I don’t put myself in the same professional categories as doctors, but I’m still bothered when people ask me for advice when we’re all expecting to relax and have a good time.

It’s not the advice that I mind giving. Usually, the worst effects of a computer jock’s bad advice is that you’ll push the wrong key...not exactly a life-threatening result. What bothers me is the pervasive lack of knowledge of how computers work, what capabilities they have, even what options could help the user be more productive. Almost all of the “walk-up-&-grab-me-by-the-arm” questions that I receive at parties or local business events fall into the category of “I want to buy a new PC, which one should I buy?”

First off, I don’t know which one to buy. There’s more to that question than first meets the eye.

I can’t imagine that you’d walk up to a car dealer and ask, “I want to buy a new car, which one should I buy?” Would you?

It’s true, I’m not a computer dealer, so the analogy is a bit stretched. But for someone to give the responsibility of selecting a PC to someone else seems really out of line, especially for a machine that you will use eight hours a day for the next few years.

I know that I’m really getting on my soapbox now, but I think it’s critical for each of us to understand how that silicon box can work for us. What is it capable of producing, what do I need it to do for me, and what do I want to do with it? I’ve seen business people take more time selecting their gold pen and pencil set than selecting their office’s computers. Is it me or is this nonsense?

Here are some ideas to help you take control of your computer purchases.

1) Review your office tasks. How do you process information now? What procedures can be automated? What benefit would you receive by improving the quality of your self-printed materials - letters, fliers, brochures?

2) Evaluate your office productivity. What repetitive tasks are still done manually? Can any of these be computerized? Examples include customer mailings, informational pieces, fax newsletters. Have you considered sending your customers a courtesy informational piece by fax? Did you know that WinFax Pro is the best computer fax software? Match it with a new modem to send fax newsletters to thousands of customers.

3) Here’s the big one. Buy all the computing power that you need - and then some. Don’t buy your computer for today, buy it for 3-4 years. Today’s software will run fine on most popular computer models, but next year’s software programs may require a bit more horsepower or a CD-ROM drive or a larger capacity hard drive. Don’t buy just for today.

4) Find a friend in the industry. Get to know your local computer dealers if you buy in town. If you prefer to order from catalogs, learn about the company on the other end of the phone. What is their specialty? Do they sell primarily to the home market, to designers, or do they have models that meet a wide variety of customers’ needs?

5) Be willing to invest in your computer. Not just the purchasing of the computer, but also be ready to learn how to use it well. And share this knowledge with your employees and coworkers. A computer is just a box on your desk; it’s not until you learn to use it that it becomes a tool.

If you would like to talk about your next computer purchase, drop me an email message or give me a call. But, don’t be taken aback if I don’t know what computer you should buy--until I listen to what you need.

David Stephen Murphy is President and CEO of Damar Group, Ltd. which presents computer training classes, publishes computer learning guides, and helps organizations do business on the Internet. The website is http://dgl.com, and Mr. Murphy may be reached at dave@dgl.com or 410.567.5366.

updated November 2, 1996
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