Buying a Computer Does Not Have to Be Complicated

There are only a few main things to know to buy a computer for writer

There will probably be many comments on this topic about all the things I am not mentioning. The whole point is this is for writers that do not need a powerful computer. If you are buying a computer for games or corporate use, then this article would not be useful.

Shopping for a computer

If you need to replace a computer or buy one for the first time it can get confusing. There is RAM, HDD, SDD, CPU, and many other specs that you must decide what is important to your needs. Did you bring a dictionary with you or have one on your phone?

If you write a lot, a computer is usually the best way to get work done. You can write on a tablet, or even some can do it over their phone, but the computer is better because of the screen size. Many writing aids can be installed, and these run best on a computer, or sometimes only run on a computer.

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the most important. Look for the RAM specification. Most today are listed as 8 Gig, 12 Gig, or 16 Gig. Some of the more high-end computers may have 32 Gig or more installed.

You want to look for 12 or 16 Gig. The minimum that you should get is 8 Gig. This is the speed at which the computer runs the programs. For the operating system Windows 10 and above, 8 Gig will work, but as time goes on, newer software may need more power

A cheaper upgrade for RAM

Depending on where you buy or order the computer from, you may get a computer with 8 Gig, but have another 8 Gig added before you take the computer home. Buying the extra RAM right away is inexpensive, but later on, it may get expensive. An alternative is if you are a little handy or know someone like that, you can get the RAM and install it yourself.

USB Ports for using certain hardware components

Check for how many USB connections there are on the computer. Many uses of a computer may involve USB ports. These include doing backups to a thumb drive (or flash drive), downloading pictures from a camera, and your keyboard and mouse may be USB connections. If you use a wireless keyboard and mouse, you will have to have the connector permanently plugged into the computer. If there are only 2, then you can get a hub for plugging in more devices.

Look for Ports so you can have 2 screens

As you can see in the photo I added at the top of this story, you can have different software programs running at the same time if you use two monitors. In my photo, I am typing this story on a separate monitor, and have the Medium website on the main laptop screen. While creating my document I may need to research something on Medium, or if I want to check one of my earlier stories, I can switch back and forth easily.

Laptop advantage

An advantage of the laptop over the desktop is that you can take the laptop with you to write stories away from your desk. Perhaps you have a picnic table in the backyard, you’re on vacation, or you like to go to the park and write (and maybe get inspiration).

In conclusion

There can be a lot involved in buying a computer, but if you are mostly writing and doing research these are the main points to look for. An option to save money would be if a local computer store may have older computers people have traded in. If there was an issue, they fix them or upgrade the system and resell them for a reduced cost.

The computers I described above can run almost any software you would want to use. You can have Zoom or Google face-to-face meetings, run whatever email software you use, run your social media accounts, and so on.

Next time you are in an electronics store or “Big Box” store, check out the computers and you will see the various things I have mentioned above. Mainly, have fun.