» Thu May 03, 2012 4:13 pm
First decide whether going for a brand name computer or a custom built PC.
Brand name computers are likely to have been set up properly, incompatibility issues with hardware and software likely to have been sorted out and typically offer a more reliable and user friendly experience than a custom built pc. Brand name pcs are typically the ones you see in supermarkets , department stores and pc superstores, the main drawbacks with a brand name pc are they tend to be quite expensive , technical support can be expensive as it may mean paying premium rate telephone charges to dedicated manufacturers help desks, in store support is usually poor as employees tend to be shopworkers with little product knowledge and with no particular experience or enthusiasm for the products they are selling. With a large variety of models on the shelves often with similar specs, many only recently released it is doubtful that the average shop employee can advise of the model most suitable for your requirements , and most likely you will end up making a choice by comparing system specs from the abundance of leaflets available , though this could be stabbing in the dark if not particularly familiar with the technologies used.
If going for a custom pc then smaller speciality shops are often the best choice and typically offer high performance pc's at low price, product knowledge customer service and technical support are typically the best in these sort of shops as often the business owner , technician and shop assistant is the same person. Go for one that has been in business for few years and ideally one recommended by friends that have used the service, the main drawvback is that low cost/ high performance machines tend to be constructed from poor quality components which are adequate for light/medium pc users, but heavy users really need to be focussing on quality components , do you buy a cheap and nasty component that perhaps lasts 2-3 yaers of heavy use or for a couple of septims extra do you buy quality components that last 5+ years ?
Personally speaking i would go for a custom built pc but made with quailty brand components which may cost me perhaps 25% more than a cheapie which should pay dividends in the long run as savings on frequent repair and replacement bills , not to mention stress and inconvenience more than offset the lower initial purchase price of a cheap computer.
I was thinking about getting this:
Oh well.