How to be a pro when shopping for a computer

Operating System (OS) - The "brain" of the computer.

The operating system is what gives your computer its personality and ability to run programs. There are many different systems out there, but the most popular today are Apple's OS X (pronounced "Oh-Es Ten") and Microsoft Windows.

• Windows is the most commonly-used operating system, but OS X has a very strong user-base. Another one that is a favorite of many of the techies out there is called Linux (pronounced "LIN-ux"), which has recently been seeing quite a bit of use in the niche market of netbooks.
• If you are not forced to use Windows, I recommend giving a strong consideration to OS X. With considerable power, speed, and security, it also has a smaller learning curve than Windows and is generally easier to use. One huge benefit is that there are no viruses or other uglies that infect OS X. Note that if you want to use OS X, you have to buy an Apple computer (e.g., iMac, MacBook, or MacBook Pro).

Processor - The "heart" of the computer.

Generally, the faster the processor is, the faster the computer is.

• The most popular brand of processors right now is Intel, and you'll find that brand in the majority of PCs and in all Macs. The second most popular brand on the consumer market is AMD, and there will always be arguments as to which is better. For most folks, it doesn't matter which kind you have.
• Nowadays, all but the lowest-end processors are at least "dual core." This means that there is one processor that has two channels for data to move through, almost as if there were actually two processors. There are also "quad-core" and "8-core" for the more higher-end users.
• On the Intel side, look for the words "Core 2." Be careful if you don't see that number "2" because it's likely an older and slower processor!

Hard drive - The "long term memory" of the computer.

The bigger the hard drive, the more things you can store in it (like programs, music, movies, word processing documents, etc.)

• Hard drives today are measured in gigabytes (GB) and terabytes (TB). One terabyte is equal to 1024 gigabytes, and one gigabyte is equal to 1024 megabytes (MB). To give some perspective, you can fit over 70,000 floppy disks worth of data into a 100 GB hard drive!
• When buying, don't skimp, but don't go overboard. If you're going to be using your computer for web browsing and word processing, you don't need 1 TB of space! Unless someone is planning on storing oodles of music and movies on their computer, 250 to 320 GB will be more than enough space. For reference, a full standard-definition movie can consume up to 4 gigabytes of space, and high-definition movies can be around 10 GB
• If it so happens that you need more space in the future, most computers can be upgraded internally. If you don't want to mess with anything inside your computer, you're still in luck: adding an external hard drive is as easy as plugging in a couple cables.

Memory (RAM) - The "short term memory" of the computer.

This allows the programs on your computer to run. The bigger and more complicated a program is, the more RAM it typically needs.

• More RAM helps the computer's programs run efficiently and allows you to have more program open at the same time. If you don't have enough, your computer is going to run slowly even if your processor is fast!
• Having insufficient RAM in your computer is like trying to fill a water bucket with a teaspoon: no matter how fast you work, you're still going to spend a lot of time getting the job done. Make sure your new computer has at least 2 GB of RAM, and it should ideally be expandable to higher amounts if your needs increase.

Video card - The "eyes" of the computer (kind of).

The video card is what allows the computer to display things on the screen. Better video cards provide better support complicated things such as 3D animation.

• If you don't need to play complex games, edit lots of movies, or do heavy graphics work, you may want to consider computers with integrated video cards. These are generally less expensive than the computers with dedicated video cards, and you won't be paying for something you likely won't use. However, good video cards are becoming cheaper over time, and integrated cards are becoming increasingly relegated to the smallest of portable computers.

Pro Tips!

• You probably don't need the biggest hard drive, the fastest processor, and the most RAM available. If a salesman tries to push the best of the best onto you, he's not to be trusted; take your business elsewhere. If you really do need the best of the best, you'll probably already know it! That said, you probably shouldn't penny-pinch on the cheapest available model either.
• Many stores really want to make a sale. If you find a great deal online or in an ad, you can probably bargain your local store down a few dollars.
• Regardless of how much confidence they exude, salespeople don't know all there is to know about computers, much less what you need in a computer. If they try to sell you something expensive without asking questions first, get outta there!