Ruth Palmer would have had trouble picking out a computer if it wasn't for her 16-year-old resident expert.
"I just go with what my son says," she said recently, perusing the offerings recently at a Lawrence store. "I'm looking for a Pentium IV."
Looking for that first computer? Folks like Eric Holbrooks, a sales representative at Gateway Country, will be available to help. Gateway's next class for new computer users "Getting Started Your Way, Windows XP" is set for 9 a.m. to noon Monday at the store, 3131 Nieder Road.
Selecting your first computer can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. But if you're not as confident as Palmer not everyone has a computer-savvy family member there are a few steps that can help walk you through a successful purchase.
First, check your connections.
"Word of mouth is always a good bet," said Mark Ohlemeier, a spokesman for the Kansas Attorney General's office, which has a consumer-protection division. "Friends and family who have firsthand experience can lead you in the right direction and make recommendations on what they would have done differently."
Also, be sure to research the terms and vocabulary used by computer sales personnel.
"If you don't know what they are saying, it won't make much sense to you," Ohlemeier said.
Plenty of resources are available for building computer literacy, whether it's on the Internet, at the library or in a Lawrence bookstore.
"We have four aisles of computer books for customers to look at," said Kirk Rhorer, who works at Borders, 700 N.H.
Two-way communication is key. Jacob Sewell, a manager at HomeTown Computers Inc., 2540 Iowa St., often interviews customers to find out what they plan to do with a computer before designing a system that works.
"If you know the technical jargon, by all means come in with a list of what you want," Sewell said. "But if it's your first computer, know what you want to do with it and we'll go from there. It's really an easy process."
And don't forget that learning about gigabytes and RAM is one thing understanding how to boot up a hard drive and download streaming video can be quite another. Gateway Country is among the retailers who offer instruction for computer buyers, with classes covering the basics on up.
After all, what good is a computer if you don't know how to use it?
"The most important thing is to get education," said Scott Purcell, store manager at Gateway, 3131 Nieder Road.
Customers also should be prepared in case of a crashing hard drive or other malfunctions by comparing the extent of warranty coverages, Ohlemeier said.
Kansas law requires that warranties be available for the customers to read before making a purchase on the Internet, in a store or through a catalog.
And no matter where you get your computer, Sewell said, keeping your receipts can make the process easier.
"Keep them all, including your original disc that comes with the computer," he said.
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