Buying q computer? Hou d belter ujolch oull
m
Guard against sales pitch
just a smart shopper tip
For many years they were the object of scorn and
fear — ominous and unwelcoming blobs of plastic and
metal manipulated by myopic scientists
But now, as a popular television commercial sug
gests, even a monk can crawl out of the middle ages
and own and operate a home computer This
Christmas, a record number of Americans will also
crawl, usually unprotected, into the confusing and
exasperating world of computer sales
As you browse through area shops in search of the
ultimate machine, remember those advertising mes
sages that promise buying and operating a personal
computer "is so easy, a child can do it
Also think back to the time when you first went
skiing Remember lying on the frozen ground, skidding
down "Bone-Crush Hill,” watching all those cute
children who whisked by you, cutting their edges and
sending razors of snow at your face
Such is the joy of learning the ropes of buying, and
attempting to operate, a personal computer Ideally,
these tips will make the going easier:
Face the music — Once you learn to control your
personal computer, it’s a marvelous tool or toy But until
you reach that undefinable level of mastery, there's no
way of avoiding the misery of the learning process. No
matter how easy the salesperson says it will be, there is
no escaping the sinking feeling that will occur when you
accidently delete a file
And there's no avoiding your "user-friendly computer s true repiy oony, nidi
file not found,” it will happily inform you "Please try again "
Resign yourself to this humiliation, knowing that one day you will control the
computer and not the other way around
Listen, but don’t believe — If you watch 60 Minutes you know that anyone
connected with computers will be a millionaire by the time they're 30 anyway, so don't
be in a hurry to pad their pockets. Ask a lot of questions, visit a lot of stores But
operate on the theory that everything a salesman will tell you, except for the price,
could be a lie or distortion
A slander against a noble profession? Kurt Thomet, a salesman for Midland
Cascade Corp in Eugene, has no illusions about how his contemporaries operate
"I've had a lot of people complain that salesmen are lying to them," says Thomet
"Or they'll give misleading information You have to watch yourself out there
Meat vs. motion - Remember the "It's not the meat it s the motion" theory With
sports cars and sexual glands, it's not the size of the machinery that matters, it's what
the operater does with it.
That is also true of computers — a reasonably talented computer programmer
can do much more with 48K internal memory than a mediocre programmer with a 64K
memory, although it may take a little longer, paying an extra $1,000 for real or
imagined prestige can be more expensive than it is worth
On the other hand, it must be noted that the people that use the meat vs
motion" argument are often those who own and operate Volkswagons, small sexual
gianus anu smaii
personal com
puters
The point is,
decide how much
you can or want to
pay for a computer
before you go shop
ping Then stick to
that price You can
pay little as $89 95,
choose to mortgage
the house, or spend
any increment in
between Don't let
the salesman give
you a feeling of in
adequacy because you re not maepenaentiy
wealthy
Study before you buy — There are many
trustworthy sources available for beginners to learn
enough about computers to make an intelligent
purchase The best avenues are magazine articles
The November issue of Money Magazine has an
especially enlightening piece
Also available through various computer dis
tributors are beginners classes You are at a disad
vantage in one way because these classes often
serve as propaganda sessions for specific brands,
but on the other hand they offer good background at
a cheap price
Realize limitations - Yes. with proper adapta
tions, a computer can balance your checkbook,
teach you how to fly an airplane, feed the cat and
fetch the paper
But unless you are a writer, accountant, or legal
secretary, there's a good chance that your personal
computer will never be more than an expensive toy
An intriguing, exciting, wonderful toy perhaps, but a
toy nonetheless
As the salesman tells you all the wonderful
things your personal computer will do for you, keep
In mind that you have to teach the computer how to
fetch the paper But first you have to teach yourself
how to teach the computer to fetch the paper, or else
uy n suitwaic? (Jfuyram men v-«n vww
The point being. It might be cheaper in the long
run just to buy a dog
Sharpen those elbows — Computer stores in
Eugene are reporting brisk sales this holiday season,
so be prepared to tight the crowd Micki Bessler, of
The Computer Store, says sales are "a lot better
this year compared to 1981 That store sells Apple II
Plus outfits tor $1995
Carl Watkins, manager of Computer Solutions
Inc . which also deals in Apple Computers, agrees
that sales are stronger this year than last year I
think it's because the overall knowledge of society
about computers has increased in the last year, and
the interest generated by the media “
Thomet, who has a Commodore computer dis
play at the University Bookstore, says student inter
est has been "crazy and wild ’ The prices of his
models range from about $200 to $600, and he says
because of new technology and because they
produce their own microchips, the new Com
modores can compete with the $2,000 Apple II
Uh uh uh! Caught you with your pants
down — don't believe everything you hear or read
coming from a salesman, remember? And people
be careful out there
Computer popularity is soaring among every age group and religious persuasion But don t shop with the mind of
a child — it's a silicon-chip jungle out there.
4SIJr-~nr*~
Ask
about Appkk
Christmas
packages.
I
*ktm
Sharpen those elbows when shopping for computers