Step by Step Process for Buying a New Computer

Black Friday is one of the best days to buy a computer, but you must be prepared. Just because the price is good doesn’t mean the computer will work for you. You need to be sure that you are buying a computer that both fulfills your needs and is within your budget. It may be great that computer XYZ has 20 GB of RAM, but if you just plan to check your email with computer XYZ, you don’t need 20 GB of RAM.

So, how do you prepare to buy a computer? I’m glad you asked that question because I have an answer. I will walk you through buying a computer step by step.

Planning to Buy a Computer

1. What will you do with this computer? Think about all your needs. Be sure you include everything. Some examples are:

• e-mail
• store photos
• digital scrapbooking
• store videos
• create movies
• business documents
• business finance
• surf the internet
• shopping
• take notes in class
• take to meetings to show client proposals

2. Where you will keep the computer. Ask yourself a few questions

• Will I be taking this computer to different physical locations?
• Will I keep the computer in one spot and never move it?

3. Who will be using the computer and how computer savvy are they?

• Is this only for you?
• Will young kids be using the computer?
• How comfortable are you using a computer?
• Is this computer for an older adult who may not be able to see well?
• Are there any other special needs that the user has?

4. How will you be paying for the computer and what is your budget? I suggest you have 2 numbers. The number you would like to pay for the computer and also the absolute maximum you are willing to pay. The cost is usually the biggest factor in buying a computer, so it is important you know exactly how much you plan to spend.

So, now you have completed your planning and we are ready to move to the research phase.

Researching Your New Computer

In the past, deciphering a computer’s features required a technical degree. Instead of RAM, gigabytes, megabytes and DVD-RW, we want to know if the computer will do what we want it to do. AMD ( Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.) created VISION Technology to help the consumer easily figure out which computers fit their need.

No more technical degree needed. Before you buy a computer, go to AMD’s VISION Technology site and let AMD help you choose a PC by answering a few questions about your computer usage. You will be given 1 of 4 VISION Technology labels which corresponds to different user needs.

• VISION – Watch online videos and DVD’s.
• VISION Technology Premium – Watch Blu-Ray or HD Videos.
• VISION Technology Ultimate – Create music, photos and video.
• VISION Technology Black – Expand your view with multiple monitors.

Leslie Sobon, Corporate Vice President, Product Marketing at AMD offers a few tips for helping consumers buy a computer for a friend or family member.

Look for systems with VISION Technology with AMD (examples above).

To take advantage of this season’s holiday deals, confirm your purchase beforehand by visiting the store days ahead and asking your salesperson relevant usage questions such as:

• Will this computer allow me to listen to or mix music?
• Will this computer allow me to view and edit photos?
• Can my child build a Power Point presentation on this computer?
• Will my husband be able to edit the family videos on this computer?
• Can I watch Blu-ray and/or HD movies
• Can I watch Live TV or play video games?

Now you have completed the planning and researching phase and are ready to buy a computer, right? Not so fast…

Getting the Best Price For Your New Computer

If you are planning on buying your computer on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, check out these websites for prices:

• Black Friday 2010
• Black Friday 2010 Online
• Cyber Monday ads
• Cyber Monday 2010 Deals

You will have to get up very early on Friday and probably wait in line to get any of the deals. You won’t have to wait in line, but you may want to get up early on Cyber Monday and start shopping as soon as the sales begin. Be sure you have a good connection because the internet is often quite busy on Cyber Monday.

These are the online sites that I use whenever I buy a computer (or other technology) and want to price compare. I will also go directly to the store’s website for any deals.

• Cnet.com
• Shopping.com
• NexTag
• Amazon.com (really good for reading reviews from people who have bought the same product)

That’s it! We are done! Go out and buy a computer. Come back and let me know what you bought.

Disclosure: I am an AMD Mom. I am not writing this post as an AMD Mom, but rather as a geek who has bought a lot of computers and was very frustrated with the process. I love the new VISION Technology labels and I wanted to share with my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.

Pictures from Microsoft Images.

Related articles

• CyberMondayCentral.com Helps Online Shoppers Be Safe This Cyber Monday (prweb.com)
• More People Planning to Shop on Cyber Monday than Black Friday (compete.com)
• Tips to shop safely on Cyber Monday (techburgh.com)
• Black Friday Deals: Desktop computers (blogs.consumerreports.org)