Before you pull the trigger on a desktop, we must ask; why in the name of the sweet Lord are you getting a desktop? If you aren’t sure…absolutely sure you need one, then hold your ponies and get a notebook. That old cost difference issue for getting the desktop over the notebook has largely disappeared. Assuming you want us to shut up on this notebook thing let's get on with it.
Thing No. 1 Buy above minimum specs.
Assuming you can afford it, get
something close to, but just below, the top of the line. This will
extend the useful life of your PC. It’s kind of like real estate
(and yoga). It’s good to stretch a bit. For all the specs and "which-one" information go to: cnet.com
Thing No. 2 Upgrade at the time of purchase.
Often, you
can get a better deal on a larger hard drive or a better monitor when
you first order your computer. Even doubling the size of a hard drive
may add very little to the cost, and upgrading to a higher-quality
monitor may add only $100.
Thing No. 3 Avoid gimmicky keyboards to save money.
Many
vendors tout fancy keyboards with extra buttons for launching apps.
Save some money by choosing the cheapest option unless you have a
specific need for the fancier one. Same goes for mice. (Or
is it mouses?)
Thing No. 4 Buy one of the big brands.
Do not screw
around with the also-rans and do not buy a brand you’ve never heard
of. IBM, HP, Compaq, Apple, Sony, Dell, Gateway or Acer have good
service reps and are national. The locals can’t do the warranty
thing and you usually have to bring it in when there’s a problem.
The Tom, Dick and Geek brands are not going to help you and nobody else
will know how to fix it.
Thing No. 5 Know who you are.
We’re sure you don’t need
us to tell you whether to get a Mac or a PC – you’re either a Mac
person or a PC person – it’s in your genetic code. But, in the rare
event that you do have your Mac chromosomes and your PC chromosomes
crossed or, you want a Mac but think they’re too expensive, the price
gap between PCs and Macs has closed quite a bit. Switching to
Intel chips in the Macs has increased performance without raising
prices. The gap is only about 10 percent at this point.
Thing No. 6 Retailers have mighty fine deals.
The last
time you bought one of these things, the best deals were probably
online. That’s not necessarily true anymore. Retailers are
offering great deals as loss leaders to pull people in. Notebooks
are being offered at great prices in part, because notebook buyers buy
more other added crap: check selection at Best Buy or frys.
Thing No. 7 Shoot for a 22-inch LCD monitor.
Prices are low
enough that you should be able to buy one for about $300. Check out cnet.com for
reviews of the best of them.
Thing No. 8 Don’t buy a store warranty.
The decision on
extended warranty is a bit of a toss-up. Most problems occur in
the first year, so a one-year warranty should be fine. A two-or
three-year warranty will add about $150 or $200 to your cost.
Since PCs are often less than a $1000, for the most part, it’s not
worth it – take your chances. If, however, you’re spending a lot
more on the box or just feeling like a Nervous Nelly, then, call the
manufacturer and ask about theirs. The manufacturers can sell you one
that will fully cover your computer for about three to five years so
you can stop chewing your nails.
Thing No. 9 Don't buy additional software unless you really
need it.
Purchase an operating system (push for a free upgrade on a Windows machine), an office suite, and an
antivirus package. But if you need more, look for vendors' software
bundles to upgrade your software. For as little as $100, you can
often upgrade from Microsoft Works Suite or a similar package to a full
office suite like Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition--a great
value considering Office XP runs more than $300 off the shelf.
Also, if anybody in your family is a student of any kind, check out
educational packages. Oftentimes, any kind of mild evidence that
you’ve even wandered by a graphic design class will get you things like
Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark or Creative Suite for a third of the
price. Same software.
Thing No. 10 For Christsakes pull the trigger!
Don't wait to see
whether prices drop further or performance improves. If you need it now
then go for it. If you have to have the absolutely best possible deal,
then fine. Go ahead and sit on your bum and wait for Christmas or
pre-school season when deals are sometimes better. Far be it from
you to jump the gun.