In today’s self-service economy, shopping for computers and related technologies has become almost effortless. With the click of a mouse, consumers can visit one of many comparison shopping sites and find one heck of a deal on a new computer. However, do they really get what they bargained for?

The computer retail market is more competitive than it has ever been, with profit margins routinely dipping into single digits. So

Computer repair can be costly. You’ll probably dedicate hours of your time before you decide to contact a shop that will cost you at least $100 to fix a problem that could have been avoided. Sometimes, hardware fails and you’re out of warranty. It’s not your fault and there was really nothing you could do. However, most of the problems that pc users experience can be avoided through proper maintenance. Here are five tips to keep your computer in