What to Look for When Shopping for a Computer

Many executives have been asking what to look for in computers for their home use, and as gifts to loved ones. Here are key factors to look for when shopping for a computer.

FORM FACTOR:

Unless you are sure the user will only use a computer at a single desk and not benefit from moving around, buy a laptop. Laptops are fast, have excellent monitors, and some are very portable.

You can easily connect a world of peripherals at the office, at home, and any other “fixed location.” Using a “real keyboard,” mouse (for those monitors that aren’t touch enabled), printers, etc. is common at “desk” locations.  Being able “to be mobile” is essential for people who are on the move.

You already know my affinity to the Microsoft Surface Pro which is a laptop and tablet combined. Many other manufacturers make beautiful convertible tablets with similar features to the Surface Pro. Shop around.

OPERATING SYSTEM:

You’ll find Windows 8.1 installed on new computers – and that is a fine way to go.  Despite what you’ve heard, you can run Windows 8.1 in a way that looks a lot like Windows 7.

MONITOR: Get a Touch Screen – That’s where the world is going. If you will use the computer at a desk, then you need more than one monitor. Large monitors are inexpensive these days and, no, one large monitor is not a replacement for multiple small monitors.

You can connect multiple monitors to a laptop. The only problem is, so far, with multiple monitors only one of them can be used as your “touch screen” in Windows 8.1. The other monitors can support “touch screen,” but you have to choose which one to use as “touch.”

If you are buying for a “gamer” then you’ll want to max out on everything and maybe buy a specialized machine.

RAM:

For the rest of us, get a computer with at least 8G of RAM. If you think you’ll run many programs at once, or use memory hungry applications such as editing photos, then splurge on 16G of RAM.

DRIVE:

Be sure (unless you need to store an incredible amount of pictures, music, or movies) to get a solid state hard drive. Sometimes they are referred to as SSDs.

There are times that “old” hard drives (HDDs) with moving parts are better than SSDs., They have less capacity and are more expensive per gigabyte than drives with moving parts, SSD drives are faster, use less electricity (your laptop’s battery will last longer), resist magnetism, and better resist movement (such as a computer being dropped or used on an aircraft or train with lots of vibrations).

A good strategy is to use a SSD in your computers, and use mirrored external USB 3.0 HDDs for backup.  Please contact me if that sentence makes no sense.

PROCESSOR:

You needn’t go for the “top of the line” processor. They tend to be priced extra high and they use more power. Power saving is important in a laptop.

PRINTER:

Be sure you get a printer that supports easy printing from your iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, and other devices.

MOUSE:

For goodness sakes, get a mouse that is designed to be used “anywhere.” They work great on just about any moussing surface.

KEYBOARD:

If you type a lot and don’t know about keyboards, read up on the latest keyboards.

Please ask additional questions and/or post your advice.

Keep your network safe,

Mike Foster

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