HELP! Need a New Computer? Part 1 of 4

Okay first of all, calm down. This is going to be alot easier than you may expect. I'm going to hopefully break this down as simple as possible so that Mr or Ms. "I don't know a thing about computers"  can get get the best laptop that they can afford. For this blog, I'm going to cover buying a laptop just because if you are buying a desktop computer (the big towers) a lot of the same tips will apply.  I've been repairing and selling computers for almost a decade now. I even worked at Geek Squad in Best Buy, so I'll tell you some of  the inside info on buying a computer that the sales folks won't always tell you.

Things to Know Before Buying

Computer Life: You do NOT have to buy a computer every 2 years. This used to be true back in the day only because companies used to have really slow processors in the computer. (See Part 2 under "Processor" for more). If you buy a really good processor then the computer will last a long time depending on how you use it. The other reason why people used to have to buy computers every 2 to 3 years was because our needs changed and the computers just couldn't keep up. With a slow processor, you can't open up like 3 different internet windows, listen to music, and type a paper because the computer just wouldn't be able to keep up. So invest your money wisely in a good processor and you'll enjoy your computer for long time. 

Quality: Since I've been repairing computers for years, in my experience there is no one type of computer that breaks down any more or less than any other computer. You will have some folks tell you that they had a Gateway that broke down them, but then you'll have others say that Gateway is the most reliable. Computers are just like cars, doesn't matter if you have a brand new Benz or an old Chevy, they both can break down  and to go to the mechanic sometime.

Brand Names: Do NOT matter. I repeat, they do NOT matter. People often think that one brand name is better than the other, but that's not necessarily always the case. There are two instances when brand name will mean something. That's with customer service and for repair. Some companies are great for their customer service and some are so well known that you can take it almost anywhere to get it repaired. Other than that, every Brand name from Dell, to Gateway, to HP, to Toshiba, to Sony, to even Apple will all use similar parts in their computers. My recommendation in terms of customer service and repair options in my experience  is: 

Rank	Brand Name	Customer Service Grade	Repair Options Grade
1	Apple	A+	B-
2	HP	A	C
3	Asus	B+	C
4	Sony	B+	C
5	Toshiba	B+	D
6	Gateway	C	D
7	Dell	D	B-

(Continue on to the "The Un-Changables")