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Why not just upgrade?
If you don’t play games or edit videos then maybe you just need to buy a new monitor to replace your old CRT model. A good quality monitor will outlast your computer and improve your PC experience for years to come, especially one of those nice 20” or 22” widescreen jobs! Adding some additional memory (RAM) might speed up your PC and together with a PC tune-up, could result in noticeable performance improvements. Or you could just buy a new optical mouse to replace that old ball-mouse.
Vista
Microsoft finally produced a stable and thoroughly sorted Operating System for the home user. It was called Windows XP! Unlike its flawed predecessors Windows 95 and Windows ME, there wasn’t really anything wrong with XP. However, Microsoft needed a new revenue stream,  so that’s why we had Vista and Office 2007 and a huge marketing push to convince buyers that the new is better than the old. However, new doesn’t necessarily mean better. Are Oasis better than the Beatles? Is the iPhone 4 really a better phone than the iPhone 3GS? Is Vista better than XP? Well, err, no, in my opinion.
Potentially Vista had promised to deliver real improvements to the world of computing. However, even after five years of development precious few real improvements made it to the production line and instead we had a misguided attempt at making the Windows interface look more Apple-like. Even the new ultra-realistic graphics promised by DirectX 10 failed to deliver any real benefits. The Vista of today is a much improved Operating System compared to the initial version but there is no getting away from the fact that Microsoft released it far too early.
Windows 7
Despite the name, Windows 7 is just a revamped version of Vista, but it is slightly better. It’s still slower than XP and it can be difficult to keep track of your documents - You’ll constantly be using the Search function. As with Vista though the more RAM the better, ideally make sure you have at least 3GB.
32bit or 64bit
You probably didn’t even consider this. If you plan to install more than 3GB RAM into your PC then you should choose 64bit.
Where to buy from?
I’ll keep this simple. If you live near Solihull then visit John Lewis in Touchwood. You’ll get good advice and excellent customer service. Unlike mainstream PC stores they won’t sell you something you don’t need and ignore you when you have post-purchase problems.
My second piece of advice is to visit the Dell website. Dell PCs are the industry benchmark and will give you a good idea of what to expect for your money. Their website isn’t the easiest to use though and avoid being rushed. Don’t worry about special offer deadlines. When one offer ends, another usually starts. Also avoid specifiying too many upgrade options as they are not good value. Start with a higher spec PC instead - it might work out cheaper. Oh and don’t be tempted to buy a Dell from PC World as you’ll have to deal with PC World and not Dell if you have a problem.
I’m not in a position to recommend (or not) any local PC suppliers as I don’t use them. However, I can say that very few of my customers have anything good to say about any of them. John Lewis being the only exception.
Mac or PC?
It ’s a little disconcerting to see so many people choose to buy a Mac just because of their looks, as they are excellent computers that are integrated very well with the software - digital photo and video editing is especially easy with a Mac. However, support and spares are expensive and in 12 months you’ll be using last season’s MacBook! You can have a stylish PC for a lot less money with everything just the way you want, but it does require a bit more effort.
Laptop or Desktop?
Pound for pound, compared to a laptop, a desktop will always be quicker, more reliable, have a larger, clearer screen, be more comfortable to use with a proper keyboard and mouse and be easier to upgrade. Replacement parts are also much easier and cheaper to fit than those for laptops.
Unless you really need the portability of a laptop, then my advice is to buy a desktop. After all, a laptop is probably only going to sit in one place for most of its life.
If your heart is set on a laptop, then make sure it is strongly built to withstand wear and tear. Check the strength of the hinges and make sure than the screen doesn’t flex too much when put under load. There will also be a lot of heat generated in a small, tightly packed space. This means that some laptops can become very hot, too hot in-fact to rest on your lap! Pay attention to the air vents. If you are right-handed and want to use a mouse with your laptop, an air exhaust vent on the right-hand side of the PC will continually blow very hot air over your hand which can be very uncomfortable. And just because the manufacturer says the laptop has a graphics card suitable for gaming don’t expect to be playing all of the latest PC games on it at high resolution and graphics settings. For that you’ll need a graphics card that will use over 100 Watts of power and in a laptop that’ll burn a hole right through the case.
PC Reliability
On average, a desktop PC is two times more reliable than a laptop. There is a 1 in 3 chance of a laptop developing a fault within 3 years, 1 in 6 for a desktop - These statistics are my own based on a sample of 500 laptops and 1200 desktops in 2004. Modern surveys indicate that laptop reliability is perhaps even worse now than it was 6 years ago, probably due to higher internal temperatures. Always use a laptop on a hard, flat surface to prevent the ventilation holes from being blocked.
There is a fair chance that a laptop battery will fail within 3 years. Certainly, the capacity of the battery will only be a fraction of that when new, especially if the laptop has spent most of its life plugged into the mains. Some manufacturers recommend that Lithium-Ion batteries are fully discharged and recharged at least once a month. Plan to buy a spare battery after two years or so. Try to buy an original battery if possible and only consider a 3rd party battery if the original ones are no longer available
Laptops are also more likely to be damaged by an accident, such as being dropped, closing the case with a pen on the keyboard and cracking the screen, pulling the laptop off a desk when your foot tangles in the power lead and that old favourite, spilling coffee down the keyboard. Incidentally, PC World will charge you twice as much (typically) to repair your laptop compared to a desktop PC once it’s out of warranty. That’s if they actually have the parts to fix it. With laptop models being replaced every 3 months, spare part availability is a problem even for new models.
Things to avoid?
• Celeron Processors (Look for a Core i3 instead).
• 1GB RAM (unless it’s a Netbook, aim for at least 3GB).
• 1 year warranty on a laptop (it’ll either breakdown in the first month or the 13th month and remember to read the warranty small print - batteries are usually exempt).
Price points
Less of a problem nowadays, but some companies were notorious for this only a few years ago. They would target a price point and then fill a PC with various components to achieve that price, usually with severe compromises. Nowadays, I’m still surprised at how little memory (RAM) manufacturers put in their PCs as standard, instead focusing their attention on the processor. Speaking of memory, lots of cheaper PCs have graphics systems that share the main system memory, but they should really use the word steal instead of share.
Building your own
No longer the cheap option it once was, this will generally work out about £50 to £100 more expensive that buying a pre-built PC (say from Dell) but you get to choose precisely which components you want to achieve the PC you’re after – small, fast or quiet, or all three. A custom built PC starts to make sense if you choose components that can be over clocked (speeded-up) which can give you extra performance virtually free of charge. The best advice used to be to spend more money on the motherboard and memory and less on the processor, giving you the option of improving the processor in the future. However, nowadays even basic motherboards have overclocking options. So buy the quickest processor you can afford and give it a little overclock. Install as much RAM as possible. With building your own, you’ll also be free to choose a graphics card that suits your needs. You might chose not to have one at all and use on-board graphics (integrated on the motherboard) or buy one at a later date. If you buy two disks for your PC your could setup a RAID disk which can give you extra speed or reliability and in some cases both. Choosing your own components also lets you buy the best quality, which is especially true for cases and power supplies. The latter are extremely important for a stable and quiet system. You won’t need to purchase an extended warranty as most individual components will be covered by their manufacturer’s warranty, typically 3 years, all for free. Importantly, you can choose to install whichever Operating System you want.
Wireless Printers
Maybe it’s just me, but surely the idea of combining two of the most troublesome aspects of IT, wireless networking and printing, into one product is just asking for trouble. Networked printing can be very useful, but wireless networked printing? Most people believe that a wireless printer connects to a wireless PC - normally it doesn’t! The wireless printer connects to a wireless router which in turn connects to the PC. So the printer will need to be relatively close to the router to ensure a good signal and uninterrupted printing. If the printer has an Ethernet port then use that and run a cat5 cable from the router to the printer. This network connection will be much more reliable. In any case, it is quite easy to network any printer using Printer Sharing even if you have a mix of PCs and Macs. So think carefully before setting-up a printer with a wireless connection.
Finally, one point about Inkjet Printers
You may actually get one of these thrown in free with your PC. Don’t be fooled. We all know how expensive the ink refills can be on these but do you know that some printers are designed for only a few years of normal use and will stop working when the cleaning reservoir is full. Also, the ink refills supplied with a printer will only contain about half the ink of a normal refill. Have you considered a more economical Laser Printer instead?
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