How To Take Care of Your

Computer
for Little or No Money
3 Part Series

Part 3 – How To Buy a Computer Cheaply

– How to Buy the Right Computer
– How to Buy Computer Related Stuff
– Question and Answer Session
Ted Whittemore
The Working Computers Blog & Kinnelon Computers
www.kinneloncomputers.com
 Who is Ted Whittemore?
• Owner of Working Computers and the
Working Computers Blog
• Has worked in computer services industry
since 1987 building, servicing, and selling
computer systems, software and
maintenance
www.kinneloncomputers.com
 What’s the Plan for today?
• Take a look at Special Coupon Code and
Unadvertised Coupon code Websites that Offer
Great Deals on top Computers from Hp, Dell ,and
other makers.
• Discuss other Buying Options and Stores
• Discuss Extended Warranties
• Discuss How Much Computer You Need
• Answer questions and solve problems

*All of the subjects covered are also in articles in the

Working Computers Blog, @
www.kinneloncomputers.com
Before We Deal With These Issues
• Feel free to ask specific questions
about the topic we are covering

• Please save general questions for the

end
 Why Buy a Computer Online and
How to Get the Best Deal

• Top Tier Makers such as HP and Dell offer the Best

Quality, the Best Support and the Best Warranties
• The Computer Will Be Delivered to You as You Have
Ordered It, Not Just What Was On the Showroom Floor
• The Best Warranties are Always and Only Available
Online and Warranties are Really Important
• Always Go Through a Discount Coupon or Deal Site,
such as TechBargains, or LogicBuy – They Will Direct
You to the Maker’s Site along with the Unadvertised
Code, Offering as Much as Several Hundreds of $$$
Off the Manufacturer’s Best Price
TechBargains – www.techbargains.com
 LogicBuy – Search for Core i5

• www.logicbuy.com
 How Do You Look for The Right
Deal
1. Navigate to the Category of Interest, e.g.,
Laptops
2. Scroll Through the Latest Listings and
Codes
3. Go to the Maker’s Website with the Code
You Have Received and Option Your
Machine
4. Plug in Your Code at Checkout to See Your
Final Price.
 How Do You Know You Have A
Good Deal?
• Make Sure You Have Picked Out the Right Computer,
that is, the Right CPU, Amount of Memory, Disk,
Warranty, and so on – We’ll Get To That in a Minute!
• Compare Prices over a 10 day Period, or more at the
Maker’s Site, Other Maker’s Sites, and e.g., BJ’s, or Best
Buy to see Which Offers the Best Deal
• Keep a Record of the Prices ands Sites, as well as the
Options on the Machines You are Comparing
• Do Not Worry if the Computer You are Interested In
Disappears for a Week or So – Either It or Another
Similar Will Reappear after that Time
• Remember To Compare Included or Optional Warranties
 A Little About Modern Computers
• Computers these days have multi-core CPUs,
that is 2 or more, up to 8 in Desktop Systems
now, in one CPU package. They are much more
powerful than their older single core
predecessors.
• While Dual Core Systems are popular they are
not likely to last well, or as long as Quad Core
and higher Computers. Try to buy an Intel brand
Quad Core, Core i5 or Core i7 machine.
 What Computer Should I Choose?
• The most important thing to remember, after how much money you think
you can afford to spend, is that, now, more than ever:

• Power = Longevity

• That Means that the ever increasing Load Placed on a Computer by the
Internet, Programs, and Support Software, is increasing at a faster and
faster pace over time.
• You could buy a mid-range computer 5 or 6 years ago and expect it to last
for 5 or six years. That is no longer true.
• The Average Computer being sold today has a dual core CPU, 4 to 6 GB of
memory and is expected to last (not wear out) in terms of viable use, no
more than 3 years, 4 at the outside. It won’t be dead, just useless.
• Anyone expecting to have a computer last 5 years or more needs a Quad
Core 8 GB, or more, machine.
• That means at least an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 CPU, and, sadly, AMD CPUs
simply do not compare well in power or bang-for-the-buck at the moment.

Next – My Very Favorite Laptop:

TechBargains Laptop
HP Laptop dv6tqe
What About a Less Expensive Computer?
Dell Vostro Core i5 2400 4 Core System
What Other Equipment Do I Need?

• A Monitor – Where should I buy one?

• You can buy one of the monitors offered
with the computer you buy and you will
pay more than you need to but get a good
monitor, or …
• You can buy one through the same
discount sites, e.g. …
Techbargains:
How Do I Know If I Need an Extended Warranty?

• Can You Do Without Your Computer?

Whose Extended Warranty Should I Get?

• The Manufacturer’s. Always. 3rd Party

Warranties Can Take more Than 3 Weeks to
Resolve
•3rd Party Warranties are almost all Profit for the
Store, and nearly Useless, so it is just like Paying
A Higher Price for the Item
 What If My Computer Dies?
• A 3rd Party Warranty Often Does Not Actually
Guarantee That Your Computer Will Be Fixed!!! Or
When …
• If it is Old, the Warrantor may elect to pay you a “Fair
Market Value” buyout for the computer.
• Guess Who Decides How Much That Is???

• The Manufacturer Will Fix Your Machine, Within the

Agreed Timeframe
• Manufacturers Offer Next Day Repair in Home,
Depending on the Day of the Week
• If Your Hard Drive Dies, Too – I Hope You Have A
Backup
 You Can Extend the Manufacturer’s
Warranty for Computers Bought
Elsewhere!!!

• Just Call HP, or Dell, or Whomever, and

Tell Them You want To Extend Your New
Computer’s Warranty.
• The Will Be Happy to Do It!
• For a Pretty Fair Price.
• You Usually Have to Extend the Warranty
Within the First 30 Days of Ownership
 What About BJ’s?
BJ’s has good choices at competitive prices – you have to know
what to look for, and you have to extend the warranty with the maker
yourself.
A Brief Story of the Latest Intel Processors
What Should I Be Looking For in a CPU?

• 4 Core if You Can Afford It

• That Means at least a Core i5 24XX CPU for
Desktops
• Or at least Core i7 2XXXQM for Laptops
• There are no Core i5 Quad Core Laptop CPUs
• Remember – a Laptop at the same price level
as a Desktop with a similar CPU number is
ALWAYS lower powered .
• If your use of the computer will allow it, that
means you should buy a Desktop, if you can.
What Are My Favorite Computers?
• The HP dv6tqe and dv7tqe Laptops
• The Dell XPS 8300 Desktop

Why Do I Like Them???

• They are all Quad Core Machines Priced

very well and discounted, and I have had
very good experience with them
• They will last a Long Time …
Dell XPS 8300 Quad Core
The Very Best Buy in a Home Desktop PC Right Now
Best Deal of the Day: 3-15-12

Item #2 Under Hottest Deals – Check It Out!!!

 Toshiba 4 Core Laptop for $600!

You can get 8 GB of memory (2X 4 GB modules) from Crucial for $46, and
have an 8 GB USB 3 computer for $646 total, delivered, incl. –no– tax!
Best Extended Warranty of the Day
Worst Extended Warranty of the Day
 It’s Not Just Computers that are
Discounted

Google Search for “Norton 360 v6 cheap” brought up a Norton listing for $37 off!
 Know What You are Buying

• Buy as powerful ( CPU & Memory) a machine as you

can afford
•Compare extended warranties and their prices
•Be patient
•Do not just go down to Best Buy or Costco and buy
something in your price range!
•If You End Up with a Core i3 or AMD CPU or not enough
Memory, Your Computer Will Die 2 Years Early
 Remember to Check and Check
Again for Your Best Price
• Check multiple sites
• Sign up for the TechBargains and
LogicBuy email list
• Compare with Local Prices from BJ’s or
Costco
• Make sure you understand what you
are buying and what the warranty is
• Buy!
 Summary
• This Presentation and all links will be up on the
Working Computers Blog shortly – you do not
need to take notes if you don’t want to.
• These Topics and a lot more are covered on the
Working Computers site, along with links to
software and sites for easy downloading.
• Remember, it’s all at
www.kinneloncomputers.com
Questions??
 Please Assess Seminar
• There are Assessment Sheets for this talk
available on the table, and I should have
already handed them out – Please take a
moment to tell us what you think and give
us any suggestions you may have.

• Thanks!
www.kinneloncomputers.com/
Contact Information

• Ted Whittemore

– Working Computers in Kinnelon, NJ

– http://www.KinnelonComputers.com
– 973-838-2368
– Ted@amgpi.com