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Before buying any new hardware or software, take some time to research
what you need to buy. You often have a choice between several different
products, with each one slightly different. Pre-purchase research can
save you time, money, and headaches.
Some things you should research are:
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Whether the software or hardware is compatible with your computer
system. Usually, the product manufacturers will state what kind of
system requirements and operating system you need to use their
product successfully.
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Find out if it does exactly what you want it to do. Look to see if
there are other products that cost less that do the same thing (or
perhaps do more).
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Look for reviews from online magazines or from purchasers of the
product: find out if the product worked for them or if they had
difficulty using it.
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If you are planning to upgrade or replace your existing operating
system, check with the operating system manufacturer (Microsoft,
Apple, RedHat, etc.) to make sure that your new operating system
will work correctly with your current computer hardware.
Here are some tips to help you with your research:
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Use the web to research before you buy. You can find a large number of
reviews and articles about hardware and software for Windows, Macintosh,
and Linux machines at ZDNet (www.zdnet.com)
or CNET (www.cnet.com).
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For additional Macintosh websites, use the
Macintosh links listed by the OIT
Help Desk
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To check to see if your current hardware will work with a new operating
system, check out these websites:
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Check around for the best price. Visit computer shopping sites such
as Buy.com (www.buy.com) or Egghead
(www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=137558011). You may find that
you can purchase your product for less online than you can in a retail store.
(NOTE: the listing of these two particular shopping websites
does not constitute an endorsement from the university or from the Office of
Information Technology).
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