| Regardless of which brand you decide to go with, a | | | | buying a computer. |
| computer is a substantial purchase. You want | | | | Do I need an ultra-fast computer? |
| something that will meet all of your computing needs, | | | | Undoubtedly, the guy at the store will try to sell you the |
| but you don't want to spend money unnecessarily. | | | | fastest computer on the market, but do you really |
| Asking yourself the following questions when you are | | | | need that much speed? If you're an average user and |
| buying a computer can help you find the right machine | | | | plan to use your computer to do basic things like |
| for you. | | | | check e-mail and chat on Facebook, the answer is |
| Do I want a laptop or a desktop? | | | | probably no. Almost all computers on the market can |
| The upfront costs for a laptop or a desktop usually | | | | handle these types of tasks. If you're into gaming, you |
| work out to be pretty similar, so deciding between | | | | will require extra speed. |
| these two types of computers is strictly a matter of | | | | What is included in the price tag? |
| preference. If portability is a top priority for you - if you | | | | Always ask this question when you're doing |
| want to be able to use your computer anywhere in | | | | comparison shopping, because the price tags that are |
| the house or take it with you when you travel, for | | | | posted can be deceiving. You might have to pay extra |
| instance - a laptop is definitely the way to go. Keep in | | | | for things like speakers, operating systems, and built-in |
| mind, though, that laptop repairs are typically very | | | | Web cams, so that $499 system might not be such a |
| costly. Hopefully they won't be required, but it's | | | | great deal. |
| definitely something to keep in mind when you're | | | | |