Hardware consideration when purchasing computer

Quality

The quality of a product is essentially its goodness or “badness.” You can determine quality by asking
yourself the following questions:

 How well does this product meet my specific needs?

 Does it have the features and functions I require?
 How well is it made?
 How long will it last?

Online reviews can help you answer these questions, especially those found on respected sites such as
Newegg, which are authored by real men and women in the tech sphere who actually use the products
they’re reviewing.

The bottom line: Doing your research and reading reviews is an important component of gauging a
product’s quality. If a product has good reviews and comes from a respectable brand, you may be
tempted to pull the trigger on your purchase. However, you also need to understand how the product
will interact with the technology you already have in place. Getting a second opinion is an absolute
must, whether it be from a managed services provider or another type of IT consultant.

Price

Everyone has a budget, but that doesn’t mean buying cheap is necessarily the way to go. After all, if you
purchase a product that breaks easily or doesn’t fully meet your needs, you’ll end up needing to replace
it, thereby busting your budget.

The bottom line: Keep in mind that the actual cost of a product is only one part of the Total Cost of
Ownership (TCO) – the sum of all costs incurred over the product’s useful life. In addition to the initial
price, quality and service after the sale also impact TCO, reaffirming that buying based on the lowest
available price alone is not a smart move.

Service after the sale

Quality and price are both important factors, but you need to consider them alongside service after the
sale to get the full picture. Here are a few aspects you’d be wise to look into before purchasing:
  Return policy: If the product isn’t satisfactory, how much will it cost to return, including shipping
costs and restocking fees? How much time will your staff waste dealing with a cumbersome
return process? Will your operations be impacted by not having a working product in place?
Since many IT purchase decisions are made to mitigate costly problems, the financial hits will
likely continue until the issue is resolved, so it’s best to avoid returns whenever possible. Most
importantly, make sure you can return your purchase in the first place! Sometimes, products are
final-sale – especially those that are very low-cost (i.e. used goods or items sold by cut-rate
vendors).
 Warranty: Warranties apply to the state of the product when you purchased it. If something is
wrong with the product, the vendor will repair or replace it at no charge, as long as the warranty
– or subsequent warranty extension – is in effect. Does the seller you’re interested in offer a
good warranty, or any warranty at all? Check reviews to make sure the company stands behind
its warranty policy and is easy to reach when problems arise.
 Service agreement: When you’re dealing with IT hardware and software, you can expect
ongoing improvements to be released and applied in the form of updates and new versions.
These updates are made for a variety of reasons, including boosting general performance,
introducing specific features and addressing recently discovered security vulnerabilities. Service
agreements are essential for IT products that are critical to business functions because
operational losses due to outdated hardware or software can be very costly.

BRAND
 For many, brand is a big deal for good reasons. Several brands are already time tested and have
proven their products to be functional and efficient, therefore they are reliable sources while
others may not.
 Every PC brand that is popular and reliable frequently do extremely well in different parts to as
much as possible cut competition. Some may offer the best warranty while some may offer
better software bundles or packages. Identify our proprieties to settle on a decision.
SIZE
 When purchasing a computer, consider the size. This includes laptops as well. Some users might
like larger monitors for the pleasure and fun of viewing while portability might be a priority for
others so they opt for smaller screens. If you tend to come and go, choosing a laptop with a
smaller screen is a clever option.
 For desktop users, they might choose a bigger-sized casing to allow for better air circulation
while others may want to save space so they elect smaller-sized casings. It is however advised to
opt for bigger casings to give sufficient to much more air circulation to the system.

USABILITY
  A lot of users generally purchase a computer to be predominantly used for browsing, encoding
and other light tasks. If you are such user, avoid being carried away by sales pitches that offer
costly computers by emphasizing remarkable specifications of processors, video cards as well as
the immense capacity of the hard drive capacity since this are more for users who do heavy
tasks like gaming and video editing.
EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE HE MAY NEED FOR SMOOTH RUNNING OF THE HARDWARE.
Application software is a type of software or program that is designed to complete a specific task. For
example, Microsoft Word is application software, and it allows you to write documents.
Here are some types of application software and what they do.
1. Microsoft Word

I already mentioned Microsoft Word as being a great example of application software. It serves a
purpose – it allows you to write, read, and edit documents.

You don’t need Microsoft Word for the smooth operation of your operating system. However, you do
need your operating system to run Microsoft Word, and it serves an end purpose for the user, making it
an application software.

2. Google Chrome

Another application software I referred to a few times is Google Chrome. Whether you are installing it
on a Windows operating system or an Android operating system, it is an application that allows you to
browse the web and read articles on the web.

3. Firefox

Firefox is another popular web browser. Like Google Chrome, it is application software that allows you
to browse the web

4. Skype

Skype is application software that can be installed on devices like Windows, Android, and iOS machines.
Using Skype, you can communicate with other people over the internet using voice calls, video chats,
and text messaging.

5. Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player is application software that is designed to allow you to play videos and other
media. It is not system software, despite having the name Windows in it, even if it comes preinstalled on
your device.

That is because it is not essential for the operation of your machine. Even if Windows Media Player
didn’t work, you would still be able to run various applications on your device.

6. VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is another application software that falls under the category of media players, like
Windows Media Player. It is free and open-source and allows you to play most types of media files.
7. Microsoft Access

Microsoft Access, despite having the name Microsoft in it, is application software. It falls under the
category of database management systems, which are software that collect and organize files,
documents, and data on your computer.

8. Photoshop

Photoshop is one of the most popular image editing application software tools. It allows you to edit and
manage your photos, but it is application software, not system software.

9. Facebook

Facebook is application software that can be used to connect with friends using the Facebook social
media platform. You can use Messenger to chat with friends, comment on friends’ posts, watch videos,
and more.

Facebook is available on the website – that’s not application software. However, it is also available on an
app for devices like Windows PCs, Android phones, and iOS phones – and that is application software.

10. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is another application software you can download on various devices to chat with friends and
make video and voice calls. The desktop app and mobile app are application software

11. iTunes

iTunes is an application software you can download on various devices. It allows you to listen to music
and podcasts.

12. Netflix

Netflix is a very popular application software that allows you to stream movies and films from your
desktop or phone. Along with Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, it is one of the most popular streaming-
on-demand application software. It is also available on the web.