Computers: Does Low Cost = Low Performance?
This is a question that everyone in the market for a laptop computer should consider. The computer industry has changed dramatically over the past 10-15 years as personal computer became a staple for most households.
I can remember back to my first computer - An IBM 486SX - 25mhz! For a very short time this computer was awesome, as it should have been for $2500! Back in the mid-nineties, this was the norm. If you wanted a good computer, you had to pay a high price and paying more did buy you a better machine. For me, things went great until a few months later why my friend got a 486DX - 66. Wow...what a fast machine! :o) I was so jealous of his new computer, but was also disappointed that I could not do the same things with my compuer that he could.
Today, it's much different. Computing has moved from program based software to online based. The truth of the matter is that if you buy a computer that has the ability to surf the internet and use email (which all do), you likely don't need much more than that.
Of course, when you go to buy a new computer at a big box store, they will steer you toward a model with 3gb of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and a much faster processor than you will ever need. I know so many people that I advised to buy the least expensive model that the store sold only to find out that they opted for a machine with many options that they don't need. I always here this "The guy at the store said it would be too slow". Sure, if you're a graphic designer, it might have been a bit slow for you, but for the average user, any computer sold new today will do what you need.