4:27 PM - Buying a computer
After reading a NYT piece on tech purchasing advice, I've decided to share my own perspective on purchasing a computer.
Most PC users have very modest needs. Typically, surfing websites, playing simple games, watching video, word processing, and listening to music are the limits of the average person. Almost any computer sold is capable of these tasks without any serious performance problems.
A first step in buying a computer is determining your needs. Will you run any software that requires higher than average computing power such as games, high end video or photography applicaitions, CAD, software development or engineering applications? Most people will answer no to this question. That means you don't need to spend over $650 on a PC or $1300 on a Mac. If you answered yes, determine what type of applications you will run. Games require a moderate CPU and a good graphics card in the radeon hd or geforce family. CAD or design applications work best with a workstation class card such as the ati firegl or nvidia quadro line. Most people can get away with a budget graphcis card such as the integrated Intel graphics found on most consumer PCs.
Most of the public can get away with a $300 laptop. I'm typing on one right now. In my case, I am a power user but I have a desktop computer for those tasks. My laptop is very modest with a single core processor (Intel celeron 2.2Ghz), 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. I purchased this computer over a year ago and it's still working well. I can stream netflix, play a few low resource games, and even run virtualization software (vmware player and virtualbox) for light software testing. It's great for word processing. It's a bit slow for writing software, but I have used it for work in the past. A low cost laptop does not necessarily mean netbook either. You can get a netbook or tablet for $300, but this is a full sized (15.6 inch display) toshiba laptop with a dvd burner.
If you are a Mac user, I'd recommend the 13in MacBook Pro or the Macbook Air. These systems are constructed rather well and tend to hold up. The regular MacBook is an OK machine as well, but the MBP is a better value. An iMac is acceptable as a desktop, but they are difficult to fix. Either way, get applecare. Apple's newer systems are hard to get into and not intended for user servicing or upgrades. You can usually upgrade RAM, but that's it. Even a battery replacement requires a trip to the apple store. If you plan on upgrading an iMac, I recommend going to an auto parts store and purchasing a suction cup to remove dents from an older car. These are great at grabbing the cover over the LCD display. You will also need some unusual screwdrivers were are under $2 at Sears. I replaced the hard drive in an iMac in about an hour using online tutorials to avoid damaging the display, camera, etc.