Buying a New Computer? Advice and Considerations

Your computer is on it's last legs? You need so say goodbye to your old friend and buy a new one? This hub raises a few considerations when deciding which computer is right for you.

Possibly the most important decision is whether to buy a desktop or a laptop.

Im sure you all know the difference, but here they are anyway.

Laptop - Small portable computer you can carry around.

Desktop - Large stationary computer which sits on a desk, with separate monitor and tower.

Most laptops do exactly the same as desktops, in fact there is not much difference between them except for the physical space they take up, and having the ability to carry them around. However, with these advantages come the major disadvantage with laptops, value for money/time.

Consider a laptop and a desktop for the same price. The desktop computer will in most cases have newer, faster components and be better value for money. The computer industry grows so quickly, as soon as you buy your PC it will be out dated within a month. Buying a faster machine means you can hold onto it for a longer period of time.

Conclusion:

Consider how you use your computer, and where you will need it. Don't buy a laptop just because its stylish, if you are using it at home only, get a desktop! My advice is, only buy a laptop if you need a portable computer.

There absolutely loads of places to look for a new computer. Here is my advice on the best places to look, as well as places to avoid.

Places to Look

Dell - First and foremost I must mention Dell. If you do not have much experience with buying a computer, Dell is always a safe bet. They sell up to date computers are reasonable prices. They even offer step-by-step guides on the website, and have computers in difference categories to suit your needs. Just make sure you do not get sucked in to the cheap gimmicks they ship with their computers, like remote controls for playing music etc.

Ebuyer - This is a british website, where I purchase all of my computer parts and accessories. They also sell laptops and desktops ready made at reasonable prices. Definitely a website to check out if you are from the UK.

EBay - I would recommend looking for a computer on eBay, it is possible to find bargains on eBay, but be careful of who you are buying from, and always make sure you are aware of the sellers terms and conditions. If you are lucky you can pick up real bargains here.

Places to avoid

There isn't many places you need to avoid, but if you want my personal advice I would stay away from high street retailers, and large computer shops. In Britain we have a chain called PC World. They are an excellent store, and are good for getting parts you need quicky. However, they over charge for everything, they need to cover store rental, advertising and everything else. This means they need to put their prices up, don't buy here unless you have to.

Fishy websites - Don't throw your money into a fishy looking website, they may offer you what looks like a great deal, but you will be disappointed. Avoid unknown online retailers, always look for reviews and the "about us" page on the website before buying. This should be common sense when buying online.

If you have experience with electricals, you can always build your own computer. I build all my own computers.

Learning to build your own computer is not as hard it sounds, it is literally like putting a big jigsaw puzzle together. Compatibility of parts is the only hard part to building your own computer.

The main advantage of building your own is cost. Buying the parts and building your own means you will spend less money, and get a better computer for doing so.

In my opinion, if you are dedicated and have the time to learn to do this, then go for it! Type into Google "build my own computer" there will be literally millions of results you can learn to build very quickly this way.

Obviously there are more points to consider when buying a new computer, but I hope this information help a few people out. Feel free to contact me and ask any questions regarding this hub or any other hubs I've written.

But before you go buying a new machine, please check out my other hub on how to speed up your existing computer for free. The link is available below.

Speed up your computer for free!

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