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Tips on buying a new computer
I'm often asked questions similar to, "Should I upgrade to a Pentium-II 300?" or "What new system should I get". With any upgrade or new purchase decision, many factors contribute to making the purchase. However, there are some main points that everyone should keep in mind for when they upgrade in the future.
First of all, set a budget for yourself. All too often, people are focused on getting a "X" processor with lots of ram, etc. Unless you're buying the ultimate dream machine, you'll want to be careful, because sometimes the price can get out of hand. Additionally, focus on all the components of any given system that a salesman is showing you. Often computers on the display will either have added extras that you don't want or need, or they will have sub-par components such as a slow video card or bad sound card. Personally when I am buying a new computer, I set my budget and look for the best computer I can get and still fit it in my budget. This entails getting a custom built (in my case, home-built) computer, but in the end it is worth it because I've got the system I want, and it fits into my budget.
A very important factor to focus on when buying a new system is to research what hardware will be released in the near future. For example, if you were looking to buy a new Pentium-II system a few weeks ago and knew that AMD would be releasing their K6-2 processor on May 28th; you could have saved $50-150 (depending on which P-II processor) by waiting for the price cuts after the K6-2 release. Additionally, I often hear upset customers that wish they had waited to get new technology. For example, I knew someone who bought a DVD-ROM drive one month before DVD-RAM drives came out. Ouch.
Finally, the golden rule of buying a new computer is to purchase a custom-built computer if at all possible. The main advantage being that a custom-built computer offers an easy upgrade because of its generic case design that supports almost all motherboards. With proprietary computers (made by manufacturers like Dell, Compaq, and Packard Bell to name a few), the motherboard is not upgradable, and when it comes time to upgrade, usually the only option is a whole new system. Whereas with a custom-built computer and a generic case, all that needs to be done is a simple motherboard and CPU swap.
A very important factor to focus on when buying a new system is to research what hardware will be released in the near future. For example, if you were looking to buy a new Pentium-II system a few weeks ago and knew that AMD would be releasing their K6-2 processor on May 28th; you could have saved $50-150 (depending on which P-II processor) by waiting for the price cuts after the K6-2 release. Additionally, I often hear upset customers that wish they had waited to get new technology. For example, I knew someone who bought a DVD-ROM drive one month before DVD-RAM drives came out. Ouch.
Finally, the golden rule of buying a new computer is to purchase a custom-built computer if at all possible. The main advantage being that a custom-built computer offers an easy upgrade because of its generic case design that supports almost all motherboards. With proprietary computers (made by manufacturers like Dell, Compaq, and Packard Bell to name a few), the motherboard is not upgradable, and when it comes time to upgrade, usually the only option is a whole new system. Whereas with a custom-built computer and a generic case, all that needs to be done is a simple motherboard and CPU swap.
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