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Successful PC Buying
I am
going to list here, in no particular order, my personal "top
ten list" of tips for smart PC buying. Obviously this entire
Buyer's Guide is filled with hundreds of important tips, but
these ones "boil down" the rest of the Guide the best. I'd
say that if you remember only one page of this Guide, this
should be the one.
Without
further ado, here they are:
-
Do Not
Shop On the Basis Of Price Alone:
The #1 key to avoid getting burned on PC purchases is not
to select vendors and components solely (or even chiefly)
on the basis of price.
-
Know
Your Requirements:
Few people would walk into a car dealership and say to the
salesperson "I need some kind of vehicle". Yet people walk
into
computer stores and say "I need some kind of
computer". Doing this puts you at the mercy of the
salesperson. You should spend some time carefully
considering your needs and wants before you proceed to
specifying and buying your system. If you don't, you have
no basis for making a good decision.
-
Take
Your Time:
Don't rush your decisions or your purchase. Explore your
options and make the commitment when you are ready.
-
Spend
Where It Makes Sense:
Decide how to allocate your limited
funds
according to what your needs are. Don't buy a
system based on what the manufacturer thinks is important,
but rather on the basis of what you want. Allocate funds
between components based on how you will use the machine.
-
Focus
More On Quality, Less on Performance:
Performance is overemphasized in the PC world; most PCs
today offer very good performance, even relatively
inexpensive ones, and performance improves every year.
Quality, on the other hand, is usually not even talked
about, and if anything gets worse every year. Be
skeptical about performance "magic numbers" and assess the
quality of the system. Also look at warranty
considerations very carefully.
-
Choose
Vendors Wisely:
Invest
some time and effort in choosing a good vendor. Use
personal referrals and research resources for companies
you have not heard of before. Establish a trusting
relationship with a vendor that offers good service, even
if the hardware costs a few dollars more. This will help
you avoid getting "burned".
-
Use a
Credit Card--And Pay It Off:
Your best protection against vendor and order problems,
especially when ordering online, is to use a
credit card
for your order. Be sure to only buy what you can afford,
and pay the credit card bill
promptly to avoid high interest charges.
-
If
Necessary, Shop In Person:
If you aren't sure of what you're buying, shop in person
so you can check out the hardware and be absolutely
certain that you are getting what you need.
-
Get All
the Details:
Regardless of what you are ordering or buying, get all the
details up front: cost,
stock status,
delivery method and date, and specifications for all
components. Be 100% clear about your order to avoid
mix-ups. Read the vendor's policies and other "fine print"
before you finalize any order.
-
Fight
for Your Rights:
If you have a bad experience with a vendor, fight back.
Don't let yourself be taken advantage of. Ask for help if
you need it.
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