As we all know, computers don’t last forever. And, with today’s processing power and lower prices, it’s a better choice to buy a new one instead of repairing an older one. But, if your computer does what you want, and is responsive to your needs, there’s no reason to replace it. Sometimes, the addition of more memory and optimization of your current PC could do much to enhance it.
Most casual users surf the Internet, send and receive emails, store and edit photos, and play games. But, buyers often try to get the fastest, biggest, and best of everything, adding unnecessary features and software. The real questions should take into consideration how much you want to spend, how much do you really need, and should you buy a laptop or a desktop?
Most of the buying decision is a game of specs, with processor, memory, and hard drive size being the most prominent. You don’t have to look for the fastest computer, but should make sure that you buy one with a second generation processor chip, like Intel’s Core I3, I5, or I7 series. And, don’t forget about memory, probably the most important consideration. For a Windows 7 PC, I recommend at least 4GB of memory. If a computer comes with 6G, or even 8GB of memory, all the better.
Most PCs today come with at least a 500GB disk drive, and many come with 750GB, or even 1TB (1,000GB).
I’ll share a story I tell many people. My prior PC had an 80GB disk drive, which at the time I purchased it, was a considered a large drive. On this drive, I had the operating system, all my application programs, thousands of pictures, a music library of about 500 songs, and tons of Word, Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint files. Sounds like a ton of data, doesn’t it? Well, all of this information consumed only 25GB of space, leaving me with 55GB of free disk space. Can you imagine how much data you can fit on a 500GB disk drive?
In terms of capabilities, current desktops and laptops are pretty much equivalent. Desktops are usually faster in terms of processor speed, although the typical user should not notice the difference. Further, desktops and are easier to work with if the need arises to add new components, like memory, video cards, etc. Anything one can do, the other can do just about as well. The major difference is price. A laptop is likely to be at least $200 to $300 more expensive than the equivalent desktop.
Although laptops account for 52% of PC sales, and desktops, 59%, laptop sales continue to grow. Contrast this to 2006, when laptops accounted for only 30% of PC ownership. Small screens and cramped keyboards have been replaced by bigger, crisper displays, improved processor speed, and ample disk drives. A continued growing interest in wireless computing plays to the laptop’s main strength: its portability.
Dell and others pioneered the notion that every computer can be tailored to an individual buyer’s needs, much like choosing the options for a car. This configure-to-order model is now common practice for laptops as well as desktops.
You can also purchase a pre-configured computer off the shelf in a store or on-line. That’s fine if you don’t have very strict requirements for how a PC is configured or if you want to take advantage of an attractive sale.
Configure-to-order menus show you all the options and let you see how a change in one affects the overall price. You may decide to use a less-expensive processor, for example, but spend more for expanded memory. Configure-to-order will often give you choices you won’t get if you buy off the shelf. And configure-to-order means less chance of overlooking important details.
The PC has become just another appliance you use every day. Replacement sales, and not first-time purchases, now drive the computer market. Fully loaded desktops selling for less than $600 are common, even among established brands. And, even the least expensive desktop PC delivers impressive performance.
Before you commit to a new purchase, decide whether upgrading your old PC will do. Upgrading, rather than replacing it, may make sense if you’re on a budget or your additional needs are modest. For example, adding more memory is usually more cost-effective than buying a whole new machine. If your PC has become unreliable, your want list is more demanding, or if there’s software you must run that your system is not up to, a new PC is the logical answer.
Unlike past models, today’s workhorse laptops perform much like desktops. But there are still reasons to choose one over the other that go beyond portability.
If you’ll use a laptop mostly at home, and have a network installed, you can easily move it from room to room, or even use it on your patio. And while all the Windows desktops are tower models that can be placed below the desk, the keyboard and mouse take up more width on the desk than a laptop.
But, what you get in a desktop is greater storage capacity, memory, multimedia features, and ease of expansion. A desktop offers more flexibility in configuring your workspace for better ergonomics. Also, desktops cost less overall (with prices that start at roughly $400, plus the cost of a monitor, compared with a minimum of $500 for laptops), and their more standardized designs translate into lower repair costs.
A new type of desktop, called an All-in-One is making a big statement: no tower! Dell offers one at $600 which comes with a 23” HD display, a wireless mouse and keyboard, 4GB of memory, a 500GB disk drive, and a Pentium Processor.
Until next month, happy computing!
