How to choose the right computer for you

Computers are necessary tools that help perform a vast range of tasks, therefore choosing the right computer can be a frustrating ordeal. Selecting the right computer means deciding on the right system that fits your needs without spending an excessive amount of money and that‘s not always an easy thing to do. There are different types of computers on the market to choose from like Desktop Computers, Laptops and Netbooks. Each of these types of computers come in different models with different functions and specifications which can be very confusing and overwhelming for people with little or no experience. Although it’s hard to decide, there are a few things you can do to make your choice easier.

Knowing what you will be doing with the computer can significantly narrow down your choices.

Before you invest a lot of money in buying a computer, you have to consider the fact that technology improves so quickly that a top of the line computer right now, can be considered already old within six months. You have to ask yourself how you will be using your computer and list all the tasks in order of priority, that way, you can eliminate the ones that are not really necessary and focus on the ones that you need. Excluding those extra features you don’t need can make a big difference in price. At this point you can shop for a computer by comparing its qualities with the ones you wrote as necessary in your list and decide which computer has the best hardware configuration and performance that meets your needs.

If your computer will stay in one location, then, you should buy a Desktop computer, but if you need to be able to bring your computer with you, then, a laptop or netbook is your best choice. Laptops are very useful when traveling, but is also true that desktop computers are much cheaper when comparing with the same performance. If what you are looking for is a portable device with a long lasting battery, than a netbook would be a good choice even though the performance and features are more limited respect to a laptop.

In case you decide to go for a laptop, size matters. While laptops with a larger screen are better for videos, they may be also too bulky and heavy to bring along, if you travel a lot.

If your intention is to use the computer to play the latest video-games, then you will need a high-end PC; you will need to give particular attention to features like memory capacity (RAM or Random Access Memory), fast video card, large hard-drive and enough ports, in particular USB. On the other hand, if you will use the computer only for simple tasks like surfing the Internet, reading e-mails, burning CDs and DVDs, and writing letters or essays, then you can purchase almost any computer with a low price, however try not to choose a computer in the too low-end.

When deciding between operating systems, you should know that Windows is the most generally used system and has a bigger assortment of programs and applications respect to Macintosh, however, Windows is also more vulnerable to viruses, spyware, adware, and malware.

When making a decision on which computer to buy, you should also consider the eventual cost of repairing and replacing components for that particular brand; some manufacturers can be extremely expensive.