Monday, April 7, 2003		Feature

Think, decide and buy
Jayant Murty

YOU'RE familiar with personal computer (PC) lingo but not confident enough to shop for one. After all, buying a PC is a crucial long- term decision, and what’s deemed current today can be obsolete tomorrow. Well, perhaps not quite at the speed of lightning but quick enough. So what do you do? You learn the do’s and dont’s in order to make a wiser purchase. Here are five golden tips to help you get the best deal:

1. Prepare yourself by planning the PC requirements beforehand and listing them down. 2. Sit with the family members and decide what do you want your PC to do and whether you require graphics, sound or video?

3. Find out your software needs

4. Find a computer-savvy mentor who will act as your PC-purchasing agent.

5. Ensure you have a budget before you go to the store

6. In the end, your best bet is to ensure whatever system you purchase today meets your current requirements, and the system must have the capacity for future upgrade. This will enable you to add on features to accommodate changes to your PC requirements.