Simple Stuff to get Started

Well, hello there friend! I see you're a little amoeba like me, and you've found the web, or internet. It can be a very shiny happy place, and with a little knowledge and preventative care, also can be a fun and safe place to play.

You've probably been using other people's computers for a while now, perhaps at school or work. You've begun to think you'd like to get the next best thing for your own home or to carry around with you, but feel a little unsure of exactly what you should be looking for.

Well, first of all you'll need to figure out what you want to use the computer for. Gamers require different things from casual users, and someone who is going to primarily use their computer for writing stories (like me) is going to have very different requirements from someone who wants to edit videos or music. Once you know what you want to use the computer for, you'll have a better guide for what you should buy.

1)Decide how much portability you'll need. Do you need a computer that you can take with you around town or around the world? Then you may need a laptop, netbook, tablet pc, or an ultrabook. Each has differing strengths and weaknesses. Some are lighter, but sacrifice memory to achieve this. Some have more memory, but burn through stored energy (battery time) quicker as a result.

2) Decide if you need a computer geared to handle heavy gaming or one for editing video or simply one to use for your college classes or for business tasks which involve writing multiple documents and presenting them in a power point format. Each of these things will affect what type of computer will work best for you.

3) Depending on what you plan to use your computer for, you may have varying input port needs.

The more detail you can put into what you are going to use your computer for, the more likely you are to end up with a good match for your needs. Even better, the more likely you are to know when you need to upgrade certain components or add new ones.

Now that you have some idea of how to go about choosing a computer, even if you still need a travel guide, you'll at least know what "computer country" you want them to guide you into!

Although I wouldn't advise you trust everything Wiki tells you, as of today this Wiki How-To page has some great suggestions on how to go about picking out a computer laid out in a step by step manner.
Wiki How To
Or, you can check out this handy video for a quick and dirty rundown on how to choose a computer.

Good Luck!