Whether you are a first-time buyer or are upgrading your computer system, when the time comes to make your computer buying decision, you might find yourself overwhelmed by the vast amount of information available. There are thousands of computer advertisements on the Web and in magazines and newspapers that list detailed technical product specifications. To get the best deal on a computer that meets your needs, you need to understand what these technical specifications mean and how they will affect your computing power. You need to establish the budget for your computer system, which will help you to exclude those system configurations that are too costly. This Buyer’s Guide will help you to organize your purchasing decisions.

This guide also includes a  Buyer’s Guide Summary that you can download and print, then use to organize your findings and summarize your notes as you compare specifications for a computer.  To help you compare prices and features to determine the best deal on a computer system, you can download a Buyer’s Specification Worksheet.