As an IT pro, I'm often approached for guidance on purchasing a new computer.  Over time, I've pulled that guidance together into a Computer Shopping Workbook, and this year, I'm sharing it with you on my blog.  Whether it's end of year holiday sales, or time for you to retire that old Windows XP or 7 machine, or that old Mac Mountain Lion unit, or just time to purchase something with a little more muscle to do the things you're doing now, you'll want to make an informed decision - and that's the purpose of this article. 

There are lots of options on computers, and comparing them online or in a store can be time consuming and frustrating.  It’s always best to know essentially what you want before shopping.  This article will help you think through what you want in a new computer, understand what work you’ll have when you do buy a new computer, and how best to comparison shop for one. It also includes a link to a workbook that you can fill out to help you define your needs, for better comparison shopping.

A General Note about Price
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Here’s what you might expect to find while shopping for Desktops and Laptops, VERY generally:

Make a Wish List of Options

Once you’ve defined some specifics and some options for your next computer, make a wish list of those items.  It will make your shopping easier, whether online or in person.  You don't have to have a preference defined for each component - keep in mind flexibility provides you with greater options.  With that in mind, I recommend something like this (the workbook tool will help you make your own):

Often when computer shopping you’ll see specs to choose from, and this can be more confusing than useful for general home consumers.  Let's start with an example - you saw a great sale ad for this computer, but it may as well be partially written in Greek.  Sample Computer Sale Ad:  Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series: i7, 3.2Ghz, 8GB, 1T HDD, HDMI, DVD, Win10, Black.  Knowledge is Power! So let’s break down that sample description one underlined term at a time:
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• Dell Inspiron 15 7000 series – This is the Manufacturer and Model of the computer.  I just used this make and model as an example.
  
  
• i7 – this is the Processor.  In my opinion, Intel has the Processor market. You may see some that say AMD*, and those used to be equally capable, but no longer.  The processor is the Brain of your computer. If you want your computer to boot up quickly, open programs in a flash, have no lag multitasking, do tasks as soon as you start them, - you’ll want the fastest available, which right now is the Intel i7. Slightly slower is the i5, i3, Celeron. Pentium, etc.  *There are gaming units that use AMD processors very successfully; just depends on your usage needs.
  
  You may see processors described as having multiple cores: 2 (or Dual core), 4 (Quad Core), and more frequently 6 (you guessed it - 6 cores).  Each core within a processor will run at the same speed.  The cores function as a multiplier - so a dual-core 3.2Ghz processor would run slower than a quad-core 3.2Ghz processor. In the Dual core example, your computer functions faster because it’s processing speed is spread equally over two cores, or channels, of your processor. In speed, of course higher is better -  but pricier.  If you want high-speed at lower prices, opt for dual and/or quad.  Most computer processors today have 4 or 6-core processors. If you do any games or activities with graphics (like video editing), you’ll need at least an i5 or quad-core processor.    The evolution of Processors over the last few decades, very generally, is:
  1990s:  Pentium processors (I, II, III, IV, M), Celeron
  2000s: Itanium, Xeon, Pentium D, Intel Core, Pentium Dual Core
  2010s: Core i3, Core i5, Core i7
  
  
• 3.2Ghz – this is actually the speed of the processor, or clock speed.  3.2 Gigahertz is pretty standard.   
  
  
• 8GB -  This is your RAM. It’s a fast memory recall function. Like all the rest, more is faster – but the most common you’ll see is 8 or 16G (gigs). More RAM allows you to keep several programs open at the same time, perform equally fast in all of them, loading web pages.  
  
  
• 1T or 1TB – this means 1 Terabyte of memory space to store your files. You’ll see these most often (in order of size and price): 250 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB.  Here is a good guide:
  250 GB: great if you plan on light usage and will be storing things like documents, spreadsheets, mp3 music, pictures.  500 GB: if you plan on medium usage and will be storing things like: Photography (deep editing), Video (editing), Movies and TV shows, High Quality Music, Basic Games.  1 TB: great if you plan on heavy usage and will be storing things like modern, heavy action video games, multi-player games, HD movies and TV shows, HD Videos.  
  
  
• HDD – this is Hard Disk Drive, and has been the standard for 20+ years.  It is literally a silver disk that has data written onto it by a digital needle and has mechanically moving parts (picture a record player).  Newer on the scene is SSD, or Solid State Drive.  That is basically a collection of flash memory chips within your computer.  SSDs perform faster and eliminate the need for a physical disk, so this allows computers to be thinner and smaller.  SSDs also no moving parts – so are mechanically a little more reliable.  They are a little pricier than HDDs.  In my experience, both have been equally reliable.  If you’re shopping on a budget, HDD will probably be your focus; if your goal is less space and more speed, an SSD would be optimal.  
  
  
• HDMI – this is a video connection description, short for High-Definition Media Input.  Most computers now connect to videos or monitors via HDMI ports. You may remember using their predecessors:  VGA connections – the 9 - 13 – 15 pin connector that you had to screw in.  HDMI is the standard with anything built after 2012.   NOTE: if you plan to keep an older monitor that has the screw-in VGA plug, you'll want to focus on a Tower - modern laptops no longer have this bulky port.
  
  
• CD/DVD -  that’s self explanatory but you should know that on new computers, these would be an add-on. Most new units are not built with the CD/DVD drive any longer, since most video renders better through HDMI and people don’t rely on their computers as their home sound system. You will probably see few computer listings that even have DVD.  But, if it’s something that you use or that you need, look for a computer that has this built-in, OR, you can purchase a separate CD / DVD drive.   
  
  
• Win10 or Mac OS Mojave:  This is the computer’s Operating System.  Typically, you’ll want either Windows (PC) or Mac (Apple).  For Mac operating systems, they are built into Mac computers – so you don’t have as much option for choice or style from varying manufacturers.
  
  If you’re considering Windows, you’re looking at Windows 10.  Computer manufacturers have been shipping with Win 10 installed since late 2015. If you’re familiar with Windows 7, then Windows 10 will look and feel like a more modern, updated and in some cases simplified version of that.  You may have heard stories about data loss or issues when users with Windows 7 or 8 upgraded to Windows 10 when that option was available.  That won’t be an issue if you are purchasing a new computer with Windows 10 built-in.   If you're considering Apple/Mac, factor in a 50 - 100% additional cost.
  
  
• Black – color.  Most are silver-ish or black, but neat colors are making headway, although that is usually a little more cost.

Compare Your Choices
 
After defining your preferences and understanding the kind of language you're going to see if you start shopping for a new computer online you're ready to start Comparison Shopping. Use this Computer Shopping Workbook to help compare and contrast your shopping choices for smarter decision-making.  The link will download an Excel workbook, usable also in Open Office or Google Sheets.
 
Happy Shopping!!
 
NOTE:  This blog post and related Computer Shopping Workbook are based on my experience, and are intended as information and tools for general consumer level use only. Neither this blog post nor the sample Computer Shopping Workbook attachment imply any specific product or component endorsements or recommendations. Information tweaked in March 2019 and validated.

Do you have any Eureka Moments for computer shopping? 
Please share them or any questions in the Comments section below!