Time to dump your old one for new computer? Well, it would be a good idea to sit and ponder on what to buy next before diving in the store.
We all know the avalanche of ideas that snowball in your head, like whether to buy on store or online; or what brand to buy. To tackle these, let us look into few of the pressing questions one by one.
Types- laptop or desktop:
Usually, you would know whether you are going to get a laptop or a desktop. But in case you are in a dilemma, there are quite a few things you have to consider.
Desktops are usually cheap, but do not get the idea that they have low-end gadgets on them. To put things quite simply, laptops are a lot more intricate because of their size, but do not necessarily contain high-end equipment. Desktops have more flexibility and room, and are no more the heavy looming towers of yesteryears.
For example, Apple came up with the design of building monitor and CPU together, making the desktops more compact, and some other manufacturers built a similar model too. If you think laptops are quite expensive, and you don’t need the mobility anyways, I suggest you to stick with an inexpensive desktop.
The big Mac vs PC debate:
Most people are loyal fan of either.But then, it won’t hurt you to try explore both sides of the aisle. Mac has a simpler to use operating system than Windows (albeit Windows is more flexible) and is less prone to viruses. If you never had the experience of using a Mac before, here is the time to explore; and same goes for PC.
Processor specifications:
I know I know, the jargon of processor specifications can sometimes go over your head. All you want is something that works as per your workload, and is not an out of date junk; especially if your work demands some serious computing, or you're into gaming. One simple way to know about the processor quality is to find out its speed, and the number of cores it has.
The speed of the processor tells you how much data it can crunch in a given time. Putting it simple, the bigger the number, the better. An example would be, a microprocessor that boasts 3.0GHz speed should, in theory, be twice as fast one running at 1.5 GHz. Now that question that remains, what are cores? Nowadays, there are dual cores and quad cores processors.
A core is the "working part" of the processor. An extra processor is like having an extra brain to share the workload of the new computer. Thus, the more the processors, the more powerful your processor will be. Sounds pretty good, right? But then, depending on your use, you might not need an extremely powerful processor, since it might be just a big waste of money on something you will not really need. One way to know how much power of a processor you may need is to go at CPU benchmark sites, and compare the features of CPUs before deciding which one to buy.
Memory for the computer:
It is pretty clear that the higher the memory, the more “fast” your new computer will be; especially if you require a lot of multitasking (running a number of applications at once). But beyond a certain limit, spending on excess memory that you will never need is quite pointless.
Take a basic reference; the cheapest memory you might find on a new PC is at around 2GB, and from there, it goes up - 4, 6, 8, 16, 32 and so on. A 2GB computer will work fine for you if you use your new computer for sending emails and browsing social media only.
But if you are into coding, or playing high-end games, better/more memory will always pay off, and your applications will run smoothly. You might also notice, that as the price for the PC goes up, features like memory will also increase. If you are looking to spend something under $400, you will get, at best, 4G of memory and Mac start over $900. However, it might come to you as a relief that memory can always be added to your new computer if you need more later on.
The storage capacity of the computer:
A computer stores all its information on the hard drive, which is located inside your CPU. Whenever you load a program, it is loaded from the hard drive, and when you store something, it gets stored on the hard drive. This is where all you long-term (or say non-volatile) memory is retained. These days, most new computer come with 1TB of hard drive space; which is equivalent to 1000 gigabyte of space.
I know, these numbers can be a bit intimidating; but do not let it worry you. Usually, the default storage capacity you get is more than enough, if your storage demand is not extraordinarily high.
Still, sometimes, after some time you might realize the storage capacity of your new computer is not enough to store all your photographs or music or other files. In this case, you can try the same approach as the memory; i.e., storage capacity for all computers can be increased later on if needed.
Thus, it is quite evident that you need to snoop around a little before buying new computer. You can always search and compare computers online, discuss them in internet forums, or talk with your friends to get their feedback. Hey, maybe you can go visit a few stores, observe the specification of different computers, and compare them before committing to one. With proper observation, it will not be difficult for you to buy yourself a PC that will most suit your needs.
Read the full article
