I want a new computer. What should i know?

i really like laptops. they're portable, functionable (as in dont take up a lot of space on my desk), and not hard to pack up should i suddenly have to blow. down side... they don't have as much storage space as a tower. (Fact or Myth?)



i've always wanted to build my own computer. its the reason why i havent bothered getting a new one in 5 years. i wanted to customize my own to my needs, and not waste money on crappy never use whatever (i dont know) but i know there is a hell of a lot of waste with preassembled and packaged pcs. who knows im probably wrong.



basically i work from home doing statistical demographic research for my traveling employer. i email him 5 days a week my assembled analysis. so it is an absolute MUST i be able to continue to do this with ease. i would love to once again have a CDR-W, and it to be able to play cds and dvds. i need it to be basically simple in the beginning but has the ability for me to upgrade it as i expand. i already dump most of my data online, as a crude method of backing up my work, but certain stuff i just dont ever get around to backing up.... mostly miscellaneous musings on projects that are not complete, or i am not ready to begin. i am a writer/artist/tinkerer.... and yet i do mind boggling tedious work for a living.



i like listening to music. who doesnt? i think 8 gigs (?) for that is enough to cover my music bases. my roommate has a sweet acer computer that she plays a bunch of really cool graphic online role playing games... i've always wanted to get into it, but never really had the time, and the fear that those things would become really REALLY addicting for someone like me who lives in a fantasy world as much as possible. i want to be able to continue my advancement into graphic design. i am ok, but my computer's first crash traumatized me and i lost a years worth of experimentation. sense then the software and my waccam kinda have sat and collected dust in my closet.



if you could/would/please? guide me to some basic online websites that explain the in and outs of comparing computers within a certain price range. i work 60 hour weeks, its hard for me to find time to leave my house other than to go out to my second job. i am a visual person, i have to touch/see something to be able to really grasp it. so completely doing this online is over my head... but i feel that doing some research, which i am doing independent of this question is better than wasting time driving to the designer retail stores, or the obscure specialist stores scattered here and there.I want a new computer. What should i know?
Well it's really ruff to answer your question. Building your own desktop is definitely by far the best most cost effective way to get what you really want out of a computer. Build your own laptop on the other hand is probably going to be much more of an issue. You also have given no idea as to what your budget range is and I guess an ok description of what you want to use it for.



For a laptop I recommend going to toshiba's website and looking into what they have available, again not able to recommend much without some sort of price range.

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/home鈥?/a>



As far as build your own desktop, there have been lots of questions already asked here as far as where to buy parts, what you want for your price etc.I want a new computer. What should i know?
myth, a laptop can have just as much or more hard drive space as a tower, it costs a little more but not a lot.



you will want a DVDRW drive which is usually standard on any new computer.



and you will probably want a good graphics card.





if you want information I would suggest going to tigerdirect.com, search for a component you want information on (hard drive, video card, dvd drive, etc.), and then click on one of the featured items (it doesn't matter which one, this just insures that it will be newer) and then scroll down the page to the knowledge and information area to find out about certain subjects. for example on many of the mother board pages there is a piece titled "but what is bios?" which explains what bios are. there are also several "technology guides" which ecompass topics from building your own pc to cleaning your mouse. as well as other technology guides. they are all indexed here: http://static.tigerdirect.com/html/guide鈥?/a>

I recommend you check that page for anything and everything you want to know.I want a new computer. What should i know?
I recommend going to www.pcworld.com and it has numerous articles on how to buy a PC for specific purposes. It also lists the best individual PC parts.



However I have two recommendations for you from WalMart based on my experience. Unless you need to be able to work in a variety of rooms and locations, I recommend a desktop.



Here is my recommendation from Walmart, I would recommend the Acer AX1700-U3700A Desktop PC w/ Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor E2220. (link - http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d鈥?/a>

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Key Features %26amp; Benefits:

Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor E2220

4 GB of DDR2 system memory

640 GB hard drive, 7200 rpm

Lots of storage space for documents, games and media

SuperMulti DVD+/-RW drive with double-layer and LabelFlash support

Lets you burn and play DVDs and CDs for fun and data backup

10/100 Base-T network interface and 56k modem

14-in-1 digital media card reader

Reads virtually all memory card formats

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1

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If you want a laptop, also from Walmart, I would recommend the HP 15.4'' Pavilion dv5-1132us Laptop PC w/ Intel Core 2 Duo P5800 Processor for an approximate cost of $830. (link - http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d鈥?/a>

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Key Features %26amp; Benefits:

BrightView 15.4" widescreen LCD

Presents high-definition 1280 x 800 res for crisp graphics %26amp; text

2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 Processor

Furnishes 64-bit operation for fast multimedia and multitasking

4 GB of DDR2 system memory

Offers excellent performance with today's demanding applications

250 GB SATA hard drive, 5400 rpm

SuperMulti 8x DVD+/-RW drive with LightScribe (double-layer)

Webcam with integrated digital microphone

802.11b/g wireless LAN

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition SP1

5-in-1 digital media card reader - Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards

Audio: Altec Lansing

Keyboard: 101-key compatible %26amp; Quick Launch Button - HP Quick Play DVD

Pointing Device: Touch Pad with dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad

PC Card Slots: ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)



Good luck.