Tips to Save Money when Buying a New Computer, or Updating the Old One

It seems that at the start of the new school year everyone is looking to purchase a new computer to help themselves or their children in achieving success for the upcoming school year. However, too few individuals actually prepare for that purchase by researching a little about the types of computers on the market, the price comparison on these machines, or researching to see what sort of computer will benefit them the most.

I recently purchased a laptop myself for my entry into a public university. My community college had plenty of available computers for student use, but when I took the step into a much larger state university I realized that a laptop would save me hours of time waiting for a computer, as well as travel to and from the campus library. I had to go through the step by step process that all buyers will have to go through in order to find the computer that is right for them.

Do I need a new computer or can I update my old one?

When starting to look for that new computer purchase, you have to decide whether or not you actually need a new computer or if it is possible to simply update your old computer and save some money. This decision relies on several different factors. First we must ask ourselves, "How up to date is my current computer?." Chances are, that if you purchased a computer within the past two years, that computer still has a few more years in it. It may just need a Tune-Up from a comp professional. You see, over time our computers will squirrel away loads of information that takes up a lot of space on our hard-drives. With all this data taking up space on our computer's memory bank, it causes the computer to process slower than if this data was cleared away. A lot of times, slow computers can be brought back up to speed simply by clearing out the loads of old data as well as ensuring that the software on the computer is up to date. From Best Buy, this process usually costs between $100-200 dollars. However, if you have a comp savvy friend, they will usually do it for free.

However, sometimes that computer is simply behind the times and it is time to clear the way for a new computer. If we reach the decision to buy a new computer there are a few tips and tricks that will enable us to save money in the long run.

What sort of computer will benefit me the most?

The first decision we need to make when looking for that new computer, is to decide what type of computer we actually need. Currently there is a wide variety of computers on the market. There are laptops, desktops, tablet pc's, and a new comp that is out on the market is called a net-book. To decide which computer you will need takes a small amount of research and a question and answer routine. Do I need a portable computer or is this for home and office use? Do I need something with a lot of power to run the latest games or multi-media software? Do I simply need something for word processing and web surfing? Answering these simple questions will put you on the right track on saving money and being happy with your new purchase.

What is a GB, RAM, Video Memory, Processor speed etc?

Computer terminology is somewhat daunting to a new buyer coming into the digital world. To start you off with some simple definitions, a hard-drive is your storage area. This is where your music, videos, documents, and pictures are stored on the comp. Most units boast somewhere around in the 100's of Gigabytes. Without going into detail, this is more than enough memory for the average computer user to last years. For perspective, a hundred gigabytes will be able to hold about a year long audio track. (That is 365 days of continuous audio) RAM is the memory that is used when running applications. The more RAM the smoother they run, and the more applications that can run at the same time. Video Card Memory is memory used completely for video processes such as games and multimedia software. And lastly, processor speed is your comp speed in which it can perform a task. Now obviously, the more memory, more speed, and faster the comp is, the more it will cost. However in general terms, you can find a very cost effective version of the comp. that you need. Ask the store specialists for help regarding what specs you need for your new comp.

After your purchase, things to never leave without.

So you've made your decision on the computer that you want to buy and it fits every need perfectly. Well before you walk out the door with your new comp, there are a few things that you don't want to leave without. First of all, you will want a recovery disc. In case of an extreme emergency, or comp breakdown, you can use this disc to restore your comp to its factory settings. If you backup your important data regularly by using external storage devices, the recovery disc is invaluable in ensuring that you can restore your comp to a working state after a meltdown. If you take your comp to the store after a problem occurs and you can't restore your computer because you don't have a disc, look to pay at least $100 to the service department when they do it for you.

Also make sure that you have the most recent updates for your new computer. Most comp stores will install these updates for you at the service counter for around $40 dollars. Doing this makes sure that your comp is up to date right out of the door and ready for use the moment you set it up.

Last, is making sure that you have a warranty for your comp. It may be a big payment upfront, but it will haunt you when your backlight on your new laptop goes out and to fix it costs well over $500, which happened to be the amount you paid for the comp in the first place.

Hope you learned a bit about buying that new comp and some small tips when shopping it this year!!!