Computersight -

When determining to buy a computer, there are several things you should take into mind.

1. What are you going to be doing with your computer?
2. Will you need to carry it around?
3. Are the recommended purchases that are tagged to your selection really a good recommendation?
4. When should I buy it?

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 The first question is of course the most important question. When you buy a computer, you will need to determine what you will need as far as system requirements go. I must say that when I purchased my first laptop, I was still wet behind the ears when it came to hardware, and of course I was looking for the best deal. Because I did not know exactly what I would need, that combination landed me with a “you get what you pay for” model. When I began multiprocessing, the computer ran slow, and to top it off, I didn’t realize you needed a graphics/video card to play games so unfortunately Call of Duty 4 was once again set back on the shelf in its glorious box.

The most important things on a computer are the Processor, Ram, and Graphics Card.

• Processor: If you’re going to be running a lot of applications, and planning on installing a lot of productivity software, I suggest you purchase a processor with 2.0 Ghz or more. If you are just an internet browser, and plan on doing very little installing or running programs, 1.2 Ghz to 1.8 Ghz should be fine. If you are buying a computer for gaming or multimedia purposes I totally suggest to get a 2.5 Ghz or higher processor.
• Ram: Stick to 1.5 GB of Ram or more. 2 GB is your best bet. Ram is relatively cheap and can improve the performance and speed of your computer a few times over.
• Graphics Card: Unfortunately these are pretty expensive, but I firmly suggest staying away from integrated graphics cards! These are BAD unless you are just doing routine daily tasks on the computer. NVidia cards are pretty good and you can get a decent one for around $200 USD.

 Next is the question of do you really NEED a laptop. Laptops are nice to have but they can jack the price up A LOT. Also battery life on most laptops is relatively low. The simple truth is that you can get a lot more computing power for a lot less by sticking to a desktop. I suggest buying a desktop, unless you absolutely need a laptop.

When buying a computer, the manufacturer will usually try to suggest software and upgrades for you to buy. Some of these are good suggestions, but some are just outright ridiculous. Stick to basic software along with Microsoft Office Suite (very useful). As for the other programs; most of the times they don’t even end up being used. Be sure to get an Operating System disk, because sometimes they will not send you one. As far as suggestions go for hardware, look up the programs you intend to install and read the system requirements. These are your real guidelines as to what hardware you will need.

You can snag some deals during back to school, but honestly the sales aren’t that great, so when you need to buy one, is when you should buy one.