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This weeks column!

So, You Want to Buy a Computer

How much pressure can a person take before they crack? It depends on the type of pressure and the delivery method. For example, one of the most horrific forms of pressure I have had the misfortune to observe is the overwhelming, ego crushing pressure exerted by a little granddaughter. “Grandpa\Grandma, why don’t you have a computer? There’s nothing to do here, and I can’t AIM my friends. You know Grandma, if you had a computer I could write to you all the time!” And then the coup de grace, “Grandma, I love you!”

So, like the dutiful grandparents of all manipulative grandchildren, you march down to the local Super Electronics Bargain Busters store and look for one of the sales folk. Ah, here comes one now. Nice young man, polo shirt with BOB embroidered on it, and he smiles and says, “Hi, I’m Jim, how may I help you?” Surely you probably remind him of his grandparents, and he is eager to assist.

“We’re here to buy a computer. Our grandchild wants one to use when she visits and we want to use it for emailing our kids.”

The next few minutes are a fog, because what comes out of his mouth is undecipherable. He says something about needing an Intel P4 3.2 gig processor, with hyper threading technology and 512 L2 cache with 1 gig of DDR PC2700 non buffered memory. All the while, the smile on his face gets bigger and bigger. Your eyes glass over and he moves in for the kill. “All this will only cost a few thousand dollars.” Love that grandchild.

But step back for a moment. What is really needed? We are talking about a computer for someone whose total requirements are to get email, play solitaire and maybe a little web surfing. If you are planning on making movies, playing intense online interactive games, record music, edit pictures then some of the gibberish in the preceding paragraph will come into play. But what should we look for to fulfill your basic needs.

First decide if a Desktop or a Laptop will serve the cause. The laptop will do everything a desktop will do, plus it is portable. The desktop will provide all the functions of the laptop (minus portability) and do it at a much lower cost. A desktop is also much less expensive to upgrade should you decide later that a larger hard drive or other component is needed. For example, I just purchased a forty gig hard drive for a laptop that was about $200 dollars. A local store is advertising a sixty gig hard drive for a desktop at $60.

I cannot recommend any one brand over another; however I will offer some things to consider that are important. First, buy a system with a brand name that can be pronounced. Second, customer support is a big issue with me. Visit the company’s website to see the available level of support. See if they offer updated drivers, and other tools for keeping your computer in optimum condition. Next, email the company with a technical question. For example, ask for a recommendation regarding the upgrade of memory for one of their PCs. Recently, working on a client’s PC, I visited the company’s website and found it had almost no information and an email I sent was never answered. That’s a company that gets crossed off my list.

What about phone support? All companies have either no phone support, paid phone support, or the phone support resides in India or Pakistan, and the technicians speak a version of English that was invented somewhere other than the U.S. That is why email support is so important. I worked with tech support from HP on a problem by email. Their responses were very rapid, I could read and understand their questions and suggestions, and once we had exhausted all the possibilities they gave me an 800 number to their top-level tech support, located in N. Dakota, and she spoke English. Yahoo!

I don’t recommend having a computer built by a local computer store or expert, even myself. I cannot buy the components and assemble them for the price the big boys can. The major manufacturers also make an effort to design their machines with components that play together well. Which brings us to warranties.

Warranties. I recommend to my clients that if they are buying a desktop, then the standard manufacturers warranty is sufficient. However, if they are buying a laptop, then get the extended warranty with it. Laptops are notorious for having problems due to constant movement. Repairs and parts are expensive.

Recently one of the local chain stores here is offering a Compaq desktop with monitor and everything that the basic beginning computer user would need for only $289 after mail in rebates. They are also offering an HP laptop for the nascent computer user for $699 after rebates. However, don’t forget the extended warranty, which will add a few hundred dollars.

Tell your grandchild “I love you too, honey.”

When emailing questions, please provide as much information as possible. Operating System, Program version, hardware installed and a step-by-step description of the problem. Questions of general interest will become column topics from time to time.

Court Nederveld owns his own computer cunsulting and fixit service - Bits, Bytes and Chips Computer Servies. He makes house calls! You can reach him at court@bitsandbytesonline.com or 626-3285.