Don't fall into the its loaded trap
Apr 02 '00 (Updated Mar 18 '07)
The Bottom Line Pay close attention to what the manufacturers pack into the next PC purchase to avoid over spending on your computer.
This opinion is coming from a person that used sell and services PC's for a living. In my opinion too many of the PC's available from the leading computer companies (Dell,HP/Compaq,Gateway 2000)are loaded with useless software and features that your average user will never use. I don't have any specific allegiance to any manufacturer of computers, but I do favor one certain maker over all the rest and I will get to that at the end.
I prefer to sell a custom made system, that is tailored to the buyers needs and helps them avoid unnecessary expenses. I recommend that the first time buyer do his or her homework and consider what they plan on using the PC for before they make a big purchase such as; games, word processing or just surfing the web. A gaming PC has a lot of unique requirements that will be found only on the top-of-the-line line PC's from the leading PC makers have, which will drive up the overall cost of the PC.
A few of these requirements are a faster processor (3.2 GHz), more memory to run the larger files at least 2GB and a high performance video card sporting 512MB of video memory.
Your average family using a PC for the first time will not need features like DVD-RW drives and TV tuner cards, but you will find these extra features packed into some computers being pushed to first time users to sell computers. If you do your homework before you walk into your local Best Buy, Circuit City or CompUSA you will be a lot better prepared and just maybe you won't be talked into buying a computer that is must plain to much machine for you and way too much money.
Also, beware that leading PC maker Dell has a bad habit of loading their PC's with software that you figure might want to use only to find out that it is a trial version and it will cost you more money to purchase the full version.
I highly recommend you checkout the manufacturers website or check your local paper for advertising circulars before to leap into your next major computer purchase
This a revision of my very first opinion I wrote when I first started with Epinions.
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