Buying Guide

Laptop & Desktop

One of the requests I receive most often from clients is for a buying guide for a new desktop computer or laptop.

Most often, the request is for new equipment, but frequently someone wants to do things on the cheap and many times that points to buying "previously owned" computer equipment.

Added Bonus: Don't fall prey to 3 Common Myths about New Computers!

General Purchase Considerations

First let me tell you what NOT to buy. JUNK!

"A cheap price is a shortcut to being cheated."
- Chinese proverb

I cannot emphasize this enough. Let me quote from the back of my dad's old business cards (different business, but the concept is identical): 

Those ads in the paper? Forget them. I don't have time to recount the stories of hapless bargain hunters that went into one of those stores with an ad in their hand touting a $699 PC, everything you need (supposedly), and walk out with $1800 worth of garbage. The first thing they found out is that the warranty was over shortly after your rear bumper cleared the stores property line.

The only caveat I give on buying cheap is this: If you have a very short term purpose, a political campaign for instance, and in 8 months everything is going to be thrown out, then you don't need to worry about money or longevity. But this is certainly the exception, not the rule.

Warranty: Don't leave the store without it!

One of the most important points to check out when buying equipment is the warranty. Used equipment probably won't have any, but might. New purchases should always include a 3 year warranty on everything.

Usually when you see those cheap specials "Everything you need for $699 (after rebates)", the warranty is something between taillight (when your taillights are out of sight it's out of warranty) to 1 year. It only makes sense when you think about it, but the cheaper the equipment is to buy, the more likely you will need that warranty. "Oooh, so you want a warranty, eh? We can do that (for an extra $299.95, and a nice commission for the sales associate)."

Warranty should be 3 year automatically, without extra cost or gimmicks (Dell's CompleteCare on laptops is another story, covered in the Laptop buying guide).

Desktop vs. Laptop

• It varies from time to time, but a rule of thumb is that you can buy 2 desktop computers for the price of one laptop. Putting desktop power into a laptop is expensive, so apples to apples a desktop is a lot less money.

• Do you really need mobility? Or will a computer in each of 2 locations cover you? (see the point above). Lugging that laptop can be hard on your back.

• Will there be a security risk in toting a laptop around?

• How good is your eyesight? It's a lot easier to get a big, easy to read screen with a desktop than with a laptop!

New Computer Equipment

Below I provide a link to my current guide for desktop computers and another for laptops.

Computer Buying Guide (Desktops)
Laptop Buying Guide
Build Your Own PC (Desktops) This page has my current computer configuration.

Used Computer Equipment

My recommendation on buying used anything is always the same: "buyer beware". That said, here's some more specific info when diving into the realm of used computers.

Used Computer Hardware