The Key Items to Consider When Buying a New Computer

Computer prices have come down a considerable amount as technology keeps advancing and they become more cost efficient to make, but buying a computer is still a relatively large purchase for most of us. There are an incredible amount of choices when you are looking for a new computer and, if you are like me, you are concerned that you will end up buying the one terrible computer out of the bunch. You can spend anywhere from $300 to $2,000 or more on a computer so there is obviously a wide range in what you are getting. The more you are likely to spend on a computer, the more selective you should be and the more you are going to demand from it.

The first rule of buying a computer is knowing what you want from your computer. Obviously the person who just wants a word processor, reliable Internet access and a relatively fast computer will buy a markedly different computer than the person who carries their laptop with them at all times, needs constant wireless access, saves all kinds of different files on the computer, and does a substantial amount of their work on a computer. So know what you want and even that amount of information can go miles when the computer store employee is trying to point you in the right direction.

First of all, understand what kind of processor you need. You might want to research this fairly extensively if you need your computer to do more than the average person. But if you don’t need your computer to do all that much, there is no need to find the most advanced processor. For the average person who works with spreadsheets, word processors, the Internet and the other basic needs, you should have a 2.66-GHz Pentium or an Athlon XP 2800+ processor.

Buy as much memory as you can afford. Look for a computer with around 512 MB, but the more you can afford, the faster your computer will perform and the less often you will have to delete items and update your computer.

Give your eyes a break if you can afford getting the right monitor. If you spend a lot of time staring at your screen this might be an area to focus on. One thing to consider is looking for an LCD monitor, which is easier on the eyes than a CRT monitor. The prices of LCD monitors drop like any technology as it becomes more common, so you might be able to find a deal on this. Also look for a larger monitor if you have the money and the space. This will give better composition to documents and other items you view on your screen and is also better for your eyesight.

Make sure that you buy an anti-virus protection program because there is no use in having a nice new computer if a virus quickly cripples it. The more you rely on your computer, the more protection you might need. You also might want to look into anti-spyware protection and advanced firewalls.

Good luck shopping.