Are you thinking it's about time to buy a newer, faster
computer? If so, there are a number of things to consider
before running out and purchasing the latest, greatest PC that
money can buy.

First of all, ask yourself why you want a new computer. Be
honest. Is it really because your old computer isn't doing the
job? Or did you go to a friend's house and see a shiny new Dell
or Compaq sitting on their desk with all kinds of bells and
whistles that your computer doesn't have?

If your computer is too slow to run the software that you want
or need, that's a good reason to buy a new computer. If you
want a new computer just because your friend's is "so neat,"
then don't buy one. `What's wrong with owning the latest,
greatest PC that money can buy?' you ask. Nothing. But in
three months your new dream computer will no longer be the best.
The simple truth is that you don't have to have the fastest
computer to run the vast majority of software today. The
hardware that comes with the more modest PCs is usually more
than sufficient to run most home user software. Of course the
TV commercials will have you believe otherwise, but that's only
because they're trying to sell computers.

So you decide that you really do need a new computer. What kind
should you get? What features should it have? Outlined below
are three common reasons consumers buy a new computer and what
features to look for in each case.

1. A new computer to keep your checkbook and appointments,
"surf" the internet, type your documents, etc.

When buying a computer for the basic tasks of writing documents,
keeping your checkbook, or surfing the internet, you do not need
a very powerful PC. Even the most budget-friendly computer will
be able to do all of these things very well. Just make sure
that it comes with the right software. A few software packages
to look for are Microsoft Works or Microsoft Office, Microsoft
Money or Quicken, and McAffee or Norton Anti-Virus software
(very important for protecting your computer from viruses when
surfing the internet).

As of October of 2002 the minimum muscle you can buy from
Dell and Gateway is around 1.8 Ghz processor speed, 128 MB
SDRAM and 20 GB hard drive. If you don't understand these
figures, don't worry--it's far more than you'll need.

2. A new computer for your child.

Let's face it – most of our children know more about computers
than we do. It's the simple truth. And since they know more
about computers, they will usually use them in ways the average
parent wouldn't anticipate such as loading lots of software,
games, and music files onto the hard drive. The next time you
turn on the PC, your desktop may look completely different than
it did the day before. When you connect to the internet, all
kinds of "pager" programs may pop up – Yahoo Messenger, AOL
Instant Messenger, ICQ or others.

Running all of this software will require a little more speed
and space on the computer's hard drive. In this case you will
want to step past the cheapest computers on display and look at
those in the middle price range. You are still not in need of
the latest and greatest! But you will want to look for the same
software packages from number one above to be sure that you can
do the work you need. That is, if your kids will ever get off
the computer!

The minimum hardware to look for in this case is the same as
in number one above, with one exception: go for a 40 GB or
larger hard drive. Those MP3s and games add up fast.

3. A new computer to play the latest games or for saving lots of
digital music.

The only people who need to invest in high-end, expensive
computers are those who are interested in keeping up with the
latest games and music software. Games are much more
resource-intensive than other kinds of home-user software, and
newer games that require more and more powerful computers are
coming out all the time. These are not the solitaire-style
games either! If you just want to play the basic card games you
can still buy a less expensive computer. A high-end machine may
only be needed for the full-screen, three-dimensional games with
thumping music and blasting sound that only a game lover could
tolerate.

You may also decide to get a high-end computer if you want to
download or store a lot of music files from the internet or from
your personal collection of CDs. Music files can take up a lot
of space on your computer's hard drive. Hard drives have gotten
as large as one hundred gigabytes (one hundred billion bytes) or
more these days. To put this into perspective, a typical music
file (called an MP3) is about three megabytes (three million
bytes) in size. You could put more than thirty thousand MP3s on
a hard drive that is one hundred gigabytes in size. That's
about three thousand albums! So if you're a music junkie, you
might want to buy a computer with a large hard drive and plenty
of memory to run all of your music software.

For the power user the minimum requirements would be 256 MB
SDRAM (preferrably the new RDRAM for its performance gains),
a 60 GB or larger hard drive and perhaps a 19 or 21 inch monitor
so you can have multiple programs open and visible on the screen
at the same time.

No matter what computer you buy, avoid financing the purchase
for longer than a year or two. A computer that is more than two
years old has very little resale value. Laptops (portable
computers) are the only exception to this rule because they hold
their value longer. If you finance a computer over a long
period of time make sure you're happy with it, because you will
not get what you owe should you decide to sell it before its
paid off.

So if you're thinking about buying a new computer, first make
sure that you really need one. Then think about what you'll be
using the computer for. Planning ahead can save you hundreds of
dollars in unnecessary hardware and software.

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About the Author:
Jonathan Leger is a computer programmer in Shreveport, Louisiana
and has more than thirteen years of computer related experience.
He is one of the publishers of a newsletter that offers free
advice for the "computer challenged" and free answers to your
many computer questions and problems. To view past issues or
subscribe to the newsletter visit:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mypchelpmate/
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