What Kind of Computer Should I Get?

Posted: March 12, 2010

“What kind of computer should I get?”

The number one question I get asked each day by co-workers, family, friends, and everyone else.

The truth is, you can get any kind of computer you want these days, there are no limits to size, color, look, weight; it all depends on what YOU, the consumer want.

I can recommend you any computer under the sun that is in production today, from a variety of manufactures: the possibilities are endless.

The thing that you really should be asking is, “I want a computer that I can do such and such on, and I have a budget of x amount of dollars, can you find a good fit for me?”

Certainly.

The problem is everyone is different, and there is some good and some bad to that. With so many different options for computers, its understanding why people get frustrated when trying to choose; each computer has a forte that (in my opinion) makes it a better candidate for its particular user.

I work in an industry with a heavy focus on quality and artwork. I’ll be honest, with the quality of art that we work with; you need a nice big screen, great graphics, and people with a knack for artwork. That is why most companies in design use Mac’s; some people swear that they have un-paralleled features that cannot be matched on a PC.

Now do you need a MacBook to surf the web and chat on Facebook? Absolutely not, and I wouldn’t recommend going out and spending $800 plus on one if that is all you are going to use it for. I think that a netbook would be a better option.

Netbooks are the latest and greatest of computer gadgetry to hit the market. They are basically smaller laptops; smaller screens, less processing power, and ultra portable (most are smaller than my college textbooks). These are great options for typing up papers, surfing the web, and email, and range from $200 - $350. I would recommend these to anyone who just needs a small system for simple tasks. The battery life has also been known to be excellent.

But there are a lot of things that you cannot do well on netbooks, which is where laptops are your best choice. For instance you may be able to stream video on netbook, but try streaming video while Skyping and playing a game; the netbook just cannot handle all of these tasks simultaneously. Individually yes, but who does just one thing at a time on a computer these days?

Laptops and notebooks have been the standard for a while in terms of portable computing. Portability and horsepower make these the top choice for businesses and consumers that need to do more than just ‘surf’, or be stuck doing one task at a time.

Last but not least we have the desktop, which is still popular today in businesses, but becoming less popular with the younger generation. Given the choice to having a computer that is portable vs. one that is stationary, why would anyone choose the latter?

Everyone makes different claims, but I feel that most of the reason is because there is a plethora of information at our fingertips out on the internet, and if anyone is like me and has a thirst for knowledge, being able to access information anywhere at anytime is a plus. I haven’t sat down to watch the news in years, and honestly I don’t even need to lug a laptop or notebook around; I can do it all from my phone. The desktop I have at home hasn’t been used in years; out with the old and in with the new.

Everyone has their own tech niche; some people like having a desktop to go home to, others like Apple because of the expensive image; or ease of use. Students prefer netbooks because of their low cost and portability. I like having a laptop for multitasking and running extensive programs.

There’s something out there for everyone, no matter if your 18 or 80; there is computer that will meet your needs.