BLACK FRIDAY - What you need to know!
I am still watching the wall mount since my Plasma TV died in September.
So far I have not had to change channels.
However, Star Trek has does look a bit different…
The sound of doorbells ringing, kids announcing “Trick or Treat” and the leftover candy that can make a normal human diabetic…
That’s next week.
Right after that, we are in the “Holiday Season”…and of course, it starts with the multitudes of ads, sales, promotions, early access on the Saturday the week before and the list goes on and on.
Many of my clients wait until this time of the year to get a good deal on a variety of household and other goods including computers.
The pricing usually seems attractive and I have seen people line up for hours before a place opens to get that one computer at a great price.
But is it a great laptop or computer?
Usually it’s a bottom of the line item that has a limited processor or even an old version of a processor.
Remember when outlet centers actually had OUTLET items from the manufacturer?
I do.
I bought tons of things that were TRUE closeouts and marked down and the quality was incredible.
Today, name brands in outlet centers actually MAKE THEIR own outlet level items for sale at “outlet centers.”
Heck, I once got a $600 Seiko for $99. It was a true special.
Sigh.
There are a few that still do have their regular items at a clearance price as the season changes.
Let’s get back to computers.
There are a variety of processors, memory configurations, storage configurations from LOTS of manufacturers.
If you buy a $200 laptop on Black Friday, you are probably getting a device that has an older chip, a small amount of RAM and either a slow hard drive or a small solid state drive. Heck it might even be one of those that are being made JUST for this type of sale.
Will it work? Yup, maybe slowly, VERY slowly.
If you want to do more intensive work on it like gaming or even working with an amateur photo or video editor, it will be challenged.
“I don’t need it for anything more than checking email.”
Well it might just be the steal of the day.
Place a more demanding set of programs on it and it will be a torturous journey.
What I do recommend to clients: make sure that you are buying within you budget; that you are buying something and are aware of whether it’s a short term use or a long term use device.
Short term: use it for a couple of years and it gets tossed.
Long term: use it until you have to buy a new one. Will you be happy long term with an under-powered computer?
So this leads to the discussion of chips, graphics, RAM, and storage.
Intel has made i3, i5, i7 and now i9 chips since 2010.
The “i” series that was just released are some of the fastest processors around. Even a processor that’s from 2016 would be okay with today’s software.
Intel has also made Pentium and Duo-Core chips which rely on a decades-old design. NOT a good choice for Windows 10.
Windows 10 needs RAM. Lots of it.
Microsoft states that it only needs 2GB of RAM to run the 64 bit version.
I disagree based on my experience.
If your computer only has 2GB of RAM, it will be a very slow machine.
2GB RAM and a Pentium chip?
I hope it boots up by Christmas of 2020.
What I recommend is getting a minimum:
- Core i5
- 8-16GB of RAM
- 512GB or higher SSD or a 7200RPM 1TB disk
- Hybrid SSD/regular drives are okay, but look up the reviews!
This is the minimum to keep a client happy. Trust me.
Once you have made the purchase, it might be too late to get a faster computer unless you can get a refund and purchase a new computer.
If you have your eyes on a computer and want to run it by me, please reach out to me using the portal or calling and emailing me a link to the product.
Click here for the portal: PC-ASSIST Help Desk Portal
As always, you can also get to me by phone as well (760) 550-9496.