If you are planning on purchasing a computer, you may want to take a couple of things into consideration before making the purchase. This handout doesn't attempt to offer any definite answers but it may be useful when making a purchasing decision. Keep in mind that the information contained in this document was written in August of 1997. The computer market changes so rapidly that the information that was valid when this document was written may not apply today.
Considerations There are a number of things to keep in mind when purchasing a computer.
These include what field you are entering, whether or not you will be working on a network, what type of work you will be doing on the computer, and how often you can afford to replace the computer. You should also take into consideration the entertainment side of computers since most personal computers that are purchased for business purposes are also used to play games. Who to Ask You might think that the logical answer would be one of the computer gurus down the hall, a computer support person at Gonzaga, or a salesperson at a computer store. While they may give you an abundance of technical details about computers, they may not necessarily know your needs. Other sources of information include computer magazines, trade journals, and the Internet.