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gr8_smyll
I don't plan to use it for work. Only for games and fun stuff--movies,music, etc.
Answer
Your question is relatively broad, as the level of your gaming, music, and movie usage isn't defined. Will you simply be watching movies or editing them? When you say games, do you mean online Yahoo! poker or do you want to play The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the highest graphic settings? The answers to these questions change my recommendations greatly, but I will give a quick, sweeping overview of components anybody should look for with a PC.
If you are going to buy the PC from a major company such as Dell, Gateway, etc. you will find that they offer different level computers for different levels of needs. As somebody suggested, a desktop will typically give you more performance for the price if you plan on using it at home. But, there is something very nice about being able to e-mail from your couch and surfing the net wireless.
Still, you listed movies as one of your concerns, and this typically calls for a large screen and robust sound system. You can get a large screen for a laptop, but then it ceases to be all that portable and you'd still have to hook it up to stationary speakers or headphones to get any kind of audio enjoyment from your music/media. In this regards, do no skimp on the monitor. Look for an LCD monitor with a high refresh rate (for gaming purposes) and make sure it is big enough for your purposes. 17" is a good starting size, but you'll thank yourself if you go 19" or larger. Widescreen is a luxury you can choose if you wish, but I wouldn't say it's required to any degree.
As for the guts of the computer, you're going to want to look at CPU, memory, graphics card, and hard drive space. There are, of course, other components, but these are your core essentials when judging what type of machine you're looking at.
How much CPU power will be completely dependent upon what types of applications you wish to run. If you see yourself doing movie editing, every ounce of horsepower counts. But if you don't plan on doing editing or extremely high end gaming, basically anything that is a 64 bit processor will suffice. It is important you get the 64 bit processor, as this technology will be taking over soon and you don't want to be lagging too far behind after only a year. There are two major brands of CPU: Intel and AMD. Both are good choices and you will find people that swear by one or the other. I've used both, and can say it's hard to make a bad choice.
Memory (RAM) is simple. The more you have, the better. A year ago I would have said 512mb would get most people by, but that's swiftly changing. I'd recommend at least 1gb of ram. If you plan on doing any sort of 3D gaming, put the most in you can afford. RAM is probably the cheapest and easiest way to notice an improvement in your computers performance.
Graphics cards can get more complicated. I wrote another suggestion on graphics card I will link for you here if you wish to read more:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As7hHFFE_Y86a_2VkUktXL3sy6IX?qid=20061130225304AA7j0co&show=7#profile-info-fa45dee379360ef00b1118481e6ba8c0aa
If you plan on doing extensive 3D gaming and movie watching, you will want a nice graphics card. Get at least 256mb of memory on it. This would be the minimum now for gaming, so if you can upgrade, do it. However for most people, a graphics card with 256mb is going to do the trick for awhile.
Finally, the hard drive. This is just how much stuff you'll be fitting onto your computer. Again, the more the better. If you're downloading music, games, and movies 100gb (gigabytes) gets small really quick. Look for something with over 150gb, and upgrade as you see fit to your needs.
In short: Get a nice monitor! This is something you'll be looking at for hours, so make it pretty. When getting a CPU, make it a 64 bit processor. The best graphics card you can afford is future proofing you to be able to do games for at least 2 years. The more RAM the better, at least 1 gigabyte (But you probably wouldn't need more than 2gb). And the more hard drive space the better: you want to be able to store all your videos, movies, music, and games.
There are other features to look for, but by follow these basic standards you'll be sure to find a PC to suit your needs and price!
A quick word on Apple computers:
These are a great alternative to the PC, especially now that they come with an intel processor. However, they are going to typically cost more than a PC and not every piece of software/hardware will work for it. Still, they are beautiful machines and if you can afford the price tag I wouldn't think twice about recommending a purchase.
Your question is relatively broad, as the level of your gaming, music, and movie usage isn't defined. Will you simply be watching movies or editing them? When you say games, do you mean online Yahoo! poker or do you want to play The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the highest graphic settings? The answers to these questions change my recommendations greatly, but I will give a quick, sweeping overview of components anybody should look for with a PC.
If you are going to buy the PC from a major company such as Dell, Gateway, etc. you will find that they offer different level computers for different levels of needs. As somebody suggested, a desktop will typically give you more performance for the price if you plan on using it at home. But, there is something very nice about being able to e-mail from your couch and surfing the net wireless.
Still, you listed movies as one of your concerns, and this typically calls for a large screen and robust sound system. You can get a large screen for a laptop, but then it ceases to be all that portable and you'd still have to hook it up to stationary speakers or headphones to get any kind of audio enjoyment from your music/media. In this regards, do no skimp on the monitor. Look for an LCD monitor with a high refresh rate (for gaming purposes) and make sure it is big enough for your purposes. 17" is a good starting size, but you'll thank yourself if you go 19" or larger. Widescreen is a luxury you can choose if you wish, but I wouldn't say it's required to any degree.
As for the guts of the computer, you're going to want to look at CPU, memory, graphics card, and hard drive space. There are, of course, other components, but these are your core essentials when judging what type of machine you're looking at.
How much CPU power will be completely dependent upon what types of applications you wish to run. If you see yourself doing movie editing, every ounce of horsepower counts. But if you don't plan on doing editing or extremely high end gaming, basically anything that is a 64 bit processor will suffice. It is important you get the 64 bit processor, as this technology will be taking over soon and you don't want to be lagging too far behind after only a year. There are two major brands of CPU: Intel and AMD. Both are good choices and you will find people that swear by one or the other. I've used both, and can say it's hard to make a bad choice.
Memory (RAM) is simple. The more you have, the better. A year ago I would have said 512mb would get most people by, but that's swiftly changing. I'd recommend at least 1gb of ram. If you plan on doing any sort of 3D gaming, put the most in you can afford. RAM is probably the cheapest and easiest way to notice an improvement in your computers performance.
Graphics cards can get more complicated. I wrote another suggestion on graphics card I will link for you here if you wish to read more:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As7hHFFE_Y86a_2VkUktXL3sy6IX?qid=20061130225304AA7j0co&show=7#profile-info-fa45dee379360ef00b1118481e6ba8c0aa
If you plan on doing extensive 3D gaming and movie watching, you will want a nice graphics card. Get at least 256mb of memory on it. This would be the minimum now for gaming, so if you can upgrade, do it. However for most people, a graphics card with 256mb is going to do the trick for awhile.
Finally, the hard drive. This is just how much stuff you'll be fitting onto your computer. Again, the more the better. If you're downloading music, games, and movies 100gb (gigabytes) gets small really quick. Look for something with over 150gb, and upgrade as you see fit to your needs.
In short: Get a nice monitor! This is something you'll be looking at for hours, so make it pretty. When getting a CPU, make it a 64 bit processor. The best graphics card you can afford is future proofing you to be able to do games for at least 2 years. The more RAM the better, at least 1 gigabyte (But you probably wouldn't need more than 2gb). And the more hard drive space the better: you want to be able to store all your videos, movies, music, and games.
There are other features to look for, but by follow these basic standards you'll be sure to find a PC to suit your needs and price!
A quick word on Apple computers:
These are a great alternative to the PC, especially now that they come with an intel processor. However, they are going to typically cost more than a PC and not every piece of software/hardware will work for it. Still, they are beautiful machines and if you can afford the price tag I wouldn't think twice about recommending a purchase.
whats the difference between a cheap watch and an expensive brand ie rolex, omega etc.?
yep
I have always loved buying watches but all my life i have gone with less expensive brands (quartz) I would just like to know what I am buying when I buy a more expensive brand such as omega, rolex, etc. The specs are sometimes identical. why would someone spend so much money?
Answer
Captain Obvious is correct about a few things, but not all.
For the most part, there isn't much of a difference (functionally) between a $50 quartz watch and a $2,000 quartz watch. Quite obviously, there will be a better quality product -- both in terms of aesthetics and finish as well as in terms of reliability and quality of timekeeping. Otherwise, both tell time fairly well.
However, the differences start showing when you are looking at mechanical watches that do not use Quartz, such as Automatics. These watches are mechanical marvels that can do some pretty darn interesting and complicated things. The advantage of an Automatic over a Quartz, of course, is that the good ones are built to last and you can pass it on to your next generation.
In that regard, a lot of the watches may seem the same (i.e. they tell time - duh). However, remember that with luxury watches, you are paying for it as a piece of expensive jewelry and art. The fact that it tells time is secondary.
Therefore, the difference therefore comes in *how* a watch tells time -- i.e. what mechanism (or movement) does it use, how well does it work, what else can it do, how well was it made, who made it, where was it made, what materials were used etc. In that regard, there is a world of difference in the tiers.
You've beginner luxury brands -- Raymond Weil, Longines, Stowa etc. Great watches, very reliable and use standard "movements" with excellent quality construction -- but nothing special. Not particularly expensive (less than $2,000 usually).
Then you have the mid tier brands. Within the mid tier brands, you've the lower mid tier and the higher mid tier brands.
In the lower mid tier, you have Omega, Rolex, Breitling, IWC etc -- around $2,000 - $10,000. About the same as the beginner (mostly), but slightly better quality and finish, and better brand name. In the higher mid tier brands, you get brands like Girard Perregaux, Breguet, and even IWC. Much better quality -- and you start getting into "custom" movements and "complications" that do some really amazing and cool mechanical things, and they are usually between $10,000 - $50,000. Their finish and quality tends to be rather outstanding, and they are not as commonly found.
Both the beginner and mid-tier brands are pretty reliable, and adhere to COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) standards of timekeeping accuracy, even when they don't have to. More than likely, a cheap $50 watch -- or even some of the "branded" $1,000 watch (think Armani or Guess watches) -- will fail at these standards.
Finally, then you get into the truly higher end brands -- Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemar Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, etc. These guys make mechanical marvels, and they maintain the market by producing only a handful of truly outstanding pieces that pretty much take several top notch master watchmakers years to make their timepieces. These can go into the millions. And remember -- in this category, it's less about it being a watch and more about prestige, art, and the fact that you own one of a kind mechanical marvel.
At the end of the day, you must remember that once you leave the functional realm, watches become status symbols, and ergo Veblen goods (i.e. people buy them *because* they are expensive and elitist). You end up with "snob effect", where people want to use exclusive products, and price becomes associated with quality. Unfortunately, the side effect is the "bandwagon effect", where everyone wants to use exclusive products, and the demand for high-priced goods goes up. Consequently, the price of the already high-priced goods goes up.
If it helps, you should check out manufacturers like Parnis [1] or Sea Gull [2] -- Chinese watchmakers that make rather excellent watches comparable to lower end Swiss watch makers at a much lower price point.
Either way, watches are rather interesting, and you'd be amazed at just what's out there. Enjoy!
And here are some examples of "grand complications" --
Patek Philippe -
http://www.patek.com/patek-philippe.html?pageId=44674
Vacheron Constantin -
http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en2/our-watches/#screen=PRODUCT;productRef=47070-000J-9085
Audemar Piguet -
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/collections/men/jules-audemars-47/equation-of-time-72/jules-audemars-skeleton-equation-of-time-1383/
A. Lange & Söhne -
http://www.alange-soehne.com/cms/en/timepieces/unforgettable-masterpieces/grand-lange-1-luna-mundi/index.html
Captain Obvious is correct about a few things, but not all.
For the most part, there isn't much of a difference (functionally) between a $50 quartz watch and a $2,000 quartz watch. Quite obviously, there will be a better quality product -- both in terms of aesthetics and finish as well as in terms of reliability and quality of timekeeping. Otherwise, both tell time fairly well.
However, the differences start showing when you are looking at mechanical watches that do not use Quartz, such as Automatics. These watches are mechanical marvels that can do some pretty darn interesting and complicated things. The advantage of an Automatic over a Quartz, of course, is that the good ones are built to last and you can pass it on to your next generation.
In that regard, a lot of the watches may seem the same (i.e. they tell time - duh). However, remember that with luxury watches, you are paying for it as a piece of expensive jewelry and art. The fact that it tells time is secondary.
Therefore, the difference therefore comes in *how* a watch tells time -- i.e. what mechanism (or movement) does it use, how well does it work, what else can it do, how well was it made, who made it, where was it made, what materials were used etc. In that regard, there is a world of difference in the tiers.
You've beginner luxury brands -- Raymond Weil, Longines, Stowa etc. Great watches, very reliable and use standard "movements" with excellent quality construction -- but nothing special. Not particularly expensive (less than $2,000 usually).
Then you have the mid tier brands. Within the mid tier brands, you've the lower mid tier and the higher mid tier brands.
In the lower mid tier, you have Omega, Rolex, Breitling, IWC etc -- around $2,000 - $10,000. About the same as the beginner (mostly), but slightly better quality and finish, and better brand name. In the higher mid tier brands, you get brands like Girard Perregaux, Breguet, and even IWC. Much better quality -- and you start getting into "custom" movements and "complications" that do some really amazing and cool mechanical things, and they are usually between $10,000 - $50,000. Their finish and quality tends to be rather outstanding, and they are not as commonly found.
Both the beginner and mid-tier brands are pretty reliable, and adhere to COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) standards of timekeeping accuracy, even when they don't have to. More than likely, a cheap $50 watch -- or even some of the "branded" $1,000 watch (think Armani or Guess watches) -- will fail at these standards.
Finally, then you get into the truly higher end brands -- Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemar Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, etc. These guys make mechanical marvels, and they maintain the market by producing only a handful of truly outstanding pieces that pretty much take several top notch master watchmakers years to make their timepieces. These can go into the millions. And remember -- in this category, it's less about it being a watch and more about prestige, art, and the fact that you own one of a kind mechanical marvel.
At the end of the day, you must remember that once you leave the functional realm, watches become status symbols, and ergo Veblen goods (i.e. people buy them *because* they are expensive and elitist). You end up with "snob effect", where people want to use exclusive products, and price becomes associated with quality. Unfortunately, the side effect is the "bandwagon effect", where everyone wants to use exclusive products, and the demand for high-priced goods goes up. Consequently, the price of the already high-priced goods goes up.
If it helps, you should check out manufacturers like Parnis [1] or Sea Gull [2] -- Chinese watchmakers that make rather excellent watches comparable to lower end Swiss watch makers at a much lower price point.
Either way, watches are rather interesting, and you'd be amazed at just what's out there. Enjoy!
And here are some examples of "grand complications" --
Patek Philippe -
http://www.patek.com/patek-philippe.html?pageId=44674
Vacheron Constantin -
http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en2/our-watches/#screen=PRODUCT;productRef=47070-000J-9085
Audemar Piguet -
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/collections/men/jules-audemars-47/equation-of-time-72/jules-audemars-skeleton-equation-of-time-1383/
A. Lange & Söhne -
http://www.alange-soehne.com/cms/en/timepieces/unforgettable-masterpieces/grand-lange-1-luna-mundi/index.html
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Title Post: Im giving myself a computer for the holidays. What should I keep in mind when making a purchase?
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Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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