Where to Buy
Buying in a Store
In practical terms, your choice of where to go will be limited to what's nearby. Bear in mind that in a store, even one of the larger ones, your ability to customise a system will be reduced - when you buy online you can select all of the major components from a range of options, whereas a store will carry a more limited supply of pre-configured systems. You're still likely to be able to find something suitable, you just might not have as much flexibility.
Even if you do want to buy in a store, it's still a good idea to research prices and options online before going. This may give you some leverage to negotiate a discount (if you tell a salesperson that you can get a better deal online, and can quote the source to backup your claim, they're likely to offer you some kind of discount rather than let you walk out), and will at least give you a frame of reference for comparison.
Be prepared to be offered a long list of add-ons once you've chosen a computer. I bought a laptop in a store recently, told the salesperson I didn't want anything extra, but still got offered a long list of options: an extended warranty, coverage for accidental damage, a laptop bag, a mouse and pad, a spare battery, a subscription to anti-virus software, Microsoft Office, and many more things. It gets tiring having to continually refuse, but stick to your guns if they're things you don't want or need.
One benefit of shopping this way is that many stores have good special offers at certain times of the year. Keep an eye out beforehand, and when you see promotional ads, that would be a good time to go. You also get special offers online, but can often get larger discounts in stores when these promotions occur.
Buying Online
Buying online gives you the most flexibility in customising your system, because you can change pretty much all of the major components. It also makes it quick and easy to compare prices to help you get the best deal.
Another advantage is the availability of customer reviews. While you should always be a little sceptical of online reviews (it's easy for sellers to post good reviews of their own products), you can get useful information from them. Look for reviews on a reputable site (like Amazon for example), products which have a significant number of reviews (if there are only one or two then you won't learn much), ignore those that read like a promotional brochure, and look for trends - are there any particular positive or negative aspects that are highlighted consistently. Even when there are negatives, consider whether these problems would be relevant to you.
The downside of course, is that you can't actually see or try out a product before you buy it. If you'd like to see a computer in action first, you can always visit a store which has that model in stock, even if you intend buying it online.
Some websites that you might want to look at are listed below. Most these have separate sites for other geographic regions if you're located outside of the USA (such as www.amazon.co.uk).
<-- Previous Page Other Considerations |
Next Page --> Our Recommended Specifications |
| Privacy Policy |
|
|
© 2008, www.computer-answers.info. All rights reserved. |