Computer Buying Essay, Research Paper

Today, computers are common. Even the most conservative analysts suggest that

over forty percent of Canadian homes have one, and this figure rises

dramatically to well over sixty percent in urban centers, particularly in homes

when there are school-aged children or adults with professional or managerial

jobs. Buying a computer can be a daunting task, particularly if you’re new to

the high technology marketplace. You will be spending anywhere from one to

several thousand dollars on the computer equipment alone, so you’ll need to do

homework first. According to one old IBM advertisement, the average person

spends fifteen weeks, five days, twenty- three hours and fifty-eight minutes

searching for a new computer. If you’re like most consumers, you’ll spend that

time checking with a number of sources for the information you need to make

decisions. In order to save time and energy for buying a computer, you must

following the three steps: setting you up to doing your homework, focusing on

the homework itself to help you make decisions, and nailing your decision down

to closing the sale. These three steps will not only saving your time and

energy, it will also provide you the guidance you’ll need to buy your computer.

Your fist step along the way to purchase your computer is to do your homework.

Homework might include the following: learning the lingo, doing some research,

visiting a few stores and dealing with salespeople. First, you should learn the

lingo. Knowing the Lingo will save you a lot of times toward buying computer

because you will face many opportunities to use it. For example, without knowing

these jargon, you might have difficulty understanding when you read the computer

materials; you might have difficulty understanding the conversation with

computer salespeople. As a result, it is worth of spending sometime to

understand the meaning of lingo. For example: Hardware, Software, Chip, CPU, PC,

ROM, RAM. Second, you should do some research to getting more information about

computer. You can research through local daily newspaper. Local daily newspaper

may have a computer section. There are also monthly computer newspapers. In

Canada, there are a number of free Canadian publications such as the Computer

Paper, Our Computer Player (Vancouver), Toronto Computes, Ottawa Monitor,

Winnipeg Computer Post are some of the examples you can search from. If you have

access to the Internet, it might also be a good place for doing some research.

Furthermore, the Internet also has various newsgroups that specialize in the

subject. There are also a variety of independent sites on the Web hosted by

individual with a mission to provide analysis. Finally, we come to visiting the

computer stores and dealing with the salespeople. Shopping around three to five

different computer stores is also helpful toward buying a computer. Many

computer stores offer similar computer products with different price and

warranty. It is wise to talk to the salespeople, asking as many question as you

have. Don’t fret if you think your expertise is not the state of the art. In

fact, if you are willing to learn as you shop and take your time, you will end

up making an informed choice. The second step is focuses on the homework itself

by providing distinctions among the basic hardware options that will help you to

make some fundamental choices. As a result, there are several points that you

should know: the type, the feature, and the location of buying computer. First

point, you have to consider what type of the computer do you need. It is usually

the first choice every computer shopper has to make is between an IBM

-compatible, which is also known simply as a PC (for personal computer), and an

Apple Macintosh. The two rivals are built with different operating systems,

which until recently meant that software made for one of them couldn’t run on

the other. In other ward, if you want the lowest price and the widest possible

choice of software, go with a PC. If ease of use matters most to you, then you

should pick a Macintosh. The second point you should consider is the feature of

the computer. You should ask yourself " How much computer power do you

need? " Whether you commit to a Mac or a PC, you want computing power

adequate to your personal needs plus some room to grow- without spending for

features you’ll never use. It’s important getting to know the three essential

computer components: the microprocessor, Random-access memory, and Hard drive

capacity. Understanding just those three components might have been enough for

you to choose a respectable computer. But now, home computers can perform far

more tasks, there are other terms that belong on your must-know list. Make sure,

for example, that you get a CD-ROM drive, the device for reading compact disks

that was virtually unheard of on home computers before 1992. Besides, you should

also consider how much you should spend on the computer’s video and audio. Much

of the latest software comes with sound-ranging from simple human speech to full

orchestras. The third point is the location to buy the computer. Today, you can

buy a home computer at specialized computer shops; electronics stores that also

carry things like stereo system; discount office- supply stores like Office

Depot and Staples; vast computer " superstores" like Comp USA; and

mail-order operations of every size and description. Your decision here will

depend both on how much you can afford to pay and on how much hand-holding you

need while you pick out your system. In general, you will get the most personal

attention from computer shops and the least from mail order outlets, with the

others somewhere in between. The last step is the home stretch, where we will

discuss what’s involved in nailing your decision down. At this point, you are

almost ready to buy your new computer. You have created your plan, done some

homework, and you have learned what the jargon means. In this final stage, you

should know the several points: budgeting, warranting and getting the manuals.

The first point- budgeting is the first and most important thing to realize when

assessing price quotes. Unless each component is listed and specified by

manufacturer and model, you don’t have enough information to make a valid price

comparison. As a result, identifying the components and assessing their position

in the quality and performance pecking order will have occupied most of your

homework. The second point- warranting is also important element while buying

your computer. It doesn’t matter how many promises the nice salesperson makes to

you. If those promises are not in writing, they don’t exist. So, getting the

warranties, guarantees and promises on writing is very important point to

remember. Beside, you should also find out how long the store had been in

business and whether there were any other satisfied customers. Your best source

of information here are your friends, local computer user groups, and Internet

USENET newsgroups. The last steps, getting the manuals to in order to protects

you in the future. In fact, the manuals are yours by right and they are a basic

protection for you, whether you ever want to open the system yourself or not.

Think about it, if the retailer goes belly up, how else will you get someone to

fix the system if it breaks? As a result, one can see that buying a new computer

is not an easy task to do. It involved a lot of steps for you to do some

homework. Lot of problems and even some tears come from people who never talked

to anyone else, didn’t do any research, and took the salesperson’s word for

everything. Computers are supposed to help you make some part of your life

better, and using them should be enjoyable. If you don’t agree with that, we

should be meet in here. Buying one shouldn’t be terror, either. Wish you Good

luck for buying a new computer.