The average life expectancy of a desktop is 3-5 years and a laptop is 2-3. Like cars or anything else in this day and age, the manufacturers are engineering obsolescence aka planned obsolescence. It doesn’t make sense for a car manufacturer to make a car that lasts for 10-20 years when they can sell 2-5 cars or more in that same time. The same thing carries over to the computer world.
If your computers are within those ranges or beyond (2-3 yrs for laptops or 3-5 yrs for desktops)… my advice is to get a new computer rather than fixing it up. We can certainly still optimize and upgrade the older computers… but the new computers and software are being developed in such a way that the older computers won’t hold their own against the new software that requires more powerful machines than ever. The truth is you probably won’t be happy with an older computer that tries to run today’s software that was written for more powerful machines.
This advice sounds counter-intuitive to me, being in an industry that profits from fixing computers… it doesn’t do me any good to advise you to buy new - but here I am! The reality is that we’ve built a solid business upon taking care of the folks who take care of us… our clients. I believe that there will be enough genuine issues out there to keep us busy that we’d rather provide real, honest advice to you… our clients. This advice is the same advice I’ve provided to my immediate/extended family and friends and the advice I take personally when looking for a new computer.
So… What kind of computer should I buy?
As for brands… it doesn’t really matter what name is painted on the side of a box as long as the components (hardware) used inside are of a good quality and the specifications meet your needs. We probably see less Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo laptops than the other brands… but that could be more of a function of market penetration/share than a function of quality.
Apple/Macs still have their own issues and are generally three times the price of a Windows PC. They do have viruses and have had issues with multi-tasking (running multiple windows - excel, email, surfing while listening to music/watching movies, downloading etc… all at the same time).
Acer is the second largest computer manufacturer in the world (huge in China). HP is # one and Dell is # three. They are generally not including the restore disks anymore, so be sure you create one as soon as you get the computer (before you add software or make any changes).
As for working on computers, Dells have always been great and are a personal favorite. You can get a great quality Dell pretty much anywhere these days. Dell makes High Quality, Low Quality and Mediocre… I’d personally stay away from the low and high end computers and go with a medium priced computer with the right specifications for my needs. I’d shoot for $500-$700 for a computer’s price point.
As for the components… I’d research what kind of processor, ram, hard drive, power supply, motherboard and video cards are going into the machines and search for reviews on the specific types. Any common components will have proponents and opposition online… so be sure to consider the source and read with a grain of salt in mind.
The newer computers come with dual and quad core processors. This means there are effectively multiple processors to split up the work load which results in significant performance gains. Once you try a dual/quad core… you’ll never go back to a single core if you can help it.
Speaking of Processors, you’ll now have a choice between a 32 bit processor and a 64 bit processor. Be sure your operating system will match the processor (Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit etc…).
32 bit processors cannot use more than 3 GB of ram. If you get a 32 bit computer with 4 or more) GB of ram, you’ll only be able to use 3 GB (effectively wasting a GB of ram)!
Most folks will do fine with 3 GB of ram, but more is usually better. Once you get to 6 GB, it doesn’t make much more sense to go beyond that for the average home/business user unless you’re doing some really resource intensive work (like video editing).
The basic requirements I’d look for in a home or business computer would be similar and as follows:
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64 bit Operating System
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64 bit Multi-Core Processor (dual/quad)
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>3GB of Ram (more is better to a point 4-6 GB is plenty)
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>160-250 GB of Hard Drive Space (more is often better for storing photos/movies etc…)
Now that’s not going to work for everyone… but I’d say that this would be great for anyone who:
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Surfs the net
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Shops online
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Banks online
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Edits Photos
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Saves Photos
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Creates Word/Excel/Office Documents
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Checks Emails
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Downloads Music
What about Gaming or Watching Movies Online?
If you’re into Gaming or Watching Movies Online… I’d say the only other major requirement I’d look at (outside of specific gaming requirements) is a Graphic (Video) Card that’s compatible with the games desired to be played. Some video/graphic cards require a Video card with 512 MB of Ram built right in. This helps lighten the load on your processor and other ram and creates a better experience for gaming. This can help if the games or movies are spotty, pause often then speed up or just get plain choppy. There are several other reasons this stuff can happen but they’re outside of the scope of this article so please call for help if that’s bothering you!
Be sure that any specialty software you require is going to work and double check your licensing requirements to be sure you’re remaining compliant and legal at all times.
We hope this list helps make your holiday shopping a little easier and hope you all enjoy this season as much as we do!
