First of all, unless you have dealt with a computer saleperson before and were pleased by their advice and the computer you bought from them, don't believe that they have your best interests at heart.

They are not your friend. Their job is to sell you a computer and a computer's various parts as fast as possible, for as much as possible.

Keep in mind that a lot of computer salespeople know little about computers other than what is on the box.

Your best defense is preparation. Do your homework by studying up on these pages and look at various deals available on the Internet (see our Buy On The Web section for ideas).

If you want to be certain that they know what they are talking about, test them with these questions to evaluate their level of knowledge. (use this printable cheat sheet.)

Test question #1: Does the computer come with a NIC (pronounced "Nick" as in Nicholas). If so is it a 10 or 100 megabit card?

Answer to test question #1: A NIC is a Network Interface Card. It goes into the back of the computer and is required if you use high speed Internet service through your cable company or offered by your phone company. A NIC can also be used to connect to a computer network in your home or office. Most NICs these days are 10/100 cards, meaning that they can transmit data to and from the network at either 10 megabits per second or 100 megabits per second. Any computer salesperson worth their salt will know this.

Test question #2: Does the computer have any cache memory?

Answer to test question #2: All computers have cache memory. This is an area inside or attached to the microprocessor chip that prepares and preprocesses data before it is crunched by the processor.

Test question #3: How much data can a floppy disk hold?

Answer to test question #3: While much older floppy disks have a capacity of 360 kilobytes or 720 kilobytes all so called hi-density 3.5 floppy disks these days can hold 1.44 megabytes of data.

If they get two out of three wrong, ask for another salesperson. If they know their stuff they should get all three questions right.

NEXT ASK REAL QUESTIONS: What you want to ascertain with any computer package is the following info. If it's helpful, use our work sheet. Click here for a copy.

What brand and speed of processor does it have?
-- This will determine how fast the computer will process data. Ask for the brand, type and speed. For example AMD Athlon, 1 GHz or Intel Pentium 4, 1 GHz.

How much RAM (random access memory) does it have?
-- This is the workbench area of the computer where programs do their stuff. The more memory the more things that can be done simultaneously. more memory also allows you to work on large data files (like pictures) without too much trouble.

How much RAM can it be upgraded to?
-- This is an important question because as the computer ages you are going to want to add memory to keep it from the jaws of obselesence. The amount of memory in the computer should be at least 128 MB. It should have room for a total of 384 MB of memory or preferably 512 MB or better.

How big is the hard drive?
-- With the move toward storage of music files, images and even video big hard drives will be necessary as the years go by. However 20 GB should be fine to get you started. Most computers allow for a second hard drive to be added internally or multiple hard drives externally. A mid to top-end system, should come with a 40 GB to 60 GB hard drive.

Does it come with a CD-ROM drive (to read data and music CDs) or a CD-RW drive (to read and create data and music CDs)?
-- Most computers come with a CD-ROM drive. It is rated against the speed of how fast a CD is read in a stereo (which is considered one times or 1X). Most CD-ROM drives are rated over 20X (meaning thye read data 20 times as fast as a stereo's CD player). Some computers will come with a second CD drive that can burn or create a CD from a blank. Click here for more about CD-RW drives.

Is the monitor included in the price? If not how much does it cost?
- They get you on this one. The price of a "complete" computer package often is quoted without a monitor. It's most common to add a 17-inch monitor to your purchase for about $400 CDN ($300 US). 15-inch monitors are becoming less common. Unless you're on a budget go for a 17 incher. By the way, a monitor "size" is measure diagonally corner to corner. So a 17-inch monitor is measures 17 inches from the bottom left to the top right. Also, most monitors have bulbous backends like TVs. These are called CRTs. Newer flat panel monitors (also called TFTs) are also available, but they are much more expensive -- usually double the price of CRTs.

What kind of printer does it come with and how much does the replacement toner cartridges cost?
-- You'll want a printer, if not immediately soon after you buy the computer. Be wary of FREE printers bundled with computers. They are probably bottom-end inkjet printers that print very slowly. And when it comes time to buy a replacement ink cartridge or toner (ink powder) it will cost you $40 Cdn ($25 US) for black and $60-$80 ($35 to $55 US) for color. Most colour inkjet printers have two cartridges one for black and one for colour. It's unlikely that you'll be offered a laser printer "for free" as they tend to be more expensive -- in the $300-a$800 Cdn ($200 US to $600 US) range. Toner replacement runs $120 Cdn to $300 Cdn ($80 to $200 US).