When planning or completing a move, you fully appreciate the amount of work and time that goes into getting and keeping a house in order. From beginning the moving process by scheduling a free in-home estimate all the way through unpacking and situating your belongings while learning the layout of a new city, there’s an increased amount of stress that goes with this change. Due to this stress, some families may choose to use part of their leftover budget by upgrading on various electronic devices. Coleman Worldwide Moving, an agent for Allied Van Lines, would like to provide you with some basic tips when purchasing and transitioning into new devices or electronics starting with buying a new computer. Research and Understand Your Needs: We all buy computers for varying reasons; therefore, understanding your specific needs remains important when deciding what the proper specifications and cost one should associate with a purchase. For example, someone who wants to build a computer for gaming is going to spend upwards of four times the amount that someone who is just using their system email, web browsing, and word processing. Think about Longevity: The old adage “you get what you pay for” is especially true when buying a computer. When buying a laptop, try to buy with the intent of having technology that will at least hold up for three years. When buying a desktop pc, know what can be upgraded in the system down the line in order to insure overall longevity. Normally, understanding video card upgrades and the maximum RAM the computer’s motherboard can hold are great places to start. BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! Depending on the amount of files, photos, music, and other media you plan on transferring, the choices for storage may vary between DVD-R/+R, USB Thumb Drives, or better yet an external USB Hard Drive. USB Hard Drives are also useful for backing up all data in case the unthinkable happens. This great lifehacker article provides one possibility for utilizing backups. For you online shoppers in search of a solid USB Hard Drive, Newegg has a great variety and user-based reviews to help you make an educated decision. Viruses are BAD! A consequence to the digital age is that the internet is under constant attack, therefore, making security that much more important. Nowadays, many computers come preinstalled with six months to a year of a security suite. If the computer you have in mind provides this amenity, then this step doesn’t apply to you as long as you keep it updated and realize that switching to another suite can be quite burdensome. For those that weren’t afforded this luxury, DO YOUR RESEARCH! A solid review site such as the one on CNET can provide you with expert advice on the various software packages that exist. However, the best advice is to not skimp on features. Antivirus, Spyware, and Adware prevention is an absolute must when considering protection, and most packages that cost around $60-$80 a year will provide you with these features as well as additional firewall protection and offsite data storage. These simple steps should start you on your way to make an educated post moving computer upgrade!