DATA-IN-FORMATION

Our computer sales is helping residents and businesses find the right computer. Read this page and then print it to take it shopping with you!

Computer Buying Tips

• Say 'No thank you'  to extended warranties – Computers are now a consumable good. If you are buying a $2,000 computer, you might consider it, but on a sub $1,000 computer, the standard 1 year warranty is fine.

• Buy only from national companies - Look for national companies such as Acer, Dell, HP, Gateway, Systemax, Toshiba or Fujitsu. To keep prices low, they have to sell on volume. To sell that amount of volume, they have very high standards of quality control. Simply put, they have the quality control to ensure that all the hardware and software will play nice together. If a local company is price competitive with the big brands, then we would be hesitant to recommend them. This is why we don't produce our own.

• Our Recommendations - We know a lot of people have personal preferences sometimes on their choice of a computer being on the verge of religion. That being said, in our experience with computers, here are some recommendations.
  The biggest things you look for are specs, price and support. Check out the specs below for some recommendations. As far as price, for most people, if you spend over $700 for a computer you are spending too much, unless you need it for a specific function that requires more power. This goes for desktops or laptops. A sub $700 computer will perform almost any home and small business task. Support is one of the biggest issues. You want a company with great tech support so you are not on your own if anything happens. (Plug: You can also look into our DATA P3 Plan!) There are a few companies out there that have great computers, but horrible support.
  As companies improve in areas and falter in others, our recommendations will change. It is the natural process of the industry. This recommendation is subject to change with time, but as of January 2010 at the time of this writing, we would recommend in order:

  • Laptops – HP, Acer, Gateway, Toshiba, or Fujitsu

  • Desktops – Acer, HP, Systemax or Dell

  • Netbooks – Asus or MSI

• Specifications

  • Operating System – Windows 7 (See Review) – This is a must. It is the best operating system out on the market at this time. It is fast, secure, stable, and it just works very well. If possible, get the 64-bit version. If you are a home user, get Home edition and others should get the Professional Edition.

  • Processor – Intel or AMD 64-bit with Dual Core or higher – This is the brain of your computer and how fast it ‘thinks’. Speeds shouldn’t concern you as much as all current processors are over 2GHz. The core is the number of processors that are on a chip. This allows for better multitasking.

  • RAM – 4GB or higher – This is the short term memory of your computer. It can recall things faster than your hard drive. The more you have, the faster a computer will respond. As the 32-bit Windows can only use 3GB, the 64-bit Windows can use a lot more, and it uses it very well. 4GB should be plenty for anybody, but you won’t be limited should you need more.

  • Hard Drive – 500GB or higher – This is the long term memory of your computer where it stores everything. 500GB is a lot for most people, but with the multimedia that is available now, it can get used quickly. If you see specs like 5400 or 7200, you want the 7200.

  • Other Things – The four things above are the biggest things you are looking for. A good video card and clear picture monitor may also be of interest, depending on what you will be using the computer for. DO NOT FORGET TO GET AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE FOR BACKUP OR A SURGE PROTECTOR! 

So if we do not sell computers, where should you buy one? We get all our computers from www.newegg.com or www.tigerdirect.com. You will get great deals on the price, they ship quickly, you can read the specs for each item and the best part is you get to read real world reviews from other people! If all this is still a bit much to digest, and you want to make sure you get the right computer, you can also contact us and for a small $20.00 fee, we will consult with you to evaluate your needs then make the correct recommendation.