Perhaps you
have been using a computer from the Stone Age. Believe it or not, there are
many people still using Pentium 4 computers out there. Maybe your computer is
giving you so many headaches because of its slow speed, and is continuing to do
so despite you trying out the tips in our previous article, it may be time for
a new computer. New computer? Excitement all around! Everyone’s excited when they
get a new computer. The thing is, how do you go about choosing a new computer?
What factors do you have to take in account, what steps to take to make sure
that this computer is perfect for you? Read on to find out.
But…why get a new
computer?
It is true
that sometimes a new computer is not necessary. Sometimes, all you have to do
is upgrade the components, clean up the system (see our “Making Your Computer
Faster” article), and voila, there you go, faster speeds, good as new. This is
not the case always. Besides the fact that new computers always perform better
than old ones (assuming that they are in the same categories as each other), it
is true that sooner or later, your old computer is going to die. That time may
be coming soon. When it dies, the cost of repairing it will be too high so much
so that you will be better off getting a replacement (speaking from experience
here).
Furthermore,
old computers run older operating systems. In addition to your hardware not
being supported by the manufacturer anymore, the operating system will be
obsolete, and hence unsupported soon. This may leave you vulnerable to security
holes that will neer be solved due to the operating system becoming obsolete.
Consider your budget
This is an
important step. Before buying a new computer, you have to consider your budget.
Ask yourself, how much are you willing to spend on this new computer? This is
one of the factors that will determine the type of computer you’ll get – and
the performance of the computer. Generally, the more you pay, the more you get.
We cannot tell you how much to spend – that is entirely up to you.
Consider your needs
Arguably,
the most important thing to remember about choosing a new computer is that it
does what you want it to do. Obviously,
you aren’t going to use a netbook for gaming. Really, consider it. Are you going to be using
this computer for school? Work? Gaming? Or a combination of all of the above? Will
you need to carry the computer around? These are some of the few questions you
should ask yourself. If you don’t know what you need, no one will.
You will
want to get a more powerful computer for CPU-intensive programs that you may be
using, such as Photoshop and Dreamweaver. Same goes for multi-tasking. Of
course you have to spend more for a more powerful system. On the other hand, if
you are looking for something you can take a long easily and just do basic word
processing and web surfing on it, a netbook would suffice, although these
machines would die if you throw any gaming or GPU-intensive tasks at them.
Consider your preferences
Think about
it. Do you have any preferences? Which brands do you prefer? HP, ASUS, Dell?
Once you’ve decided, you should check your desired manafacturer’s website for
more information. From there, you can choose the model you want. Choose wisely.
It is
important that you choose a reliable manufacturer. Generally, Japanese
manufacturers such as Fujitsu and Toshiba have a better reputation for reliable
notebooks than the likes of Dell, HP or Compaq. It is also advised to get a
manufacturer who will stand by their product.
Read reviews online
Now that
you have taken into consideration all your needs, preferences and your budget,
it is time to start reading reviews of the model you chose. This is important.
You don’t want to have a bad experience with your computer. It’s better to
spend some time reading reviews and getting an idea of how your experience with
the computer will be like, than to buy without reading reviews and subsequently
regretting your purchase.
Reviews
highlight the good and bad points of a computer. Reviews cover everything from
design, to performance, to build quality, to additional features offered. If
one of the bad points of a computer is a deal-breaker, at least you’ll know,
and can go look for another model to buy that meets your needs well.
When
looking for reviews, also compare reviews with similar computers. These reviews
may just change your mind and make you go for a competitor.
Final words
The world
of computers is a rapidly changing one. What’s considered a powerful computer
today will be considered mainstream or even a lower-performance one in a few
years (even months). We need to keep updated. It is thus important to keep in
mind our advice for choosing a new computer, that will withstand time. No
matter how many years from now you read this article, our advice will continue
to remain relevant. We wish you all the best in choosing a new computer.