When was the last time you bought a PC?
If you’re like me, then chances are it’s been a few years. Back then, all that I really cared about was buying the fastest processor, the fastest memory, and the biggest hard drive I could afford. It was easy, too: I flipped through PC Magazine and surfed cnet.com for the latest performance benchmarks, and I was set.
Things have changed a bit. We’ve gone mobile. We’ve become more social and visual over the last few years. A staggering amount of our lives is being broadcast and shared over the web. Facebook reports almost three billion pictures are uploaded every month while Google reports over 35 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Skype connected us online for more than 100 billion minutes of voice and video calls over the web last year alone.
It should come as no surprise, then, that PCs have evolved to support this new visual life of ours. And with these new uses comes new questions you should ask before you shop for your next PC. Walk into any Future Shop and you’ll see row upon row of choices, including many priced below $499. Below $399. Even $299. But are you really going to get your money’s worth?
The answer depends on what you want out of your next PC.
Apparently we're less concerned with PC performance today than we used to be. Fair enough, since you can get a snappy experience from today’s $199 netbooks, so why bother researching before we buy? “It’s probably good enough for me,” or, “I’m sure it’s faster than the one I have” are common statements I hear today. Besides, we see ad after ad after ad telling us that the only PC options we need to consider anymore are screen size, storage, and memory. Otherwise they're all the same, right? We might spot a CPU brand and its speed somewhere on a flyer or a display tag… And then, eventually, we might hear a sales rep tell us about some extras it has to offer… But otherwise, no difference.
What a shame.
Because that last part – the extras – is actually where Intel has invested a lot of its time lately. Why? Intel just makes PCs faster, right? Sure, but for Intel it’s no longer about cranking up chip speeds. It’s about creating smarter ways for those chips to help you do what you want to do, so you can get on with your life. This is where you’ll find a big difference in PCs over $499 compared to those below. Those extras are the things we built with Facebook and YouTube and Skype in mind – so you could actually enjoy yourself. So ask yourself, what do you want out of your next PC?
- Four more hours of battery life?
- Your new iPad to sync in just seconds instead of several minutes?
- To watch that YouTube flick or Netflix movie on your TV instead of your PC?
- To not wait…and wait…and wait...for that family movie to finish rendering?
- For your next PC to just turn on instead of endlessly booting up?
I would, too! And you can have all of this today, if you just prioritize these five “extras” in your next PC purchase:
Intel® HD 3000 Graphics:
Stunning 1080p HD Playback, Great Gaming, Longer Battery Life
Believe it: Unless you’re an extreme gamer, you don’t need a separate graphics card. New laptops with 2nd Gen Intel® Core™ processors come with outstanding graphics built-in. You get gorgeous 1080p HD playback. You get smooth, insanely detailed gaming – even in 3D. You get thinner and lighter laptops with longer battery life. In short, you get stunning video and gaming performance without the bulk, weight, or cost that can come with an add-in graphics card.
USB 3.0:
Sync Your Gadgets with Blazing Speed
After 10 years, USB 2.0 is finally retiring. While it got the job done, it could take forever to backup my iPad using this decade-old tech. The new USB 3.0 is ten times faster – Ten. Times. Faster. – than its predecessor, and is a must-have for anyone who demands an impatient sync 'n' go response from their new PC.
Intel® WiDi 2.0:
The Wireless Way to Connect Your PC to Your TV.
Got friends over? Want to get that Netflix movie or YouTube video out of your laptop and onto your HD TV? No problem! Exclusive to 2nd Gen Intel® Core™ processors, WiDi 2.0 is now available in full 1080p HD with full six-channel surround sound. This isn’t just an extra; It’s a requirement for anyone who wants to get more out of their new PC (literally) and more enjoyment out of their PC and online content. You can read more about WiDi here, in my prior post.
Intel® Quick Sync Video:
On-the-Go Video, Faster than Ever Before
Creating and uploading family videos? Transferring movies and TV shows to your iPod or iPad? Another exclusive to the 2nd Gen Intel® Core™ processor family, Quick Sync is another amazing technology built-in to drastically shorten the time it takes you to prepare your video files for online uploads or portable devices. I overemphasize here only because I’ve seen it up close, and was amazed. Check out this video and see for yourself.
Intel® Solid State Drives:
The “Instant On” PC
The first PC hard disk drive shipped just over 30 years ago. It was 5MB and cost $1,500. After an amazing run, the magnetic disk drives of old are now being handily outpaced by new transistor-based Intel® Solid State Drives. SSDs are rooted in the same memory technology that stores your digital camera photos or your mobile phone info, and they can provide an enormous speed boost to your next PC. The result is an appliance-like “instant on” feel – the way the PC was always meant to be.
A new PC can leave you uninspired and frustrated, or it can enhance how you interact with and enjoy your world. Don’t be misled by what the weekend flyer or the display tag tells you to care about. The 2011 PC isn’t all about screen size, storage, and memory. Look at what’s inside. The extras make all the difference.
