Often, when a deal is too good to be true, there’s a reason. I sometimes see really cheap desktop PC’s with seemingly awesome specifications, but when you look deeper you’ll see that there’s a crappy graphics card, or a useless case, or maybe some other problem with that specific hardware.

2. Check online shopping comparison charts to see if you are really getting a deal

Google Product Search or Bing Shopping can help. Just enter your product name and see if what the real world prices are on your computer. Often manufacturers will spout out a lot of BS about deals, when it may be just a few dollars.

3. Never buy software or hardware with a computer

I cannot emphasize this enough. Never, ever, buy software (such as MS Office) or hardware peripherals (such as a webcam or router) bundled with a computer, unless you know for sure that that the item you are getting is for cheaper than real world prices – which is rare. This is an old marketing trick to make you buy more stuff (and then the manufacturer gets a commission).

4. Never agree to pay any amount for Norton (or any other Anti Virus)

How many times I’ve seen people get scammed into buying that piece-of-shit Norton makes me want to bang something into a wall. Norton is one of the slowest anti virus software around, with one of the worst detection rates. Chances are, you don’t need any paid-for anti virus for home use. Check out some free anti virus alternatives which work just as well, if not better, such as Microsoft Security Essentials, Avira or AVG.

5. Never agree to “installation charges”, recovery cd creation fees, or any other optional service

You can make your own recovery CD’s with a few simple clicks – just search for the tool on your new computer and follow the simple instructions. Also any other “installation” or other services are complete bullshit meant to scam you.

6. Scrutinize that “extended warranty”

An extended warranty might be worth it in a few situations. Study the fine print and see if it covers hardware, labour, diagnosis – and see what it doesn’t cover. Then make your decision on whether it’s worth it.

Marketing, marketing, marketing

Ripping off people by offering different services and packaging add-ons is an old marketing trick. In related news, check out this old internet gem – how to buy a car.

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However device driver updaters are notorious for being bloatware, associated with scams, and not free! Device Doctor comes to the rescue. It’s free, lightweight, portable and simple to use. Ahh, software heaven.

Pros

- Free!

- Simple to use

- Portable (a lightweight installed version is also available)

Cons

- Does not install drivers automatically (just gives you a download link to install yourself)

Device Doctor Screenshot on Windows 7

How to Use:

It can’t be any simpler: just press the “Begin Scan” button, and the software will do its thing by scanning your computer for updates. A list of downloadable driver installers will be presented if any of your drivers are out of date.

Via [How-To Geek]

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