Looking for a bargain? How about that $275 laptop PC from an office-supply store? Ever since Black Friday, this laptop has intrigued me. This isn't a Chromebook, either. It's a real honest-to-goodness computer. Windows 8.1 is included. And there's the tipoff. Most PCs sold in the last few years come equipped with Windows 10.
This is a vintage PC. It comes with two gigabytes of RAM, a 160-gigabyte hard drive, a slow Celeron processor and a 14-inch screen. If all you do is use the Internet and do basic word-processing, this laptop isn't a bad deal. But it doesn't come with a wireless card or even Bluetooth. Those add-ons would fill both 2.0 USB ports and set you back $50. That means you'd also have to spend $30 to get a Bluetooth mouse, since the touchpad is about as responsive as a government bureaucrat.
In short, this laptop isn't even last year's model. It probably sat in the store room, only to be taken out on Black Friday.
This time of year, computer hardware and software titles are on sale. But sometimes what looks like a bargain isn't such a good deal after all.
If you can pay a bit more, say $400, you can get a notebook with 8 gigs of memory and a 1 terabyte hard drive, along with a 15.6-inch screen. It will have at least a dual-core Intel i3 processor, which is much faster than the Celeron processor. For a few hundred more you can get the latest generation processor, which will handle just about everything you throw at it. RAM is so cheap, you'll want a PC with at least 8 gigabytes; 16 gigs if you do intensive number crunching or photoshopping.
For 2018, expect to find notebooks that are lighter and faster, and cost about the same as last year's models. Brutal competition has kept computer prices down. It's a buyer's market.
You might also consider a Chromebook, available from HP, Acer and other manufacturers, for as little as $200. But they're slow and have ridiculously small hard drives. On the plus side, they're light and portable. For 2018, expect to find models that are adequate for cloud computing in the $180 range.
The trend in storage is for super-fast solid-state hard drives. Those drives have no moving parts, unlike traditional drives that spin, are slow and are prone to go south at crunch times. Don't even consider a solid-state drive of less than 256 gigabytes. I bought a MacBook Pro with 128 gigs of storage, which filled up after installing just a few programs. And avoid desktops or laptops with less than 8 gigs of memory. I use both a 500-gig sold-state drive and a traditional 1 terabyte drive on my desktop PC. The SSD is for applications; I store data on the regular drive.
Most middle-of-line Windows notebooks come with touch screens. I find the whole concept unimpressive. You have to take your hands off the keyboard and trackpad or mouse to tap on an icon on the screen in order to launch that software. But expect more touch screens even on entry-level notebooks and desktops. Apple offers a "touch bar" that resides at the bottom of the desktop on their pricey MacBook Pro series. Touch screens aren't offered for iMacs. Apple's penchant for secrecy precludes predictions for 2018. Announcements of new Apple products _ called keynotes _ are usually held in the fall. With so many other of their products offering touch screens, there may be a surprise announcement about touch screens for their notebooks and desktops.
By the way, if I had only one computer, I'd buy the MacBook Air. It has all the features of the more expensive iMac desktop, lasts 10 hours between charges and is light enough to carry through airports. If you can live with its 13-inch screen, you'll like the retina display. And if you buy Parallels, for $80, you can run Windows on it, too. If you don't want to buy Parallels, you can set up a separate partition for Windows, and choose it when you boot up. Your only cost is a copy of Windows.
While Apple tweaks its systems for better video capability and more memory, each year, it usually doesn't lower prices. Check out refurbished models on www.apple.com; but be careful _ some of the models are as much as three years old. And make certain you get refurbished models directly from Apple. Some Apple computers are "refurbished" in someone's garage.
That said, the ideal specs for either a desktop or notebook is 8 gigs of memory, a minimum 256-gig solid-state drive, at least a 13-inch display and an Intel i3 dual core processor. Honestly, I can't tell the difference between an i3 processor and an i5 processor. The real difference becomes apparent with an i7 quad-core processor. Think a two-lane blacktop for dual core processors and a super highway for quad core models, with data flying on all fours.
If weight is a factor _ say you travel a lot _ you're better off with a notebook that weighs less than five pounds. If you have the extra money, and can spend upwards of $1,000, you'll find notebooks in the two-pound range from Dell, HP and others. Most lightweight notebooks don't come with DVD drives. Portable drives, for burning CDs and installing software, cost as little as $25.
One more essential: For about $50 you can get a 1 terabyte external hard drive that's connected to your computer with a cable (usually included with the drive). Copy your most important files and photos to that drive, and put it in a safe place. Those drives cost half of what they did just a few years ago; expect them to get even cheaper as 2- and 4-terabyte external drives become more affordable. I bought a 4-gig external drive for backing up my iMac for $100.
Now that you have your affordable dream computer, you'll need software.
Apple models include free programs for word processing, spreadsheets, and movie and music editing, for starters. While $900 may seem like a lot for a basic MacBook Air notebook, the software alone is worth several hundred dollars.
In a recent column I ranted about subscription software, in which you pay by the month or year for running them on your PC. Expect more of that in 2018. But there still are DVD versions of some software, such as Microsoft Office for Students and Teachers that costs as little as $100. Expect discounts on anti-virus software such as Norton Security and MacAfee. I pretty much have to stay on top of the latest software upgrades, but you probably don't. Boxed software for movie and photo editing are still offered, but expect software on DVDs to become even rarer in 2018.
Apple typically upgrades its operating system each year, and they usually don't charge for it. One downside for upgrading an operating system is that older software may not run. Windows 10 is due for a refreshing this year, and it might be offered at no cost. Don't expect Windows 11 this year. If you're running Windows 7 (the best Windows operating system ever, in my opinion), support will end in 2020.
Expect movie-editing software to handle much higher resolution capabilities and input from multiple cameras, which can be amazing _ or amateurish when used only for effect and not for telling a story. Don't expect significant price increases _ but it's hard to say whether you'll be able to avoid subscription services.
So, in 2018 expect faster computers _ at roughly the same prices they are today. But examine the specs on that notebook or desktop PC. Remember: You can't have too much memory, but you can spend too much on a computer with features you don't need. For example, many mainstream computers have an integrated video card that's part of the motherboard. Some higher-end ones have separate, expensive video cards that are necessary only if you use Photoshop or other memory-intensive photo-editing software.
Should you buy that $275 Windows notebook that's on clearance? My advice is to wait to see what 2018 brings. I think you'll get more for your money if you wait a month or two.
