Bargain Hunters Beware

Computer Life column for July 11, 1998
by
Richard Gordon

I'm getting a lot of questions about computer purchases again--having been ambushed recently at church, at a doctor's office, and while walking at lunch time.

I'll spare you the sermon about working backwards--that is, of first figuring out what you want to use the computer for, then figuring out what software you'll want to do those things, and, finally, deciding which hardware will let you run that software.

I'll also spare you the homily about the virtues of an Apple Macintosh system. Just be forewarned that the Mac G3 processor outperforms "faster" PentiumII processors in certain situations.

Because prices and specifications are so volatile, you are not going to find "an unbeatable, once-in-a-lifetime deal" on a computer. There will always be a better deal in a month or so. But if now is when you need a computer, now is when you should buy one.

Prices change weekly: one week, a mail-order system might be the best deal; another week a system built by a local dealer might be a better deal; a third week, a local store might have a few major-brand systems on sale.

"If now is the time to buy," a consultant friend of mine says, "first look in your wallet to see how much you've got, then shop around for the fastest system in that price range."

It's easy to get seduced by bigger numbers and to spend more than you'd intended. It takes discipline to stay within your budget.

A Shopping Strategy

Before you shop, check with friends who've bought computers in the last year to see how happy they are with their new systems and with the dealers they patronized.

Next, set your budget limit. Realistically, if you are shopping for a complete system, try to budget at least $1,600 for a desktop system or $2,300 for a laptop system. But tell any sales help you talk to you have $1,500 or $2,100 to spend.

If your budget is under $1,000, be prepared to hunt for the best local sale or to drive to out-of-state warehouses to grab one of the few sale systems in stock.

As you begin to shop, be clear with yourself (and with any sales help) about what you need; for example, if you already have a computer and printer and are buying a second system, don't buy a new printer. Similarly, if your household doesn't have game players or graphic artists, a system with Intel's less expensive Celeron(TM) processor chip may do. If you've got a gamer at home, stick to the Pentium or AMDK6 chip families. If you plan to do a lot of graphics work, consider a Mac with a G3 chip--if it's in your price range.

Don't forget to visit some of the "name" direct marketers on the Web, or to find their ads in magazines. Micron (www.micron.com), Dell (www.dell.com), Gateway (www.gw2k.com), and even IBM (www.direct.ibm.com) all have 233MHZ or 266MHZ systems available for $1,400 to $1,800, including shipping and sometimes including a printer--whoops, we're in danger of going over budget again.

Watch the local ads and visit local stores, seeing what specials or store-brand systems are available. For example, a CompUSA 266 MHZ system can be configured for under $1,300--for under $1,600 with some software bundles and a printer.

You can sometimes find solid systems on sale for under $900: Pentium MMX systems with a speed rating of 233MHZ, 32M RAM, a 4G hard drive, a sound card, inexpensive speakers, a monitor, a printer, a modem, software, and sometimes an extra like a surge suppressor or a scanner.

Last Sunday, one warehouse in King of Prussia advertised 3 different systems between $799 and $999. "Limited to quantities on hand," read the fine print. Two weeks ago, a similar ad for a regional chain included this caveat: "Offer good at West Chester store only; 32 systems available."

Which leads to one very important thing to check before you fork over your hard-earned money. If you buy a system via mail order or from an out-of-town warehouse, what support will you get if something goes wrong? If you can't get good help over the telephone or from a local company, maybe that $800 system isn't such a good deal after all.

Copyright © 1998, The News Journal Company

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