h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There are many 'good' makes of PC around and a lot of the big manufacturers may appear to offer good deals. But don't forget, it's not just the deal you make when you buy the thing that's important, it's the after sales service that can make the difference between a good and bad experience.

The big manufacturers have help lines you can ring when you get into difficulties, but they can be at premium rate and you can spend ages on the phone to them an STILL not get a satisfactory solution to your problem (assuming that you're not 'on hold' because their call centre system is jammed with callers who don't know what to do having got the thing out of its box). Persuading them to send someone out to deal with it can be very difficult, unless it's completely broken down.

A few years ago a friend gave me some sensible advice. Find a local PC shop that's been around for a few years and isn't likely to go bump in the night, and tell them what you want the PC for. Be realistic. Don't tell them you want to learn programming or sort out your home finances if you're really going to spend most of your time playing games or surfing the net. They can offer you a range of options and then build a PC to meet your agreed needs, and won't include things you DON'T need, like a flat bed scanner or other peripherals you have no real use for but that the chain stores include automatically (at a cost). Don't be afraid to ask 'daft' questions. It's a good idea to write down your questions before you go to the shop so you won't forget them when you get there. Your local shopkeeper will have heard them all before and should be able to answer in layman's terms. If they blind you with science, be wary. A PC can be a big outlay, so you need to be sure you're getting the right one for you. Usually you'll end up with one that's the same spec as one from the big manufacturers, probably with many of the same compponents, but at a lower price. It probably won't be in as fancy a case as the major brands, but that's not really important.

Check what after sales service they offer. If they're only round the corner you can take the CPU back to them instead of having to arrange to ship it to some remote service centre. Your local shop may be more likely to fix it on the spot or within a few days. Small shops rely on their reputation, so giving you good service is more likely to end up with you going back to them for upgrades or your next computer, so it's in their interest to keep you happy.

Another advantage with small shops is they usually know what they're talking about. The chain stores seem to employ salespeople who just want to sell you a box full of stuff, but may not know much about what's in it, other than what's in the marketing blurb.

And if you're really adventurous, buy the components and build it yourself. If you make friends with the local shop folk they'll be only too happy to advise you how to do this and help when things don't go according to plan.