Top tips for Christmas shopping

Computeractive is always keen to warn readers to pause for thought before shelling out on high-tech gifts, especially if the goods in question are costly.

You might not be too bothered if a cheap present is unappreciated or destined to go unused beyond Boxing Day - so often the fate of low-cost gadgets given as gifts - but when contemplating spending a large wad of cash on a PC, or related peripheral, to give someone as a present, it's important to know that you're buying the right thing. If that's what you have in mind, we recommend you read on.

Computer shopping
A computer is a hefty investment that deserves careful consideration. But all too often people stroll unprepared into a high-tech store only to emerge some time later, and somewhat dazed, with a full-blown PC system wedged into a trolley: printer, scanner, webcam and all (not to mention sundry unidentifiable items and armfuls of software that seemed a really good idea at the time).

It's a crazy way to spend upwards of £800. Would you buy a washing machine blind if there was a chance it would wash your woollens but baulk at cotton socks? No, you would not - yet every week people take home PCs that are either woefully under-specified for their intended purpose or, just as bad, needlessly over-equipped (and overpriced).

So, before if you're poised to buy a PC as a Christmas present, consider the recipient's needs. Do they want a computer for writing letters? Note that down. How about playing games? Add a cross or tick. Is image editing their thing? Add that to the list. Would they like sort out their business accounts or personal finances? Perhaps they're sample web-surfing?

Keep at it until you have exhausted all possibilities. Later, when you look back through this roll call of requirements, the insight that it provides will help you to crystallise the buying decision.

Processor play
With the requirements listed, it's time to think about some particulars. The core of every computer, be it a desktop or a notebook, is the processor. This is a microchip that performs all manner of high-tech jiggery-pokery.

We could bore you with lots of tedious talk about the inner workings of these magical pieces of silicon or we could save you a lot of headaches by saying that the only thing you truly need to appreciate about processors is speed.

Traditionally, processor performance, or clock speed, has been measured in megahertz (MHz) but more commonly these days, gigahertz (GHz) is the gauge. In essence, the bigger the number that prefixes these mystifying labels, the faster a computer will run; it matters little whether the chip is manufactured by Intel, the market-leader, or arch-rival AMD.

Of marginally more importance is the specific model. Both chip-makers market 'budget' and 'performance' processors and this is the aspect to focus on. Intel's cheap chip range bears the Celeron badge, while AMD's equivalent processors are dubbed Duron (though computers powered by these chips are increasingly rare).

At the more expensive end of the PC processor market are Intel's Pentium 4 and the Athlon XP from AMD. None of these names means anything per se - they're just brands, like Ford's Fiesta runabout and the 9II sports car from Porsche.

If your gift-recipient's requirements list contains phrases such as 'play arcade games' and 'edit digital video recordings' then shop for a fancy performance processor - a Pentium 4 or an Athlon XP. Of course, processor power isn't the sole consideration for these (or any other) applications but a powerful chip is the cornerstone of any versatile computer.

For a good all-round PC, consider a 2GHz processor as a minimum requirement. If buying a notebook as a present, go for the fastest processor you can afford, as upgrading later will likely be impossible.

Memory thoughts
For many purposes the computer's complement of memory (often referred to as Ram) is likely to prove a better performance provider than its processor.

Memory is the computer's temporary store and every operation, from launching software applications to browsing web pages, will call upon it. In simple terms, the more memory a computer has, the greater the number of applications and operations it will be capable of running without slowing down or throwing up error messages.

When browsing the adverts, you will encounter a bewildering barrage of abbreviations: RDRAM, SDRam, DDRRam and more. Ignore them all. Nerds delight in deliberating the nanosecond-saving minutiae of memory but in the rational world it is worth considering only the amount of memory in megabytes (MB).

How much is necessary depends on the specific needs but right now, the levels offered by manufacturers stretch from about 256MB to 2,048MB (or 2GB). That starting figure is adequate for the basic tasks, like running office software applications.

A sensible figure these days is 512MB, while performance seekers should consider 1,024MB (1GB) or more. It's pretty straightforward to add more memory later to a desktop computer, though upgrading the Ram in notebooks can be trickier (and is certainly more expensive).

Glorious graphics
In a PC, the component that creates the visual wizardry is known as a graphics card and choosing the perfect one can be a nightmare.

If you're sure the present recipient is never going to play games or edit digital images, you are in a fortunate position. Even today's most basic graphics set-ups are capable of keeping up with the screen updates demanded by typical office-related applications so, worry not, and skip the next couple of paragraph.

However, even if the person you're buying for is unlikely to concerned about graphics performance, be wary of phrases such as 'shared memory graphics': this means the graphics hardware will borrow memory from the computer's own complement, which will knock overall performance. Only with truly budget PCs (under £500) is such a specification acceptable.

If graphics prowess is a priority, then prepare to add £150 to £250 to the overall purchase price of the PC package. Bear in mind that notebook computers aren't renowned for fancy graphics capabilities.

Hard disk decisions
The last major element of a PC is the hard disk. In everyday terms, the hard disk is where every last word-processed document, digital image, email message, game and application resides.

Should the hard disk run out of space, the user will not be able to create any new documents or files or add any new programs to their PC until room is made by deleting stuff.

These days, though, it's rare for a hard disk to run out of storage space. Capacities are measured in gigabytes (GB) and even the smallest offerings have sufficient space to hold dozens of applications and thousands of documents. Even so, don't skimp unless you have to.

Extended computer use has a habit of giving birth to file-hoarding tendencies and once applications such as word processing, spreadsheets and the all-important operating system (Windows) are factored in, the space remaining on a 40GB hard disk could easily sink to l0GB or less.

That doesn't leave a lot of room for future manoeuvres. Opting for an 80GB instead of a 40GB model, for example, will add just a few pounds to the overall cost of a PC package.

Peripheral vision
When buying a first computer, most people consider adding extras, such as printers and scanners. Aware of this, PC suppliers offer temptingly discounted 'bundles' of peripherals.

But are these deals as good as they seem? We performed an unscientific trawl of the market to get an idea of the current worth of bundled peripherals.

On the whole, the deals are reasonable but they don't always result in savings. Mesh Computers, for example, currently charges £55 for Lexmark's popular Z705 printer when bought with a PC.

This could actually prove more expensive than buying the printer separately, as online retailer Dabs.com levies just £53 for the same model (though you must facture in £3.50 for delivery).

If there is any saving to be had by buying a peripheral from the PC supplier, it's that doing so is likely to add little or nothing to the overall cost of delivering the computer itself.

Warranty words
As consumers, we're used to being issued guarantees with most products we buy and high-tech equipment like computers and related peripherals are no different.

You can expect as a standard a 12-month 'return-to-base' warranty, which means that the customer - i.e. you, or the subject of your Christmas kindness - is responsible for returning faulty goods whence they came.

If you bought from a high-street retailer this could be an inconvenience but that's nothing compared with the hassle attached to mail-order companies. Considering the bulk of the average computer, returning the goods to some far-flung repair centre is likely to be neither easy nor cheap.

Some firms offer better 'on-site' service options, while still more promote the benefits of 'extended warranties'. On-site cover seems attractive as it carries the promise of an engineer visiting your home or place of business to carry out repairs.

But wise up: from the manufacturers' viewpoint, on-site repairs are a costly enterprise so strenuous efforts are made to reduce the number of call-outs.

Before your beneficiary ever catches wind of an engineer, they'll be required first to spend time explaining the problems to helpline operators. What's more, it's likely that the helpline number will be charged at a premium rate. Getting computer companies to honour the promise of on-site service can be a costly business.

When it comes to extended warranties, we'll not put too fine a point on it - they're often a waste of money. In essence, firms hawking extended warranties are acting as brokers for insurance companies.

Give one as a gift and you'll be issued with an insurance schedule that promises to bear the cost of any repairs to the computer during the period of the policy. Big deal. Extended warranties cost a small fortune and the value of a computer depreciates at breakneck speed.

In the event that the PC present does fail outside of the standard (one- or two-year) guarantee, the repair cost will almost certainly be lower than the charge made for the extended warranty.

Forgo finance
Finally, we would advise against taking out any finance deal lined up by a computer supplier, as they are simply terrible value for money.

During the compilation of this feature we found that finance interest rates offered by computer companies stretch from an expensive 18.9 per cent to a should-be-criminal 29.9 per cent.

Most banks would blush at such inflated accruements and besides, modern financial institutions such as Egg and Tesco Personal Finance offer personal loans with APRs of less than 10 per cent. Over the course of a typical two- or three-year loan term, the difference could be many hundreds of pounds.

If you do some research, know what you want and can cut through the confusing jargon, getting the right PC, notebook or peripheral as a present can be a pleasure. Happy shopping!