Should You Obtain Your Computer On The Internet Or From A Retail Outlet?

Friday, December 24, 2010

Getting a brand new computer is a great feeling. It doesn't matter if you are buying your first one or your twentieth one, it's a fantastic experience to pull it out of the box and fire it up for the first time. Everything seems faster, more robust, and alive. The whole system seems so much more responsive, especially if you haven't got a new one in a while.

If a new computer is in your near future, but you are unsure of where you will get it, then this article is for you. I'll go over the pros and cons of buying it from your local retail store as well as ordering one over the Internet. After reading this you'll have a much better idea of what to expect, and this can significantly help you in your buying decision.

One good thing about buying a computer online is it's usually much cheaper. You don't really get much of a discount compared to the same model in the store, rather, there are many more options online, so you can do some serious comparison shopping.

Buying online does have it's drawbacks. For one, if you don't know much about computers, then it can be tough to compare all the different models and brands based simply on their listed features. If you happen to have any questions, it may take a while to get them all answered adequately. Another reason some people don't like to buy computers from the Internet is that it may take a couple weeks before it comes in the mail. This can seem like a long time if you are ready to get going.

If you don't really know exactly what you want, buying one from your local retail store may be a better option. You can get your questions answered fairly thoroughly, especially if you are unsure about things like memory, hard drive size, and processor speed. Another good reason to buy from a retail store is that you can have it up and running as soon as you get it home. This is usually a benefit for people who are in a hurry to start Internet surfing.

One of the big drawbacks from buying from a retail store is that you are fairly limited as far as the number of models to choose from. If you don't find one that you like you may have to drive to another store, or see if you can get them to order you one. In that case you might as well buy one from the Internet.

Now that you're near the end of this article, you should have a good idea of where to buy your next computer. If you know precisely what you want, and don't mind waiting a few days, then the Internet is your best bet. But if you aren't quite sure, and would like to ask several questions before making a decision, then it would probably be a good idea to head on down to your local computer store, and let them take care of you.