Depending on the type of home business you operate, a computer will most likely be the most important purchase you make.
Before rushing out and buying the first thing that strikes your fancy, educate yourself on the basics of computers and assess your needs. Following are a few tips for choosing a home office computer for your specific needs.
Determine Your Needs…
You will first need to determine what purpose the computer will serve. Will you be using it strictly for documents and email or will you need to run large graphics programs? This will be a large deciding factor in selecting the right hardware capabilities for your computer. To break it down, you will need to:
- Determine what programs you will need to run.
- Consider the hardware that you will need to connect, such as printers and scanners.
- Decide on a budget.
- Consider the space you have available.
Hardware To Support Your Needs
Once you’ve determined what you will be using the computer for, purchase one that has the hardware capability to adequately perform the operations you will need. Here are a few things to look for when selecting hardware:
- Hard drive should be no less than 80 gigabytes. If you plan to run larger programs, such as video and photo editors, you should opt for a larger hard drive of 100 to 200 gigabytes.
- Processor speed is important for the smooth running of your programs. Choose a computer with at least 1.8 GHz. Anything less may get bogged down quickly, especially if you run several programs simultaneously.
- Ensure that the video card is at a minimum of 24 bits and the sound card is adequate.
- The computer should have at least two USB ports, more if you plan on uploading photos, using external drivers and will connect wireless internet.
- Purchase a computer that has a DVD/CD drive with read and write capabilities to burn and store data, play music and watch videos if desired.
After Purchase Support
New computers generally come with the necessary hardware and support software. These will come in handy if your hard drive crashes or you decide to upgrade to another operating system at a later date. Check to make sure these components are included with your purchase:
- A restore disk or the original operating system disk that is registered to you and has a valid product key code.
- An optional service plan is a good idea in case you have problems.
Where To Buy
For standard business needs, you should only have to spend between $500 and $1,000 for a computer. Where can you buy computers? Here are a few options:
- Computer superstores (CompUSA, Best Buy)
- Office supply stores (OfficeMax, Office Depot)
- Local company that builds custom computers to your specifications
- Online:
- Auction sites (eBay)
- Surplus sites selling reconditioned computers
- Build-to-order computer shops (Dell, Gateway)
Choosing a home office computer doesn’t have to be difficult. Making sense of the lingo and understanding what your specific needs are will help you purchase the computer that is best for you. Knowing exactly what you want will help you muddle through the sales pitches when searching in person and will enable you to select the right components when shopping online or designing your own system. Stick with what you need and allow for future upgrades and you will be able to select this important business component with ease.