Advice for beginners -  you can plunge in and buy the best looking system at your local computer store for under $1,000.00 and learn by doing or you can try to plan:

Take your time - take at least one week and do two or three of the following before you buy

  Make a list of all the things you want a computer to do

  Go to a computer store or the computer department of a large chain store and look at everything in sight

   Talk to a salesperson, or better yet a friend, who knows about computers and show them your list of things you want your computer to do

  Check out the different types of systems - laptops, desktops, handhelds -  large flat monitors, regular sized monitors - sound systems with internal and external speakers -  ask about hard drive sizes and ZIP Drives -  CD or DVD rom drives and what the differences are - modem speeds and the difference between internal and external modems for laptops - ask about "expansion" capacity in the different computers you look at -  find out what RAM memory is and the difference between 32 mb and 64 mb and 128 mb systems -  find out what kinds of software come with the different systems and how much software to do what you want to do will cost when you have to buy it and load it on your computer - and just wander ... and ask lots of questions

  Rewrite your list of things you want your computer to do, go back to the salesperson at your local computer store and compare prices and packages, settle on two or three choices, find out about warranties (parts and labor, in office/home service calls the first year, 24 hour telephone support, return policies, will you get a replacement computer while yours is being repaired, is there and extended three year warranty available, etc.)  -   use the three top choices for at least 10 minutes each to type a letter, open all the software files in the c: drive directory, connect to the internet and check out web sites, in other words, give it a test drive

  Use your friends or co-workers computers, use the model and type of computer you are thinking of buying at a local store if your friends don't have one, check out the PC Magazine/ZDNet reviews of your preferred computer

  Buy what looks like the best deal for you at a local store or over the internet direct and realize everyone finds out there is something about their computer they didn't realize would be a problem or a function that does not work as well as they would like and, at the same time, there are always some features you didn't think you would use that you end up using a lot or enjoying a lot .... its just the way it is ... and, everything you buy will be too soon outdated or look like a poor investment when you see the next round of upgrades and your model and brand just took a nose dive in the price category ... c'est la vie

Computer hardware and peripherals (printers, scanners, zip drives, etc) information & sales are available over the web - here are a few links to get you started

Hewlitt Packard	IBM	Sony
Dell	Toshiba
Gateway	Compaq

Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000  T. Steele, In To It Planning Associates, Inc.