Best Computer for My Money?

tmacar

January 16, 20170 found this helpful

What computer should you buy? Well, it all depends on what you're going to use it for. A computer used mostly for a lot of gaming, one used mostly for browsing, email, budgeting, and word processing (the type the majority of people use), and one mostly used to run processor and memory intensive design software would each need different functionality.

Here is some info which I hope will be useful in deciding on whether to buy a desktop or a laptop, and whether a MAC or a Windows system. It should be helpful whether yout budget is limited to a few hundred dollars or if it runs into the thousands.

To begin with, unless you are something of an expert, do not start your search for a computer on the internet. Unless you already have enough knowledge concerning computers in general, in which case you would not be reading this, you need to start a process which will involve brick and mortar stores.

Before shopping, decide exactly what you want to use it for, and whether you want a desktop or a laptop. Then go to a store which sells many different brands of computers, and explain to a sales person what you need the computer to do for you. (Unless you have firmly decided on a MAC, do not got to a store which sells only one brand.) He or she should then be able to tell you what your parameters are; how fast a processor, how much memory, and what types of software you really need, as well as what other things, such as CD/DVD drives, you need. You may find it useful to write that information down. Then ask to be shown which brands and models will do the trick.

If you have needs which result in a computer costing around $1000 or more for a desktop or around $500 or more for a laptop, you'll also want to take a look at MACs. If you decide to do that, you might possibly have to stop by a different store. Not all computer stores sell MACS, and no Apple stores sell Windows based computers.

Desktops vs Laptops. Nowadays, laptops are just as powerful as desktops, with the benefitv of portability. That was not the case in the earlier years. The one remaining notable advantage with a desktop is that you can add and change drives, boards, processors and even motherboards, things which are difficult or often even impossible with a laptop. And you can often add more extra memory than you can with most laptops. Ultimately, you can add capabilities and keep a desktop "cutting edge" as things change, without going out and buying a whole new computer. You can't usually do that with a laptop; what you buy is essentially what you'll have to live with, hardware-wise. But not a lot of people really need to keep their computer up with the latest technology anyway.

An additional thing to consider with a Windows desktop (but not a MAC) is that the display screen and speakers may or may not be included in the price. Also, if the display is included it might not be one that you want. There might be an additional cost to get a larger screen.

NOTE: When I say application or app, I mean an end user application, a piece of software designed for a user to utilize, anything from a game to a CAD (computer assisted design) program to a word processor to a calculator. I do not mean app as in something to use on a phone, as many people use the term nowadays.

Finally, with any computer, be it a Windows, MAC, desktop, laptop, whatever, you need to consider software. Different computers will come with different software included. One of the most common things you'll come across is different versions of Microsoft Office. If you need to have all of the apps that are in Office it might be cheaper to get the more expensive computer that comes with the full MS Office than to get the cheaper one that comes with a version that has only, say, Word, Excel, Outlook, and Powerpoint (I have no idea which apps are actually in which versions, MS keeps changing them, and I use Office Professional Plus anyway, which has everything in it). With the cheaper computer you'd have to spend money upgrading to the software you really needed. So you need to find out the total cost out the door, including the computer, the necessary software, the display, speakers, and the peripherals (if any).

Tablets. I'm not really going to address tablets, but they're essentially a mini-laptop. They're fine for browsing the internet and some other basic computer tasks, but their size does limit functionality, and with tablets you won't get things like built in CD/DVD drives, the number and type of input and/or output ports a desktop or laptop will have or, usually, expandable memory. The smaller display can be a problem for some, as can the smaller keyboard. It is likely that in the future tablets will become in many ways as functional as are desktops and laptops; not so long ago laptops were pretty limited as compared to desktops. But right now I'm only be talking about what I consider to be fully functional computers.

Windows vs. MAC. MACs seem to be more expensive, but they really aren't. Let's say all computers are in usefullness categories from A through G, with A being the most basic and G being the most capable. (These are not actual real categories, they're just made up for purposes of explanation, and G would be a special category, custom built systems with special capabilities, and really expensive) You can find a Windows system in any of those categories, but Apple only makes computers in categories D through F. While you can find Windows systems that are a lot cheaper than the cheapest MAC, they'll be in categories A through C. A windows system that's as capable as a MAC will cost pretty much the same as its MAC counterpart.

One possible advantage for Windows might be that there are many computer manufacturers making Windows based systems, with a large variety of features available, so you can more easily find a system which most perfectly meets your needs without spending more for capabilities you don't really need. With MACs you're limited to the specific models they offer, and there aren't many options availabe with each model. For example, my Windows laptop (I also have a Macbook) has dual hard drives, one being a virtual electronic drive, selectable video display cards with different levels of performance, the fastest processor on the market, 16 Gigabytes of the fastest RAM available, and a 2 year parts and labor plus lifetime labor warranties. I couldn't have gotten that in a MAC. But it also cost over $3.5K, and not many people need that much capability.

There are more applications for Windows systems now than there are for MACs, but that has been changing in recent years. More software companies are selling things in both Windowes and MAC versions and more popular apps, like MS Office, now also run on MACs. Today, you can even partition the disk and run Windows only software on a MAC. And there are actually some few apps which can only run on a MAC, which is why I also have a Macbook.

Also, some say that a MAC is better for creative work (art, sound production, video production, etc.). Others will say that isn't true, but some creative software, like Pro Tools, does seem to be more suited to MACs.

Finally, Apple claims that MACs are more secure than Windows sustems, and don't even require any security software. That's sort of true, but not completely. The security built into the Apple OS has always been adequate, but that's in at least large part because so few serious hackers have been targeting MACs. And as more people own MACs, that is begining to change. As time goes by Apple is having to put more work into the OS to keep things safe, and a Windows system with really good security software, like ESET and Malwarebytes, is just as safe. Unfortunately, some of the more commonly used Windows security software, such as like Norton and MaAfee, are somewhat less secure.

I believe that the only real drawback with a MAC, providing that you need a computer as capable as a MAC and will therefore have to be spending as much on an equally capable Windows system as you would on a MAC, are Apple's somewhat monopolistic proprietery policies. Nobody but Apple can work on a MAC without the warranty being voided. And Macbooks (and Apple tablets and phones) are built so that the user cannot even change the battery, or add memory, himself. However, there are beginning to be more and more independent repair shops which can work on Apple products, so once the warranty has expired you aren't still limited to going to Apple if something needs to be repaired.
So forget about the aparrent cost difference itself. Decide exactly what you need the computer to do, then shop for one with the right capabilities. If your needs aren't too complex, a MAC may get you things you don't need and cost you more than you need spend. But if your needs aren't just basic, you might have to spend just as much for a capable enough Windows system as for a MAC. And if you need something REALLY capable, more than most people need. you have to go to a custom built Windows system.
Bottom line on MAC vs Windows is that if you only need a lower end system, go with Windows because Apple doesn't make any lower end computers. If you need something unnusually capable, and/or a specific set of features not available in any ready made computer, go with a custom built Windows system because Apple doesn't do custom builts. If you're in between, needing a really good computer but not a lot of very specific hardware component choices, it's a tossup, and you sould decide on which has the most appeal, for whatever reason, to you. Even if it's something as simple as lots of people think a MAC is more "cool" than a Windows computer.

Your actual purchase. You've finally decided what computer you want to buy. Your final step is to write down the make and model, along with any "options" (for example it may come with a choice of this thing or that thing) you want, and hit the internet. You needed to do some hands on shopping to come to a decision, but there's a decent chance that you can find a cheaper price for that exact computer on the internet than you can at your local stores. That is true, although with a lesser chance, even with Apple products. Be sure that anything you find online is absolutely identical in every way, specs, features, included software, etc. as the computer you decided on, and buy it from wherever offers the best price.