Black Friday Computer Buying Guide
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Howard DeAlvarado
Black Friday Computer Buying Guide

toycomputerRor How to NOT buy a Thanksgiving “Turkey”

I know a lot of people can’t wait for Black Friday deals to come around. There are loads of deals to be had but how do we know when we are actually getting a deal? As the saying goes “you get what you pay for”. So how do we know if what we are getting is a good deal for a good computer or a fair price for a cheap computer? Here are some simple tips that can help you decide.

Know your brands
Companies like Acer have driven the cost of computers way down which sounds good at first but they have done so at the expense of quality and a lack of tech support. So the better brands like Dell and HP have had to compromise as well in order to keep their prices competitive. It’s true that “they don’t make them like they used to” but I would definitely stay away from Acer, Gateway and eMachines, which are all the same company, as well as any brand you’ve never heard of. Keep in mind the quality of the hardware in a computer directly affects the cost and even the better brands have “economy” models. I would still recommend Dell or Asus.

The cost of power
Your computer’s brain is its CPU or central processing unit. The vast majority of its speed will come from it so it is important to know which CPUs are slow and which are fast. This is another way that manufacturers can keep the cost of a computer down. If a computer costs $300 it’s a pretty safe bet it’s nowhere near as fast as a computer that costs $600. However sale prices do have a tendency to muddle this view.

So how do we choose? There are tons of different CPUs out there and a lot to consider so I’m going to make it easy. Right now Intel processors are on top. The best three are the Intel i3, i5 and i7. The i3 is low end but not too bad so if you’re on a budget that may be the way to go. The i5 is a good above average processor and the i7 is of course high end. I wouldn’t really recommend the i7 unless you have some money to spare and want to stay ahead of technology or if you need the extra horsepower.

Love and hate: Windows 7 and Windows 8
Some people can’t stand the Windows 8 interface (menus and visuals). If that’s you, should you shun a computer with Windows 8? You may not have to. Thanks to certain apps, you can have your good ol’ start menu back along with the look and feel of Windows 7 on your Windows 8 computer. Windows 7 computers may be hard to find in stores so if you see a good deal on a Windows 8 machine but are not sure if you’re going to hate the interface, don’t worry, you can always change it.

Still have questions? No problem. I’m here for you. Give me a call during business hours or email me anytime.
Happy shopping!

BTW did I mention I build high-quality custom computers?

A Good Reason To Buy a PC Soon
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Howard DeAlvarado
A Good Reason To Buy a PC Soon

Today I would like to talk about why you should buy a computer soon. The answer is: Windows 8. Confused? Let me explain. Windows 8 is being pushed by Microsoft just like every other version of Windows they’ve released. If you are a techie like me, you’ve noticed a pattern of every other version of Windows being a complete dud. Well we’re on the dud version again. Ex: Windows XP (good), Vista (bad), Windows 7 (good), now it’s Windows 8 (bad again).

Granted, there are going to be some people that like it. Just like there were some who liked Vista. If you’ve been happy with Vista, that’s good, I’d say even lucky. However good experiences with Vista were not the norm. Some people may like and will have good luck with Windows 8. However, I seriously doubt this will be case with most.

The reason you should buy a new computer soon, if you’ve been thinking about it, is that Windows 8 is coming out Oct. 26 and it will be installed, by default, on every new computer system. In other words, if you decide you don’t like Windows 8 and want Windows 7 instead you will have to special order your computer and after a while (I’d say about 6 months) you won’t be able to get it with a new system at all and will have to buy it separately, then install it over Windows 8. Which will be expensive and very time consuming.

If you are on the fence about Windows 8 and are wondering if there are any real benefits to it, let me assure you, there are almost none. If anything there is less functionality due to it trying to be more simplified and ends up being harder to navigate. What used to take 1 or 2 clicks, may take 5 or 6.

There is a demo of Windows 8 on the net called Metro7 which allows you to see what it’s like to use Windows 8 on your current PC. Unfortunately, it has spyware built into it, so I can’t recommend it. You can however go to your local computer store and see Windows 8 for yourself if you are still interested.

BTW if you are wondering what computer to get, let me make a quick recommendation. I would go with HP or Dell (good warranty/tech support and decent quality components) and with the i3, i5 or i7 Intel processors. You can expect to pay about $600 on up for a decent system. I can also help find the right computer for you or even transfer your data and setup your new system.

UPDATE: You can still get Windows 7 if you order it online at dell.com or hp.com . Just go to their computer sections and select Windows 7 under “operating system”.