Desktop buying tips

Introduction

Purchasing a home or business computer can be a big and sometimes costly decision. Below is a listing of helpful suggestions on what to look for and what to ask when purchasing a new computer.

New vs. refurbished or used

If you're looking to save money buying a used or refurbished computer can save you a lot of money. A refurbished computer is a computer that has been returned to the company has been checked out as good but cannot be sold again as new. All major computer manufacturers will have a refurbished section showing all their available refurbished products. Buying one of these computers instead of a new computer can save you hundreds of dollars.

In addition to refurbished computers individuals and companies for various reasons will also sell their used computers. When buying these look out for the following.

• Verify it has no physical damage by inspecting the ports as well as the inside and the outside of the case.
• Make sure you're getting what you pay for. See the below scams section for additional details.
• Make sure computer comes with any CD's for the operating systems or programs that are promised to be installed.
• Realize that many computer manufacturers will not transfer the computer warranty from the old user to you.

Mac vs. PC

The decision between buying a Macintosh and PC computer running Microsoft Windows is always a heated debate. See document CH001238 for a list of advantages and disadvantages of both of these systems if you're still not decided.

What to look for
When purchasing a computer it is likely that you will have a general idea of what you may like in the computer or how you would like to configure the computer. Below is a listing of the various components likely to be found in a computer and recommendations and tips when considering any of the below components.