Let’s face it – computers have become an integral part of our lives. Today when shopping for a computer, you will be given choice with several different models, configurations and prices to choose from. Shopping for a computer is no easy task especially for the less tech savvy with several tech jargon in the air, making mistakes rather inevitable.

Whether you’re looking to buy a budget computer or top of the line model, listed below are 5 common mistakes to avoid and by a computer that serves you well.

1. Buying a computer that doesn’t match your needs – if you think a computer is amazing based on the hyperbole surrounding it or simply because it looks good, you are taking the wrong route to computer shopping. It is however right to prioritize certain features both technical and aesthetics when buying a computer, but bottom line is buying one that will satisfy your needs. For example if your needs are basic such as internet browsing or some word processing, investing in a high spec model is not a viable decision.

2. Believing in a single number – when shopping for a computer, there are several numbers that are mentioned and a few that are disregarded. For example, many computer shoppers believe that an i7 processor is better than an i5 and although it is, there are several high quality i5 chips that will knock the socks of their i7 counterparts. So rather than simply focusing on high numbers, it is important to consider the components of the computer and other metrics such as clock speed, hyper threading and cache size.

3. Not knowing what your operating system includes – there are several operating systems to choose from, each with their own set of pros and cons. These include Microsoft Windows, Chrome OS and Linux, and each although may come across as being aesthetically different upon first glance, they do offer different functionality and better yet handle software differently.

Software that works well on your old operating system might be compatible with your new OS and in worse cases software for your new OS might not even be available. For example, Microsoft office will work its best when plugged in to a Windows OS computer, but will function differently when used on a Linux or MAC powered computer.

4. Ignoring missing details – as mentioned before it is wrong to simply favor high numbers when shopping for a computer because small numbers could mean the difference between buying a computer that’s right for your needs and budget and one that offers no real value. For example, if you’re a gaming enthusiast, buying a computer with no graphics card makes no sense. This not only does not serve your purpose of buying a computer to begin with, but will cost you a lot more when you decide to add components are a later time.

5. Thinking components can be added easily – continuing from the last point, adding components at a later point is a costly affair given that you will have to pay technician fees and then for the components as well. Another important point to note is that most computer warranties are voided as soon as you opt for third party technical help to open the computer and install new components.

Other aspects to take into account when buying a computer are software trial expiry dates and shopping around to get the best deal.

Technology is constantly evolving and so is the disk drive. That small device you rely on so heavily on a daily basis as part of your computer system or server has evolved from a tape to a small device you can store mountains of information on daily.

When computers were first introduced, they couldn’t hold that much storage. In fact before computers, everything was done manually and once computers were introduced, all disk drives were external, providing companies with the ability to store all their data on external devices, which were carefully locked away in a safe and taken out each day to be used.

One of the first disk drives, which many people don’t even know existed, is the magnetic tape. The magnetic tape enables computer operators to store high volumes of data. The reel held a long string of tape which could accommodate up to ten thousands punch cards worth of data. In those days it was a lot, today it probably wouldn’t even cover you for a complete days’ worth of work.

Then came the floppy disk. The floppy disk was introduced in the 1970’s and could hold a high volume of data. It could hold in the region of four hundred and eighty kilobytes, which was much higher than the magnetic tapes in a smaller and more compact design. This enables computer operators to share information by swapping disk drives from computer to computer.

In the 1980’s a smaller floppy disk drive was introduced. These were made of hard plastic and were only 3.5 inches in size. Computers only just started being manufactured without this disk drive in place a few years back, these floppies remained in computers for three decades and are still used by some users today.

The next introduction to computers is the CD rom, or compact disc drive, an exciting introduction which improved data storage and speed. Operators were able to save a document to the CD within seconds, rather than waiting minutes on a magnetic tape or floppy disk. CD’s were also able to hold more data and was thin and much easier to carry around. They were used extensively in gaming, enabling game developers to sell their games to computer users with easy installation instructions.

Next came the DVD drive, which many people still use today. The DVD drive sped up the saving process and could save large volumes of information. Another benefit is that many DVD’s are rewritable, saving companies money by not having to replace the DVD’s every time they want to do a backup or save a file.

SD memory cards were introduced in 2000. These were small and encrypted cards available in thirty two and sixty four megabyte sizes all the way up to two terabytes. They are still used extensively today in smart phones, cameras and tablets.

Most companies rely on external disk drives these days, reducing how much they have to store on their computers. External disk drives also enable people to save data and then take the disk drive when them and plug it into another computer to access the information.

Internal disk drives are used extensively, especially in servers. Companies that rely on servers will keep a number of top disk drives, which are used to save all their important data and information. From here it is accessible to all the computers in the office, reducing how much is saved on each individual computer. This also makes backup easier and quicker, saving all the information from one point.