Getting a new computer

If you are interested in buying a new computer, there are some things you might want to think about before purchasing. I know many of you aren’t interested, like I am, in specs. That said, it’s important to remember that when moving your data to another computer, you will need to make sure your new hard drive will hold everything you want to bring from the old hard drive.
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Newer computers often come with an SSD, a Solid State Drive. These are often smaller than the older style mechanical drives. In some cases, the SSD is just a single small card that plugs into the motherboard, or it may be chips soldered onto the board and isn’t able to be upgraded.

If you are coming from an older computer with a 500Gb hard drive, for instance, and going to a Surface Pro or MacBook Air with 128Gb of storage, you may have a problem moving all your data. If you only use 80Gb on your old computer it won’t be an issue, but if you are using 400Gb, then it won’t all fit.

In some cases, you can upgrade your new computer, but not always. Another option may be to offload a large chunk of data to cloud storage. Off loading the data to an external drive is also a good idea, but if it’s no longer available on the old computer (because you gave it to me) then you will need it on a second external drive as well. Remember, a backup means there are 2 or more copies. External drives fail just like any other drive, so backups mean multiple devices.

Carol always recommends buying the ‘most’ computer you can afford. I agree with her on this, especially if you aren’t buying a computer every 2 or 3 years. If you keep your computer for a long time, then you will need something robust enough to last. Your needs may not change but the world will keep changing. As the world progresses, the computer requirements will as well. Typically, memory and processor are the best things you can invest in. Consider buying the best processor you can afford, and put in as much memory as you can. I’m not saying you need to put in 128Gb of memory, but 16Gb is certainly a good amount, and 32Gb is better if you work with photos.

Don’t let the price, or the sales person be the determining factor. Do a little homework before buying. Check different brands. Obviously, if you are buying a Mac, then check discount places that sell Macs, like Costco or Amazon. For PC brands, read reviews from legitimate computer magazines, like PCWorld or CNet. There are standard brands, like Asus and Dell of course, but the last computer I bought is branded Chuwi. It’s a bit different but so far it’s been a great replacement for my $10 Goodwill find.