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Money Saving Tips |
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4 Computer Money-saving Tips
by: Sharron Senter
Here are four tips that’ll save you money when buying your next
computer.
Tip #1 -- Rebates: A rebate is not always a bargain. Computers
with rebates are often close to being discontinued. You may pick
up a good deal or purchase technology that's about to become
yesterday’s news. What's more, stores will often package
computers with a bunch of free items to make it look like you're
getting more value. Chances are the extras are either poor
quality or items you're unlikely to use. Also, they’re counting
on you to not redeem your rebate, a very common occurrence.
Tip #2 -- Extended Service Warrantees: Buyer Beware! They're a
gamble, but not always a bad idea. If you're purchasing a laptop
and you plan to travel a lot, an extended warranty that covers
replacement of the monitor/display can be a good gamble.
Replacing a display can cost $400-$600, making the warranty
worthwhile. On the other hand, if you plan on buying the
warranty for routine maintenance; save your money. Oftentimes it
can take weeks for the store to send your PC out for service.
Also, remember the store where you purchased your computer does
not always do warranty work during the first year, instead you
may have to ship it directly to the manufacturer. In general,
extended warranties cover electronics [things you can't see].
They don't usually cover physical damage. Most extended
warranties have large gray areas, leaving the warranty provider
a lot of room to reject claims.
Tip #3 -- Monitors: Don’t throw away your monitor if it's still
working properly. Instead, keep it and save a chunk of money by
just replacing your old CPU [computer tower]. Monitors last much
longer than CPUs and the technology is usually compatible
between your old monitor and the new CPU. However, if you’re
dissatisfied, then monitors, keyboards and mouses are the three
tools to spend extra money on, since you use them every day!
Tip #4 -- Networking: How are you connecting to the Internet? If
you're using a high speed Internet connection, such as cable
broadband or DSL, you'll want to make sure you have a network
card built into your system. If you have a wireless network at
home or at the office, save money and installation time by
buying the wireless card built right into the computer. |
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