You Should Never Pay Full Price For...

 

Blank Media / Flash Memory

Blank CDs, DVDs, Thumb drives, Camera & Phone Memory Cards are ALWAYS on sale at some Local retailer, these items are high in markup and frequently used as an ad item to get people in the store just so the sales people a chance to convince them they need other high profit items. If you find the odd time frame where its not on sale at any local retailer, wait 7 days and I guarantee you it will be again shortly.

The only real exception to this is specialty stuff like encrypted flash drives, Brand specific Memory Cards (Olympus xD, Sony ProDuo), Lightscribe, Printable, Dual Layer, Rewritable CD/DVD's, and Blu-ray discs. Those will rarely be on sale because they are simply not widely used by comparison.

 

 

Retail Printers & Ink

In this day and age many people are choosing to do their own business card printing and marketing material from their home or small business office to save money in the long run. Ink & Toner will be a HUGE part of the cost but to counteract that make sure you get a Valuable, not cheap, printer. All-in-one Printers nowadays start as low as $75 and ink will run at least $40 so keep that in mind when making your purchase. Be on the lookout for bundle pricing with Ink and Printers, Store Brand ink, and in store free Store Membership Scan Cards which give you cash back for purchasing ink and Paper products (which also send out weekly coupons) on items such as these.

When selecting a printer make sure you choose from ones available everywhere (HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark) the more readily available, the more aggressive competitive pricing will exist for the product. (On average HP will have the best pricing on both Hardware and Ink and coupons sent because they are the largest vendor in the category)

 

 

Windows Computers

Desktops & Laptops for the most part are sold below store cost, stores make money on the extras (Software, accessories, protection plans etc.) So in the age of Wal-Mart's and Online Vendors like Amazon.com make sure you aren't even paying MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) for them. This info can be found on their websites, but a simple check of major features (Screen size, Processor, RAM) at local stores is sufficient enough info. Most retailers have new ads every Sunday so grab one from each place and compare like products to find the average price, then purchase the one below that that you like.

Shopping, like anything else, requires some logic thought behind your actions. By doing due diligence instead of buying on impulse you can save yourself tons of money and buyers remorse thinking you didn't get the best deal. Also, keep a look out for stores clearance specials because they have SEVERE mark downs because the goal isn't to make money on those items, but to get them out of the way to make room for new items.

Happy Shopping

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Money Saving Tips: Microsoft Office Alternate

Microsoft Office Home & Student, (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) $120 for the single user or $150 for 3 User edition. is a quite expensive program that many people use on a daily basis, especial College students and business professionals. While the program is very well worth it the price tag may be a deterrent for those on a budget. Corel has a long standing name in software development and has designed a very compatible Office Suite software up to 58% lower than its Microsoft counterpart.

Now while this software is not 100% compatible, it is a great alternative with it’s one and three user editions ($50 & $100 respectively). Find this at your local Office Supply store such as Office Depot, Staples etc. and get your productivity up to par

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Whats The Difference: Mac vs PC

 

The battle between Good & Evil... (Cue dramatic Music and fog machine). Okay maybe its not that dramatic but Windows and Mac are the most publicized Computer Operating systems that people know about and I want to help the average person understand the main difference between the two products and why there is such a Price difference between them without getting too "Techie" with the Jargon. Hopefully this helps...

 

"Macs Don't Get Viruses"

This is true...-ish. Its not that Macs don't or can't get viruses, its that it is more secure and so few people have them by comparison that it simply doesn't make sense to create them. Think about it like this:

Windows Programming language is like English while Apple language is like Latin. If you wanted to write a sign to send a message to as many people as possible in the quickest way, which would you write it in?

So its not that Apple cannot get viruses, its just that they are so rare that it just isn't yet worth the time and effort to do so.

 

Open Source vs Closed Source

Microsoft Windows, started by Bill Gates, decided he wanted to make his creation a publicly available and development friendly one. This leaves it open to literally BILLIONS of software developers from International Corporations to Geek Lair Supercomputer Builders in their moms basement to make whatever software they deem fit to enhance their experience on it. This, in part, is why Windows is on over 93% of all the computers in the WORLD. This is why far more third party software and devices work so well with PCs and limited, if at all, with Apple computers. On the contrary, since Apple is a closed source all commercial software development has to go through them and therefore has a higher level of compatibility not only with the computer itself, but every other program available for the operating system as well. What this means is that Windows has far more Software available, with far more third party accessories and add-ons while Apple has less, but with a far less likely hood of any of them crashing or being incompatible (like nearly 0%, Literally).

 

Quality

This is one of the most overlooked differences between Mac & PC which boggles the mind because its the most noticeable, Go Figure.

Casing

Computers are typically made from one of 3 things, Cheap Plastic, High Grade Plastic, and Metal. Think of the three like the three pigs houses: Straw, Wood and Brick. PCs make use of all three types in order to help keep prices low for the larger range of consumer while Apple ONLY uses the higher of the two. Matter of fact in the laptops only 1 computer is High Grade plastic, the rest are aluminum.

Screen Type

Currently in displays there are two main technologies, LCD and LED. Many PC devices, Monitors and TVs are now switching to the longer lasting, Lower Power consumption, higher contrast, more accurate color technology (and higher price) of the LED which Apple has been using for years. This is one of the main reasons why many Graphic artists and movie editors choose Apple over PC. The color difference available between LCD & LED is somewhere between approximately 100,000 & 12Million Colors available (for Computer Monitors Only).

Battery Life

In Laptops battery life is a huge concern for those on the go. The technological differences between PC & Mac are different here also, Apple chooses to use a higher costing, longer lasting one. The minimum life on an Apple (Macbook Air) is 5hrs while PC it can be as low as 90minutes. With the Increase in size and price of a typical computer, the power necessary to run it also rises which, pending the same cell size battery, means you will have lower run times. What Apple has done is make this counter intuitive to increase the cell size with price and power necessary which gives the user 8-10hrs of Use (not standby time) on all full Laptops.

Even the way the battery charges varies between the two Computer Titans. A simple plug in for the PC with electricity charging via a prong inside the Laptop while Macs all use a Magnetic Smart charger which eliminates Over charging and degradation of the battery cells. It actually cuts flow of electricity magnetically when battery is full. What this means is not only will the battery last longer per day, it will also not need to be replace every 12-18months like PCs either which saves an additional $100-200 every 2years.

 

 

Still with me? Hopefully I didn't get too Geekish on you and you were able to follow on the main differences between the two and understand the pricing and differences between them. There are more differences of course but that would require far more expertise to understand. But know a few things if you are contemplating going from PC to Mac:

Initial Price:	$199 (Netbook) - $299 (Laptop/Desktop)	$699 (Desktop) - $999 (Laptop)
Annual Upkeep:	$150 (Optimization/Cleaning/Anti-Virus)	$0
Compatibility:	93% of Worlds Computers	5% of Worlds Computers
Average Life:	2-3 years	5-7 years

A PC will cost you less up front, but a Mac will cost you less over time because of lower maintenance, and about $500 worth of included software not including free downloads via the App Store. Its all about what you want to do and how much you can actually afford.

Any Questions? Feel free to write me on Twitter/Facebook/Email if you need free consultation on which operating system you should get (PC/Mac) and the specs you'd need. I also have access to Great pricing on Quality PC repair and Tech Support with 40+ years of experience.

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