The Perfect Computer

The best computer is a fast computer.

What is the perfect computer? If you are buying a new computer, what should you get? I get this question all the time, but the easy answer is that it depends on your needs. One thing is certain - everyone wants a fast computer.

Like a car, it depends on your tastes, your budget, the way you drive and what you plan to do with your vehicle. There are so many choices, but all of them can be confusing. When it comes to a computer, however, most people just want something that is fast and problem-free.

What if you don't know what you need? What if you are new to computers?

Start with simple and practical facts: Windows computers will run the most popular software, but they are also infected with viruses at the highest rate. If you are new to computers, I would suggest you buy an Apple Macintosh if you can afford it. The reason for this is that they are less prone to virus infections, and they tend to be easier to learn if you have never used a computer.

Windows is more widely used, but expect a Windows computer to slow down over time, get infected and have virus problems, even if you've purchased an antivirus program.

This is the key fact about Windows computers at home: they will eventually run slowly and need to be reloaded.  (Over time, even a Mac will run slowly too, but they are less prone to virus threats.)  The best computer is a fast computer. To make yours fast like it was when you purchased it, reload the factory settings.

How to Reload Your Computer's Factory Settings:

If you own a Windows computer, prepare to reload it (or have someone else do it for you).  If you buy a computer these days, it has either a CD ROM with the "factory settings" on it, or it has a special "partition" on the hard disk with the factory settings stored for when you need to restore the factory settings. To restore the computer to the original factory settings, you would either insert the CD ROM into the computer BEFORE you turn it on, and "boot from the CD" .... OR you would turn the computer on and run the "RESTORE" program to restore the factory settings to the computer.  Every computer is different, so check your computer's manual or tech support phone number to find out how your factory restore works.

Step by step instructions on how to perform to a "factory restore" procedure:

1. Back up the data on your computer. The easiest way to do this yourself is to drag the items you've stored from their place on your computer to an external USB "thumb drive."  If you're worried about missing something, get professional help to be sure you've backed up the important data on your computer. Don't forget the music, movies, photos, documents, the financial files, the favorite sites, any email, etc.

2. Find out if you're using a CD ROM to restore the computer or a special "partition" on the computer.  If you have a CD ROM you normally turn the computer on and press the "C" key or sometimes F10 or F12 to "boot from CD ROM."

The crazy thing is that each computer may be different, and the special key that you need to hold down while turning on the computer may vary. Sometimes the computer gives you a clue each time you power it on. The screen may say "Press F4 to run factory restore" or "press F10 for boot options"

If you pressed the correct key, the computer will start a series of steps to ERASE your computer COMPLETELY. This means all your data will be gone, so be sure you backed it up first. The computer should guide you through some steps to return your computer to the original factory settings. Once complete, your computer will need to update itself but should run much faster. Many computer makers will provide technical support and they can walk you through the correct procedures to restoring your factory settings.

3. Don't forget to copy your data back to your computer, re-add printers, and run Windows updates. Best Buy has a service that will do all this for you if you find this too daunting of a task.

My favorite places to find computers:

Apple Store (fantastic personal service, more expensive)
Walmart (rock bottom prices, buy instantly at the store near you)
TigerDirect.com web site (great prices online)

Whatever you purchase, think carefully about the warranty: how long does it need to last? The warranty you get should cover the length of time you need the computer to last.

A site with great computer reviews: http://reviews.cnet.com/