Getting ready to purchase a new computer ? Or trying to decide whether to fix the one you have?   Here’s a simple True/False Quiz for “Big Box” Store Computers to aid you in your decision:   1.)      New computers are so much faster and cheaper than the ones they made 4 or 5 years ago...... True and sort of True. New computers featuring Dual-Core processors, large hard drives and 2 or more Gigabytes of RAM are indeed much faster and capable of performing tasks which were almost impossible 3 or 4 years ago. The price is a different animal. We chose to use the word “cheaper” in the question, because a layer of low quality, high failure rate electronics are used to keep “advertised” prices low, making the computers much cheaper. Additionally, you do not receive disks and support documentation. There is a big difference between a $10,000 car today vs. a $20,000 car from 5 years ago. 5 years ago a 3-year warranty Intel mainboard was about $140 - today it is still $140, although it is much faster and powerful with more features. You can purchase a similar inexpensive lower-quality mainboard for $50.   2.)      A new computer will last just as long as my 4 or 5 year old computer, and I’ll only need to buy a new one only if I want the latest technology. False. Your 4 or 5 year old computer was built with much higher quality parts. Computers sold based on price have a typical 35% failure rate per year (including laptops). This means that a catastrophic failure occurs in over 1/3 of these new computers in the first year, and 2/3 of them by the second year. Mainboards and Hard Drives are the most susceptible parts. The 4-year and older computers only had 4-10% failure rate components available, thus they lasted a much longer time before failure.                   You will most likely be purchasing a new computer on an average of 18-24 months, based upon failure  rates and availability of repair parts.   3.)      I can extend the warranty on my new computer.   If you are buying for your business, isn’t your business’s future worth more than the least expensive you can find?   4.)      If my computer needs fixed under warranty, they can fix it where I bought it. False - “Big Box” stores are not factory repair centers for the brands they sell. If a warranty repair is required, then the computer is sent back to the manufacturer, which typically takes from 2 to 8 weeks. A “factory repair” also takes your computer back to factory specifications, including restoring your computer’s software and settings to “as new”. Any data or additional software you installed will be gone.   You will incur additional charges to save and restore your data. In-store computer repair centers do not represent the manufacturer and is it’s own business and profit center. Some companies do not sell spare parts, so that after warranty, they are the only place that can repair it.   5.)      Microsoft Word or Office always comes on a new computer. False - Microsoft Word or Office (or WordPerfect) are separate programs from the Windows Operating System (XP, Vista). Many manufacturers put trial versions of the software on their systems which work for 30-60 days, then you are required to purchase the software for it to continue to function. Note: Microsoft Word is available with some versions of the Microsoft Works Suite, but again this is a separately purchased program from Microsoft, not included as part of the operating system.   6.)      Virus and Spyware software come on new computers. False - Virus and Spyware removers are separate programs from the Windows Operating System (XP, Vista, Windows 7). Many manufacturers put trial versions of the software on their systems which work for 30-60 days, then you are required to purchase the software for it to continue to function. Note: Free versions of Virus software and spyware removers are reactive, which means that they attempt to remove or block malicious software which has already begun to install on your computer. The Virus and Malicious Monitoring programs you pay for are pro-active, which means they watch and remove malicious software before it can install.   7.)      I can always upgrade my new computer, like adding another hard drive or a blu-ray drive. False (Mostly)- Many of the inexpensive machines are proprietary in design, meaning many industry standard parts will not properly fit (if they fit at all). Most do not have a place to install a second hard drive or a video card if you wish to game or do higher level photo editing. Additionally, they are designed with proprietary power supplies that have enough power to run the components in the unit when it comes from the factory. As a result, you usually have insufficient power to allow additional video cards and other hardware such as memory, hard drives and CD-ROMs to function properly, if at all.   8.)      The new “Brand Name” computer comes with Windows or Restore disks and disks for all the software installed on the computer False- Brand Name computers have Windows and their software and drivers pre-loaded on the hard drive. They do not provide Restore disks and usually create a restore partition on your new hard drive to erase your computer and reset it to factory specifications. Since the hard drive is one of the higher failure rate components, when it fails, you have nothing to install on a replacement hard drive. Many of the “Big Box” stores have in-store repair centers which will create restore disks for your new computer for $40-$70.   9.)      The new “Brand Name” computer comes with a great bundle including a monitor and a printer. True (Sort of) Brand Name computers manufacturers or stores will bundle extremely inexpensive, low quality printers and monitors with the computers. Many have no included warranty and the printers may require expensive ink to make up for the cost. You always get what you pay for, and if you paid nothing, that is probably the value of what you received.   www.computerliterates.com   412-492-8055         724-449-0002