So you’re thinking of buying a new computer…

Where do you start? There are so many brands and models of computers available, and it can all be a little overwhelming when you start to look around.

How do you decide what type of computer you need? And perhaps more importantly, how do you decide what the best value is?

I have sold computers professionally for almost 20 years, and there are certain “tricks of the trade” that most computer stores and salespeople use. Knowing these secrets can make your decision easier and will help you buy the right computer for your needs.

1. Buy What You Need, Maybe a Little More

One of the most important things you can do when buying a new computer is make a list of the things that you will be using it for. There are so many different models – with different capabilities – that you can easily buy more, or less, than you really need if you don’t.

If this is your first computer, this can be a little tougher. Until you’ve used a computer, it’s hard to know exactly what you might want to do with it beyond the obvious, like connecting to the internet.

Regardless, you should think about some of the things you might want to do. Some possibilities include:

- Connect to the internet
- Play games
- Digital photography
- Digital video
- Type documents
- Accounting
- Design websites
- Programming
- Digital scrapbooking
- Geneology

Some of these things need more power than others. For example, connecting to the internet really doesn’t need a lot of power. Even the most basic computer available will probably work just fine.

Digital video and many games need a lot more power. If you don’t get a fast enough computer with enough memory, you’ll be disappointed with the performance.

Knowing what you’re going to be using your computer for will help your salesperson, whether they’re on the phone, the internet or standing in front of you, recommend the best system for your needs.

As a general rule you’re always better off buying more power than you need rather than less, but buying too much can be a waste of money.

2. Warranty Considerations

Computer warranties are one of the most confusing and obscure parts of your purchase. Most manufacturers have cut back on their customer service to the point where poor service has become a given.

The three most common options are onsite, carry-in or manufacturer’s depot service.

Onsite service can be helpful, but think about whether you want to have to be available for a technician to come and diagnose your computer, and possibly have to come back with parts at another time.

Carry in service is a good option, but find out whether the service center is factory authorized for warranty repairs, as well as whether the technicians are all certified.

Shipping your computer to a factory service center can take a long time – sometimes a number of weeks. It also creates risk that your computer will be damaged or even lost in shipping. In some cases, the manufacturer will even replace your computer with another unit and ship it back to you, rather than repairing it. This can result in your losing any information that was on your system and having to reload all your software.

Another aspect of the warranty to find out about is technical support. Find out if the computer manufacturer offers a toll-free phone number and what the quality of service is like.

The better computer salespeople will be honest about this and tell you if a company’s service leaves something to be desired. You can also do some research on the internet – most of the computer magazines like PC Magazine and PC World have annual customer service comparisons that rate the larger computer companies.

Always find out how the warranty is handled before making your decision. Even if it doesn’t influence your choice, knowing what to expect if something does go wrong will save some nasty surprises down the road.

3. Can You Negotiate the Price Down?

A computer is a relatively large investment – anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Many computer buyers expect that there is a significant amount of “wiggle room” on the price.

The reality is that most computer hardware – the physical pieces like the computer, monitor and printer – is sold at very low profit margins. Often, computer systems are even sold at or below the dealer cost. When you’re buying a computer, it never hurts to ask for a better deal, but don’t be surprised if you only get a few dollars off, if anything.

Over the close to 20 years I’ve sold computers, I watched the profit margins go from over 40% to less than 5%. It’s almost embarassing to offer a discount on a 00 computer system, but that could mean the difference between making and losing money on the sale.

What you can do to get the best price is to do some comparison shopping. Most computer stores offer price-matching guarantees, so if you find your computer for less at another store, most dealers will match or beat that price, even if it means they lose money.

4. How Do Computer Stores Make Any Money?

You might be wondering how these computer stores make any money if they’re selling computer for so little profit.

Their money is made on add-on items. The highest profit areas in most computer stores are cables and “consumable” products such as printer ink and paper.

Printer ink is a huge money-maker for most computer stores (even more so for the printer manufacturers). Why is this? Once you’ve bought a printer, you’re going to have to replace your ink at some point, and continue to replace it as it runs out.

Most chain computer stores and office supply stores that carry a large selection of ink cartridges make more from ink than they do from the computers themselves.

Cables also have huge markups. A cable that costs the store -3 will often sell for -30. That’s ten times their cost!

If you’re buying a new computer, you will likely need to buy some cables. Some items – printers, for example – don’t often include the cables needed to hook them up.

Many printers also come with “starter” ink cartridges that are only half-full. You might also want to pick up some extra ink cartridges.

This is where you should be able to negotiate a better price. Don’t expect the salesperson to throw them in for nothing, but they should be willing to offer you a better price. After all, if you’re happy with their service, you’ll probably continue to buy your ink, paper and other products from that store in the future.

5. What Software is Included?

The last secret of buying a new computer has to do with the software that is included. Most new computer systems include quite a few programs and sometimes the value of the software can be quite high.

Something to watch out for when looking at the included software is “trial versions” or “limited editions”.

Many programs that are preloaded are either crippled versions that don’t have all the features of the full program, or trial versions that will only run for a certain amount of time before they expire.

Computer are often sold with trial versions of the following types of software:

- antivirus
- firewall
- MS Office or other office suites
- Accounting – both business and personal

The computer manufacturers generally don’t make it easy to tell whether the software on their systems are trial versions or limited versions. This is a question that you should specifically ask if you can’t find the answer in their promotional information.

If you’re buying a new computer with trial versions of the software, keep in mind that you will need to pay to continue using it after the trial period is over. This is an added cost that you need to consider as part of your overall budget.

These five “secrets” of buying a new computer are fairly common sense, but they are not always made clear up front. Knowing what to ask will help you in two ways. First, you can be sure you are getting the right computer for your needs.

Second, if the salesperson or company that you’re dealing with explains these things to you without being asked, you’ll know you’re dealing with someone who is honest and upfront.

Knowing you can trust the people you’re dealing with is an invaluable feature of your new computer system.

Beginners Computer Tutorial.
Everyone Wants To Learn To Build A Pc. Refer Them To This E-book And Make $ $ . Excellent Conversions & Ask About The Free Demo.
Beginners Computer Tutorial.

So you’re thinking of buying a new computer…

Where do you start? There are so many brands and models of computers available, and it can all be a little overwhelming when you start to look around.

How do you decide what type of computer you need? And perhaps more importantly, how do you decide what the best value is?

I have sold computers professionally for almost 20 years, and there are certain “tricks of the trade” that most computer stores and salespeople use. Knowing these secrets can make your decision easier and will help you buy the right computer for your needs.

1. Buy What You Need, Maybe a Little More

One of the most important things you can do when buying a new computer is make a list of the things that you will be using it for. There are so many different models – with different capabilities – that you can easily buy more, or less, than you really need if you don’t.

If this is your first computer, this can be a little tougher. Until you’ve used a computer, it’s hard to know exactly what you might want to do with it beyond the obvious, like connecting to the internet.

Regardless, you should think about some of the things you might want to do. Some possibilities include:

- Connect to the internet
- Play games
- Digital photography
- Digital video
- Type documents
- Accounting
- Design websites
- Programming
- Digital scrapbooking
- Geneology

Some of these things need more power than others. For example, connecting to the internet really doesn’t need a lot of power. Even the most basic computer available will probably work just fine.

Digital video and many games need a lot more power. If you don’t get a fast enough computer with enough memory, you’ll be disappointed with the performance.

Knowing what you’re going to be using your computer for will help your salesperson, whether they’re on the phone, the internet or standing in front of you, recommend the best system for your needs.

As a general rule you’re always better off buying more power than you need rather than less, but buying too much can be a waste of money.

2. Warranty Considerations

Computer warranties are one of the most confusing and obscure parts of your purchase. Most manufacturers have cut back on their customer service to the point where poor service has become a given.

The three most common options are onsite, carry-in or manufacturer’s depot service.

Onsite service can be helpful, but think about whether you want to have to be available for a technician to come and diagnose your computer, and possibly have to come back with parts at another time.

Carry in service is a good option, but find out whether the service center is factory authorized for warranty repairs, as well as whether the technicians are all certified.

Shipping your computer to a factory service center can take a long time – sometimes a number of weeks. It also creates risk that your computer will be damaged or even lost in shipping. In some cases, the manufacturer will even replace your computer with another unit and ship it back to you, rather than repairing it. This can result in your losing any information that was on your system and having to reload all your software.

Another aspect of the warranty to find out about is technical support. Find out if the computer manufacturer offers a toll-free phone number and what the quality of service is like.

The better computer salespeople will be honest about this and tell you if a company’s service leaves something to be desired. You can also do some research on the internet – most of the computer magazines like PC Magazine and PC World have annual customer service comparisons that rate the larger computer companies.

Always find out how the warranty is handled before making your decision. Even if it doesn’t influence your choice, knowing what to expect if something does go wrong will save some nasty surprises down the road.

3. Can You Negotiate the Price Down?

A computer is a relatively large investment – anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Many computer buyers expect that there is a significant amount of “wiggle room” on the price.

The reality is that most computer hardware – the physical pieces like the computer, monitor and printer – is sold at very low profit margins. Often, computer systems are even sold at or below the dealer cost. When you’re buying a computer, it never hurts to ask for a better deal, but don’t be surprised if you only get a few dollars off, if anything.

Over the close to 20 years I’ve sold computers, I watched the profit margins go from over 40% to less than 5%. It’s almost embarassing to offer a discount on a 00 computer system, but that could mean the difference between making and losing money on the sale.

What you can do to get the best price is to do some comparison shopping. Most computer stores offer price-matching guarantees, so if you find your computer for less at another store, most dealers will match or beat that price, even if it means they lose money.

4. How Do Computer Stores Make Any Money?

You might be wondering how these computer stores make any money if they’re selling computer for so little profit.

Their money is made on add-on items. The highest profit areas in most computer stores are cables and “consumable” products such as printer ink and paper.

Printer ink is a huge money-maker for most computer stores (even more so for the printer manufacturers). Why is this? Once you’ve bought a printer, you’re going to have to replace your ink at some point, and continue to replace it as it runs out.

Most chain computer stores and office supply stores that carry a large selection of ink cartridges make more from ink than they do from the computers themselves.

Cables also have huge markups. A cable that costs the store -3 will often sell for -30. That’s ten times their cost!

If you’re buying a new computer, you will likely need to buy some cables. Some items – printers, for example – don’t often include the cables needed to hook them up.

Many printers also come with “starter” ink cartridges that are only half-full. You might also want to pick up some extra ink cartridges.

This is where you should be able to negotiate a better price. Don’t expect the salesperson to throw them in for nothing, but they should be willing to offer you a better price. After all, if you’re happy with their service, you’ll probably continue to buy your ink, paper and other products from that store in the future.

5. What Software is Included?

The last secret of buying a new computer has to do with the software that is included. Most new computer systems include quite a few programs and sometimes the value of the software can be quite high.

Something to watch out for when looking at the included software is “trial versions” or “limited editions”.

Many programs that are preloaded are either crippled versions that don’t have all the features of the full program, or trial versions that will only run for a certain amount of time before they expire.

Computer are often sold with trial versions of the following types of software:

- antivirus
- firewall
- MS Office or other office suites
- Accounting – both business and personal

The computer manufacturers generally don’t make it easy to tell whether the software on their systems are trial versions or limited versions. This is a question that you should specifically ask if you can’t find the answer in their promotional information.

If you’re buying a new computer with trial versions of the software, keep in mind that you will need to pay to continue using it after the trial period is over. This is an added cost that you need to consider as part of your overall budget.

These five “secrets” of buying a new computer are fairly common sense, but they are not always made clear up front. Knowing what to ask will help you in two ways. First, you can be sure you are getting the right computer for your needs.

Second, if the salesperson or company that you’re dealing with explains these things to you without being asked, you’ll know you’re dealing with someone who is honest and upfront.

Knowing you can trust the people you’re dealing with is an invaluable feature of your new computer system.

More Computer ArticlesBeginners Computer Tutorial.
Everyone Wants To Learn To Build A Pc. Refer Them To This E-book And Make $ $ . Excellent Conversions & Ask About The Free Demo.
Beginners Computer Tutorial.

www.GreatestGuideForYou.com 7 Easy Self Improvement Tips Self improvement tips are a great way to kickstart your personal growth and to push yourself to new levels of achievement and fulfillment. Here are seven easy self improvement tips as a way of giving back and helping people like you to achieve greater success in their life. Daily Journaling If you study the great achievers of history, you’ll find that almost all of them were avid writers. Keeping a daily journal helps you to clarify your thoughts and develop a sense of self-awareness which will give you the ability to reinvent yourself on a moment’s notice and help you to develop unshakable self-confidence. Meditation Meditation is the most effective means of reducing stress and clearing out your mind from “junk thoughts” which lead to worry and anxiety. Daily meditation also helps to slow your heart rate and regulate your digestion among dozens of other health benefits. Expecting to Win People who achieve great things in life aren’t normally anymore intelligent or capable than the average person. But they do one thing different which many intelligent people have a hard time doing: they expect to win, even before they know how they’re going to do it. Writing Goals and Plans of Actions The habit of writing down clear and specific goals and plans of action for achieving those goals is a must if you want to accomplish anything. This is because writing down your goals clarifies them and begins building an expectation in …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Some romantic jealousy is healthy; however, overcome extreme jealously by understanding the roots of the emotion. Discover how to overcome romantic jealousy with tips from a professional psychologist in this free video about self-improvement tips. Expert: Dr. Paul Vehorn Contact: www.AskDoctorPaul.com Bio: Dr. Paul Vehorn has been a nationwide talk show host on Sun Radio Network and IRN.com. He is also the author of ‘Dynamic Dating’ and ‘Boomer Girls, a Women’s Guide to Men and Dating.’ Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
Video Rating: 4 / 5

MBA Podcaster host Mia Saini hunts down great GMAT tips and GMAT preparation ideas from Manhattan GMAT. Discover how much you can improve from your first GMAT practice test, as well as what to do the night before and the day of the GMAT exam. Learn about GMAT’s computer adaptive method from a GMAC rep (Graduate Management Admission Council) and find out how b-school admissions directors evaluate your score. All the best GMAT study tips and preparation advice in one show to help you beat the GMAT! Guests Include: -Oliver Ashby, Recruitment and Admissions Manager, London Business School -Julie Crafton, Assistant Director, Admissions and Student Services, UC Davis Graduate School of Management -Alex Fleming, Alumnus, The Wharton School -Peg Jobst, Senior Vice President, GMAC Services -David Malloy, GMAT instructor, ManhattanGMAT -Sue Oldham, Associate Director of Admissions, Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business -Chris Ryan, Director of Product and Instructor Development, ManhattanGMAT ManhattanGMAT is offering MBA Podcaster viewers 0 off their GMAT courses by using the code “PodTV” when enrolling for a complete course. Visit manhattangmat.com/mbapodcaster About:MBA Podcaster is your online source for information, insight, and advice on the MBA admissions process. We deliver relevant information and advice through biweekly audio and video segments for those planning to apply for a Master in Business Administration. Topics include strategies for writing MBA …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Display affection by touching and creating intimacy with your partner. Find out how to become affectionate with tips from a professional psychologist in this free video about self-improvement tips. Expert: Dr. Paul Vehorn Contact: www.AskDoctorPaul.com Bio: Dr. Paul Vehorn has been a nationwide talk show host on Sun Radio Network and IRN.com. He is also the author of ‘Dynamic Dating’ and ‘Boomer Girls, a Women’s Guide to Men and Dating.’ Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Looking for men’s health and fitness advice and self improvement tips? Look no further. At Mens Gear by Nathan James, we have a selection of the best advice articles in these areas, to help you become the man you want to be.

In our online self improvement tips, we cover areas including the following:

* Self confidence. Truly one of the most important characteristics for a man to have. If you lack self confidence, it can affect every area of your life. Our self improvement tips give you 3 easy ways to build your self confidence.

* Setting personal goals. Setting goals is a good way to motivate yourself and to track your progress. Every man needs to know how to set effective personal goals.

* Pushing yourself. The best things in life can be the hardest to get, so you’ll never reach your goals unless you read our self improvement tips and find out how to push yourself beyond barriers such as pain and fear of rejection.

* Getting results. To achieve your goals in life, it’s important to know how to set goals and pursue them through to completion. Our self improvement tips will help you do just that.

Our men’s health and fitness advice currently covers subjects such as:

* Express workouts: 10-minute exercises that get results. If want to improve your body and lose weight but you feel that you don’t have the time, these are for you. We have men’s health and fitness advice on exercises that will give you results in just 10 minutes.

* Secrets of top trainers. Here’s where we bring you men’s health and fitness advice from professional fitness trainers. This men’s health and fitness advice covers things such as having a gym buddy, varying your workout for better results, and the importance of keeping it fun.

Aside from our advice articles, we also carry some of the world’s best speakers in this area on CD, with self improvement tips from available for purchase at competitive prices. We carry the following motivational speakers:

* Jim Rohn. Mr Rohn is an American with a real life rags-to-riches story. Born to an Idaho farming family, he left college after a year, and by the age of 25 was a salaried employee with a lot of debt and a young family to support. Soon after he began a process of personal development that led to him becoming a millionaire salesman by the age of just 31.

* Hilary Hinton ‘Zig’ Ziglar. Zig Ziglar is an American evangelical Christian who lives by a mantra of putting God first, family second, and career third. He is vastly experienced at giving self improvement tips, having been a motivational speaker full-time since 1970.

More Self Improvement Tip Articles

To become a better person, reduce personal judgments and attacks against others. Discover more about becoming a better person with tips from a professional psychologist in this free video about self-improvement tips. Expert: Dr. Paul Vehorn Contact: www.AskDoctorPaul.com Bio: Dr. Paul Vehorn has been a nationwide talk show host on Sun Radio Network and IRN.com. He is also the author of ‘Dynamic Dating’ and ‘Boomer Girls, a Women’s Guide to Men and Dating.’ Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
Video Rating: 0 / 5

Self improvement tips are a great way to lay the foundation for your personal growth and to push yourself to new levels of achievement and fulfillment. If you are someone who is interested in personal development and personal growth, you are probably always in search of effective strategies for stimulating growth. Self Improvement Tips

Self improvement tips are meant to help you cut off pessimism and bring back the optimism that you need in your life. Understand that life is a rollercoaster of emotions – there are times when you feel like you are on top of the world while there are also times you feel like the whole world is against you. But most of the time, you feel like you are somewhere in between.

Self improvement tips are necessary for each person in order for them to recognize the areas in which they are lacking behind, especially with the perfectionist who does not see himself or herself as having any faults. Accepting one’s faults and developing a self improvement program is not a sign of weakness but rather a submission that you are accepting change within yourself to allow you to become a better person. Life Improvement Tips

The most important of the self improvement tips that you must learn is to accept that you are not infallible and that being less than perfect is not a reflection on your status in life or the person that you have become. The self improvement program you develop for yourself should contain all of your weaknesses that you have identified individually or with the help of self improvement tips from others. Detailing this information and the implementation of a program of improvement should allow for a better understanding of these areas in need of improvement and address the dangers of feelings of superiority perfection within both the business and personal arena of your life.

It does happen that there are times when you tend to focus on the things that you have done wrong. But instead of doing that, self improvement tips will help you focus on the things you did right so that you can do those things again and indulge in self improvement. Try to have a change of scenery and the best way of doing this is to change your environment. There are times when you really need to get away from things that remind you of your failures. That way, you will be able to focus all your energy towards achievement. Tips To Achieve Your Dreams

In order to make friends, become a friend by listening to personal stories and problems. Find out how to make friends with tips from professional psychologist in this free video about self-improvement tips. Expert: Dr. Paul Vehorn Contact: www.AskDoctorPaul.com Bio: Dr. Paul Vehorn has been a nationwide talk show host on Sun Radio Network and IRN.com. He is also the author of ‘Dynamic Dating’ and ‘Boomer Girls, a Women’s Guide to Men and Dating.’ Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
Video Rating: 4 / 5