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As with any other major purchase, it pays to have as much knowledge as possible when buying a new computer before laying down several hundred, or several thousand, dollars for the purchase. Unfortunately, the personal computer market is rife with a bewildering array of arcane specifications and options that are often confusing to someone without a technology background. This article will attempt to translate the secret language of computers and provide guidance to the average buyer.

DESKTOP VERSUS NOTEBOOK

As recently as a few years ago, the question of whether to buy a desktop computer or a notebook/laptop was a simple determination of cost and power versus mobility. Desktops were significantly cheaper than notebooks and offered considerably more computing ability while a laptop offered mobility.

That is no longer the case.

With the increasing advances in miniaturization and heavy demand, sales of notebook computers have consistently risen while figures for desktop systems have slumped. In fact, in 2007 more laptops were sold than desktops. What this means is that when considering a laptop with similar capabilities to a desktop, the price should be comparable. Adding to the appeal of a notebook computer is that fact that is requires significantly fewer peripherals to get up and running. You will not need a separate keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. to begin working with a new laptop. Advances in materials also mean that the average weight of notebook computers have steadily decreased from the mammoth 28 pounds common in the mid 1980s to just 3 or 4 pounds for most modern systems.

However, the strength of desktop computers remains their versatility and ability to upgrade. If you want to upgrade your video to play the latest computer game or run a demanding graphics manipulation program, this is as simple as purchasing a new card and installing it into your desktop. The same is true for audio, memory, disk drives, and a vast array of add-on capabilities running the gamut from cable television decoders to networking cards to Blue-Ray drives. This ability will often extend the life of a desktop computer, allowing you to upgrade its components to keep pace with advancing technologies. To similarly upgrade a notebook will often require purchasing an entirely new computer.

PROCESSORS

The processor is a chip that is seated onto the main board of your computer, often called the motherboard, or mobo for short. This chip is the "brains" of your computer, the hardware component

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