How to Buy a Computer - Part 4
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Save with Mail Order:

Computer hardware and software are not cheap. I personally have noticed 
software prices are starting to rise. I bought a software package a year 
ago for $80 and now the price has risen to over $200 for the latest 
version of it. You may be wondering if it is safe to buy hardware or 
software through the mail. The answer is, YES IT IS! But you must be 
careful in what you buy through the mail and from whom you buy it. Here 
are some tips:

* There is no advantage of buying software at a computer store. There   is 
very little they can offer you except their time. The problem is   that 
they can't learn how to use every software package they sell, so   their 
knowledge will be limited. You are better off buying by   mailorder and 
using the money you save to hire a proffessional to   help you. You can 
save even more if you take the time to READ THE   INSTRUCTIONS that comes 
with your software. You wouldn't buy an   automobile, if you haven't 
learned how to drive, would you? The same   holds true with computers. A 
large percentage of the problems that   people experience with computers 
is directly related to their failure   to take time to understand more 
about computers. The time spent   learning is worth it!

* Buy small orders from a mailorder company and test out how reliable   
they are first. Many mailorder companies have an excellent   reputation.

* Choose mailorder companies that have the biggest advertisements. It   
costs thousands of dollars for a company to put an ad in a major   
magazine. They wouldn't be spending this money if they didn't have a   
good business.

* Compare prices. Cut out the advertisements of a least five different   
mailorder companies and then compare their prices.

* Try to stick to brand name products when purchasing something that   
costs more than $100. It may cost a little more, but you probably   won't 
end up buying a lemon.

* On the other hand, don't be afraid to try a lesser known product that   
is in the less than $100 range. There are many very good companies   with 
very good products at a reasonable price.

* Try to be informed as much as possible before you buy. One good habit   
(especially for expensive software) is to request FREE Demo disks of   the 
software when they are available. To do this, flip through all   the ads 
in a computer magazine and order any or all the Free Demos   you see 
offered.

* Buying a complete computer through the mail should be done very   
carefully. I suggest cutting out the ads for at least ten different   
mailorder companies that sell complete computer systems. Then either   
show them to a friend who knows a lot about computers and get his/her   
opinion on which is the best deal or hire a computer consultant in   your 
area and be willing to spend at least $50 to get his   professional 
opinion. The money you spend will be worth it.

* Before buying any software or hardware, see if there are any reviews   
of these products in a computer magazine. Many computer magazines   
compare products of similiar design and tell which is the best   according 
to their experienced opinion.

* Find a good mailorder company that sells computer supplies and be   
willing to buy your supplies in bulk. Buy disks 50 or 100 at a time.   Buy 
ribbons 6 or 12 at a time. If you don't use a lot of supplies,   why not 
find a friend or another small business that would be willing   to combine 
their order with yours, so you can get the cheaper prices   buy buying 
larger quantities.


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Prepared by Peter Conrad Cumminsky, consultant, ASEE, CET, Team OS/2
(707) 987-9484
Visit my Computer Taming web site at http://www.angelfire.com/biz/taming/


(C) Copyright 1993-1998 peterconrad@hotmail.com