Subito Tech

Archive for July, 2011

So you are thinking of buying a new computer…

Where do you commence? There are so a lot of brands and models of computers accessible, and it can all be a little overwhelming when you begin to look about.

How do you choose what sort of laptop or computer you need? And perhaps more importantly, how do you choose what the best value is?

I have sold computers professionally for practically 20 years, and there are certain “tricks of the trade” that most laptop or computer stores and salespeople use. Understanding these secrets can make your choice easier and will aid you buy the correct laptop or computer for your requirements.

1. Get What You Need, Perhaps a Little A lot more

1 of the most critical items you can do when buying a new laptop or computer is make a list of the things that you will be using it for. There are so many distinct models – with diverse capabilities – that you can easily acquire more, or much less, than you truly require if you don’t.

If this is your first computer, this can be a small tougher. Until you have utilised a pc, it is hard to know precisely what you may possibly want to do with it beyond the obvious, like connecting to the web.

Regardless, you ought to feel about some of the things you may possibly want to do. Some possibilities contain:

- Connect to the net
- Play games
- Digital photography
- Digital video
- Kind documents
- Accounting
- Style internet sites
- Programming
- Digital scrapbooking
- Geneology

Some of these issues need far more power than others. For example, connecting to the internet really does not want a lot of power. Even the most simple laptop or computer obtainable will probably function just fine.

Digital video and numerous games need a lot much more power. If you do not get a rapidly sufficient pc with sufficient memory, you will be disappointed with the performance.

Realizing what you are going to be employing your laptop or computer for will help your salesperson, no matter whether they’re on the phone, the world wide web or standing in front of you, recommend the best system for your wants.

As a general rule you’re constantly much better off purchasing more power than you require rather than much less, but purchasing too a lot can be a waste of cash.

two. Warranty Considerations

Pc warranties are one of the most confusing and obscure parts of your purchase. Most producers have cut back on their customer service to the point where poor service has grow to be a given.

The 3 most common options are onsite, carry-in or manufacturer’s depot service.

Onsite service can be beneficial, but think about no matter whether you want to have to be accessible for a technician to come and diagnose your pc, and possibly have to come back with parts at one more time.

Carry in service is a good alternative, but discover out regardless of whether the service center is factory authorized for warranty repairs, as well as whether the technicians are all certified.

Shipping your pc to a factory service center can take a long time – occasionally a number of weeks. It also creates risk that your pc will be damaged or even lost in shipping. In some instances, the manufacturer will even replace your pc with an additional unit and ship it back to you, rather than repairing it. This can result in your losing any details that was on your program and having to reload all your software program.

Another aspect of the warranty to find out about is technical support. Uncover out if the pc manufacturer delivers a toll-free of charge phone number and what the good quality of service is like.

The far better laptop or computer salespeople will be honest about this and tell you if a company’s service leaves something to be desired. You can also do some investigation on the internet – most of the computer magazines like PC Magazine and PC Globe have annual customer service comparisons that rate the larger laptop or computer companies.

Often discover out how the warranty is handled before creating your decision. Even if it doesn’t influence your choice, knowing what to expect if some thing does go wrong will save some nasty surprises down the road.

3. Can You Negotiate the Cost Down?

A laptop or computer is a relatively significant investment – anyplace from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. A lot of laptop or computer buyers expect that there is a substantial quantity of “wiggle room” on the cost.

The reality is that most laptop or computer hardware – the physical pieces like the laptop or computer, monitor and printer – is sold at very low profit margins. Typically, laptop or computer systems are even sold at or below the dealer price. When you are buying a pc, it never hurts to ask for a better deal, but do not be surprised if you only get a couple of dollars off, if anything.

Over the close to 20 years I’ve sold computers, I watched the profit margins go from over 40% to much less than five%. It’s virtually embarassing to offer you a discount on a 00 laptop or computer program, but that could mean the difference among making and losing funds on the sale.

What you can do to get the best cost is to do some comparison shopping. Most laptop or computer shops supply cost-matching guarantees, so if you find your pc for much less at yet another store, most dealers will match or beat that price, even if it means they lose cash.

4. How Do Laptop or computer Shops Make Any Money?

You may be questioning how these personal computer stores make any funds if they’re selling computer for so little profit.

Their money is made on add-on items. The highest profit areas in most computer stores are cables and “consumable” items such as printer ink and paper.

Printer ink is a huge money-maker for most pc stores (even more so for the printer producers). Why is this? When you’ve bought a printer, you are going to have to replace your ink at some point, and continue to replace it as it runs out.

Most chain computer shops and office supply stores that carry a huge selection of ink cartridges make a lot more from ink than they do from the computers themselves.

Cables also have massive markups. A cable that costs the store -three will frequently sell for -30. That’s ten times their price!

If you’re purchasing a new pc, you will most likely require to acquire some cables. Some items – printers, for example – don’t typically contain the cables required to hook them up.

Several printers also come with “starter” ink cartridges that are only half-full. You might also want to choose up some extra ink cartridges.

This is exactly where you should be able to negotiate a far better price. Don’t anticipate the salesperson to throw them in for absolutely nothing, but they should be willing to supply you a greater cost. After all, if you’re happy with their service, you will most likely continue to get your ink, paper and other products from that store in the future.

5. What Software program is Included?

The last secret of buying a new computer has to do with the software program that is included. Most new computer systems include fairly a few programs and at times the value of the software can be fairly high.

Something to watch out for when searching at the included software program is “trial versions” or “limited editions”.

A lot of programs that are preloaded are either crippled versions that don’t have all the capabilities of the full program, or trial versions that will only run for a certain amount of time before they expire.

Personal computer are often sold with trial versions of the following kinds of software:

- antivirus
- firewall
- MS Office or other office suites
- Accounting – both organization and individual

The personal computer manufacturers typically do not make it easy to tell regardless of whether the software program on their systems are trial versions or limited versions. This is a question that you should particularly ask if you cannot discover the answer in their promotional details.

If you are purchasing a new computer with trial versions of the software, keep in mind that you will want to pay to continue utilizing it following the trial period is over. This is an added cost that you need to think about as part of your overall budget.

These five “secrets” of acquiring a new pc are fairly common sense, but they are not often created clear up front. Realizing what to ask will aid you in two techniques. Initial, you can be sure you are finding the correct computer for your needs.

Second, if the salesperson or business that you are dealing with explains these points to you without having becoming asked, you’ll know you are dealing with an individual who is honest and upfront.

Realizing you can trust the individuals you’re dealing with is an invaluable feature of your new computer program.