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TODAY’S
computer is a year-round home and business
appliance—more like a fridge or dishwasher than a
video-game console. But retailers still sell a
disproportionate number around the holidays.
This
year, as usual, the news for buyers is good: computers
are more powerful, more useful and more fun than ever.
They’re cheaper, too, although margins are so tight that
it’s hard to see low-end PC prices going much lower than
they are today.
Before
we discuss the details of computer shopping, let’s get
one thing out of the way: it doesn’t necessarily matter
which brand of PC you buy. In the course of supplying
the family with PCs and feeding my silicon habit for
20-plus years, I’ve bought or used Dells, IBMs, Compaqs,
HPs, eMachines, Gateways, Toshibas, Macs and a variety
of generic clones. Some were great and some were dogs.
If you
believe past performance can predict the future, you’ll
find the best reliability ratings at PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com)
and Consumer Reports (www.consumerrports.org).
That
said, the most important buying issue is matching the PC
to your needs. But even that’s easy today. The power
curve is so advanced that any new machine can handle the
basic chores: Web browsing, e-mail, word processing,
financial record-keeping and business presentations.
Ditto for playing music and videos or editing digital
photos. In fact, the computer my younger son took to
college in 2001 can still do all those things.
For
serious digital photo or video editing, you will need a
beefier machine with a faster processor, more memory,
increased hard-disk space and advanced video adapter.
For high-end gaming, you’ll need even more of all of
these. Or, you might want to add a TV tuner and turn
your PC into the center of a home or dormitory room
theater.
With the
exception of gaming, none of these activities will break
the bank. If you’re buying a PC for a gamer, don’t sweat
the details. He’ll know what he wants: just ask him how
big a check to write.
For
those who require less exalted equipment, capable
desktop computers are available for $600 to $1,200, with
a monitor. Capable laptops are a few hundred dollars
more.
Which
brings me to the first decision: laptop or desktop? I
lean toward laptops these days for general use. Once
underpowered and overpriced, with cramped keyboards and
screens, laptops were the product of a dozen
compromises.
Today,
they’re just PCs that don’t occupy much real estate.
Thanks to large, bright, inexpensive liquid crystal
displays—which in turn permit full-size
keyboards—laptops are comfortable enough for everyday
use, with portability when you need it.
If you
want a bigger screen and keyboard than the laptop
provides, you can buy a separate keyboard and monitor,
hook them up and slide the computer over to a corner of
your desk. For additional hard drive storage and backup,
you can add up a fast, external USB drive. In fact, the
only component you might seriously want to upgrade that
you can’t add to a laptop machine is the video adapter.
You’re stuck with what you buy.
That
said, desktop computers are still cheaper than laptops
if you’re on a budget and don’t need portability.
They’re easier and cheaper to upgrade than laptops, and
they’re less likely to have problems. Nor are they as
easy to steal or step on in a dorm room. Spill beer on a
desktop keyboard and you’re out 25 bucks. Spill beer on
a laptop keyboard and you’re out a computer.
Assuming
that you take my advice and choose portability, there
are three basic kinds of laptops.
The
cheapest are general-purpose machines, which typically
have 15-inch diagonal screens and weigh 6 to 8 pounds.
Their major drawback is often short battery life because
manufacturers shave costs by using less-efficient
processors, support chips and batteries.
For
folks who occasionally lug a laptop from a desk at home
to a desk at work, they’re a good choice. In my
pre-Christmas perusals, I’ve seen some great bargains on
well-equipped machines in this category for $800 to
$900.
If you
or your giftee frequently travel with a computer—or lug
one from class to class—consider a lightweight road
warrior.
Nudging
the scales at 4 to 5 pounds, with 12- or 13-inch screens
and enough battery power to compute on a coast-to-coast
flight, they sacrifice some comfort for portability—but
not a whole lot.
Lightweight laptops are more expensive than
middle-of-the-road models—particularly if they have CD
or DVD drives. Figure $1,100 to $1,600 for midscale
models—and lots more for high-end CPUs, fancy sound and
other goodies.
At the
opposite end of the spectrum are “desktop-replacement”
machines—monsters with 17-inch screens, fast processors,
heavy-duty video adapters for games and multimedia
titles, copious hard drives, sophisticated sound cards,
built-in or add-on TV tuners, and so forth.
No one
expects you to lug one of these around every day—unless
you work out regularly or you’re a gamer who migrates
from one LAN party to another.
Because
they make no attempt to compromise on performance or
comfort, these giants will put a dent in your
pocketbook, too. Figure $1,800 to $2,000 for
starters—and the price shoots up from there.
One
necessary accessory for any laptop that you plan to use
on the road is an extended warranty. Laptops are more
prone to breakdowns than desktop PCs, and you’ll offset
the cost of most three-year warranties with a single
repair.
Get an
accidental damage rider, too, if your manufacturer
offers one.
A full
extended-warranty package will add $250 to $400 to the
cost of a laptop, but it’s worth the investment. |
