Tips for Buying Equipment

Now that you have some ideas about the type of hardware you’ll need to purchase, there are a few common sense ideas to keep in mind:

Use a credit card: You should use a credit card or find someone to do this for you, especially when buying online. With a credit card, you have the credit card company and the Fair Credit Billing Act behind you. This rule allows you 60 days in which to report a billing error or vendor dispute.

Don’t be cheap: Avoid the so-called “budget” computers unless you really know what you are getting into. In some cases these systems may not include all of the components (larger hard drive, quality monitor, and so on). Expect to pay about $1,500 to $2,500 for a computer with all the fixins. Depending on your experience, it may be a good idea to get an extended warranty, although many new systems have three-year warranties and, after that period of time, the system probably is at a point that it can be replaced.

Protect everything: Buy a CD-ROM burner or ZIP drive. Try to back up data daily to a ZIP (or another computer on your network) and monthly to a CD-ROM. You can never be too safe. Also, buy a battery-supported surge protector or UPS (uninterruptible power source). For about a $100 you can get one that will protect several components, including your modems and phone lines. The UPS will allow you plenty of time to save your work and shut down your computer if the power goes out. Surge protectors are easy to use—you just plug them in, and they protect your computer from power spikes and shutdowns. The surge protector will actually blow a fuse or circuit if it gets hit by a surge of electricity from lightning or bad wiring, in order to protect your computer’s innards from being damaged. Of course, the best protection is to turn off your computer and unplug it during thunderstorms.

Research: Above everything, learn about computers for yourself. If possible, try the applications you expect to run on a few systems first. See how those systems handle massive graphic files and huge levels. And remember, most people are very biased about their own systems, so be careful when opinion hunting for computer systems among individuals.