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| | | As of November 7, 2006, PC prices have increased a small amount heading into the holiday season. With the holiday season approaching, and the release of Windows Vista slated for early 2007, some discounts may be coming later. | | |
| Typical costs: | - It's possible to get a budget PC, with a monitor, for a little over $300. They usually come with a 17" CRT monitor, 512 MB of RAM, 80GB+ of disk space, and a low-end processor, like an Intel Celeron or an AMD Sempron. They may come installed with low-end productivity software, like Microsoft Works or Wordperfect. Examples include the Dell E521, Compaq 1800, and emachines T3506. A budget Apple model is the Mac Mini.
- Midrange and multimedia computers cost between $600 - $1,300, with monitor. These PCs may come with a 17" or 19" flat screen monitor, 512MB-2GB of RAM, 160-400 GB of disk space, and a mid-to-high range processor, like an Intel or AMD dual core processor. Examples include the Dell C521, the Compaq DX420, and the Sony Vaio XL1 (discontinued). An midrange Apple model is the iMac.
- Workstation or gaming PCs, with monitor, can cost from $1,700 to $5,000+. These PCs may come with or without a monitor, but usually have at least 1GB+ of memory, 250GB+ of disk space, and a high-end processor, such as an AMD Athlon or Intel VIIV. Additional costs may include liquid cooling, very high end graphics cards, very high end sound cards, and RAID disk arrays for faster performance. Examples include the Dell XPS4100 and the Sony VAIO RC310G . Alienware builds systems specialized for playing games. A high-end Apple model is the MacPro.
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| What should be included: | - A typical PC will come with a keyboard, a mouse and necessary cables to start using the computer.
- The computer typically will have at least one CD or DVD ROM drive.
- It should typically come with at least Windows XP (or Macintosh OS X Tiger) software, and basic applications.
- All PCs should come with at least 90 days of parts, labor and basic support. A midrange computer should come with at least 1 year of warranty and support.
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| Additional costs: | - Current software usually takes at least 512MB to operate efficiently. Get at least 512MB, and consider getting 1GB.
- These days, most base configurations don't come with Microsoft Office software such as Word or Excel. That software can add $200-$300 to a configuration.
- For midrange computers, upgrading components such as memory, hard disk space, or writable DVD drives typically add some to the price.
- For midrange computers, substantial increases of several hundred dollars can come from upgrading the support package to 2 or 3 years of support, or upgrading the application software to a full productivity suite.
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| Discounts: | - Manufacturers and discount electronic stores regularly feature a model on sale. Shop around; prices on the same system can vary by hundreds of dollars. It's often possible to get older, refurbished models for several hundred dollars less.
- If you are a student or an educator, Apple often offers educational discounts. Check your school's computer store for prices
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| Shopping for a desktop computer: | - Dell and Alienware PCs are built-to-order and you can order their PCs directly from their websites. Gateway will also build PCs to order.
- Compaq, eMachines, Gateway, Sony and Apple are all available through retail channels. You can look at Best Buy, J&R Computer World, Office Depot and your local electronics discount store for specials. Emachines's website enables you to check whether stores near you have computers in stock.
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Article updated November 2006 |
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