1. A Guide to buying a new Computer
Buying a new computer can be a daunting and complicated experience depending on what you need out of it,
this guide will hopefully be able to help you make the right decision.
There are obviously some important points that you must keep in mind before buying a brand new computer,
you must keep an eye on budgets as it is easy to be talked /tempted by a salesperson/website into buying
something you really can’t afford.
Set yourself a budget
Decide whether you want a desktop / laptop or tablet
Decide on the spec of the computer, i.e. storage and memory size
Each type of computer serves a different purpose and ability, I have included the specs and uses for each
computer to give you an idea of what they are used for.
RAM – Random Access Memory, how many applications your computer can handle at once
Screen size – The size of the monitor that you get for the computer
CPU (Central Processing Unit) – This is a very important part of a computer, it determines how fast your
computer will run.
Operating System – This is the software that your computer will run off, this comes free with all
computers on this list.
Each computer in this list will be Wi-Fi enabled, make sure you have an Internet connection before buying.
When you’re getting an Internet connection, remember these four things:
1. A home broadband connection allows you to connect to the internet and go online at any time of
the day; this will need a router for you to connect to.
2. Remember not to go over budget
3. Research different providers and their prices to find one that matches your needs and budget
4. Be sure to protect your wireless router with a lengthy password to prevent illegal access
5. You might want to use a pay as you go 3G/4G dongle if you wont be using the Internet that much
There are two main types of Internet connection, broadband and 3G/4G, if you choose to go for
broadband you will more than likely have to buy a telephone number T.V. package along with it. If you
choose to go 3G/4G, then you will need to either pay a monthly bill or buy credit as you go.
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2. I have made a table of the different types of computers with all their specs and prices.
Product
Google Nexus 7
Tablet
Chromebook
(Netbook)
Samsung Laptop
Apple iPad
Desktop Windows
PC
Apple iMac
Types of Computer
Specs
Uses
Screen size: 7”
Processor: 1.3 GHz Quad
Core
RAM: 1GB
Storage: 16GB or 32GB
Operating System:
Android
Screen size: 11.6”
Processor: 1.7GHz Dual
Core
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16GB
Operating System:
Chrome OS
Screen size: 15.6”
Processor: i3 2.4GHz Dual
Core
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 750GB
Operating System:
Windows 8
Screen size: 9.7”
Processor: 1.4GHz Dual
Core
RAM: 1GB
Storage: 16GB
Operating System: iOS
Screen size: N/A (sold
separately)
Processor: i5 3.0GHz
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 1TB
Operating System:
Windows 7
Screen size: 21.5”
Processor: i5 2.9 GHz
Quad Core
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 1TB
Operating System: OSX
Used for its portability
and versatility, has a
decent battery life but
not as good at the iPad.
Price
£148
A portable laptop that
has very low storage
with decent specs, it
has a full keyboard
unlike the tablets.
£284
An expensive high spec
laptop would be
suitable for a portable
business computer due
to its big screen.
£500
The iPad is a very highend tablet with a
decently sized screen
and battery life; it’s
good for watching films.
£359
An all-purpose desktop
computer has medium
specs meaning you can
use this as a home
computer. Though it
doesn’t come with a
monitor, so you will
need to buy this
separately.
High end desktop
computer would usually
be used by developers
for its simplicity and
ease of use.
£390
£1000
All spec information has been taken from products at www.amazon.co.uk. This link will take you to the home
page where you can re-search the different products.
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3. Customer Reviews for each Computer
Customer Review Ratings
R
a
t
i
n
g
s
9.2
9
8.8
8.6
8.4
8.2
Google Nexus Tablet
Chromebook Notebook
Samsung Laptop
Apple iPad
Desktop Windows PC
Apple iMac
Computer Models
I used the website http://www.reevoo.com/ to find reviews for each computer. There was an average of 40
unique reviews for each product, here’s a selection of quotes for each product.
“Great size & weight but gets a little confused now & again.” Stephen – Nexus 7
“It's a brilliant second laptop for lectures and seminars.” Greg – Chromebook
“Great value for money offers everything you need but the battery life could be longer.” Su – Samsung Laptop
“Easy to use but not great to hold.” Lynne – Apple iPad
“Good value for money but had trouble installing the operating system” Ian – Desktop Windows PC
“Very easy to set up but doesn’t have a DVD drive.” Ray – Apple iMac
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5. Tablet
Touch Screen
On button
All images show you the different components that you will need for each type of computer.
Usage
All computers have their own specialties and are suitable for different tasks; you need to decide what you want
to use it for? Do you just want to play games? Use spreadsheets or PowerPoint? Do you only want to use it for
going onto the internet? If you want to do all these then you have to make sure that the device you buy is
compatible with the software you wish to use.
Tablet
This is a portable device that you can take anywhere. Should you want to use Microsoft Office these devices do
not support the software. A tablet is great for playing games which can be downloaded from the App Store,
you can also “surf the web” with a Wi Fi connection.
Laptop
This is a portable device that you can take anywhere. Laptops are able to support Microsoft Office and
sometimes come with this pre installed; you need to check this before you buy. The software can be purchased
separately but can be expensive. As for playing game you can do this but make sure that the laptop has a
powerful video card and at least 1gig of RAM and you can then play any game you want. Your laptop can be
used to access the Internet through both a Wi Fi and broadband connection.
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6. Desktop
This is not a portable device and you will need room to set this up and will need a unit to put it on. You may
have to buy Microsoft Office software, check before you buy. You can connect to the Internet by Wi Fi and
Broadband. As for playing games this may be the better option as monitor screens can be larger to view and
you will have a mouse to operate the players. If you choose to buy the Apple Mac PC you will find that this is
not compatible with Microsoft software (they are rivals after all) there is an office package available but this is
very expensive, you can however install free software apps from the Internet http://www.openoffice.org/.
In Conclusion
I have researched all of the different computers available on the market and have created this simple
guide to help you decide which computer would suit you best.
When researching information on the best selling computers 2013 I found information on these websites;
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/home/ has reviewed home computers and found that the Acer
Predator G3 was the best out of those they reviewed.
http://www.stuff.tv/laptops/top-ten has the MacBook Air as the best laptop you can buy, as this is one of
the most expensive on the market it is not one that you would buy as your first laptop unless it was for a
business.
http://www.t3.com/features/new-ipad-alternatives lists the LG G pad as the best Android tablet on the
market and http://blog.laptopmag.com/top-5-tablets-to-buy-avoid lists the iPad Air best overall tablet to
buy.
My Opinion
After reviewing the different computers available, my choice would be to buy a Laptop windows
computer; this is because they are overall very diverse. I would recommend this laptop;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-15-6-inch-Celeron-ProcessorGraphics/dp/B00C20KMU4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381927925&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+laptop for its
price and specs.
As a few final tips, make sure that you are not impeding on your budgets when you choose the right computer
for you, remember to take into account that on the tablets you cannot use a mouse/keyboard.
If you’d like to find more tips on buying a desktop pc, take a look at this link
http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/best-computer-how-to-choose-the-right-one-935053
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