Gateway, Quantex, etc., as well as your local corner computer stores or super stores such as CompUSA or Circuit City.
- Will this vendor be around in a year if and when you need support? While this is very hard to predict in this industry, you can look at how long that they have been in business. If they've been in business for a while, chances are they might be around for a little while longer.
- What kind of support do they offer? Do they offer an on-site warranty? 24 hour phone support? A toll free number?
- Can you get through to them on the phone when you do need to? (Or do you just get constant busy signals.) This is something that you can find out before you purchase your system. Most companies will advertise support phone numbers in their ads, or you can call their main number and often wade through their online menu's to find it. Call them and see how hard it is to get through.
- Check through some of the major computer magazines to see if they have written any reviews on a system on the same level you are considering. Most major magazines will do periodic reviews of many of the "big" vendor's systems.
- Check the company's repair history. PC Magazine will print out its "tier" of vendor repair history. In the past few years, a few of the top level (meaning least amount of repairs) companies' have been Micron, Dell, and Gateway.
- Ask what components are in the system. Ask who makes the monitor? Who makes the modem? Who makes the motherboard? Listen to how the salesperson talks to you. If you listen carefully, you can sometimes tell if they have any idea of what they are talking about. Sometimes they may know more than you, sometimes they do not. Listen to their style of talking. Do they talk to you or at you. The more homework you do before you talk to them, the better off you will be. Don't get suckered in by a fast talking sales person.
- Pick up a copy of Computer Shopper Magazine and check out some prices for a system similar to the one you are considering. Computer Shopper (or the Sears catalog of computers) can be a bit intimidating when you first pick it up but with a little patience you can browse through it and maybe learn a thing or two. (I have to question how long this magazine will still be published. Since the invention of the "web", I've seen this magazine go from something the size of a large phone book, to a normal sized magazine.)
- Borrow a friend's computer and surf the web to see what is out there. Check out some of the big names and see what they are offering for the money. Then compare.
- If you have a friend who knows something about computers, talk to them. Get their opinion. But, no matter how much you like them, remember that friends or relatives may give you bad advice.
- Do your homework! The more research you do, the better off you are.
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