What computer should I get?

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Summary: A new computer is a major purchase and knowing what computer to get isn't easy. I'll review some of the important things to think about when deciding.

This is the never-ending question, and I get it frequently.

The problem, of course, is that there's no single answer. It depends on your needs and your budget. And since technology is ever-changing, it even matters when you ask the question.

As it turns out, I found myself asking the question recently. So let me walk you through the decisions I made that lead me to my purchase.

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I need a new laptop. My Dell Inspiron 2100 has served me well for 3 years, but battery life and a couple of other short-comings pushed me over the tipping point.

Let's run down the common things to look at, what went into my decisions, and what you should be looking at as you make yours.

In my order of priority (your order may be different):

Type: this was easy for me. I have both a desktop and a laptop, and the laptop needed replacing. Laptops are perfect for traveling, and my wife and I definitely do some of that. However the laptop actually finds more use on my lap. Quite literally, I often spend evenings in a recliner in our family room, away from my office, with the laptop on my lap. In fact, another reason for the purchase of a new laptop is my wife's desire to 'inherit' the old one so that she can do the same.

While I have several computers, a laptop can often be a very reasonable "only" computer. If you just read email and surf the web, a laptop has more than enough power to do what you need. If your computing needs require more power and you don't need portability, then a desktop may be a more cost effective solution. Desktops tend to have the latest, faster technology at more reasonable prices, and have the advantage of space for additional equipment such as disk drives, add-in cards, and the like.

Brand: I've used Dell computers for some time. In fact my only non-Dell computers have had various problems and irritations, while my Dells have performed without incident. Unfortunately a good friend of mine recently experienced what he came to call Dell hell after experiencing a serious lapse in Dell's customer service when he had problems with the new laptop he had ordered. He's since received a replacement laptop, and at this writing it's "so far, so good". As a result, I've elected to risk it and order another Dell. Mostly because other manufacturers also have problems at times, and my experience with Dell in the past has been good.

Which manufacturer you choose or even whether you plan to buy on-line or in a store depends on your comfort with the manufacturer's reputation for both equipment and service, and your own ability to deal with problems that arise. Will you need lots of hands-on assistance to resolve problems? Then perhaps a local computer store is the way to go. If you're comfortable diagnosing problems and possibly replacing components, then discount stores or mail order houses like Dell could be a good fit. And if you're a techie, you'll be happy ordering parts from all over and building your own - but then, this article's probably not for you.

Model: One of the lessons I learned from my friend's "Dell hell" is the subtle difference between Dell's Inspiron and Latitude lines of notebooks. In a nutshell, Latitudes are tougher and apparently last longer. Latitudes are often used in corporate settings - in fact my last laptop at Microsoft was a Latitude that also served me very well. I selected a Latitude D600.

What this points out is the importance of understanding the relative differences between a manufacturer's different models. This can be difficult to ferret out from manufacturer's information, and quite often the best way to find this out is by word of mouth - looking for online reviews and discussion forums, for example. The only downside of any online forum is that every brand, and every model will have its detractors - you'll need to evaluate the legitimacy and frequency of the complaints you'll be sure to see.

Weight: One of the lessons I learned from the older Latitude I had at Microsoft was that weight matters to me. My current Inspiron was much lighter and has worked very well for me. So I weighed it and set a weight limit for my new laptop at 5 pounds.

This is another of those personal decisions. My cousin travels with a fairly large HP laptop and is very happy. As a result, she has a larger screen and a few more bells and whistles than my laptop will have. Others may want something even lighter still; for example if you're going to be carrying it all day long. Think about how you'll use your laptop.

Screen Size: This has a strong correlation with weight and price. Larger screens mean larger and heavier notebook computers as well as a larger price.

In my case, the extra large screens are not terribly important to me; not as important as the weight. My laptop will have a 14 inch screen - fairly middle of the road. Because I do spend so much time at computer screens, I did decide it was worth it to spring for the higher resolution SXGA+.

To be continued. Next in this series: memory, hard disk, processor, peripheral choices and more.

Related Links:

• Ask Leo! - What computer should I get? (Part II)

• Ask Leo! - What computer should I give?

• Dell Computers

• Dell Hell

Article C2231 - November 24, 2004