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Do you need help with choosing a PC? If yes please read on....

First, work out your total budget, a bit obvious.

PC or Laptop?

If you have the room for a PC and require a full keyboard and screen then a PC is a more usable option to go for, you also have many more upgrade options and generally larger capacities for storage of data etc. I would recommend a laptop if you require mobility, i.e. want to use in the garden or take on your travels or have limited space.

What to look for in a PC

I assume you have been to a superstore and they have confused you with mega-this and giga-that!

1) Memory - This is the short term storage of programs and documents you have created, turn off the PC and it is lost. This is generally measured in Mb (Megabytes) and we would suggest 512Mb is sufficient for XP Home/Professional 1Gb (Gigabyte) would be better. 1Gb = 1000Mb

2) Hard drive  (disc) - This is the long term storage of a PC and stores programs and documents that you have created when the PC is switched off. This is measured in Gb (Gigabytes), and we would suggest the following sizes 40 - 80gb - home/home office PC used for Word and general Office use, Saving music, 1 track can be 3Mb. For DVD creating or video editing 250Gb upwards.

3) Processor - This is the power of the PC and is comparable to the engine of a car, the bigger the processor the faster the PC will run programs. There are 2 types of processor Intel and AMD. We are asked constantly which is better, we answer, ask 20 people in IT which is best and you will get 20 different answers! Intel is the larger player in the market and is recognised as supplying a good product, AMD are the new boys but give better value for money. How to choose? We recommend choosing all the other bits required then going for the highest processor your budget allows. One point to look for is the large increase in cost per GHz (Giga hertz - not the same as Giga byte, but a measurement of frequency) an Intel 3.0Ghz P4 processor may cost £100 but a 3.2Ghz one will cost £130 that is lest than 7% speed increase for 30% price increase. A lot of this goes on, so look out.

4) External connections - Look out for lots of USB's (Universal Serial Bus) connectors as most devices printers, Ipod, external drives have these. Ensure that any devices you have already can connect to the new PC, things like parallel ports on some old printers and Firewire for some video camera's. Also look out for TV inputs as this allow you to watch TV on your PC.

5) Keyboard and Mice - We do recommend choosing a quality one of each as this is what you will interact with.

6) Add-ons - Most superstores encourage you to take scanner, printers, camera's etc, but consider what you will use these for after the newness has worn off. We would suggest that an all in one printer/scanner/fax is useful for small offices and home use where limited space is an issue.

7) Warranties - When spending all your money on PC's it is easy to be sucked in to the need for an expensive warranty. All PC's come with 1 year manufacture warranty (other than the cheaper Dell ones that come with 90 day and we recommend staying clear of these due to this). We would recommend spending the money you would spend on a warranty on a better quality of PC rather than the cheapest PC you can find.

8) Monitors - There are 2 types, CRT which is the larger glass type and TFT which are the flat screens. CRT are much cheaper but are becoming less and less supplied by manufacturers. TFT are easier on the eye and take up much less desk space. We would recommend at least a 17", though 15" is good for small work spaces. Look out for TFT that can be used as a TV, these are likely to be more expensive but useful if tight for space.

Laptops

The above is the same for laptop with the following changes.

1) Unless you are spending lots on a laptop do not expect fast game play and speedy use. Most laptops are restricted with slower speed hard drives and processors.

2) We would recommend buying a good brand of laptop rather than ones built to specification or really cheap ones.

3) Choose a laptop with a good battery life, ones marked as Centrino are better and should last 4-5 hours.

4) Warranties - The opposite goes for laptops, take out the longest you can. Repairing hardware problems on laptops is almost impossible and the manufactures can charge a fortune. A 3 year warranty with accident cover should be less than £100, which is good value when a  basic repair can cost more than this, consider a keyboard can cost £75.

5) Get a good quality carry case, with lots of padding and keep 13A plugs away from the screen.

6) Look for lots of USB's again as this is the best way to upgrade a laptop, i.e. if you need a TV input to watch TV, you can purchase devices that plug in to the USB. But do remember if the device uses too much power to get a Powered USB hub, you will thank me as this can save a blown up USB port.

Lastly these are only our own ideas on what is required, and you should ensure you are happy that this advice meets your own expectations. We are unable to take responsibility for any of the above information and any mistakes.

Happy computing

 Mark

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