As you are probably aware, the computer industry is complex, dynamic, and in a state of constant change. It is difficult for industry professionals to keep up with the swift changes, so it's no wonder that the average person feels overwhelmed when faced with the prospect of purchasing computer equipment. It isn't possible to give you a set of strict rules that will tell you exactly what to buy, but we can give you some general guidelines that will reduce your anxiety levels and help make you a savvy buyer. These guidelines are useful for first time buyers as well as more seasoned buyers. They apply to complete systems, peripherals, and upgrades.
When purchasing a system for home, relying on this article and your own common sense probably will give you a good value for your money, even if you know nothing about computers. Typical home use is general purpose in nature, so most computer systems are adequate for the task. What is usually most important in the home environment are factors such as ease of use/ease of learning, and compatibility with the office or school.
When purchasing a system for business, your decision is usually more complex and wrong decisions can be costly. There is the obvious danger of not making a cost effective purchase, such as buying more computer power than is needed or buying something that will not be used. But there is an even larger risk lurking in the shadows of your decision -- one that you will pay for repeatedly throughout the life of your equipment: lost productivity because the system is difficult to learn or use, or because it is not well suited to your needs.
Before you decide what computer equipment to buy, you first need to define what you want it to do. A computer is just a tool, like a shovel or a pan. While all shovels can be used to dig, and all pans can be used to prepare food, there are different kinds of shovels and different kinds of pans. Some varieties are better suited than others for various tasks. Likewise, some computers are better suited for certain applications than others. Some may be more than you need.
When defining what you want your computer system to do, you should commit your list to paper. Write down your major anticipated uses. It isn't necessary to list every conceivable use you might make of your new computer, but it is important that you list the major ones. You are creating this list to help you determine what hardware and software will best do the job at the lowest cost.
Every business and every home is different, so your list of needs will vary from that of your friends, associates, and competitors. For example, most businesses will want to do a minimum of word processing and accounting. Others may include inventory, database management, desktop publishing, forecasting, graphics, bulk mailing, or other tasks. Many students will want to do word processing, access the web, eMail and have access to reliable, inexpensive printing. Some might need to do complex mathematical computations -- or at least be able to write complex mathematical equations in a word processing environment.
While the choice of computer may sound like your most important and complex decision, it may not be. The computer itself is not your tool, the system as a whole is your tool. Like a chain, it is only as good as its weakest link. For example, if you were in the business of publishing a newsletter, you would be concerned about the quality of your hardcopy. The printer you use may be the most important component of your system. But having the best printer in the world will do you little good unless your computer can: a) use it, and b) use it to its fullest potential. Equally important is the software available on your computer. It does little good to have all this hardware if the software available to you can't do what you need it to do.
As you can see, we must identify those elements that are the most critical or important. Are ease of use and ease of learning the most important features? Perhaps the ability to do complex mathematical calculations quickly? Photo-quality printing? Waterproof colorfast printing? Prioritize your list of needs. You will be configuring your system around whatever you identify as your critical issues.
Everyone can benefit from good advice. The less you know about something, the more valuable good advice is to you -- and the more dependent upon it you are. Bad advice, when acted upon, can be costly. Novices are the ones who most need good advice, and the ones who are at the greatest risk of getting bad advice, because their lack of knowledge makes it difficult to distinguish bad advice from good. Unfortunately, bad advice can come from any source, including well meaning individuals who are only trying to help.
If you have some experience with computers, you'll probably be fairly comfortable relying on your own expertise. If you don't have this level of comfort or know nothing about computers, you'll probably be relying pretty heavily upon the advice of others. To help you ferret out the bad from the good, we'll examine the pro's and con's of your likely sources of advice: articles, consultants, salespeople, friends and associates. Each situation is different, but if you follow the steps outlined in this article and temper it with your own wisdom and the advice you get, you'll probably do well.
Much useful information can be found in articles of various publications. Generally, the major publications tend to have sound advice. Smaller publications sometimes have dubious advice, however, because they tend to be less selective of their authors. Naturally, this publication has some of the best advice we've seen anywhere ;-). A major drawback of any article, however, is that it is not interactive. You cannot ask the author: "yes, but what if...". Articles can be very useful in making you more computer literate.
Salespeople can be a source of good information. Many are very knowledgeable and can facilitate your decision making process. Others are bald-faced liars that slither with the snakes. You may not stand a chance of telling the difference between the two unless you have a fair amount of knowledge yourself. No matter how honest the salesperson, they all have an incentive to sell you something. Many will have your best interests at heart, while others will encourage you to buy the brand that has the larger profit margin for them.
Friends and associates generally have your best interests at heart, but that doesn't mean that they are qualified to give good advice. Many friends may think they know a lot about computers, and you might think so too, but in reality their knowledge may not be much more than your's. Given how quickly this industry changes, unless your friends are computer professionals, their advice is probably limited. Just because Sally bought brand x and is very happy with it, it does not mean that you also should buy brand x, although that is what Sally is likely to recommend. Though she is very smart, Sally may not have bought as good of a system as she could have, or her needs might be different from yours. Besides, unless Sally bought her system within the last month or two, it's a good bet that there are new models on the market and that prices have gone down. Taking the advice of your pal who "knows a lot about computers" could cost you some money. On the other hand, they can keep you from getting ripped off. Listen to their advice, but don't take it as gospel. You're the one who must live with your choices.
A good consultant probably will save you some money and give you the best advice you are likely to encounter. Unfortunately, not all consultants are good. If you do hire one, ask lots of questions up front. Be suspicious of a consultant who doesn't give you a free initial consultation. Most charge hourly and may ask for a retainer up front. You may resist the notion of hiring a consultant because of their expense, however, if you have chosen your consultant well, they are probably your best source of knowledgeable, reasonably unbiased advice. But everybody has their biases.
In the end, all sources of information have their limitations. Listen to them all and to your instinct. If you're careful, you'll probably make the right choice.
The next step is to create a generic list of the components of your system. Don't get into the specifics of which brand or model, just identify components such as computer, monitor, printer, modem, word processor, spreadsheet, etc. Put a question mark by anything you think you might need but are unsure about. Use your list of needs to help figure out these components. Here is where a friend or consultant could be of great help if you are a novice with computers.
Now you will begin to refine your list. Look at your critical issues. What is the most important issue and which component directly affects it? For example, if you have identified high quality output as your most critical item, then the component that most directly affects it is the output device (e.g. a printer). If ease of use or reliability is a critical issue, then start by choosing a computer model that excels in this area, such as Macintosh. Continue to refine your list based your critical issues. If you follow this approach, those items at the top of your list are where you should invest in higher quality, whereas you can economize more on those items at the bottom of the list.
Remember, it is critical that you continue to think of your system as a whole -- that is your real tool. We are often tempted to think of our computer or microprocessor as the tool. This is equivalent to thinking of the engine in our car as a transportation tool. While the engine is an important component, an automobile without something as humble as tires is probably not going to serve us very well.
Once you have completed your critical issues list and have identified what you wish to purchase, you must then decide when and where to make your purchase. Next issue we'll compare the pro's and con's of dealers, discounters, and mail order. The article: "Buy Now, or Wait for Lower Prices?" contains some insight into making cost effective purchase decisions in the fast paced computer market. Before finalizing your equipment purchase list, you'll probably want to read that article.
