Category: Consumer

How to Shop for a New Computer

12/20/2017

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.

Questions to Help You Define What You’re Shopping For

Here are the considerations you’ll want to answer before you start down the Shopping road. Defining your Wants and Needs will help you more narrowly define your choices.

Portability:
Do you want a Desktop or a Laptop? There used to be the assumption that if you wanted real power, you’d choose a Desktop, and if you wanted to be able to do some of your things on the run, a laptop. That is no longer true. With improving technology able to perform more functions in smaller spaces, you can find Desktops (often called Small Form Factor) the size of a regular box of granola bars, or All in Ones that are basically a computer built into a monitor. If you aren’t picky, typically the same specs in both a laptop and a desktop would render the desktop the better price bargain. If you are looking at a Laptop, you’ll want to consider Screen Size (typically 12”, 15”, 17” or 19”), and whether or not you want a Touch Screen. These are also called laptop 2-in-1s, and most often allow you to rotate the screen to use as a tablet, or to stand up in a tent-like position for presenting.
Peripherals:
Finding units with DVDs may take a little more searching, so it’s important to know if you need one before purchasing a new computer and looking for the DVD slot.

For things like Printers, many older ones have the 13-pin screw-in type connectors. If your computer has one like this, you probably won’t have much luck finding a Laptop with a VGA (video) connection, and may need to focus on a Desktop. If you’d prefer a laptop, you can purchase a little connecter that will receive the VGA plug, and have a USB output so it works on a laptop. Do you need a speaker plug? An SD memory card slot? Several USB ports? Take a look at your current machine’s back side and see how many things you’ve got plugged in there. You’ll want at least that many in your new computer.

A note about USBs: you will see information about USB 3.0. That is the same USB that you’re familiar with, with greater bandwidth for data. It’s faster than USB 2.0, which was faster than USB 1.0. USB 2.0 has been the standard for about 15 years, and most machines now will have both. I recommend using USB 3.0, because that is the new standard that will last several years.

A note about Ports: Most new laptops come with 2 or 3 USB ports (2.0 and 3.0), 1 HDMI ports, maybe an audio jack, and SD card slot. Things you won’t find anymore: an Ethernet port (the wide network cable that looks like a phone line), CD / DVD slot, 9- or 13-pin monitor port. But adapters (or dongles) for these are widely available an inexpensive.
What kinds of things do you use your computer for today?
If you use Microsoft Office, for example, you’ll want to consider whether to purchase a computer with Office pre-loaded, or purchase Office separately (this would be a download). You could also opt for the monthly subscription with Office 365, which comes installed with a free trial on most new computers. If you don’t need Office, there are other options like Open Office or Google Docs that can do most of the main Office functions.
What kinds of things can you see yourself doing on your computer in the future?
Some of these things might be: doing more online homework, streaming more videos, HD videos, watching digital tv, maybe some video editing. Your new computer will need to grow into the things you might do in the next 5 years.
Where do you want to shop?
Once you have your computer needs identified, you have purchasing options. My preference is to look online, (try Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Apple, NewEgg, Dell, Asus, etc). If you find something that you like online at one location, do a search for that model number to see its prices at other stores - they may try to price-match. Retailers like Amazon and Best Buy usually provide the same warranty, guarantee, repair and return policies as the computer manufacturer, so your shopping options extend beyond just the manufacturers' websites. If you have a membership to bulk stores like Costco or Sam's Club, you can find members-only special pricing, and Costco will extend the manufacturer’s warranty by an extra year. Wherever you decide to shop, ordering a computer online usually will come with free express shipping.
What kind of Optics do you want in a Monitor?
Whether a new monitor, or for a laptop screen: HD / 1080p used to be a pricy extra; now it is standard. If you want a sharper, crisper image, you can choose Full HD (a bit more pixel density) or 4K (Ultra HD or UHD). The greater the pixel density, the better the image, but higher the price, and shorter the battery life (if a laptop).
What kind of Graphics do you want? There are two options here: Integrated Graphics (which is like…integrated stereo for music – probably gets the job done, but could be more robust), or Dedicated Graphics. Dedicated Graphics is basically an extra card/chip in the machine, that has dedicated processing power to rendering graphics for things like editing or gaming. You may notice sometimes a little pixel blockish-ness if you’re watching something online…that’s an Integrated Graphics rendering. A Dedicated Graphics card will deliver smoother, faster, cleaner images. Mid-range is most common, unless you’re really into gaming – then you’d want something with high VRAM (Virtual RAM). The two big brands here are NVidia and AMD (on the Windows side of things).

A General Note about Programs & Files

When you purchase a new computer, you’ll want your existing data and files on your new computer. This can be easily done, but know that you can only move files you have created – like documents, pdfs, spreadsheets, photos, videos, music, and so on. You can not move Applications that are installed on your current computer’s hard drive (like Photoshop, MS Office, Quicken, etc).

To get Programs or Applications from your old computer to your new one, you will need to re-install them (perhaps not an option on a new computer without a CD/DVD tray). Most Programs can be downloaded from their websites, and if it’s something you’ve purchased, you probably have a “security key”, license, or number printed on your installation CD or receipt. You should be able to Download those programs, and confirm your security number.

In other words: you can move any CONTENT (docs, images, info) you have created; typically you cannot move the APPLICATIONS that you may have used to create that information.

A General Note about Price

Here’s what you might expect to find while shopping for Desktops and Laptops, VERY generally:

General - Basic Desktops & Laptops:
$350 to $650

For Desktops: In this range you can expect to find the lower end collection of processors (brains), graphics, and memory. These specs would be common in the early 2000s, or great for children.
For Laptops: You can get a notebook with an Intel Core i5, 4 to 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, all respectable specs. However, at this price, most notebooks don't have an SSD, a full-HD display or long battery life (except from some like Asus and Lenovo that do offer these perks).
Also in this range are Google Chromebooks (they run on Google Chrome only)

Mid-range
Desktops &
Laptops:
$650 to $1000

For Desktops: This is the range that you’ll find for a Desktop Computer for virtually anything you’d want to do with a Home Computer.
For Laptops: As you get above $650, you'll start to see more design options, such as metal finishes, anti-fingerprint surfaces, 2-in-ones, and colors.. Manufacturers also start to add in other features like touch-screen, higher-resolution displays, SSDs, faster processors and more hard drive space.

Higher-End Desktops &
Laptops:
$1000 and up

For Desktops: This range is where you’d find systems set up specifically for Gaming, complex functions, or corporate / business uses. High-end gaming systems and mobile workstations usually cost upward of $1,500 or even as much as $2,500 or $3,000.
For Laptops: At this price range, expect notebooks that are more portable, higher-resolution screens, faster processors.

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):

OPTIONS:
Desktop or Laptop?
If a Laptop:
Also, if a Laptop:
Manufacturer
Processor
RAM
Hard Drive Size

Hard Drive Type

Video Input / Output
Operating System
Color preference
Extras:

Finally, Price

PREFERENCES:
If a desktop, small form factor, or large tower?
12” screen, 15”, 17” or 19”
Touch-screen? Or 2-in-1 (able to fold back)?
Do you have a preference?
Intel i5 or i7 (my recommendation)
8Ghz is pretty standard; more is gravy
250 GB, 500 GB, or 1TB (500 GB * 2) (if you use icloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, or other cloud services then lower range hard drive size may work well)
For regular usage: Hard Drive; For heavy usage / think laptops /speed: Solid State Drive
HDMI is standard
Windows 10, Mac OS Mohave
Sometimes you don’t have this choice
DVD or CD Rom - built in? Add-on? SD card slot? How many USB ports? How many HDMI ports? Any dongles/adapters?...etc
You probably already have a range in mind; if not, these preferences may help you better define a price-range.

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:

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!

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