Choosing a new PC
My clients, friends, and family are constantly asking me questions about how to choose a brand new PC. The truth is that different people need different things. Here are some thoughts to consider:
Which brand is the best? The trick question, eh? There is no way I can answer that since people do need different things. I can say that I have had great luck with www.dell.com. Dell is excellent in helping you choose a computer that's right for you if you call them. They offer home PC support and have a help desk, however the hold times can be annoying and all telephone support services have a tendency to cause as many problems as they fix. I always recommend that my customers call me before they call Dell, or any other company, so we can determine what they need to do or to avoid doing when and if they call tech support. I really do recommend all of the major brands, however. HP, Sony, Compaq, Dell, IBM, etc.
Why are some computers with similar specs more expensive than others? The truth is that the factors that differentiate a great computer from a junk computer are NOT listed in the specs. The quality of the components cannot be seen on any fact sheet. For this reason I recommend finding a reliable company such as HP, Compaq, Sony, Dell, IBM, and other major players like that will all be good choices. When you start getting into "house" brands, you are at risk of getting less machine than you think you are getting. I would rather build my own than buy some of the off-brand junk you'll find out there. It is really a game of trust, not specs.
What do I need to know about the specs? Truthfully all the computers you will find out there today will meet the basic needs for most people. There are really only a few things that you should pay careful attention to. First, MEMORY! Get plenty of memory on your computer. 512M is the minimum and 1G is preferred. Second is the monitor. Spend a little extra and get a bigger monitor. 19" flat panels will completely change your experience compared to a 15" monitor. Size DOES matter! The factors to consider are your vision, how far from your face will the monitor be, and how much stuff do you want to see on your computer screen at any one time. The larger the monitor the more flexibility you have for monitor placement and so on. Big memory, big screen. The rest is easy.
What about a printer? Even cheap printers print fairly well. But consider this, your ink costs much more than the printer. Look for a printer with multiple separate ink cartridges so you can save money by replacing each color independently. Multifunctions are a great choice if you need fax, copy or scan capabilities. I have a Canon printer with a sheet feeder. I use this constantly and love it. For brands? Each brand has it's strengths. HP is self calibrating. Canon has great features. Epson has waterproof ink! (which is important for flyers, business cards, etc). Every brand has great printers. I use a Canon now but I have a few Epsons around. I stopped using HP for a good reason a long time ago. HP doesn't have that problem anymore, I just never got back into HP. I still recommend HP even though I haven't bought one in ages.
Which brand is the best? The trick question, eh? There is no way I can answer that since people do need different things. I can say that I have had great luck with www.dell.com. Dell is excellent in helping you choose a computer that's right for you if you call them. They offer home PC support and have a help desk, however the hold times can be annoying and all telephone support services have a tendency to cause as many problems as they fix. I always recommend that my customers call me before they call Dell, or any other company, so we can determine what they need to do or to avoid doing when and if they call tech support. I really do recommend all of the major brands, however. HP, Sony, Compaq, Dell, IBM, etc.
Why are some computers with similar specs more expensive than others? The truth is that the factors that differentiate a great computer from a junk computer are NOT listed in the specs. The quality of the components cannot be seen on any fact sheet. For this reason I recommend finding a reliable company such as HP, Compaq, Sony, Dell, IBM, and other major players like that will all be good choices. When you start getting into "house" brands, you are at risk of getting less machine than you think you are getting. I would rather build my own than buy some of the off-brand junk you'll find out there. It is really a game of trust, not specs.
What do I need to know about the specs? Truthfully all the computers you will find out there today will meet the basic needs for most people. There are really only a few things that you should pay careful attention to. First, MEMORY! Get plenty of memory on your computer. 512M is the minimum and 1G is preferred. Second is the monitor. Spend a little extra and get a bigger monitor. 19" flat panels will completely change your experience compared to a 15" monitor. Size DOES matter! The factors to consider are your vision, how far from your face will the monitor be, and how much stuff do you want to see on your computer screen at any one time. The larger the monitor the more flexibility you have for monitor placement and so on. Big memory, big screen. The rest is easy.
What about a printer? Even cheap printers print fairly well. But consider this, your ink costs much more than the printer. Look for a printer with multiple separate ink cartridges so you can save money by replacing each color independently. Multifunctions are a great choice if you need fax, copy or scan capabilities. I have a Canon printer with a sheet feeder. I use this constantly and love it. For brands? Each brand has it's strengths. HP is self calibrating. Canon has great features. Epson has waterproof ink! (which is important for flyers, business cards, etc). Every brand has great printers. I use a Canon now but I have a few Epsons around. I stopped using HP for a good reason a long time ago. HP doesn't have that problem anymore, I just never got back into HP. I still recommend HP even though I haven't bought one in ages.
Jerry Hobby 
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