I
hate when people ask me what pc/laptop to buy.
That’s like asking what promotional product someone should buy without
understanding budget, goals or other information. Yet, people don’t know the right questions to
ask and sometimes just want an answer. So here is my opinion with caveats.
Computer on a budget – Buy Dell Inspiron desktop–
preferably from Dell outlet store.
I
bought my home computer for $300 and it screams and has everything I need for home
computing (except Microsoft office).
Buying from the outlet provides the same full warranty plus free
shipping and my machine was essentially brand new but $100 cheaper. http://www.dell.com/outlet (horrible site, but the savings are
worth it). Any machine you can
buy on this site is great for most basic functions. Spend between $300 &
$500 for a great budget machine.
Best phone – iPhone. I love my Droid Bionic, but
iPhone is better for most of the population.
Best tablet – iPad 2 –It’s amazing how great this device
is. No Droid touches the value. The new iPad retina display is not worth it
so stick with the 16 gig iPad 2 for $399.
Basic configuration you need for any computer.
·
Windows
7.
·
4
Gigabytes (GB) of Ram.
·
100
GB hard drive (more is great if you need it but 100 GB is fine).
·
Video
card with ½ GB of RAM on the video card preferably HDMI compatible.
·
Support
for dual monitors.
Enhancing your computer
–
·
8
GB of RAM, a great investment for a small price.
·
100
GB SSD (Solid State Drive) will pay for itself 10 times over but adds $150.
·
1
GB internal drive for storing large files (pictures, videos).
·
Dual
monitors – It will change your life!
·
1
GB of memory on your video card – well worth it even for casual use. (Best to buy as part of a new machine
configuration rather than upgrading an existing machine.)
Software for your
computer
·
Office
2010 home – Yes, I know Google Docs is great but Office 2010 is still worth
it.
·
Crashplan.com
– unlimited online backup (best value). You MUST backup online.
The
following are all free
·
Microsoft
Security Essentials – Free antivirus that works very well.
·
Dropbox
– It just works and 5 GB free.
·
Evernote
– Free and awesome but too difficult to explain in 1 sentence.
·
Firefox
– fast and compatible browser.
·
Lastpass
– remembers all your passwords. Free
(good for most) or $12 for premium.
Best home office printer – Epson workforce 645 multi-function (wireless including from
iPad)
Best place to buy
accessories – Amazon.com
·
Logitech
is my favorite for most accessories.
What about Macs?
I
don’t recommend MacBook’s. They are
beautiful and do amazing things but the price is too high for me to recommend
for MOST people. Don’t send me hate
mail telling me all the reasons I’m wrong, I’ve done the research, and the cost
only justifies it for people who want a Mac.
Same reason I love my iPad compared to ANY other tablet. You get more for your money. I
don’t hate Apple, I like value.
What about upgrades?
Don’t. The hassle is just not worth it. If you are a bit technical or if you have a
technical sibling/friend who is willing to help you, there are a few things
worth upgrading.
·
Making
sure you have 4 GB of RAM (If you have 64bit windows, 8GB and if you don’t know
what that means, you should not be upgrading…)
·
Installing
an SSD drive will make your old computer essentially as fast as any new
computer. $100 for a 100 GB SSD drive is
a great investment. But moving/copying
and installing requires a geek.
When to buy?

If
you need a tablet or a phone, don’t wait to buy the iPad. The next version likely won’t hit until March
2013. But wait on the iPhone until
November of this year to get the latest if you can.