Below you will find all the information you need to buy the latest computer. The decision can be hard with the ever-advancing technology, new lingo, and salesmen working on a commission. Our computer buying guides should have everything you need and nothing you don't.
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By Brand: Unless you have any specific preference, the brand does not matter, performance wise. Look at the specs, not the brand for that. However, take into account each manufacturer's warranties, durability history, and customer service. By Processor Class The Core 2 Quad processor
By Processor Speed Look for a laptop with 2.0 GHz to 3.0 GHz if you want a fully capable computer that can play games and movies. Netbooks typically have less than 2.0 GHz, and they are mainly for browsing the internet and sending emails. By RAM (Random Access Memory) RAM is the amount of memory designated to running processes. The more RAM a computer has, the faster it loads programs, boots up, and runs games. You can easily upgrade an aging laptop by replacing its RAM sticks with newer modules with a higher capacity. By Hard Drive Capacity The Hard Drive is like the long-term memory of the computer. This is where you store programs, games, and documents. You don't need over 100 GB unless you plan on storing a lot of games, music, and movies. By Display Size Do you want large screen laptop for visually heavy games and movies, or do you want a tiny, go-anywhere netbook that fits in your bag?
By Weight Big bulky laptops are no fun to take to the library or internet cafe, but heavier units are usually higher performance machines. |
By Brand: Again, brand matters more for warranty deals than actual performance. In the digital age, it's 1s and 0s: the monitor either works or it doesn't. By Display Size If you like to watch movies, play games, and do graphical editing, I recommend a large screen. If you are cramped for space, or just do some word processing and web browsing, save money with a smaller monitor. By Maximum Resolution This correlates more to the specific shape of you monitor, nowadays. The first number is the number of pixels fit into the width; the second number is the number of pixels in the height.
By Monitor Type Pretty much every monitor being produced now is LCD or Plasma. There is no reason to buy a bulky, antiquated CRT monitor. Connection The connection is a very big deal now. A standard D-sub
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By Brand: The main difference here is between Apple and everyone else. Apples are generally more reliable and stable, while PC's are more powerful and have easy-to-access software. By Processor Class Look for a Quad Core
By Processor Speed Don't get caught up in speed. Modern processors are divided to be faster. You will find that the quad-core gets more done in the same amount of time because it can split up processes into each of its cores--so it's "faster", even though it has a lower clock rate. RAM Don't buy a new PC with under 1 GB of RAM. Take into account how much RAM the PC has (I recommend 4 GB), and also how much RAM it is upgradeable to. Typically, PCs have extra slots in which you can easily insert more RAM cards. Some are upgradeable to 16 GB. By Hard Drive Capacity How much do you want to store? Solid state hard drives |
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