“Welcome to Crazy Chris’ Computer Store where prices are so low you will think I’m insane. You look like a smart person, what do I need to do to put you in front of this 2004 Banana Junior PC fully loaded with a FREE mouse pad?”

Don’t fall for high-pressure salesman or for one of your ungrateful grandchildren to find the time to take you to a store. Choosing a computer can be easy if you know what you are looking for.

Buying a home computer can be a bit like buying a car — it's a major purchase decision. There are many makes and models, and many people willing to give advice about what to buy and where to buy it. To make the most of your shopping experience, and sense of the variety of choices facing you, you'll want to do your homework before heading out.

My advice is that if you are serious about using your computer you might want to buy a new one. Remember that the second you buy your computer it becomes obsolete. That is how quickly technology moves in this field. If you buy a used computer you might find it is unable to do everything you want it to do.

First do you want a laptop or a desktop? What’s the difference? A laptop or a notebook isn’t as fast as a desktop, but they are smaller and can be carried around with ease. If you plan on traveling with your computer, a laptop is the way to go. Also as a senior a laptop might be easier for you to deal with since it isn’t as heavy as a desktop.

The desktop is a larger machine and therefore might have more memory or might be faster. The desktop comes in various “pieces”. We have the monitor (Looks like a television screen). We have the keyboard (looks like a typewriter). We have the mouse (looks like…umm…a big flat egg) and the tower or CPU (looks like a big box) that is the “guts” of what you need for your computer system. There is a ton of accessories that one can buy also. A printer might be helpful, or a scanner allows you to photocopy pictures or documents and put them into your computer.

Back in my day (1999), monitors were huge heavy creatures. Today you will see in most stores that the monitors are smaller, lighter and thinner. This is a bonus for people who would not be able to lift the bulky heavier older monitors.

What will you use your system for? If you plan on writing your memoirs on it, ask the salesman if it comes with a Microsoft Word program. A computer can also come with a DVD player, a CD Writer. A DVD player allows you to watch movies on your computer and a CD Writer allows you to save information, music and pictures to a CD.

Many computers are now being built without a floppy disk drive, so if you plan on using this older method for saving information then you will want to request a computer that already has a drive installed.
I would also recommend that you walk into a store and ask for help rather than trying to order from the Internet or the phone. Nothing beats being able to talk to a salesperson face to face about your needs. While ordering online might be cheaper you might not get what you want. Also go to a store that is reputable, I don’t want to hear you complain that Joe’s Cheap Computer Store sold you a horrible system. Go to Best Buy, Dell or Gateway.com.

There are many terms you will here, RAM, speed, caches, operating systems and a host of other terms. You can learn what these mean by taking one of our computer classes at the Computer Learning Institute. We also value your feedback and if you would like to comment on our articles or have questions you would like answered please call us at 451-4611 or email us at director@seniornetaustin.org

Other websites to visit are:

http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/0,1674,P1547,00.html (A metlife Webpage on computer buying.)

Bestbuy.com (compare computer systems, often Best Buy will have some great sales)

Dell.com (Compare Dells prices with Best buy and Gateway, look for sales and specials coming up)