Shopping for a New PC? Bring This

Steve Bass

I was watering the lawn, minding my own business, when I heard someone shouting. "I need to buy a computer. You mind if I pick your brain?" It was my neighbor, carrying a handful of papers and a shopping bag. Here's an afternoon down the tubes, I thought, wondering if a spray from the garden hose could be seen as an attack with a deadly weapon.

"I'm cooking," he said, swaying me with barbecued hamburgers and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Luckily, buying a computer--at least deciding how you want to configure it--is easier than it was just a few years ago. In some ways, deciding where to buy it is the more difficult part. I've pulled together some sites, tools, and articles to help you do it.

How and Where to Shop

The premier article for advice and guidance is "PC Deals: You Better Shop Around." It's written by Daniel Tynan, one of our top-notch writers. The article compares Web, phone, and retail shopping, revealing the best and worst shopping experiences. It's full of juicy quotes from really dumb salespeople and ditzy online marketers, as well as an example of a truly miraculous return policy ("return any item with a receipt at any time for a full refund").

Even if you read nothing else, look at Dan's "Hardware Buying Guide: Cut Through the Jargon" (jump to page 5) and the nifty "Best and Worst Places to Buy a PC Chart" (page 6).

In another valuable article, Anne Kandra explains how to find the best prices while separating the deals from the ordeals (and whatever you do, don't miss her "Bargain Hunter Alert: Tips for Safe Shopping" on page 6). That's in Anne's "The Truth About Low Prices."

Some people are going to do all their shopping using their cell phone. I think it's kinda silly, but some experts are saying it's going happen--and to the tune of $4 billion. Decide for yourself--read "Browse by Cell, But Shop in Person?"

Dig this: Are you concerned someone might steal your PC? Besides protecting your system, you might even yearn to hassle the person making off with it. Here's a terrific way to do both.

Some people (excluding my neighbor) are wondering if they want to hold off on buying a new PC. Our Tom Spring did some digging and learned that there's plenty of purchasing reluctance. Read his "Buying a PC Can Wait, Say Consumers."

Now the Good News

PC World is no slouch in providing you with rock solid, up-to-date details on dozens of PC desktops, notebooks, and components. Of all the things I like about PC World, I really rely on the Top 10 lists. Here are some that might help you.

Top 10 Value PCs supplies a helpful chart ranking low-cost systems. Following the chart are 12 pages of details describing the systems.

We use a smart star rating, a great way for you to get a quick idea what we think of the product.

Dig this: Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be in prison and make license plates? Here's your opportunity. You'll have hours of fun and waste scads of color ink when you print these beauties on ink jet printers.

PCW Helps You Shop

If you haven't visited PCW's site recently, head for the home page and look on the left side of the screen. There's a pull-down menu with Editors' Picks of the Top 100 Products, including power, value, and home PCs; notebooks; and peripherals.

Drop down a notch and you'll see the Product Finder Specs and Latest Prices. Choose a product, say, computer systems, and you're immediately sent to another page to choose from desktop, server, workstation, or notebook, with a convenient "most popular computer systems" box on the right side of the screen. (We base the popularity on the number of clicks to merchants from individual Product Finder and PriceGrabber product pages.)

You probably didn't know PC World has a very cool alerts tool. You pick a topic you're interested in, and the tool e-mails you every time we do an article on that topic. For instance, some of my alerts include "Windows XP," "worms," "virus," and "Bass promoted."

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