Understanding What You Really Need
The very first thing you need to do is to make sure that you're absolutely clear on what you need it for. While this might sound like a stupid question, it's not always obvious. Taking the time to do this will help ensure that you get exactly what you need, and avoid paying extra for things that you're unlikely to use. Some of the questions that you should consider include:
Do You Need a Desktop, a Laptop/Notebook or a Netbook?
Obviously the great advantage of a laptop computer is that you can use it wherever you want - around the house, travelling, at work, or anywhere else. Is this something that you need though? Many people buy laptops with this in mind, but almost always use them in the same place.
If that's likely to be the case, then you might be better off with a deskop, for a variety of reasons:
- Laptops are more expensive - you'll get more computing power for your money with a desktop.
- It's easier to upgrade a desktop (if in the future you need more memory, more USB ports, a second internal disk etc.).
- Desktops have bigger screens, which can be easier to work with, especially if you're using the computer a lot.
- Desktops can be more ergonomically friendly. With a laptop resting on a desk, you're inevitably looking down at the screen, whereas a standlone monitor with a desktop will typically be height-adjustable, meaning you can match it to your eye level and look straight at it. This may not be an issue for many, but if you're prone to back or neck problems, it might be something worth considering.
If portability is a big concern for you, then you may want to consider a netbook - one of the new very small, lightweight, low-cost laptops. The big advantages are size, weight and cost, but the downsides are the small storage capacity (they often use Solid State Drives with relatively small capacities), small screen size, and the lack of processing power if you want to perform more complex tasks in future.
Who's Going to Use it?
This may sound like a stupid question, but it might not be. Many people buy a computer for themselves, but very quickly find other people (usually children or other family members) using it too, greatly increasing the demands on it, and the types of things it's going to be used for. If you have children, they might not be of an age where they're going to be making much use of a computer now, but in a year or two they may well be.
If you're going to have more people using it, then you might want to consider a bigger disk or even a second disk), because everybody is going to want to store their own files.
You should also take account of what others will be using it for. For example, while you may have no interest in playing games, a child may well want to do this in the future. This might influence your choice of screen and graphics card, require additional memory, or require an extra USB port to plug a games controller into.
What Will You be Using it For?
The things you want to use your computer for will influence not just the type of computer you purchase but also the additional software that you'll need to install. You may only want it for email, the internet, and some word processing at the moment, but in the future you, or someone else who'll be using it, might want to do more. Possible uses which will affect your purchasing decisions include:
- Software development:
If you, or perhaps one of your children, is a budding programmer, then you should take that into account in the system that you buy. Specifically, you might want to consider a machine with a faster processor and more RAM to cope with the demands of a typical software development environment. - Gaming:
Occasional game playing shouldn't really influence the system that you choose - pretty much any computer you buy should comfortably meet the minimum system requirements for current games (if you have an idea of which games you're likely to play, you should check this before buying, just to be sure). If you're a serious gamer though, then you should take this into account, in order to ensure that your games perform to their best. Besides considering a machine with a faster processor and more RAM, you should definitely consider an upgraded graphics card. - Graphic design/editing:
Occasional use of photo editing software to touch up red eyes and other blemishes in your pictures shouldn't really influence the system that you choose - again, pretty much any computer you buy should comfortably meet the minimum system requirements for these applications (if you have an idea of which applications you're likely to use, you should check this before buying, just to be sure). However, if you intend doing more serious design or editing of graphics, then you should consider a machine with a faster processor and more RAM. - Storing large quantities of video:
Video files can take up a lot of space, so if you're going to store a lot of them, you'll need to think about buying a system with more disk space. If you find that you do run out of storage space in future, you can always add a second internal disk to your desktop, or else connect an external disk via a USB or firewire port. - Video editing:
If you intend editing digital video on your computer (adding and deleting scenes, overlaying soundtracks and titles etc.), then you should consider a machine with a faster processor and more RAM.
What Will it be Connected to?
Typically, your computer will need to connect to a number of peripheral devices, especially if you're buying a desktop because in that case you'll probably want to keep most of these devices permanently connected for ease of use. You should think about what those devices will be (keyboard, mouse, printers, scanners, game controllers, external disks, cameras, iPods etc.), and what type of interface each one uses (typically either a USB or firewire connection). This will help you to determine how many USB and firewire ports you need on your computer.
What's your budget?
When buying a computer, it's very easy to end up spending far more than you intended. You see a machine which seems to be in the right price range, and decide to buy it, but then get offered a long list of extras (either by the salesperson if you're buying in a store, or via a seemingly endless set of options if you're buying online). These all seem like useful additions, and individually they may not be that expensive, but when you add them all up, you can find that the total price has increased dramatically.
The types of extras that you'll be offered include:
- Upgrades to processors, RAM, disk size, graphics card, etc.
- An extended warranty, typically up to 3 or 4 years, and possibly covering accidental damage.
- A larger monitor.
- A printer/copier/scanner.
- Additional software - often an upgraded version of Windows (from Vista Home Basic to Home Premium, or from Home Premium to Ultimate) and Microsoft Office, but possibly other software as well.
- A subscription to an anti-virus package (Norton, McAfee etc.).
- Other accessories including speakers, webcams etc.
- Accessories for laptops, including:
- A docking station, so you can use a regular keyboard and monitor while you're at your desk.
- A laptop bag.
- A spare battery.
- A separate mouse and mat so you don't always have to use the built-in touchpad.
You should think carefully about everything that you need before you buy, and factor it all into your budget. This may mean buying a base computer with a lower specification, in order to allow for the cost of the extras that you need and still remain within your overall budget.
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