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Whether you're buying a PC for the first time or just upgrading your existing computer, here are some tips that will help you to get the most out of your purchases.
Before you buy, decide what you want to use your new computer or upgrade for. Let function determine the purchase you make. For example, if all you want is e-mail, you don't need the same kind of machine you do if you want to run a small business or edit video. If all you want is to type and print standard business letters, you don't need the latest 3Dfx graphics card or expensive speakers. Don't buy a computer or upgrade if you have no idea of what you're going to use it for.
It is best if you can think carefully about what you may want to do with your computer in the future, and include that in your calculations. If you can do that, you'll spare yourself the pain of having to upgrade or exchange your PC every twelve months. For example, some experts predict that the majority of software titles released 16 months from now will be released in the relatively new format of DVD. At the moment there is not a lot of DVD software around and it is still quite expensive, but a DVD drive could be a smart investment for the future, depending on your needs.
Don't forget that there is no such thing as a stupid question when dealing with a salesperson. You're buying a computer to best suit your needs, so don't be afraid to ask whether the one you're being offered can do what you want it to do efficiently and at the best cost. One rule of thumb for dealing with PC store sales assistants: some of them may seem disinterested or intolerant of customers' questions, but deep down, they know it's their job to take care of you. So keep asking!
You will probably get a great pile of software with your computer purchase. Typical inclusions in 'bundled' software are Windows 98, Microsoft Works Suite and various games and educational software titles. The most important piece of software on your PC is your operating system. Make sure that the operating system you are getting is the one that best suits your software requirements. For example, there's no point in buying a machine running an Apple operating system if you want to play games only available in PC format.
There is more than one way to pay for your PC. For both business and home users there is a comprehensive range of payment options, including operating lease, finance lease and hire purchase. Hire purchase -- the most common lending option for family PCs -- allows you to buy IT equipment over a fixed period of time, at a fixed monthly cost.
Dell has an arrangement where it purchases your existing IT equipment and leases it back to you over a term that reflects the useful life of the equipment. Dell even has its own financial services section for customers, which you can contact for advice.
Gateway offers a finance agreement through The Irish Permanent, which allows you -- subject to a credit check--to pay for your computer over one, two or three years at an APR of 13.9 percent.
Don't forget that you also pay on your ESB bill for any of the limited range of PCs stocked by the ESB. If you bought the ESB entry-level PC (cash Price IEP799) and paid for it in 12 instalments of IEP79.30 paid bimonthly over 24 months, you will end up paying IEP951.60 for your machine. The ESB offers an APR of 18 percent on all computers, printers, scanners and digital cameras.
Leasing works for businesses because they can trade in their products and lease new ones in bulk, but leasing isn't appropriate for most home users. Before you borrow or lease, calculate your total cost, including any buyout or so-called balloon charges at the end of a purchase agreement.
Before you commit to buying in any way, be sure to check what level of support you will get from the company or store you're dealing with. A good one-year plan that covers parts and labour on all components and includes onsite service (at your discretion rather than at the supplier's)is better than three years of haggling and headaches.
Be sure to ask for a thorough, preferably written, explanation of the company's warranty, including which contractor or subcontractor it uses to provide onsite service in your area. Find out who decides when phone support has failed and onsite service is necessary, who installs replacement parts, who pays for transport costs for major repairs and whether you can borrow a stand-in computer while your own is being fixed.
For telephone support services, don't forget to check beforehand whether you will be charged a premium rate for the telephone call. Sorting out a moody computer over the phone line can take a half-hour or more, and you'll need to know whether the pennies are ticking away as the support technician talks you through your problems.
Emmet Cole is at
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