Technical Tuesday: Picking out a new computer?

The other day it was brought absurdly to my attention that a lot of people don’t know what they are looking for when they go to the store to buy a computer. Especially people who don’t use them every day. So here are the things you should ask yourself along with the things that you should know.

 

Questions to ask yourself, Before you buy.

• What am I going to be doing on my computer?
• How much money am I willing to spend on a computer?
• Is a Laptop or Desktop the best for me?
• How much processing power do I need? I3? I5? I7?
• Do I want a Windows Operating System, a Mac Operating System, or Linux?
• How much space do I need on a Hard Drive? 128GB? 256GB? 500Gb? 1TB?
• Am I going to be using this computer for Business or Personal or Both?

Once you have answered these questions start shopping around for the best prices. Take into consideration that if you don’t know what an I3 processor is… then you should ask someone who does know the differences. Get another person involved. ASK THE QUESTIONS!

Some things you should know.

When buying a computer the most expensive thing out there isn’t always the best for you. There is a lot of preparation that should go into this choice because a computer is something that in my own opinion should last you at the least 5 years. I have bought 2 laptops since I was 19… Both of them still work and I have only had to fix one by replacing the battery.

That being said.

When I was searching for my new laptop a few years ago (which is the one that I am currently typing on by the way and doing everything else on) I asked myself the above questions and really thought about my answers. Then I waited almost another 6 months to make sure that I was going to get the best deal.

When it comes to computers, You are going to want to shop around. Look at HP, Dell, Windows, Apple, Lenovo, Samsung. LOOK with those eyes!!! Compare all the prices and the abilities of each of those computers.

I also recommend visiting each website and going into stores like Best Buy. The guys/girls at Best Buy actually seem to know their shit. In fact I have been in my own local Best Buy probably 10 times just looking at computers and asking questions. The people there are always helpful and also really want you to be happy with your purchase.

Then take into account that in August all the kids go back to school and that there are sometimes TAX-FREE Days or weekends and also that a lot of great deals happen for Black Friday and CyberMonday. In fact, the computer that I got was $200.00 off on Black Friday in 2014 and it was a great deal.

I am stressing this…

Another Really important thing for you to know about computers is that you are going to need space on a Hard Drive. If you have questions about how much space you need then I would go back to the top of this post cause you didn’t answer the questions.

The reason that I am stressing this is that I was recently asked if 64GB in a computer was enough… and honestly, I laughed. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than 256GB myself. I don’t save a lot of files or pictures but I know that I download programs and these programs take up room. Windows 10 itself takes up 11GBs. So its simple math… each program that you put on your computer is going to take up storage space to be able to run. Most only take up a GB or 2. But the more complex the program is the more storage it will take.

Do you need to spend more than you already have on software?

The last thing that I want to stress and I do mean STRESS is that having Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Keynote, Pages… all of those programs that you have probably spent a ton of money on… they usually are transferable. meaning that if you bought Microsoft office 2019… and still have your product key… then you can put that same program on a brand new computer.

Or you can use their 365 version… Which has a lot of really cool features added in. I recommend that if you do choose to use this one that you pay yearly. Its a lot cheaper. Microsoft also has a free online version that I just found out about. Below is what Windows Central had to say on it.

Office Online
If making the move to Office 2019 is too expensive, or you’re not willing to commit to a monthly subscription, you also have Office Online. This option is free, and it allows you to access the web version of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with all the essential features most regular users will need to get the work done. The apps are available through any web browser and from virtually anywhere, plus you get 5GB of OneDrive to store your documents and photos.
You can sign up for Office Online in this website, but if you already have an Outlook.comaccount, then you’re already signed up with Office Online.

https://www.windowscentral.com/office-2019-or-office-365-which-one-you-should-get

Now that you have answered the questions and Looked all around and double checked your selections, I get to tell you that If you have any questions or comments concerning this post or any others. I would love to hear from you.

And as always Happy Computing. 🙂