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CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Our support area is filled with small instructional documents, and answers to questions we've been asked in the past. If you cannot find an answer here, we encourage you to send us feedback, or give us a call. Check back often, as this area is updated continually.
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| Buying a New Computer |
Buying a new computer is no different than making any other major purchase – the only difference is finding the right place to buy it from. The intention of this text is to give you a non-biased guide to selecting and purchasing your computer.
Where to start - the first thing to do is ask yourself what you intend to do with your computer. Do you want it to be a strict game machine, or do you plan to use it for general-purpose home use? A machine built strictly for finances will be slightly different than a machine built for nothing but graphic design and editing. You should know before hand if you want a 17” monitor or a 19” flat-panel display, do you want the ability to burn DVDs? These are a few of the general issues you should have in mind as you head out to look for a computer. Also, it is a good idea to set a price range in mind and stick to it, or as close to it as possible. It is very easy to get swept up in all the options and add-ons.
A Computer Is …
There are many different definitions and ideas about what a computer should be. Speaking by the textbook, here is a breakdown of what you should pay attention to in a typical computer:
- Case – the housing that holds the computer and most (or all) of the components. Cases come with a power supply, and should typically be in the 350 Watt to 450 Watt range.
- Motherboard – this is the main board in a computer that is host to most of the other components. A good motherboard will allow room for future expansion and will be standard to the degree that it will be easy to find driver software for it. There are good and bad motherboards, and the choice here could mean a world of difference.
- CPU – these days we have two major brands to choose from: Intel and AMD. Speaking from a statistical point of view, Intel has a stronger lead in the business/general use computer, and AMD has a stronger lead in the game machine use. I don’t want to praise a certain brand here, but Intel is the more common choice of CPU. Keep in mind while shopping, a 2.4GHz Intel CPU (for instance) has a speed of 2.4GHz, while an AMD 2800 is not equivalent to a2.8GHz – AMD went off the bend with its naming scheme. There is a full comparison chart available in our Support Area between Intel and AMD processors.
- RAM – the important thing to consider with RAM is how much you want in your machine. There are two major types of RAM – SDRAM and DDR. Although DDR is a bit faster than it’s counterpart, there is no major need for concern here. Average RAM size is 512Meg.
- Hard Drive – your hard drive will be an important part of your computer. Basically you will want good quality equipment here, and I’d stay away from the no-name and off-name brands. Another consideration is hard drive speed. A typical hard drive is 80 or 120Gig, with a speed of 7200rpm, and the better brands are Maxtor and Seagate. Just to keep in mind while shopping, the newer standard of hard drives are SATA (serial-ATA), and the previous standard was IDE.
- Video System – you can find video in two forms – on-board and external. Depending on what you are going to be doing with your machine there are advantage to each type. Onboard video generally means you will be paying a lower price overall and there will be less heat generated in the system, but it also means you are limited to the amount of memory your video is capable of using. Also, most on-board video motherboards have no AGP slot; which will be crucial for the “you can always upgrade it later” sales pitch. An external video card means it may cost a bit more now, but in the long run you will happier when you don’t have to upgrade – and even if you do upgrade, it’s simply a matter of pull one out, and stick one in. A 64Meg video card is adequate for most systems, but if you are going to be doing any serious game playing or graphics work you may consider a 128Meg card or better.
- Monitor – your monitor is what visually connects you to your computer. This will be the one item that can make all the differencein the world. If you are considering a flat-panel display just keep in mind that this is identical to the typical display on a laptop computer– and not everybody is impressed by the look or quality of such displays. Flat panels look really hi-tech sitting on a desk, but it may not be what you’re looking for in a monitor.
Shopping
A picture is worth a thousand words – except when you are computer shopping. Talk to vendors about the computers they sell, what kinds of components they use, why they use brand A over brand B, advantages to their systems over a competitor’s, things of this nature. You’d be surprised to find how many people emphasize one aspect of their computer and neglect to expand on other parts – and these are usually people trying to sell you a computer based on one item, instead of the computer as a whole. If you can find somebody to talk to about computers, and that person is 100% unbiased, you may consider sticking to that person like glue. Remember that you have the right to ask anything about the product being sold – and no question is too stupid to ask. If a vendor even suggests that you are asking a silly question, get away as fast as you can …. any computer geek worth their salt will tell you they learn new things all the time.
A Note on Hardware
A very important aspect of shopping around is to compare apples to apples. I don’t think any vendor is going to tell you about the low quality parts they use in their systems. Instead they are going to spend all their time telling you about the few good-quality items, and neglect to go into detail about the low-end components. For example, most computers these days boast 56K Internal Modem. To most, that description is all they need, but have you ever wondered why modems range in price from $15 to $100? What the person in the previous sentence isn’t telling you is that you are getting a piece of electronic garbage for a modem … and if the Internet is going to be a primary function of this computer, and the Internet relies on that modem to work properly … you can figure out the rest. Be fair to the vendors who are trying to sell you quality components and ask for details on the briefly described components. And again, compare apples to apples – Vendor A can sell you a computer $500 cheaper than Vendor B for a good reason– they are usually using low-quality components!
Pushy, Pushy
Do not let a salesperson, vendor, guy next door, or anybody tell you what you have to buy. Somebody who is trying to sell you a computer in an honest fashion may suggest what components you should get, but nobody has the right to demand “this is what you have to buy”. I have seen and heard too many stories about salespeople telling people that they have to buy Product A because it is the best one for the cheapest price. You have to remember that some of these people in some stores also sell ovens and coffee tables, and they are by no means an expert on anything they sell – they are simply saying and doing what their sales manager instructs them to say and do.
Go Ahead, Quote Me
Never hesitate to simply ask for a quote. You may be asked a few questions so that the salesperson can determine what type of system you want to buy, but you are never obligated to anything. Your quote should have enough detail on it (ie: specifics on Modem, hard drive brand, video system, …) so there are never any questions about the components in your system. Never feel pressured by asking questions, or asking for a quote – you are doing the vendor a favour, not the other way around!
Support
Future support is important. Of course the odd glitch is bound to happen sooner or later with any computer (9 times out of 10 it is a software glitch, not a hardware problem) and it is nice to have somebody you can rely on to help you through your snag. The only way you can really tell if you are getting future support is by experience – yours or a friend’s. Talk to your friends and family and see if there is any dirt on the vendor you are thinking about dealing with. Also keep in mind that ANY vendor will have good words and bad words floating around about them – it goes with the territory.
Finally, the best advice I can offer is … You get what you pay for! If you buy a computer for $500, you cannot be disappointed when it performs like a $500 computer. There is a sensible limit of course to how much money you invest in a computer, but being overly frugal is not the answer either, and usually leads to grief and bad feelings.
Good luck Shopping!
Last updated by Administrator (admin) on Jun 29 2006 at 13:10
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