The problem with buying a new computer is that there are many options out there and we need to choose one. There are many types of computers, personal computers (PC) which are also called desktop computers. There are laptop computers and of course server computers – mostly being bought by companies to service their organization’s needs.

Well, the basics of choosing the proper computer for you are simple, just follow these simple steps, and you will know what type of computer you need and how to choose it.

1. What type of a computer: The questions to ask no matter if you choose a PC, a laptop or a server are:

a. Do you need to travel with it? which means do you need it to be portable, do you need to take it outside your home, with you? to the meeting, to work anywhere in the world? etc… If the answer is “YES” then you need a laptop.

b. If you answered “NO” on the question (a), then you need to ask yourself, if you need the computer to do a specific thing? Is it designated to serve others? do others from within a network or from an external network, needs access to it?! if the answer is “YES” then you will probably need a server computer.

c. If you answered “NO” on both (a) and (b) questions, then you probably need a personal computer (PC), and so check for any suitable desktop computer for your need.

2. What type of hardware do we need: Well any computer is actually built from parts, those parts are defining its abilities, it’s performance capabilities and in a way, it defines what you can do with that computer. When you need a powerful computer for games, you will need a modern motherboard that supports faster and larger parts, which will contain a large amount of fast memory cards capacity of at least 4GB (as of today), a large hard-disk for large amount of storage (games take much space) at least 1TB in size, a very good graphic card with at least 1GB of memory (RAM) on it, and a fast processor. That was an example, but you get the idea.

3. What is our price range: The cost is usually the heaviest part of finding and buying a computer. We should always inspire to get the most for the least price. That is a good marketing slogan, which defines how and why this market is so challenging. After we defined what we need out of our computer, it is time to see how much do we need to spend on buying it.

3.1 Usually with the server, you might want to buy a “BRAND” computer (HP, DELL, etc…), those suppliers will give you the best service and best parts for your money, and you will get at least 3 years warranty in case something bad happens to your valuable server.

3.2 Desktops, well… you can decide to buy a “BRAND” computer, but it will probably cost you much more than the usually composed computer. If you are working with a good supplier, you will also get their warranty, in case a problem occurs with your computer that relates to hardware issues.

3.3 Laptops – well laptops are usually “BRAND”s, and as such, you just need to decide which one you prefer by comparing its hardware configuration, the warranty, service provider and how reliable those laptops are (by reading some reviews on the internet).

These procedures will help you define and decide what type of computer you should buy, the rest is about configuration and your choices, in terms of how much do you want to invest on a new computer (the cost), and what you need to get for that price, which will still serve your needs.

Comparing computers

1. Compare computer prices