Buying a Computer

Buying the correct computer can mean a world of difference to the outcome. Let's take a look at how to manage your computing needs, without burning a hole in your pocket;

By Indíka Samarathunga

Today computers are the most used and one of the most important appliances in our homes. It plays multiple roles such as providing entertainment, knowledge, a route for creative outlet and as a communication tool.

If you are reading this, then it is fair to assume that you might have some kind of computer in your home. It may be new, old or stashed away somewhere because most parents see it as an enemy of their children, forgetting that when they were kids, their parents felt the same way about TV or radio! In fact the computer offers even more, as it gives today's socially deprived children a window for interaction.
Today computers are the most used and one of the most important appliances in our homes. It plays multiple roles such as providing entertainment, knowledge, a route for creative outlet and as a communication tool.

If you are reading this, then it is fair to assume that you might have some kind of computer in your home. It may be new, old or stashed away somewhere because most parents see it as an enemy of their children, forgetting that when they were kids, their parents felt the same way about TV or radio! In fact the computer offers even more, as it gives today's socially deprived children a window for interaction.
However, unlike a typical household appliance such as a TV, refrigerator or washing machine, computers come with a special characteristic. They tend to age with time. A 10 year old TV will give you the same pictures while a 15 year old refrigerator will still stay cool, but a 5 year old computer will struggle to keep up with the latest applications. This is why we need to buy computers rather frequently.

The typical useful life of a computer is around 3 years. Computing power is said to evolve in a factor of two every 18 months. That is, in three years time, a standard computer will be four times as powerful as it is today. Therefore, 6 years after you buy a computer, there are computers in the market roughly 64 times more powerful than yours! There is only so much that a computer can be upgraded, so it might be time to send that old timer to the scrap heap and buy some new metal.

The most important thing you should know is that you should never buy a computer because you will need it in the future. Always focus on what you will be using the computer for in the next six months or so. If you have no immediate use for a computer, it is always best to wait, because unlike everything else, computer prices tend to fall, and that computer you intend to use next year, will be cheaper when you actually use it.

With the prices going down rapidly, there are always new components entering a market. For someone who's not that into computers, this vast amount of choices can be a headache. What's the difference between Dual Core and Core 2 Duo? DDR what? Onboard or separate graphics? Why do I need a 250 GB hard drive? Do I really need a DVD writer? You can literally go mad!

In this day and age then, it is no surprise that most consumers are taken for a ride by the vendors. Most people end up with PC's with specifications way higher than they actually need. And in some cases the other way happens too. Some take advantage of the ignorance of buyers and sell them below par PC's at standard prices.

So it is important that you do some homework before heading out to the nearest store to get yourself a computer. If you're not a techno buff, always try to get the opinion of someone trusted. Preferably someone who follows the market developments and more importantly, understands what you need from a computer.

A person who doesn't really understand your needs may recommend an option that might be appealling to them but not necessary needed by or sufficient for you.

In the market, you will basically be offered three choices for a computer. These are,

1. Desktop computers

2. Laptop computers or notebooks

3. Netbooks and portable computers

First up, desktops. The desktop computer always carries the most advantages of the lot. It costs less and is infinitely customizable. Today a decent Pentium IV computer for light office use can be bought well under Rs. 30,000. Gone are the days when you spent a fortune on a computer. When I bought my first computer around 8 years ago, a Pentium III 800 with a hard drive of 20GB and 8MB graphics card, it was considered to be mid range and cost around 90,000. Today that amount of money can get you an extreme gaming PC with a Core 2 Quad processor and decent graphics card, and that's not counting inflation.

The main factor to consider when you buy a computer is what exactly you will be using it for. If it's mainly used for office work like letters, email etc, then it is useless to have high performance.

The performance enhancement of an office application due to a high end processor is negligible. More focus should be on storage, security and overall system stability than performance, because a serious system crash or virus infection can destroy your important documents.

If you buy a computer for gaming or graphic and memory intensive use, then performance becomes a key issue. Brand names and manufacturer loyalties might have to be sacrificed to get that balance between performance and budget, provided you have done your homework and that the vendor can be trusted. For example, a motherboard from a 3rd party manufacturer such as Foxconn or Gigabyte can be considered instead of a Genuine Intel motherboard, with the only difference being the brand name and price. Always try to custom build your PC to your own specification, because most set plans offered by vendors focus on selling hard to sell expensive components rather than a balanced PC to the customer. Most set plans offer so called 'Gaming' PC's with Quad core processors and options such as 500GB hard drives and 7.1 speakers but with just 1 or 2GB of RAM and below par graphics. A better option would be for to go for a high end Core 2 Duo processor, cut down on the hard disk capacity, get at least 3GB of RAM and a decent graphics card such as a GeForce 8 Series, and it would cost about the same.
