Are you more computer proficient than you realize? People use computers everyday and may not even realize it. Do you pump your own gas? How about take money from an ATM machine? Do you use a credit or debit card to pay for your groceries? How about drive a car? The list can go on and on, but you are probably starting to get the idea. Many of the more common tasks we perform each day require us to use a computer and the chances are you are not even aware of it. But that’s great, you have already adapted to them more than you even knew. Even if you were to disagree that you already have a level of proficiency with computers chances are it will continue to grow. More and more our dependency on computer systems is interwoven into our society and daily life.

If you are reading this chances are fairly high that you have enough knowledge to get to this site, read it and navigate around. However, you may have someone you know, such as a parent that you would like to have them start using a computer. You may want them to exchange email, do their finances online, upload and view photographs and much more. But you may want to start out slowly, so you don’t overwhelm them. Keep it simple and look at starting with email. If you really want them to embrace this technology get an easy win. Email can be very simple for them to learn, perhaps not to comprehend.

So look at a system that is fairly simplistic, but will last without too much chance for failure. A used system may not be your best bet as you may be purchasing someone’s problems. So buy an inexpensive model to start. When you teach them about it you want to focus on simplicity. As an example; here is the power button, here is the button for email, here is how you see if you have mail sent, here is how you reply and here is how you start a new message.

Just remember that for you this is the most basic of basics, but for them it’s a whole new world and it can be overwhelming. Be prepared for a host of questions. Everything to how does this work to why hasn’t anyone responded yet. It’s new to them so be patient.

So it’s time for you to look into a computer and you are wondering what you should buy.  Computers can run from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, so with that delta you can get lost in a sea of information and a product that either falls short of your needs or overshoots.  If you leave it to the sales person selling you a new system chances are you will end up paying and receiving more than you thought.

At the very start you should decide on a budget, how much money can you spend on a computer?  You may also consider a high cap that you won’t exceed, because as you go along you will find functionality that you need to get the desired results you set out to achieve.  So at this point keep the budget somewhat loose.

Who is this new computer for?  If it’s for a child, as an example, your needs may be much less.  If it’s for work the family or work the needs may be much more.  This will help you understand what you need and may help you define your budget more clearly.

Will the system be set in one place or used at various locations?  This will tell you whether you can get a desktop or laptop. 

Consider what the computer will be used for; is it for basic applications like MS Word or Excel? Will it be used for gaming?  How about movies?  Depending on what your desired use is will tell you a lot about what you will need.  There are plenty of sites online that will let you build a computer based on your usage, they will even give you an estimated cost for the system.

If price is a concern you may want to stay with a PC, if functionality and ease of use are important and price isn’t an issue than take a look at a Mac.  Whatever your budget is and desired usage you will be able to find a system that’s just right for you.