Get a cheap computer on hire purchase

May 10, 2007

IT is absurd to see the disparity in computer literacy between people in the developed world and Ugandans.

By Aidah Nanyonjo

IT is absurd to see the disparity in computer literacy between people in the developed world and Ugandans.

It is even more absurd to learn that the biggest reason why Ugandans do not know how to use computers is because they have no access to them.

They cannot access them because they cannot afford them. Even those who are computer literate can hardly afford to buy a computer,” says Robert Jan Nieuwport, the Director of Second Life, a computer firm at Uganda Manufacturers Association, Lugogo.

Nieuwport says part of the problem is that Ugandans think they have to buy new computers at exorbitant prices.
“That is not the way.

In Europe, people are trendy. They use computers for less than a year and discard them.

Some of the used computers imported in this country are still in a sound condition and can work perfectly well here in Africa,” he says.

Nieuwport says that at Second Life, one can get a full set computer between sh350,000 to sh850,000 with a one-year service warranty.

They can also enlarge the hard disk to 20 gigabytes and install a TV card at sh70, 000. It enables one to watch TV on his computer monitor and listen to radio, among others at an additional fee.

At Second Life, computers can also be bought on hire purchase. The terms depend on the quantity of the computers one is buying.

Nieuwport also says that the hire purchase service helps individuals and companies to own computers.
“If one is not able to pay all the costs at once, the higher purchase service is convenient,” he says.

Though the criteria of selecting a computer remain personal, there are some important aspects that should not be ignored.

Since a computer is an ICT product, you need something worth your money. Buy it from reliable sources or firms where original products are sold. It will be of advantage to find out if a guarantee is being offered on such computers.

Inquire about the originality of the computer. Are they Celerons (duplicates). If you do not trust the sellers, switch on the computer and go to properties.

It will avail you with information about its originality and the brand. Some people just buy without checking and end up buying counterfeit computers.

Knowing the specifications of the computer is also important. This helps one to know the hard discs it uses. However, it is also important to purchase from firms with basic knowledge about computer use.

Get the basics before taking a computer home because not all computers have similar features.

Second Life also deals in refurbishing brand computers, printers and photocopiers.

In Kampala computers can also be got from Computer World, Techno Brain among others.

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