Buying a New Computer Part 1 - Where from?
As you are no doubt aware, if you want to buy a new computer, the choices are virtually limitless. Do you buy from the big boys, such as the Dell’s, PC World’s, and Currys of this world, do you opt for one of the smaller high street shops, do you buy one from the supermarket or do you get your mate down the pub to make you one on the cheap?!
Let’s start with the big names. You will have undoubtedly received numerous flyers and catalogues from Dell in the post. Because they are such a big company, they can afford to do some fantastic deals and on the face of it they are very good deals. The systems you see on the TV with a huge flat screen for a few hundred pounds cannot be beaten; you would have a hard job buying the parts and building one yourself for that money. The way that Dell’s end of the deal starts to improve is when you start adding and changing from the standard advertised model. Adding a floppy drive might set you back an extra £25 for example.
PC World and Currys are owned by the same company, DSG International, yet vary on the deals that they have. These places are well worth checking out as sometimes their deals are a steal! If you already have a flat screen monitor then don’t be afraid to ask for money off the price of a PC if you don’t need the screen. The main thing to watch out for is the staff trying to sell you a PC that you really don’t need. Unless you want to play the latest games then you really don’t need all of that power, so don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes with flashy demonstrations. While computers have obviously moved on, the demands of most programs have not increased at the same pace. Another benefit is that you can see what you are buying and have a go with it, unlike buying over the phone or web with Dell.
Next, high street computer shops. By high street computer shops I mean stand-alone businesses as opposed to the chain stores. On the whole, you will have a much more personal and informed experience buying from a local computer shop. Of course, do a search on the internet for them first to make sure they don’t have a record of poor customer service. You can still get some good prices from these places and aftercare is often better than with the big name stores. It can be a worry about what effect the big names will have on these small stores, but from personal experience there are more than enough people willing to dodge the grip of the corporations to keep the smaller shops going strong. Of course the recession is killing off a lot of businesses at the moment, so there's not really any guarantee that anywhere you buy from will be around for the length of the computer's warranty.
Aldi and Tesco are the latest supermarkets with some great computer package deals. The price will often be “bottom dollar” for a decent machine, often with a printer or possibly a digital camera included. While it will cater for the majority of users with both computing power and add-ons, the supermarkets are not able to deal with repairs in-store, always referring you back to the manufacturer which may take weeks to repair.
Finally, having a friend build a computer is ok if you’ve heard good things and you trust them, but having a friend of a friend build you computer is unwise. There is no guarantee where the parts came from, if you will ever be able to find them again if you have problems, whether the software on it is legal or not…the list goes on.
So, to wind up, if you’ve heard good things about stand-alone high street computer shops and want a more personal experience then they are well worth at least getting a quote from.
The big name retailers such as PC World and Currys are certainly worth a visit to see if they have that once in a lifetime deal. Ask to see if you'll get even more money off if you go home and order from their website.
Dell is great if they are advertising the exact machine that you want (but remember to check the level of support and if delivery cost is included).
Having friends build computers is really down to trust and they will likely have a hard time making one to beat a big Dell advert.
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