How to Choose Best Computer For Your Needs

Getting a new computer is an exciting experience. The promise of brand new technology is hard to stifle. Unfortunately, that excitement can quickly wane if you find you didn’t get the computer you need. The vast number of choices can be daunting, but this guide can help steer you towards technical bliss.

Ask yourself what you need your computer for. The main functionality of your computer will dictate the kind of computer that you need. By pinning down the role of your computer early, you can save yourself some serious money down the line.

• Will you be using the computer mainly to check email and browse the web?
  
• Are you planning on doing a significant amount of office work on your computer?
• Do you enjoy games and plan on spending most of your computer time playing the latest and greatest releases?
• Are you an artist or musician? Do you anticipate using the computer to create images, music, or videos? 
• Is your computer going to be used by everyone in the family? Is your computer going to be an entertainment hub for the living room?

Decide between a laptop or a desktop. Laptops are portable, and are great for students or office workers, but they are typically less than stellar when it comes to gaming. Desktops are typically much more powerful than laptops, but can also end up more expensive. They also take up significantly more space than a laptop.

•  Ask yourself how tied down you want to be to a desk. Laptops will allow you to work from virtually anywhere that you can charge or get a Wi-Fi internet connection.  
• If choosing a laptop, pay attention to the advertised battery life, as your battery will dictate how mobile your laptop can be. 

Compare Apple to a Windows PC. A lot of this comes down to personal preference. If your business runs mainly Mac computers, having a Mac at home can make work more convenient. Apple computers are typically more expensive than an equally powerful Windows PC, and Windows PCs can run way more games than an Apple computer (though more and more games are coming out for Mac as well). Although these are the most commonly available choices, you can save money by going with a Linux distribution like Ubuntu.

• Apple computers are preferred for musicians and artists, as they typically run content creation programs much more efficiently than a Windows PC.
  
  
• Linux is an alternate Operating System that is free from costs, copyrights, and viruses. If you are buying a computer with Linux, look out for a System76. Ubuntu is a good distribution to start with.

Check your budget. Net-books can be found for less than $200, while high-end gaming and graphics-processing computers can run into the $2000 range. Balance your needs versus your available budget.