Personal Computers: Have You Made the Right Choice?

People are often emotional buyers and rational after-sales justifiers. This means that people buy things for emotional reasons, then justify their purchase AFTER the fact of buying. Of course, if you don't want to waste too much money, you better get a grip on yourself.

The choice of personal computer actually begins with the choice between a brand new desktop and an old desktop. Depending on your needs, sometimes it is better to buy a used unit. But of course, it all depends on your needs. Simple needs, in most cases, can be met with only simple solutions. But if you want to buy a brand new desktop computer, then consider the different types of desktop computers available on the market.

There are all-in-one desktops that join the CPU to the monitor inside a single casing. Then there are small form desktops that are 50% smaller than the average desktop. Then, of course, there are regular desktops with separate CPU's, monitors, and keyboards. The form, however, doesn't really tell you about the actual performance of a computer.

A computer's performance is actually dependent on its processor, hard drive, and RAM. Always check these specs before buying a PC.

Computers depreciate as fast as cell phones, and prices tend to go down some months after a model is released. So, don't buy a computer model upon its initial release. Depending on whether it is a "budget" model or a "high-end" model, a desktop computer can cost anywhere from under $600 to over $1,500.

Be careful about the PC brand you buy. Some manufacturers purposely plant spy ware inside their units so they can sell software to you or gather your personal information. Check the online forums for independent product reviews. Always buy adequate virus protection for your PC. If you are always downloading from the Internet, you increase the chances of your PC getting infected. You should only download if you are two releases or two years out-of-date on an important piece of software like Microsoft applications. And even when it is an important update, always set a restore point for your computer. This invariably protects your unit in case your new download crashes it. All too often, a new software download breaks previously installed software.

Also, a lot of the software downloads are for ego tripping, they don't really fulfill a real need. So before you do anything, ask yourself if you really need it. Go back to the question on buying a brand new computer or a used computer. Fight the itch to be emotional about your buying.