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Overselling

Recently I had the displeasure of watching a seasoned professional computer technician attempt to sell an overpriced, over-powered laptop to a novice client who only wanted it for occasional document editing. The situation wasn't such that I could intervene, but it put me of a mind to write an article about this practice. Despite most people not needing much in the way of power, computer salespeople will often line their own pockets by recommending the most expensive laptops and desktops available. Since the general consumer doesn't know too much about computer components, this con is not hard.

The majority of folk are just using computers to check emails, browse the web, edit documents, and you don't need a lot of grunt for that. It's only when you start get into audio/video editing, photo editing, CAD, gaming and the like, that power demands start to move the money meter northward; but even then, people often don't need as much as they think. For the average user most laptops or desktop computers made in the past 10 years are fine, provided they have a solid state drive, at least 3-4 CPU cores, at least 4GB of RAM and are running Windows 10 or 11 (another reminder that Windows 10 will stop receiving security updates as of Oct '25, so please upgrade to Windows 11 before then). For Macs the specs are similar, and they need to be on the most recent of the Mac OS. Upgrading operating systems and upgrading to solid state drives is an easy practice for a computer technician, and doesn't cost the consumer an arm and a leg.

For the sake of easy reference, when buying a new computer most users should be fine with something which meets the following specifications (and while avoiding HP, as always, due to their track record):

1. Intel i5/i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen CPU, no more than 4 years old
2. 8 gigabytes of RAM
3. A 512GB or larger Solid State or (preferably) NVMe drive

Salespeople typically couch suggestions to buy more expensive kit in terms of it lasting longer, having fewer issues, or being more future-proof - these are untrue. I've had $4000 laptops fail within 3 years and $600 laptops last for 10. The brand and specific model have a bigger influence on longevity than the price. In terms of future-proofing, the correct computer is the one you need right at the moment. In 2 years time your current computer will be worth a fraction of what you paid for it, and the extra money you could potentially use to buy a more expensive model is better spent buying a newer model later on - which will always be faster than the current expensive model.

This is, perhaps, why I never did that well as a computer salesperson; too honest. And also it sucks as a job.

- Matt Bentley, computer expert at Bentley Home PC Support.
Email info@homepcsupport.co.nz or phone 0211348576.

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