Welcome to this month’s instalment of news, reviews, tips and tricks from The Computer Assistant. As winter sets in and the fervour of Christmas resonates across the land, many of you will be contemplating buying a new laptop, tablet or PC for yourself or for someone else.
To help you along the way here are a few important tips to make the journey a little easier. The full guide is available at
www.thecomputerassistant.co.uk
Operating Systems
The first hurdle to cross is choosing an Operating System. Unlike a football club Manager who is able to switch systems effortlessly during a match, you can’t always do this with your device, as choice is limited to Apple OSX United, Windows City, Ubuntu Wanderers and newly promoted Google Chromium Rovers. To be honest, most people just stick with what they are familiar with. If however, your requirements have changed since your last purchase, the pros and cons of each Operating System are available on our website.
Once the OS is decided, one must now enter the dark and murky “transfer market” of device features.
Purpose
As a rule, ask yourself what you really want the device for, and which features are the most important.
A – For the casual, value for money user, who does a bit of everything, a budget laptop may suffice but, you get what you pay for. A large number of users fall into this category and they’re often tricked into buying more than what they really need, so stick to your budget!
B – If you’re constantly on the move then weight, size and battery life are paramount. You will have to sacrifice certain specifications and or performance in order to get the most for your budget, e.g. you may have to go without DVD or HDMI.
C – If you need a laptop to replace a cumbersome space consuming desktop, then you have a wide choice from most manufacturers and, you probably know the features that matter most to you.
D – If you’re venturing into photoshopping, sound editing, movie making or gaming, higher spec devices are needed and come with hefty price tags. These are the premier league of devices and cost anything between £700 and £7000. They boast Godzillabytes of memory and Usain Bolt-like processors. They are often solid as a rock and made for the sturdy.
Budget
Whatever your budget, there always is plenty of choice so don’t feel pressured into picking from the limited range in the shop. Instead, use shops to your advantage and try out what you have researched online! With this in mind, avoid buying the cheapest available and resist paying too much for what you want.
Features and Specifications
No amount of common sense can protect you from the mind numbing gobbledygook of specifications, so if you don’t know your RAM from your sheep or your Gigabytes from your dentures, give us a call for some free advice. Also avoid getting caught up on one specific feature.
Brands
If you prefer a particular brand because of its design, keyboard, warranty, customer support etc., don’t be bamboozled into changing, but look for a new model that’s suits you needs. If you do want to change brands read our online guide. Remember to shop around and try before you buy!
For all you Apple Lovers, we have just launched a website dedicated to keeping those amazing devices going so visit www.macstars.co.uk today, tomorrow or whenever.
Freebie Tip of the Month: Is your device running slow? Download the free version of CCleaner at www.ccleaner.com!
In response to the many emails received regarding “questions and answers” please email any questions and comments to reviews@thecomputerassistant.com
Visit us in store at 96 Kirkgate, Leeds. LS2 7DJ or Phone 01132446460. Find us online at www.thecomputerassistant.com
