Computer Buying Tips & tricks for 2010 - desktop or laptop

I recommend having at least a 250GB hard drive for the main hard drive where the operating system will be installed. Then it would be great to have a second hard drive installed where you can store your files (installing a second hard drive takes about 5 mins). After that I would suggest buying a 500GB external hard drive to backup onto.

This might sound extreme to you, but who would have ever thought we would be storing our photos on the computer and printing them from there. Soon everything might be stored digitally.

Motherboard? When buying a ready made desktop people usually overlook the motherboard which is the main system board of the computer. You can check to see if the motherboard includes enough plugs

Do I need a DVD Drive?

Yes you do need a DVD drive. This will play music cd's, games, DVD movies, and more. You should have at least one DVD burner drive installed. When you are buying a new computer the minimum you should have installed is a 20 speed DVD writer. Now days you can buy a DVD burner from Ebay, brand new, for around $30 so why not have one?

Do I need an extra graphics and sound card installed?

If you plan to watch movies, look at fancy graphics on the internet, or play games on your computer then you need a graphics  card. Having a graphics card will make your computer run faster. If you do not have a graphics card, when graphics appear on your screen it will be using the computers memory to display it. This will slow your computer down, or in some cases, even stop it dead.

A sound card is a different story though. Do you want to turn your computer into a monster stereo or do you just want to hear sound? I have onboard 6 channel sound with sub woofer speakers and can still blast my office with sound. I personally do not need a sound card, and the average user shouldn't either.

Standard items that come with every computer system:

Your computer should come with a computer keyboard, mouse, LCD flat screen monitor, and all the cords needed to connect the computer. It should also come with all the necessary CD's needed to restore the computer to its original state.

How much does the average new desktop computer cost in 2010?

If you were to get all of these features I have mentioned above, and you did shop around, there is no doubt you could get this for around $1,000. If you wanted to add more warranty, that would be extra. Of course you can go for a bigger and better computer and spend more money, but if you do not need it, why do it?

If you are game enough to build your own I suggest you make a list of the parts you need, price them on , then compare those prices to your local computer store.  I have always found that  wins hands down for price as long as you can pick up the parts. Always make sure the parts are compatible with each other. If you are not sure, ask the sales person to guarantee that the parts are compatible.

Laptop computer buying tips & tricks for 2010

When choosing a new laptop to buy, you should be careful because there is a lot of cheap junk out there on the market. Follow these tips for buying a new laptop computer that should last at least two years or more.

1. Make sure the laptop is an Intel dual core at the minimum.

2. 2GB of ram (memory) minimum.

3. A minimum of 250GB hard drive. (And an external hard drive for backup).

4. Inbuilt wireless adapter, and a Ethernet port.

5. Make sure it has enough USB ports. Everything plugs in through USB now days.

6. I would be ideal to get a spare battery and an ac adapter. These are the parts that go first on a laptop.

7. Inbuilt DVD burner.

8. Firewire port to connect a video camera if necessary.

9. A laptop carry bag for protection and to hold all the accessories.

10. A wireless mini mouse.

11. A year or more warranty.