Computer – Buy Now or Save Later?

Computer – Buy Now or Save Later?

Prices are always dropping. Here’s how to figure when you should buy

Computer – Buy now. The planned obsolescence cycle in the computer industry is about every six months. That means every half year – when a newer, better, cheaper computer comes out on the market – you’ll be slapping yourself on the forehead for not having waited longer to buy. Or should you have waited? Here’s how to decide:

– Did you need a computer yesterday, and can you afford it today? If you answered “yes” to both questions, then go for it! You may want to compare prices, but you’re best off buying now so that you can get started working as soon as possible. If, however, you’re just perusing your options, you can search at a more leisure pace and wait for better deals. Remember, too, computers never really become obsolete; thousands of decade old IBM PCs are in use today. A computer isn’t likely to break down because it is old. Indeed, a computer is more likely to have problems in its first months of life than to die of old age.

– Do you know what you want? If you’re sure that you want a Compaq Pentium/75 MHz PC with at least 20 MB RAM, a 540 MB hard drive, and a double-speed CD-ROM drive, you’re clearly well-informed, have assessed your requirements, and have found a machine to suit them. If, however, you’re likely to go into a computer store and say to a sales rep, “I’m going for a computer,” stop! You may be sold a computer, that will not best suit your needs. Wait, research, and do some careful self-analysis before you lay down your credit card.

– Have you thought about major future developments? Take software, for example. You may think that you don’t need a lot of RAM, for the applications you’re likely to run, but if you’ll want to upgrade to multimedia or Windows 95, you’ll need 8 MB at least, preferably 16 MB.

(Computer – buy now or save later. This text was first published in 1995, a nice example of texts about computers in those times long gone).

­See also:

• Best place to sell your used laptop or computer online. Free shipping. Top cash guaranteed.