I have a family member who is on the lookout for a new computer and as expected they were looking around various places while relying on the listed specs to try and make an informed decision. What was interesting to think about is how with all the pre-built systems there were times where it seemed like certain packages were perfect but was missing one item. For example, one computer could have the best processor but it comes with Windows 11 Home versus Professional. Then the other one would have worst specs but comes with Windows Professional.
That made it confusing for them on which one was the best to get based on the choices. It didn’t occur to them to factor in whether or not they could say simply buy a version of Windows Pro to install on the other computer and whether or not that would be a better value. It sounds so basic, but it’s not something you would think of if you are shopping in a category that is foreign to you.
An easy way to think about it is imagine someone wanting a cereal like raisin brand where they have the choice to get one with more raisins or flakes. Instead of just deciding between the two pre-packaged options, you could literally just buy the one that is way cheaper with less raisins and buy an actual pack of raisins that are on sale to add in. It’s one of those things that not many people think about but the option is there.