Fire sale on for desktop PCs
Go out to buy a computer these days and you’ll likely
get your shoes shined by the people selling to you
By Monte Enbysk
MICROSOFT BCENTRAL
Aug. 8 — PC manufacturers are doing everything they can to get you to buy. Search the marketplace right now and you’ll find lots of interesting deals — including PCs featuring Intel’s state-of-the-art Pentium 4 processors at below $1,000 — up to and following the Oct. 25 release of Microsoft Windows XP.
SO IF YOU’RE thinking of heading out to shop for a new system, take these 10 timely tips with you.
GO FOR POWER
Powerful system units are out there for $1,200 or less. It used to be that $1,200 didn’t even cover the cost of a high-end desktop PC (sans monitor). Today, some 1.3-GHz Pentium 4 systems — more power than you may ever need — are selling for as little as $900. But unless your graphics or technology needs require you to seek more power, you’d do well to focus on the 500 MHz to 1 GHz range, which will likely give you all you need for $1,000 per system. “High-end systems used to be $2,000 to $2,500, but in the last year have dropped to $1,000 to $1,500 (without the monitor),” says Toni Duboise, desktop PC analyst at Associated Research Services (ARS). Dell, in particular, has been aggressive about lowering its system prices, forcing others to follow suit.
DON’T GO SUPER CHEAP
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Plan to spend more than $700 for a unit. Bargain-basement systems are available, but going low-end is not the way to take advantage of the current climate. You want to buy the best system possible, within reason, for a system that will take you well into the future. “You don’t want to skimp when, at a reasonable price, you can get a robust machine,” Duboise says. Also, note that some low-priced systems may have built hastily, with design flaws that you will pay for later in lost work time.
GO TO A MAJOR VENDOR
You can’t go wrong with a major vendor. The so-called “white box” vendors that put together name-brand and other system components for lower-cost units have their place.
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Based on past experience, you may prefer buying through them. But if you seek the best warranties and customer support, you are better off buying through a major vendor, such as Dell, Compaq, IBM, Hewlett-Packard or Gateway. “The warranty and support make it worth your while to stick with a major vendor,” says Brooks Gray, senior analyst for Technology Business Research.
GET A LONG WARRANTY
Get a three- or four-year warranty, if possible. A two-year warranty long has been standard with most purchases. But today’s machines are built to last longer, which is one reason for the current slowdown in PC sales.
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At least one manufacturer is offering a three-year warranty, with lifetime 24/7 phone support, for $30 above a two-year warranty. Clearly, you should choose to pay the extra $30. Go for a four-year warranty, if the terms seem right and you expect to have the system that long. Better yet, try to negotiate a longer warranty in the package.
LOOK BEYOND PENTUIM PROCESSORS
Consider Intel Celeron and AMD processors, as well as Pentium. Certainly, a higher range of power lies with the Pentium 3 and 4 models, which have come down in price and are certainly worth your while to consider. But how much power do you need? Having more than 450 MHz is preferable, but how far beyond that may depend on your business. For many people, Celeron processors in the 700 MHz range, or AMD’s Athlon chips (in Compaq, HP and IBM systems) with anywhere from up to 1 GHz of power, might work perfectly for you — allowing you to double or triple your memory and still stay under $1,000.
GO BIG ON RAM, HARD DRIVE
Buy at least 128 megabytes of RAM and 10 to 15 gigabytes of hard drive. For one thing, these amounts allow for a smoother upgrade to Windows XP. For another, you will be preparing your system for many new uses and possibilities in the future. While 64 MB of RAM has become the standard, at least one manufacturer offers upgrades to 128 MB for only $29 extra. “That is a very small investment for doubling the size of your memory,” says Mark Eggleston, emerging technologies analyst for Currid & Co. If the price is right, go higher. If you fancy digital media, you might want to go to 256 MB, which could cost an additional $75.
LOOK AT HIGH-END PRINTERS, MONITORS
High-end printers and even flat-panel monitors may be affordable. Should you worry about a fancy system when you are on a shoestring budget? Not at all. But if a flat-panel monitor is something you’ve long desired, now’s your chance. Flat-panel displays are at all-time lows — once generally over $2,000, some models can be found now for as low as $500. Other components, such as regular monitors, printers and scanners, also are selling most places for discounts.
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Don’t go dirt-cheap on a printer, however, or you will regret it. Plan to spend more than $100 (a lot more for a good color printer, unless you get it thrown in as part of a deal). Check retail stores or search online for the best deals — you may do better there than through a PC vendor.
LOOK FOR VOLUME DEALS
If you use multiple systems, look for volume deals. Because PC vendors would love to sell you multiple systems, you’ll find some aggressive promotions for buying in volume. In buying 15 to 50 systems, you may find deals such as a free network printer, expanded memory, longer-term warranties, personal digital assistants or even free ground shipping. At least one manufacturer also is offering free coupons to upgrade to Windows XP.
BUY NOW, UPGRADE LATER
Buy now, upgrade to Windows XP later. Many buyers want to wait until after the Oct. 25 release of Windows XP, which will include better handling of digital media and some spiffy new communications offerings, among other new features. But you may not be able to get the same high-end PC system quality available at reasonable prices now. Ditto for many of the promotions available now through Dell and other manufacturers. You can go ahead and buy now — just be sure to buy systems running Windows 2000. You can easily upgrade to XP over the next year.
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DESKTOPS DEALS
Know that notebook PCs have come down in price, but not as far. “Across the board, they are a lot cheaper now, with prices down 40 percent or more from last year,” says Matt Sargent, notebook PC analyst for ARS. Top-of-the-line laptops are running anywhere between $1,000 and $4,000. But notebook PCs are becoming increasingly popular and a growth area for PC manufacturers — as opposed to desktop PCs. That means you aren’t likely to see the type of “fire sale” prices that you see with many desktop models right now. |
