What do you look for when you shop for a new computer?

1. 38

   jasonmstylesposted 12 years ago

   What do you look for when you shop for a new computer?
   
   Looking for a new can be frustrating and tedious. It can also be enjoyable. What do you look for when you are shopping for a new computer?

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2. 72

   lburmasterposted 12 years ago

   Memory, how easy it is to carry, it cannot be an apple product. I go through different websites like Walmart, Best Buy and go down the list to see which computers are in my price range and mark off the ones that qualify.

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   1. 38

      jasonmstylesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It's good to hear that a lot of people don't just buy the first thing they see. Process of elimination is a great method for shopping for a computer.

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3. 59

   MSLewisposted 12 years ago

   I look for balance. I learned long ago that it's cheaper and more efficient to buy a smaller, light laptop or tablet for portable computing and a good tower for my home computing needs.
   
   It really all depends on how you use your computers.
   
   If you want/need a computer on the go, but don't need to play games or do video editing on it, get a simple laptop for use during travel. You can usually find something around $200 at BestBuy or online. In this way you can use the money you saved on the laptop and buy a good desktop for all your heavy CPU needs.
   
   I went this route a couple years ago and spent a total of $1500 dollars. It may seem like a lot, but not when you take into account that I now have three laptops (ranging from a light but stable mini-notebook to an entertainment Sony Vaio) and two desktops with a multiple monitor setup.
   
   Everyone thinks you just need a great laptop, but with the advent of cloud storage and computer networking becoming so simple now, there's no reason not to have different computers for different tasks. The best part is that towers last twice as long as laptops, and are cheaper to upgrade. I still have a tower I bought almost 8 years ago, and it runs faster than my friend's brand-new vaio. Just keep it clean and up-to-date and you'll be fine

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4. 61

   larry71posted 12 years ago

   Look for the best processor and most memory you can get for the budget you have.  Storage on 99.99% of all store bought computers will be a 7200 rpm hard drive. so never take storage into consideration when looking at a new store bought system. Most also now come with a minimum of 500 GBs  of storage which for most is way more than enough.  For processors if you're an intel fan look for a system with at least an i5 .  For the AMD fan or budget minded consumer get an AMD cpu or what is now called an APU with integrated graphics.  you can still add a graphics card if needed. but with the new apu's they have direct x 11 graphics capability.  I'd say with these go for the A8 or new A10 trinity.  If budget allows definatley the A 10 trinity.  It's a native quad core processor with a stock clock of 3.8 GHz and is unlocked for those who want to overclock. will handle natively with no overclocking RAM wtih speeds upto 1866.  and with overclocking upto 2100 or so. 
   The single biggest upgrade you will make on any computer will be moving from an HDD. to a SSD.
   The speed performance boost will be worth the cost.  Especially now that the costs have dropped considerably.  You can now get a SSD for under $100.00.  Now you wont have lots of storage at this price range but the speed boost for your o.s. and a couple of aps will be huge. You can boot your computer in under 45 seconds with an ssd. Depending on your ram and graphics in under 20.   I will suggest however if getting a ssd that is under 120 GBS. use this as your boot device and keep your hard drive as you storage device.  Yo'll never regret it. 
   Hope this information helps.

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5. 59

   Tonyx35posted 12 years ago

   The main things I go for are when going through the store listings for a new desktop tower:
   
   Processor: (Dual or Quad cores) minimum @ 2.4 Ghz either Intel or AMD
   
   System Memory: at least 3 GB, more if memory is shared with onboard video, on Windows 64-bit OS.
   
   Video out: DVI (computer monitor)  and HDMI (for HDTV)
   
   Sound device: The onboard Realtek sound is actually enough for me
   
   Hard Drive: 500 GB minimum. I have not jumped onto the SSD bandwagon.
   
   DVD Writer: I still use DVDs and CDs on my PC. Even with the big software available via direct downloads.
   
   Floppy Disk Drive: No, I'm just kidding!
   
   
   I actually enjoy looking through the specs. It's a  little different for Notebooks/Laptops.  I try to go for something no larger than 15.4 inch screen.

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6. 67

   Jordanwalker39posted 12 years ago

   Durability. That is the first thing I ask about. I know I am rough with my things and want my items to be able to take a beating. Next thing I ask is repairs and warranties.

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7. 60

   reneeinspiredposted 12 years ago

   Well I am an apple person myself but the rules are the same no matter what:
   
   Laptop:
   Memory
   Weight
   Harddrive
   USB Ports
   
   Desktop:
   Screen Size
   USB Ports
   Memory
   Resolution
   
   I find myself running out of USB ports these days and I think that is an important issue. I also believe that HDMI is important but I sacrificed it on my new laptop.
   
   What do you find important?

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   1. 38

      jasonmstylesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      It depends on what I am buying the computer for. If I intend to use it for traveling and doing mostly web-surfing, email and small other tasks, I would pay attention more to the size and reliability of the computer.

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8. 39

   afmolinajrposted 12 years ago

   i guess the practicality of the computer. and it always depend of what is the purpose of that computer.

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